Zhou Hui realized they had covered all the necessary questions; nothing was missing except evidence. That meant within twenty-four hours, if they couldn’t find proof that she had committed murder, they would have to release her.
In his desperation, Han Wei resorted to a ploy. “The victim, Jiang Tong, has already accused you of illegal detention and a series of assaults against him. Your two bodyguards have also confessed to the crimes you all committed. What do you have to say for yourself?” It was a blatant lie—Jiang Tong remained unconscious in the hospital, still fighting for his life. The two bodyguards were in the midst of interrogation.
Sure enough, Yu Bai saw through his deception in an instant. “Han Wei, extorting confessions isn’t a good habit. Your teacher didn’t teach you that!”
What?!
Everyone outside the interrogation room, including Sun Ye and the others, was stunned. Even Zhou Hui nearly lost her composed facade.
What… was this about?
No wonder she had sensed something off about Han Wei all evening. These two already knew each other—and they shared a teacher-student relationship?
Yu Bai keenly caught their subtle shifts in emotion and smiled at Han Wei. “It looks like your colleagues weren’t in the loop about our connection. I figured our reunion last night would have you rushing to share the news of seeing me with your old leader.”
“…” Han Wei was at a loss for words.
After closing the interrogation room door, Zhou Hui turned to Sun Ye. “Have her two bodyguards been questioned?”
Sun Ye replied indignantly, “Yeah, both of them are sticking to the story that they did everything themselves—nothing to do with their madam. Their accounts match perfectly, like they fucking rehearsed it beforehand.”
Zhou Hui furrowed her brow. “What exactly did they admit to?”
“Illegal detention and beating the victim. That’s it, over and over.”
Irritated, Han Wei muttered, “Fuck!”
Zhou Hui glanced up and prodded him with a folder. “What’s your relationship with her?”
“She was my graduate advisor at the Provincial Police University, about two and a half years ago. She’d just come back from America. Her lectures were fresh and innovative, her perspectives unconventional. A lot of students loved her classes. I wasn’t even officially in them, but every time she gave a talk at the school, I showed up without fail. Before long, we got to know each other.”
Zhou Hui’s interest piqued. “Is she a cop?” Most instructors at the police university held official positions.
Han Wei hesitated, then said quietly, “She used to be. Two years ago, she resigned from every post at the Provincial Public Security Department.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re familiar with the 725 Case, right? She was the wife of the task force leader, Ji Shen.”
The moment Han Wei spoke those words, the air seemed to solidify. Two years had passed since the 725 Case, but the mere mention of Ji Shen’s name still sent shivers through everyone. A traitor with the blood of more than a dozen undercover agents on his hands, still at large—what sort of incident was that?
The task force had pursued the case for two months, reaching the final stages, when Ji Shen abruptly turned traitor. He defected to the drug traffickers and vanished without a trace from Pingling City. Yu Bai, as his wife, resigned from all her roles at the Provincial Public Security Department and the Provincial Police University in less than ten days, then headed straight to America, extricating herself completely.
The Provincial Public Security Department had forcibly shelved the 725 Case. Officials from higher up seized every archive related to it from the records room—even Ji Shen’s and Yu Bai’s files at the Provincial Police University underwent a thorough purge.
Yu Bai’s reappearance in Pingling City made her a highly sensitive figure, especially now with a stack of unresolved suspicions clouding her name.
Just then, Zhou Hui’s phone buzzed. She hit the answer button. “Hello… He’s awake? … Got it, we’re on our way…”
After hanging up, she snapped her fingers at Han Wei. “Come on, to City Hospital. Jiang Tong’s awake.”
City Hospital, Orthopedics.
Victim Jiang Tong lay on the bed, howling in agony—”Ow, ow!” The doctors had just reattached two of his fingers, and the anesthesia was wearing off.
He cursed through gritted teeth. “What the fuck are you cops even doing? Those thugs almost killed me—could you have dragged your asses any slower? Fuck your mom’s…”
Little Liu from the criminal investigation team was livid. He jabbed a finger at him and shouted, “Watch your mouth, Jiang Tong! You better cut the crap.”
Jiang Tong was a lowlife thug with no real job, spending his days loafing around and pulling petty scams. Now he was trying to shake down the police for compensation. Little Liu hadn’t laid a hand on him, but he started bellowing, “Cops are assaulting me! Everybody come see! No justice left—the police are beating a victim…”
Little Liu spotted Zhou Hui and Han Wei at the ward door out of the corner of his eye and hurried outside.
Zhou Hui pointed toward the room. “What’s the deal?”
Little Liu shrugged helplessly. “He’s been ranting ever since he woke up, demanding we pay his medical bills…”
Zhou Hui clapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t waste your breath on a guy like that. Thanks for hanging in there tonight.”
Little Liu shook his head and forced a weary smile before sitting back down on the chair outside the ward. He would wait for Captain Zhou and the others to finish their questioning before resuming his shift.
The life of a police officer was far less glamorous than it appeared on TV. They didn’t just risk their lives on missions—evidence collection alone could be grueling, especially when dealing with someone like this.
The ward door swung open, and Jiang Tong’s voice exploded from inside. “…We citizens pay taxes to the country every single day, just to support you bunch of useless freeloaders? If you don’t compensate me today, I’ll sue the lot of you.”
Han Wei burst out laughing at that. “Then go right ahead and sue. I suggest you claim the police are bullying you because you’re illiterate and clueless about the law.”
“…” Jiang Tong paused for a moment before thrusting out his newly splinted fingers. “What about this? Aren’t you cops going to do anything about it? I was kidnapped!”
Han Wei shot back, “You really think you’re all that, huh? Do you even know the elements required to establish a kidnapping charge? Why don’t you tell us about that reporting hotline call you made to the station yesterday? You think cops are just a bunch of freeloaders living off taxpayer money?”
Jiang Tong looked a bit guilty. “Okay, yeah, I did make that reporting call, but I was just doing a job for pay. I never even met the guy.” Having been in and out of detention centers like clockwork, Jiang Tong had long mastered the art of sparring with police. He quickly recovered. “Hey, I’m the victim here. Why do you cops keep grilling me?”
Captain Zhou said, “We need to understand the full sequence of events to protect your legitimate rights. Who illegally detained you?”
“It was those two bodyguards! Haven’t you arrested them already?”
Captain Zhou pressed, “Did Yu Bai participate?”
Jiang Tong took a second to register the name, then shook his head in horror. “No, absolutely not, officer.”
Captain Zhou continued, “You’re certain it was only those two bodyguards who illegally detained you, correct? Jiang Tong, understand that everything you say right now is being recorded, and you’ll be held legally accountable.”
“I’m certain.”
Once they were out of the ward, Han Wei shook his head. “First time I’ve seen a so-called victim more eager to throw a suspect under the bus than to confess their own crimes. If I were the suspect, I’d be thrilled to have a victim like this.”
“Alright, head back and get some rest for now,” Captain Zhou said. “Tomorrow, have someone search Red’s place and Yu Bai’s home again. If she’s behind this, she won’t get away.”
The next day, early morning.
Captain Zhou emerged from the on-duty room and headed downstairs to buy breakfast for the criminal investigation team’s crew. As she passed the steamed bun shop, she suddenly remembered the suspect who had spent the night in the “Preferential Holding Room” at the station hadn’t eaten yet. On impulse, she grabbed an extra serving of buns and soy milk for her.
Back at the office, the breakfast vanished in a flash. Once everyone had eaten their fill with satisfied sighs, Captain Zhou carried the hard-won takeout to deliver it to Yu Bai.
The woman in the Preferential Holding Room hadn’t even opened her eyes yet. Captain Zhou nudged her, but she frowned and muttered, “Quit bothering me,” before rolling over and going right back to sleep. Her mental fortitude was impressive.
It made sense, though. Having been a cop herself once, these station tricks were child’s play to her.
Half an hour later, Yu Bai finally opened her eyes. She picked up the soy milk from the table and took a sip. “It’s cold. Can you get me a fresh one?”
“This is all there is,” Captain Zhou replied curtly.
Yu Bai rubbed her temple, took another sip, then gave up in disgust. She knocked on the table. “When can I get out of here?”
“Your twenty-four-hour detention period hasn’t ended yet. What’s the rush?” Captain Zhou was always uncompromising when it came to her job.
Yu Bai didn’t get upset. She sighed lightly. “Fine, I’ll wait out the full twenty-four hours. But officer, I still have to remind you—wasting time on me is pointless. If you let the real culprit slip away, you won’t be able to face the public.”
Before Captain Zhou could respond, Bureau Chief Zhang’s booming voice interrupted from outside the door.
“Captain Zhou! Captain Zhou… Hey, where’s Captain Zhou?”
Captain Zhou glanced at Yu Bai and stepped out, closing the door behind her. “Bureau Chief Zhang, I’m right here. What is it?”
The moment Bureau Chief Zhang spotted her, he demanded urgently, “Did your criminal investigation team pick up a suspect last night?”
“Yeah.”
“You got the wrong person! She’s not the killer.” Zhang Yunan was clearly agitated but reined himself in to explain. “The Nancheng Sub-bureau reported another homicide this morning. Same circumstances as the previous ones. Preliminary time of death between one and three a.m. today. Take your team over there now.”
Captain Zhou’s eyelids twitched.
She didn’t have time to worry about whether Yu Bai was connected to any other cases. She immediately rallied her team and rushed to Nancheng District.
Forensic Doctor Meng and the Nancheng Sub-bureau’s coroner had completed their initial examination of the body.
Captain Zhou asked, “What have you got?”
Meng Liansu removed her mask. “Same as before—the cause of death is asphyxiation. The murder weapon was probably a nylon rope or something similar, the kind you can buy anywhere. Investigating that angle will be tough. That’s my take on the previous cases too.” She paused. “But there’s something odd.”
Captain Zhou’s expression stiffened. “Any special discoveries?”
“It’s the wounds on the victim,” Meng Liansu said. “Very strange. This victim has the fewest wounds of all—almost no signs of abuse before death.”
“Fewer than the others?”
“Yes! Take a look—” Meng Liansu crouched down and flipped the body over, pointing to several incisions. “Aside from the cuts at the bases of the hands and feet, there’s nothing severe on the back, chest, or down to the pubic bone—no real abuse wounds.”
Captain Zhou followed her finger along the body, piecing it together. “Logically, a serial killer’s methods should evolve over time, with the cruelty ramping up in a straight line. But this killer seems to be… regressing! That doesn’t fit the psychological profile of a serial offender.”
Meng Liansu shrugged. “That’s your department. I can only offer technical support.”
Captain Zhou nodded. “Thanks for your hard work.”
Meng Liansu sighed and turned back to the body.
The rain made evidence collection even harder. It wasn’t until nearly noon that they wrapped up the basics.
When Captain Zhou returned to the station, she spotted a black SUV parked in the yard, flanked by two burly men who looked like bodyguards. Despite the downpour, one of them wore sunglasses and stood stock-still in the rain, evoking the prelude to a mob boss’s grand entrance in some gritty crime drama.
Captain Zhou had never seen a “mobster photoshoot” at the police station gates before. Puzzled about who it could be, she glanced up just as Yu Bai emerged from the main building.
Yu Bai’s lawyer had just arrived with an airtight alibi, springing her early.
Sensing her gaze, Yu Bai turned toward her. The moment their eyes met, a provocative smile curled from her lips to her brows. She sauntered over under an umbrella, clad in a black suit jacket with a cigarette pinched between the fingers of her right hand. She stared Captain Zhou down for a solid half-minute before speaking. “Officer Zhou, I hear they’ve fished another body out of Nancheng District. Caught the killer yet?”
Captain Zhou shoved her hands in her pockets and frowned at her. “Want updates on the case? Go home and watch the news. We don’t do personal concierge service here.”
Yu Bai tapped the cigarette against her nose bridge with a sudden look of realization. “Oh, right—I almost forgot. Your station can’t even spring for a cup of soy milk.”
Captain Zhou snorted. “Then you’d better not come back. Next time, you won’t get so much as that.”
“Thanks for the heads-up, Officer Zhou. For the sake of my own safety, I’ll be sure to stay on the right side of the law.” As Yu Bai spoke, her bright, clear eyes shimmered with subtle amusement—like crystals catching the flicker of swaying lights. Captain Zhou found herself momentarily transfixed.
She had to admit it: Yu Bai was stunning, from her features to her figure. Porcelain-pale skin, a full forehead, a high-bridged nose, and eyes brimming with untold stories. Wispy strands framed her ears, brushing her chin to reveal the elegant curve of her neck. Front view or profile, she was goddess-tier.
Having said her piece, Yu Bai showed no sign of leaving. She took a deep drag, flicked away the ash, and narrowed her eyes—whether at Captain Zhou or the rain sheeting down behind her, it was hard to tell. There was always something powerfully enigmatic about her presence; she could stand there in utter silence, and it wouldn’t fade a bit.
Captain Zhou had zero patience for Yu Bai’s mob-boss act at the station entrance. She turned to leave, but after just a couple of steps, Yu Bai called out from behind. “Officer Zhou.”
Captain Zhou halted and glanced back, arching a brow. “Yes?”
Yu Bai stubbed out her cigarette and fished a business card from her suit jacket, holding it up to Captain Zhou. “My card. Feel free to reach out anytime.”
With a final flirtatious smile, she spun on her heel, slipped into the SUV, and told the driver, “Let’s go!”
Captain Zhou stood there clutching the card, unable to shake the feeling that Yu Bai’s parting smile carried some unspoken strangeness.
It was as if Yu Bai was dead certain the police would come knocking again—and she’d handed over her contact info to get ahead of it.
Captain Zhou suspected Yu Bai knew something about the case. At least a little. She wasn’t completely in the dark.
In the Criminal Investigation Team office, lunchtime was in full swing. The room buzzed with chatter. After days of round-the-clock work on the case, the team showed no signs of fatigue—in fact, they were rowdier than ever.
Sun Ye’s booming voice filled the room as he stood on a chair, thermos cup in hand, belting out “To Love Even in Death” with utter rapture and abandon. Every so often, he pumped up the crowd. “Come on, folks on this side—give it up with some applause!”
One of his colleagues tapped the rim of his bowl with his chopsticks. “Grandson, don’t just stick to that one song! None of us bros have ever had a girlfriend. What’s with ‘To Love Even in Death’? Switch it up—switch!”
Sun Ye shot back, “It’s exactly because you haven’t dated that I’m giving you a luck boost. Otherwise, I’d be crooning ‘Happy Breakup’ to you every damn day from here on out.”
The whole room roared in unison: “Scram!”
Sun Ye clutched his chest in mock agony. “Bro, if I weren’t a cop, I’d be a superstar singer by now. I’m performing for free, and you ingrates… Talk about squandering talent.” He shook his head and plopped down, slurping noisily at the Old Altar Pickled Beef instant noodles he’d already steeped on the table. After a few bites, something struck him. He brandished his fork. “Tell you what—from now on, each of you owes me a pack of instant noodles as my performance fee. You lot only value what you’ve shelled out cash for.”
Deputy Han looked up and clapped him on the shoulder. “Grandson, get real. Poll everyone in this office. If even one person says they’d pay to hear you sing, all five packs in my cabinet—one, two, three, four, five—are yours.”
“Deputy Han, that’s not right! Even if Grandson paid me a pack to sit through it, I wouldn’t waste my precious lunch break on that kind of auditory torture.”
The office exploded into gales of laughter.
Deputy Han pounded the table, tears streaming down his face from laughing so hard. “I stand corrected. I seriously underestimated the damage to our casework.”
Sun Ye fumed, “…You… Fine. Can’t reason with a bunch of artless philistines. I’m off to find Forensic Doctor Meng.”
That announcement drew a barrage of baffled stares from everyone.
Meng Liansu was a woman—the criminal investigation team’s in-house forensic doctor. She claimed to be thirty-one, but she looked like a girl in her twenties, and she was single. Still, not a soul in the team dared to pursue her.
A few years back, night-shift colleagues started rumors that the forensic room was haunted. Come midnight, voices would drift out from inside. This “major incident” put the whole team on high alert. One late night, five officers geared up to bust the ghost.
They flung open the door and found the so-called specter was Meng Liansu herself. Instead of heading home for the night, she’d stayed to chat up the corpses. Rumor had it they got along famously; without the interruption, they might’ve talked straight through till dawn.
Overnight, the team’s resident heartthrob—the city bureau’s glamorous poster girl—struck fear into every guy’s heart. They could only clasp their fists and bow out.
From that day forward, the criminal investigation team consisted of brothers only—no women. The guys groaned that they’d picked the wrong line of work.
For Sun Ye to think Meng Liansu might appreciate his “art”? Deputy Han scoffed. “Step foot in there, and Forensic Doctor Meng will probably rope in a fresh corpse to enjoy the show with you. Who knows—maybe it’ll even clap along.”
Sun Ye gulped, instantly abandoning the idea. He’d been so pissed off earlier that his brain had clearly short-circuited.
He pulled his foot back from the doorway, reaping a harvest of contemptuous glares from the room.
Captain Zhou, just emerging from Zhang Yunan’s office, pushed through the door and spotted Sun Ye lingering there. “You done eating? Finish up and come with me on field duty.”
Sun Ye eyed his barely touched noodles. “…”
