Wu Shuang felt like she had been duped. Hua Qingyi had been leading her in circles around the entire North District, consistently steering clear of the police station and the guesthouse. She had no idea what he was up to, and it was nearing noon.
"Hua Qingyi, what exactly do you want to do?" Wu Shuang finally exploded after passing yet another familiar building. She felt the impulse to pull the pin on a grenade but held back.
"Oh, I thought you were pretty good at holding it in. Tsk, tsk, tsk!" After a series of incomprehensible noises, Hua Qingyi finally parked the car in front of a seemingly decent chain hotel. "You can stay here; it's better than that guesthouse."
"What do you an?"
"Let's fill our stomachs first. It seems like there's a restaurant downstairs. You like spicy food, right?"
"Yeah!" Talking about food made Wu Shuang's stomach growl. "Wait a minute, why do I have to stay here?"
Hua Qingyi ignored her question and went straight to the front desk to book a room. "How long do you plan to stay here?"
"I..." Wu Shuang was unsure how long she would stay. "Until Xiao Lin is found!"
Hua Qingyi glanced at her but said nothing. He booked the room for three days and ordered room service, requesting two set als to be sent up.
Feeling slightly embarrassed by Hua Qingyi's gaze, Wu Shuang imdiately voiced her confusion once they got inside. "Do you have a problem with my decision?"
"Officer Wu, I just think you're bringing personal feelings into your work. You shouldn't forget that you are now a deputy chief. If you spend all your ti here, how do you intend to handle matters at the City Police Departnt?" Hua Qingyi's question left Wu Shuang speechless, and she lowered her head. "Please don't take my words personally, but as a police chief, shouldn't your focus be on the case and not on personal desires?"
Was Hua Qingyi wrong in what he said? Wu Shuang stirred the food on her plate. From any angle, he wasn't wrong, and he was speaking reasonably. Is he really the Hua Qingyi she knew? His precision in language and timing was like that of an experienced politician whose perspective from a high position far surpassed her sowhat narrow insistence.
"I understand!"
"Do you really understand?" Hua Qingyi's aggressive tone made Wu Shuang uncomfortable. She suddenly lifted her head, putting down her chopsticks with a defiant attitude. "Does that an you're thinking of giving up?"
"Hua Qingyi, what exactly are you trying to say?"
Hua Qingyi saw that Wu Shuang was genuinely angry, yet he smiled easily. "The North District is the first place I intend to thoroughly investigate after my appointnt. If Officer Wu isn't prepared to join in combating cri, I'll have the city committee revoke your appointnt and return you to the Ministry of Traffic."
Hua Qingyi's words left Wu Shuang at a loss, her mouth agape. It was a long while before she found her voice. "Why ?" She thought she already understood Hua Qingyi's aning, but she couldn't understand why it had to be her.
"Lin Zhifang's actions during his tenure were not particularly wrong — you could say they were by the book. However, the North District is the safest area in Yanjing. Doesn't Officer Wu find that suspicious? Furthermore, have you never suspected why it's Lin Zhifang being taken into custody this ti and not Mu Rongyun?"
"I have suspected it, but compared to those above, I'm just a small arm; how can I twist their big legs?" Wu Shuang pouted. The transition from the Ministry of Traffic to the Special Police Departnt had been swift, yet she had handled very few cases aningfully.
"You're asking why I chose you because Xiao Lin trusts you; he believes in you." Hua Qingyi saw a glimr of tears in Wu Shuang's eyes. "Your dedication to your work is the sa standard by which I also recognize you. The North District is a tough nut to crack — it's deeply entrenched, and uprooting it is no easy task. If you can't separate personal from professional, I won't be able to entrust you with more important tasks."
"What do you want to do?"
"Your current position hasn't been officially disseminated locally, so here you're still a captain in the Special Police Unit, and the City Bureau has already handed you the serial murder case. So, you're in charge here, and I'll personally investigate Xiao Lin's situation." Hua Qingyi softened his tone, seriously looking into Wu Shuang's eyes. If he couldn't convince this woman to stop pursuing Xiao Lin's whereabouts today, he'd be facing a tough battle.
"We can't both focus on the sa thing. Although there are commonalities in these two matters, our starting points must differ. You represent the entire City Bureau, and I represent myself personally, understand?"
"The Tang Xiaoxia case was handed to by Secretary Hua on your instruction, wasn't it?" Wu Shuang brushed her fingers across her forehead, pushing her hair back. Hua Qingyi nodded. "Why? You know Mu Rongyun is following , yet you still handed this case to ?"
"Whether he knows or not doesn't matter; I just believe you will handle it impartially."
An unprecedented pressure enveloped her, and Wu Shuang wanted to escape, unsure if she could handle it. Seeing her hesitation, Hua Qingyi relaxed back into his chair. "I've booked the room for three days. You can take this ti to consider my proposal carefully. Since we're in an unpredictable environnt, there's always a risk of unexpected developnts. I'm not forcing you."
"I don't need that long. I can give you an answer right now." Wu Shuang didn't need to think; from the beginning, she never intended to. "Bring Xiao Lin back safely!"
The determined gaze and confident deanor, this woman indeed had imnse charm. When she was serious, she was beautiful!
"Liu Wei's case has already been transferred to the Ministry of Traffic, which you should know." Hua Qingyi switched the topic to work without any pretense. "Before that, I think I should explain to you the key points of this case and the areas you must avoid."
"Why did Xiao Lin disappear?" On the surface, the deceased individuals seed unconnected, but the underlying reasons appeared directly related to Hua Qingyi's purpose there.
"The case you're handling is actually linked to an international illicit drug smuggling and trafficking channel. During our operations in the Middle East, we once infiltrated the organization's core and dismantled it. Unfortunately, their leader, 'Fourth Master,' managed to escape." Hua Qingyi raised an eyebrow at this point. (To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to vote for it on Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
User Comments
0 comments from readers