Xiang Ling was completely stunned for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure. Pointing at the corner of her own mouth, she said, “You’re bleeding here.”
Now it was Liang Wangshan’s turn to freeze. He stood there blankly for a few seconds before wiping the corner of his mouth with his sleeve and saying, “Sorry, I just cut myself.” The small trace of blood from the wound was quickly wiped away. He then asked, “What can I do for you?”
“Oh, I wanted to ask if you know Bao Shihei.”
As she spoke, Xiang Ling observed the other person’s expression, hoping to find some clues from subtle changes.
Liang Wangshan hadn’t heard that name in a long time. After thinking for a moment, he remembered it was a villager from his hometown. He nodded and said, “I know him, but not well. Are you looking for him? He’s already dead.”
“No, I just wanted to ask if he ever asked you to pass a message to his parents back then.”
Liang Wangshan suddenly understood. A look of disdain appeared on his face. “Back then, he gave me some money to help him and lied to his parents, saying he was running a trading company. If I had known his money came from harming people, I wouldn’t have helped.”
Xiang Ling tried to grasp something from his expression. But in the end, she realized he had indeed helped out of familiarity and for the money, without knowing any inside information. She then bid farewell and left.
Her efforts over the past two days weren’t entirely fruitless. At the very least, she confirmed that there was indeed someone behind Bao Shihei, and that person was likely connected to the old case. However, she still couldn’t determine whether that person was the buyer themselves or someone acting as an intermediary.
Instead of starting the car right away, she lit up her phone screen. Just then, someone called. She immediately answered, “Hey, Tu Duo.”
Tu Duo had been sentenced to six months of detention for harboring Zhang Hao. After being released, he looked into what had happened during his detention and roughly understood the situation. After reconnecting with Xiang Ling, he had been secretly helping investigate Bao Shihei. However, with limited connections, he hadn’t uncovered much more than Hu Kan.
Without any unnecessary pleasantries, Tu Duo got straight to the point. “That information seller, his identity is real, but no one knows his name. Those who know him just call him the Information Broker. He does have some connections. The information he provides is likely genuine.”
Xiang Ling had asked Tu Duo to verify the information the same day she met Hu Kan. Given her current situation, she needed to be wary of everyone who suddenly appeared around her. “Okay, I understand. Also, could you keep an eye out for someone for me? A man, tall and thin, wearing glasses, with a scar at the corner of his mouth. He might be a wealthy person or someone from your side.”
“I can, but your description is too broad. I might not be able to find him.”
Tu Duo knew that finding people wasn’t his strong suit, but he still had to help, especially given his relationship with Xiang Ling. They didn’t even call it “helping”. It was more like an obligation.
“I understand. Don’t force it if you can’t find him.” Even the smallest clue was valuable. No matter how slim the chances, she had to try.
Just after hanging up Tu Duo’s call, another call came in. The person on the other end gave her an address and arranged a time to meet. Seeing that she still had plenty of time, Xiang Ling decided to head to the newspaper office.
Yu Shi arrived early at the agreed-upon spot. She found a secluded corner to sit in and ordered a split hotpot—half spicy broth, half clear broth—along with a few plates of meat and vegetables. Leaning back in her chair, she scrolled through her phone. In her social media feed, she saw someone sharing Tang Zhengyi’s report again, so she casually gave it a like before moving on to other things.
At exactly six o’clock, the chair opposite her was pulled back. The newcomer sat down naturally. The server promptly poured a glass of iced tea for the new customer.
“Perfect timing. I was just craving hotpot,” Xiang Ling said. Upon learning the meeting place was a hotpot restaurant, she had purposely come on an empty stomach. Otherwise, her editor would have already fed her full.
Yu Shi, who had been slouching in her chair, straightened up when Xiang Ling arrived and said, “Seems I had foresight.”
Just then, the server brought the dishes, and the two helped arrange the plates on the table. After the server left, Yu Shi glanced at the can of cola in front of her. She gestured for Xiang Ling to watch and then performed a one-handed can-opening trick right on the spot.
“Looks cool, but doesn’t it hurt your hand?” Xiang Ling naturally couldn’t do such a thing. She’d never practiced it.
Yu Shi poured the cola into an empty glass filled with ice cubes and said, “It did at first, but you get used to it after a while.”
“I’d advise you to drink less cola. It’s all sugar,” Xiang Ling remarked, taking a sip of her iced green tea. She had never been a fan of overly strong flavors. While she did drink cola occasionally, she tried to limit it.
Yu Shi curled the corner of her mouth into a small smile. She picked up a few slices of meat with her chopsticks and dipped them into the pot. She, of course, went for the spicy broth. Watching Xiang Ling do the same, she suddenly spoke up, “Bao Shihei hasn’t seen anyone since his arrest.”
Xiang Ling wasn’t surprised by the abrupt remark. Besides having a meal, they had met here because she had asked Yu Shi for a favor. She confirmed again, “Not even a lawyer?”
“No. After his arrest, no lawyers, family, or anyone like that came to visit him. He was alone until the very end.” Yu Shi fished out the cooked meat slices, dipped them in sauce, and ate them.
“Hmm, thanks for your help. I’ll find a way to repay you someday, along with the life-saving debt.”
Xiang Ling now spoke these words without any strange feelings in her heart. At the very least, she wasn’t unwilling to bring it up or anything like that. They were both in the know, so there was no need to hide it deliberately.
Through the steam rising from the hot broth, Yu Shi observed Xiang Ling’s expression, which remained as calm as ever, as if nearly dying back then had happened to someone else. It seemed she truly hadn’t suffered any lingering psychological effects from the case. “If you’re willing to share your investigation findings so far, I won’t ask for repayment.”
Xiang Ling scooped up some meat slices and ate them with fresh lettuce. She stared seriously at Yu Shi across the table, who met her gaze in return. After a few seconds of silence, she finally said, “The one who can’t let go is me. This case is closed for you. There’s no need for you to get involved, and I don’t want to drag you into it.”
“I won’t force you, but two people are indeed stronger than one. We police officers always work in pairs precisely because something could go wrong when you’re alone. Besides, your combat skills don’t seem as good as mine. Teaming up, I could even act as your bodyguard.”
Yu Shi patted her arm, indicating the muscles hidden beneath her clothes.
Upon hearing this, Xiang Ling paused briefly before continuing to scoop vegetables into the pot. She remained silent. Indeed, unknown enemies could be dangerous. If she were alone, anything could happen. But since she had decided to investigate, she was prepared to accept whatever outcome might arise.
“I’d be worried,” Yu Shi said, taking a sip of cola. The bubbles burst in her mouth, intensifying the spicy sensation on her tongue.
“I’m worried, too,” Xiang Ling replied, taking a sip of iced tea before setting down her chopsticks.
Leaning back in her chair, Yu Shi spun her cup idly and said, “I respect your decision, but I also want to make it clear that I don’t investigate cases because I’m a police officer. I became a police officer because I want to investigate cases. The priorities are different.”
She understood Xiang Ling’s concerns. Not knowing who the enemy was or where the investigation might lead, all the uncertainties could potentially implicate her. She might lose her job or even her life. But she would never turn a blind eye to Xiang Ling’s situation just to protect her career as a police officer.
“Let’s eat,” Xiang Ling said, avoiding a definitive answer and focusing on her food instead.
After their brief exchange, the atmosphere between them grew somewhat awkward. While other tables were filled with laughter and lively conversation, theirs was silent except for the occasional “Want some vegetables?”, “Have a meatball”, “You have it”, or “Thanks”. It was all centered around offering each other food.
Once the meal ended, the two bid farewell and went their separate ways.
Back at home, Xiang Ling flipped the light switch. The room was so quiet that only the sounds she made could be heard. She poured herself a glass of water and placed it on her desk, which faced a wall covered by a black curtain. Pulling the curtain aside revealed a whiteboard. It was the kind used for teaching, where one could write and erase repeatedly. Xiang Ling picked up a marker and crossed out Liang Wangshan’s name, indicating he was no longer connected to the case.
The board was still sparsely filled, as she had only just begun to piece things together. The information she’d obtained from the informant had only taken her a small step forward. On the board, Bao Shihei’s name was connected with an arrow pointing to “Scarface”, while below Bao Shihei’s name was Xiang Yuanzhi, also linked by an arrow. So far, the three main individuals involved were identified, but two of them were already dead. The remaining one was like finding a needle in a haystack. Only a rough physical description was known, not even a surname.
Rubbing her forehead, Xiang Ling felt a sudden headache. Her investigation had been neither short nor long, yet she still had no breakthroughs. Tu Duo had found nothing, and the informant knew little as well. Just then, her phone rang.
She answered. It was Jiang Xue, the editor-in-chief of the newspaper, who asked immediately, “Xiang Ling, did you authorize anyone else to use your report?”
“No,” Xiang Ling replied, even more confused.
Through gritted teeth, Jiang Xue said, “Turn on the TV now…”
Xiang Ling followed Jiang Xue’s instructions and turned on the TV, tuning to the specified channel. A debate-style program was airing, one that was quite popular and had a sizable following. The host often invited guests from various industries to discuss current social issues and cases, essentially covering whatever topics were generating public attention.
Jiang Xue continued, “It seems this program used your report but didn’t cite the source. The production team never requested authorization from our newspaper.”
Xiang Ling watched as the host listed several key discussion points, many of which were based on her own private investigations. These included Tang Zhengyi’s childhood trauma and the psychological state depicted in the crimes. It was all the findings she had uncovered alone and later compiled into her report.
“Sue them. Demand compensation. Ask for as much as you can. Contact them after the program ends.”
Xiang Ling had no intention of going easy on the production team. After all, the host and guests were now discussing the fruits of her labor, profiting from her work without paying a single cent.
Jiang Xue was puzzled. “Why wait until the program ends? They’re talking about your material right now. A complaint call could shut the show down immediately.”
“Wait until it’s over, then demand compensation based on the viewership ratings. Also, forbid them from uploading this episode online. If they ignore us, we’ll publicly call them out, use online public opinion to damage their reputation, and file a lawsuit for copyright infringement.”
TV programs were often reuploaded online after airing, allowing those who missed the broadcast to catch up, generating revenue and popularity through clicks and marketing strategies.
Jiang Xue nodded in understanding but suddenly remembered something before hanging up. “Have you been in touch with Yang San recently?”
Xiang Ling sighed in exasperation. “We’re not exactly the type to keep in touch privately…”
Jiang Xue sounded somewhat resigned, as if realizing her mistake. “I forgot. Just thought I’d ask. Never mind, I’ll hang up now.”
After ending the call, Xiang Ling left the rest to her editor. She settled on the sofa, watching the people on TV analyze the topic. The host looked familiar. They were a regular on the show. The other two guests were a psychologist and a judge. She wasn’t sure why a judge had been invited, but when she took a closer look at his face, it felt oddly familiar.
Glancing at the nameplate in front of the judge, she saw the characters “Li Zhantang”. Though she didn’t recognize the name, the face seemed vaguely familiar, likely the presiding judge from the case years ago.
She hurried to her desk and grabbed her laptop. She searched for the old case. Sure enough, the presiding judge was Li Zhantang. Staring at Judge Li on TV, she suddenly thought he might be a potential breakthrough. With no other leads at the moment, investigating this judge could yield unexpected results. Even if anything unusual turned out to be unrelated to the old case, she could still write a report about it.
Once she made this decision, she wrote Li Zhantang’s name on the board and scoured the internet for all known cases he had presided over. For each case, she found different reports written by various individuals. Collecting these materials took her considerable time. Coupled with her thorough study of the cases and research into relevant legal knowledge, she spent a great deal of mental effort analyzing them.
Jiang Xue had contacted the production team, who initially tried to evade responsibility. However, they soon discovered that she had leveraged her connections to rally numerous people to comment about copyright infringement under their program’s posts. The initial wave of hired commentators drew attention from netizens, and more and more people began demanding a statement from the production team. Additionally, the newspaper started pressuring them, threatening legal action. Eventually, they agreed to settle the matter privately.
Jiang Xue, having navigated the professional world for years, was no pushover. She secured substantial compensation from them, effectively treating it as payment for licensing rights. Finally, amid widespread anticipation, the production team issued a statement claiming that a certain staff member had mishandled related matters and apologizing for any inconvenience caused. Wuyang Newspaper reposted this blame-shifting statement, giving the production team a way to save face.
Of course, this incident was not a bad thing for the newspaper or Xiang Ling. Not only did they earn a considerable amount in compensation, but they also leveraged the program’s popularity to promote their own newspaper. Attention to the report only grew, with daily readership of the original article steadily increasing. Those who hadn’t known about Wuyang Newspaper now did, and those who were already aware learned about “Yixian”.
Xiang Ling herself didn’t pay much attention to these matters. It was only later, when Jiang Xue pulled her into the office for a chat, that she learned the full story in detail.
During the period when Jiang Xue was fighting for her rights, Xiang Ling focused all her energy on Li Zhantang. After days and nights of extensive analysis, she became convinced that there was definitely something wrong with Li Zhantang. However, she wasn’t sure whether this issue had any connection to her personally. She could only roughly determine that Li Zhantang might have problems with bribery behind the scenes, where the amount of money involved could influence the outcomes of case rulings, typically benefiting either the plaintiff or the defendant.
Xiang Ling discovered this because when either the plaintiff or the defendant was someone with considerable power or wealth, or when both parties fell into this category, the likelihood of the final verdict deviating from the case facts increased. Moreover, efforts were made to either increase or reduce penalties within reasonable limits. Before delivering a verdict, Li Zhantang would present his arguments to rationalize his decisions, such as: “Because the perpetrator shows genuine remorse, society should learn to give those who have erred a second chance. There is mercy beyond the law, hence a lighter sentence”, or “This society and its legal system cannot heal the trauma suffered by victims and their families. Only punishment can bring some solace to those left behind, hence a heavier sentence.”
These superficially eloquent statements were woven by Li Zhantang into the narrative of the cases, using them to influence the thinking of those present in the courtroom and the jury. Regardless of what he said or the verdict he delivered, there would always be supporters. Moreover, due to the special nature of a judge’s profession, the public tends to instinctively believe that judges represent the law and that their verdicts embody truth. Within the industry, some considered Li Zhantang’s statements self-contradictory, earning him the nickname “the Contradictory Judge”. In Xiang Ling’s view, she gave him a more elegant name: the Mirror Judge.
Xiang Ling was someone who believed in acting quickly. She avoided procrastination whenever possible, convinced that time had a way of eroding things.
Within a couple of days, she decided to take action. She applied makeup in a style she would never normally wear, deliberately altering her appearance to look unlike herself. She styled her hair into low twin ponytails and wore flat shoes to minimize her height. Then, she drove to the office building where Li Zhantang worked. Having already researched his car’s make, color, and license plate number, she waited until she spotted his vehicle pulling up in front of the building before following him into the underground parking garage.
Trailing at a distance, she watched as Li Zhantang quickly found a parking spot and pulled in. Xiang Ling glanced at the emblem on his car, her heart giving a painful twinge. But she steeled herself and drove forward, colliding with it.
Li Zhantang, still inside his car and about to get out, felt a jolt as a vehicle from behind, likely trying to park beside him, slammed into his driver’s side door.
He rolled down his window, ready to unleash a torrent of curses. He gestured for the other driver to back up. Instead, the car lurched forward, grinding another fresh scratch into his paintwork. Frustrated, he yelled for them to reverse, realizing the driver seemed utterly clueless, as if they didn’t know how to operate a car. He then signaled from inside his vehicle for them to lower their window.
The window rolled down, revealing a young woman with twin ponytails. He snapped, “Miss, do you even know how to drive? Look what you’ve done. You’ve carved the Amazon River into my car!”
Xiang Ling put on a pitiful expression. “I’m so sorry, I’m a new driver. I’m not very good at parking.”
Li Zhantang frowned. This was exactly why he thought women shouldn’t drive. “If you don’t know how to drive, you shouldn’t be out here causing trouble for others. I told you to back up, and you hit the gas instead. Did you buy your license?”
Panicked, Xiang Ling turned the steering wheel. She shifted into reverse and stepped on the accelerator. Another sharp, grating screech echoed from Li Zhantang’s car. Flustered, she apologized repeatedly, saying, “Sir, from this angle, I can’t back out without hitting the car next to me.”
Li Zhantang felt like he was about to cough up blood from sheer frustration, but he suppressed his anger and said, “Stop driving. If you keep going, my door will be totaled. Get out. I’ll do it.”
Xiang Ling’s heart leapt with joy. She quickly opened her door and stepped out. Noticing that Li Zhantang couldn’t exit from the driver’s side due to the collision, he had to climb over to the passenger seat. As he passed her car, he glanced at the “New Driver, Please Be Patient” sticker on the rear bumper before sliding into the driver’s seat of Xiang Ling’s car to help reverse it out.
Li Zhantang hadn’t anticipated the angle being so tricky. It definitely couldn’t be done in one go. The fact that the owner had managed to crash like this was truly a talent. He focused intently on maneuvering the car.
Seeing that the passenger door was still open, Xiang Ling seized the moment while Li Zhantang was concentrating. She crouched down and discreetly attached a small listening device under the passenger seat. Then, she stood obediently to the side, waiting as Li Zhantang painstakingly reversed the car. Watching him employ every bit of his driving skills, she secretly smiled to herself. She had studied this angle thoroughly.
After several attempts, Li Zhantang finally managed to extricate her car from his own. He even neatly parked it in a proper spot for her. Getting out, he inspected the damage to his vehicle. The repairs were undoubtedly going to cost a fortune. The two discussed it and decided to settle privately. Xiang Ling left her phone number, instructing Li Zhantang to send her the bill once his car was fixed, promising she would cover the costs.
Li Zhantang saved Xiang Ling’s phone number and couldn’t resist lecturing her: “Miss Li, next time you park, make sure to check the distance between your car and others. Don’t just drive into any empty spot you see.”
“Okay, okay, I’m really sorry. I’ll be more careful next time.” Xiang Ling bowed repeatedly, making Li Zhantang feel too embarrassed to scold her further.
Li Zhantang straightened his tie and pointed at the navigation system in Xiang Ling’s car. “Also, if you’re trying to get to the Chengyi Building, you’re in the wrong place.”
“Huh? Isn’t this it?” Xiang Ling looked confused, still insisting that her navigation had brought her here.
Li Zhantang shook his head. “This is the Chengsi Building. The characters ‘Yi’ and ‘Si’ look very similar. You probably entered the wrong one into your navigation.”
After thanking Xiang Ling, she got into the car and prepared to back out. Seeing that the car was about to scrape against his own vehicle again, Li Zhantang hurriedly called for her to stop. He asked her to step out and helped her safely reverse the car out of the parking spot. After a round of thanks and polite exchanges, Xiang Ling reset the navigation right under Li Zhantang’s watchful eyes and drove away.
Xiang Ling drove out of the parking lot and found a place to park. She took out her phone to open an app. This app was connected to the channel of the listening device she had placed in Li Zhantang’s car. As long as there was a signal, she could hear any conversation inside the vehicle. Moreover, the channel was encrypted, accessible only to her. This was all she could do. If Li Zhantang didn’t discuss any secrets in the car, she would have no other recourse.
She had originally devised several strategies to get close to Li Zhantang’s car but hadn’t expected to succeed so quickly. If Li Zhantang had closed the passenger door earlier, she wouldn’t have been able to get inside. Or if the angle of the collision hadn’t been precise enough, no matter how convincingly she played the novice driver, she could have backed out on her own.
After carefully inspecting her car, she found that the headlights were no longer working. Driving at night in this condition would be dangerous, so she sent the car to the repair shop. Between her own car and Li Zhantang’s, the repair costs would likely consume most of the compensation she had received from the production team.
Heartache…
Through various channels, Xiang Ling learned that Li Zhantang was handling a hit-and-run case. The perpetrator was an eighteen-year-old youth who had obtained his driver’s license just a month earlier. His parents had bought him a luxury car, which he drove to school every day to show off. One night, the luxury car registered under his name hit and killed a homeless man collecting cardboard boxes by the roadside. The vehicle was later found abandoned in the suburbs. Other homeless individuals confirmed that the driver was the young man. However, his parents insisted that he had been with them that night and that the car had been stolen the previous evening. Since the car was registered under the youth’s name, with no theft report having been filed immediately after the incident, and there were witnesses identifying him as the perpetrator, the case was quickly resolved by the police and moved to the prosecution stage.
Xiang Ling couldn’t be certain whether the young man was truly the culprit. But if his parents wanted to protect him, they would undoubtedly go to great lengths to do so.
During the days of eavesdropping, Xiang Ling kept her phone with her at all times, even bringing it into the bathroom while showering, fearing she might miss any crucial information if Li Zhantang spoke while she wasn’t paying attention. She stayed up until two or three in the morning and slept with her phone on, terrified that Li Zhantang might make a move in the middle of the night. The slightest sound would wake her up to check.
Xiang Ling counted the days. The hit-and-run case was scheduled for its second hearing in two days. Barring any surprises, the verdict would be delivered during this hearing. But so far, Li Zhantang had shown no signs of action. Or perhaps he had already accepted a bribe, and Xiang Ling simply hadn’t detected it.
Just as Xiang Ling was beginning to think this operation might require a prolonged effort, something happened one evening. She was at home cooking spaghetti, with her phone placed on the dining table nearby. She had already overheard Li Zhantang’s conversations with his wife and children in the car several times. This time, when her phone chimed with activity, she still pricked up her ears to listen intently, while the bacon sizzled and sputtered in the frying pan.
“Hey, it’s me… tomorrow night… I’ll let you know the location later…”
The conversation was brief. Li Zhantang didn’t show much emotion. Instead, he was serious and formal. Based on Xiang Ling’s intuition, he definitely wasn’t talking to family. It was either work-related or, finally, what she had been waiting for. The call didn’t specify the exact time or place, only that it would be tomorrow night. She might have to stake out the location.
Early the next morning, Xiang Ling called the auto repair shop to ask if her car was fixed. The shop owner said they had run out of parts, and the new ones wouldn’t arrive until the next day. With many cars needing repairs recently, Xiang Ling’s order had been pushed back.
Xiang Ling regretted choosing this shop, but it was too late to switch now. She picked a lightweight, silent compact camera and slipped it into her jacket pocket. Then, she took a taxi to the café across from Li Zhantang’s office building to stake it out. As it neared the end of the workday, Xiang Ling left the café and positioned herself nearby, keeping an eye on the parking lot exit.
After work, Yu Shi drove home. As she passed the street outside Chengsi Building, she spotted someone who looked a lot like Xiang Ling leaning against a wall, sipping coffee. She circled back and confirmed that the person standing in the shadows under the eaves was indeed Xiang Ling. Dressed in all black with a baseball cap pulled low and the hood up, Xiang Ling stood motionless in the shadows, staring intently at the entrance and exit of Chengsi Building’s parking lot.
With her sharp eyesight, Yu Shi could see that Xiang Ling was wearing earphones, the cord trailing from her ear into her jacket pocket. Not only did this look suspicious, but the weather, while not hot, was far from cool. Standing on the street dressed like that was hardly normal behavior. Yu Shi parked her car not far away, close enough to observe Xiang Ling clearly but far enough to avoid being noticed.
The two of them waited motionlessly for over two hours until the sky had completely darkened.
Just as Yu Shi was about to give up and go ask Xiang Ling what she was doing, Xiang Ling finally moved. She tossed her long-empty drink cup into a nearby trash bin and walked to the roadside, seemingly intending to hail a taxi. Yu Shi immediately stepped on the gas and pulled up in front of Xiang Ling.
Seeing a car stop in front of her, Xiang Ling watched as the window rolled down, revealing Yu Shi in the driver’s seat. Yu Shi greeted her and asked, “I was just passing by after work. Do you need a ride?”
Xiang Ling was taken aback and replied, “No, I’ll just take a taxi.”
Yu Shi persisted, “Didn’t you go to work today?”
Just then, Xiang Ling spotted Li Zhantang’s car emerging from the parking lot exit, slowly merging onto the main road. She glanced behind her. While there were taxis in the distance, they were all stopped at a red light. It would likely take two minutes for the light to turn green. By then, Li Zhantang would be long gone.
In a hurry, Xiang Ling said, “Actually, I do need a ride now.” She opened the car door and slid into the passenger seat.
Yu Shi asked leisurely, “Heading home? Where do you live?”
“Not home. Follow that black car ahead. Try not to be noticed.” Xiang Ling removed one earphone, keeping the other in to listen to the audio feed.
Yu Shi kept her eyes on the car ahead. It wasn’t difficult to tail someone without being noticed. She asked, “Can I know who you’re following?”
Xiang Ling swallowed, answering vaguely, “A target.”
“For a report?” Yu Shi followed the car as it turned a corner, switching lanes to continue the pursuit.
One of the secrets of tailing was not to get too close to the target’s vehicle, and never to change lanes immediately after the target did. That could be a test to see if they were being followed.
“Mhm.” Xiang Ling nodded, her headphones silent.
“Is the police investigating?” Yu Shi wondered if there had been any recent cases, either in her own team or the neighboring ones.
“No, I’m looking into this privately.” Xiang Ling didn’t dare to explain too clearly. She still held her ground, trying not to drag Yu Shi into it.
They followed the car to a construction site. From a distance, they could see several unfinished buildings within the fenced-off area. There were only steel and concrete skeletons left abandoned. Li Zhantang drove his car into the site, while Xiang Ling drove past it and parked in a secluded spot.
Before getting out, Xiang Ling thanked her and quietly slipped into the construction site. She saw Li Zhantang’s car parked beside one of the unfinished buildings. The headlights had just been turned off. He walked alone into the building.
She tiptoed toward another staircase to enter, but heard a faint sound behind her. Yu Shi had followed her in.
“You do your thing, I’m just here to watch.” Yu Shi patted Xiang Ling’s shoulder. Seeing that Li Zhantang had already disappeared, she motioned for Xiang Ling to follow.
Xiang Ling quickly caught up to Yu Shi and handed her own baseball cap to her. “Put this on. If anything happens, don’t let anyone see your face.”
Yu Shi put on the cap, pulling the brim low as she whispered, “Then you should’ve given me a mask.”
Li Zhantang was climbing the stairs on the right side of the building. Xiang Ling and Yu Shi confirmed that besides the three of them, there was no one else around. The two of them took the staircase on the left. Li Zhantang was standing on the second floor. Xiang Ling glanced at the building’s layout and immediately spotted a spot on the third floor. From that angle, she should be able to capture a clear shot of his face. Without making a sound, she and Yu Shi made their way up.
They had already silenced their phones earlier to avoid any sudden calls giving them away. Hidden behind a pillar on the third floor, they waited quietly. Xiang Ling had her camera ready to take photos at any moment.
Soon, the sound of a car engine approached from a distance. A vehicle drove into the construction site from outside and turned off its engine. A middle-aged man quickly appeared in their line of sight.
Li Zhantang asked suspiciously, “No one noticed you, right?”
The man was carrying a silver briefcase. “No. I even took a detour on purpose.”
Li Zhantang pointed at the briefcase in the man’s hand. Understanding his meaning, the man handed it over. Li Zhantang opened it and confirmed that it contained exactly what he wanted.
The man asked anxiously, “I’ve given you the money. The verdict won’t be a problem, right?”
Li Zhantang slowly closed the briefcase and said, “As long as your son doesn’t do anything unnecessary or out of line.”
The man bowed and said, “I leave my son in your hands.”
The two of them didn’t say anything more. After the transaction concluded, they immediately left the scene separately. Once both cars had driven away from the construction site, the two people secretly observing let out a sigh of relief.
Xiang Ling checked the photos she had just taken on the spot. Both Li Zhantang’s and the other man’s faces were captured clearly, and the money inside the briefcase was fully visible. It was undeniable evidence of bribery!
Yu Shi, of course, knew what she had witnessed was an illegal transaction. She recognized the one receiving the money as Li Zhantang, but she didn’t know the other man. She vaguely remembered having seen him somewhere before, so she asked, “Who was the one giving the money?”
Xiang Ling explained, “His son was involved in a hit-and-run case. The second trial is tomorrow, and he came here to protect his son.”
Yu Shi thought for a moment. It wasn’t a case handled by her team, nor had she heard of Hua Yicheng dealing with any hit-and-run cases. It was likely handled by the traffic division. However, Xiang Ling couldn’t possibly be investigating just the bribery alone, especially since the target was Li Zhantang. “I recognize that man as Judge Li Zhantang. I think I can guess your purpose.”
Xiang Ling patted the dust off her back and looked around the unfinished building. It might have been intended as an apartment complex. But for some reason, the project had been halted. She remembered it had been like this two years ago. As she observed, she said, “It’s just a suspicion.”
“Do you think the verdict back then was manipulated?”
Given the severity of the case and the public attention it had drawn, Yu Shi had never doubted the verdict.
“I don’t rule out that possibility, and now it seems even more likely.” Xiang Ling glanced at the time and prepared to leave.
“Seeing how smoothly he accepted the money, it definitely wasn’t…”
In the midst of her own footsteps, Yu Shi heard a faint sound. She stopped walking. Apart from the noises she and Xiang Ling were making, there was nothing else around.
Noticing Yu Shi’s unusual behavior, Xiang Ling walked over to her and asked, “What’s wrong?”
As soon as she finished speaking, Xiang Ling saw Yu Shi in front of her suddenly plummet downward. Reacting quickly, she grabbed Yu Shi’s hand, preventing her from falling completely. It turned out that the concrete beneath Yu Shi’s feet had suddenly collapsed. With some effort, she pulled Yu Shi back up. Both of them sat on the ground, shaken.
“I suspect this is shoddy construction…”
Before she could finish her sentence, the ground beneath Yu Shi and Xiang Ling gave way, and both of them fell. The already unstable second-floor floor couldn’t withstand the impact of the two falling bodies and collapsed as well. Like the first domino hitting the second, a chain reaction ensued. Most of the floors in the unfinished building collapsed, with large chunks of concrete falling from above and crashing onto the two of them.
Yu Shi’s eyes were blinded by the dust. She only heard a tremendous noise, and then the world fell silent.
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