Chapter 369

Gao Qiming stepped forward two paces, his shoulder almost touching Lin Yuan's face, a low cold laugh tinged with hostility.

"You're nothing but a running dog of the Su Group, kept in the dark even when you're being used."

He extended a finger and lightly poked Lin Yuan's chest, the gesture full of contempt.

"You won't get a chance to come out; in this lifetime you'll sit in jail until you wear a hole through the bottom."

The handcuffs on Lin Yuan's wrist gleamed coldly, yet he didn't lower his head, giving a cold laugh: "Director Gao, wait till I get out, then we'll settle the score item by item."

Though he said it lightly, the words struck the air like a nail, causing Gao Qiming's smile to falter.

Afterwards Gao Qiming laughed even more sarcastically.

The nearby officer stepped forward, tugged at Lin Yuan's arm, and said in a low voice, "Stop dawdling, let's go."

Gao Qiming stood where he was, watching Lin Yuan's receding back as the officers led him away, the corner of his mouth curling into a vicious smile—he had already figured it out, Lin Yuan wouldn't get out.

From the corridor came the faint sound of handcuffs scraping, mixed with the officers' footsteps, gradually fading at the stairwell.

Gao Qiming pulled out his phone and sent a message to the precinct captain: just five words, "Don't let him have it easy."

……

Ten minutes later, Lin Yuan was taken to Longjing Police Station.

In the interrogation room only a single ceiling light was on, its harsh white glare shining straight onto Lin Yuan's face, making him squint.

Behind the wooden desk opposite him sat two officers, one with his head down flipping through the record book, the other tapping the desk, his voice low and dull.

"Name, occupation, and why did you go to Gao De Pharmaceutical and strike someone?"

Lin Yuan sat on the icy metal chair, his wrist still bearing the red mark from the handcuffs; when he lifted his eyes, his gaze showed no hint of evasion.

"My name is Lin Yuan, deputy director of the Wind Control Department at Su Group. I went to collect a twenty‑million debt; the guards surrounded and beat me first—I was merely acting in self‑defense."

The officer who had been flipping through the record suddenly looked up and pushed a stack of photos toward Lin Yuan; they showed the guards lying on the ground groaning, and the office floor splattered with red oil.

"All this testimonial and physical evidence is here; the guards say you attacked as soon as you walked in, and you still dare claim self‑defense?"

Lin Yuan glanced at the photos but didn't touch the pen on the desk: "What they're saying is false; they were the ones who struck first."

"Where's your evidence?" the other officer pressed, his tone clearly impatient.

Lin Yuan didn't know how to explain. Indeed, alone, he couldn't refute a hundred mouths.

At that moment, an officer snapped, "Don't bother us with irrelevant talk; the evidence is against you now—sign a confession and you might still get a lighter sentence."

Lin Yuan leaned back against the chair, his Adam's apple twitching, his voice still firm: "I didn't commit a crime; I won't sign."

Over the next four hours, officers took turns interrogating him from afternoon until midnight, sometimes softening their tone to advise him to "be sensible," sometimes slamming the table and shouting, "Don't throw away face for face."

Lin Yuan's throat was dry and sore; even after two cups of water he still felt thirsty, yet he never gave in, repeatedly insisting, "I want to see a lawyer, I want to check the debt contract with Gao De Pharmaceutical."

The final officer, seeing that no answer would be forthcoming, slammed the record book shut: "You won't confess, huh? Then we'll keep you locked up and see how long you can hold out!"

……

Meanwhile.

Gao Qiming contacted the group's legal department, having them frame Lin Yuan, claiming the guards had all been seriously beaten by him.

The testimony is solid; he intends to sue Lin Yuan to death!

Moreover, the captain of this precinct has a bribery relationship with Gao Qiming...

So they are detaining Lin Yuan while continuing the investigation, with at least a month and a half of detention to start.

And once the charges are proven, Lin Yuan will face several years in prison.

……

Meanwhile, that night, at the Su Group.

Su Monong sat in the office holding her phone, the screen lighting up then dimming, Lin Yuan's number had already been dialed eight times, and the receiver only ever played the prompt, "The subscriber you are calling is temporarily unavailable."

The wall-mounted clock pointed to nine in the evening.

The streetlights outside were dim, her unease surged like a tide——Lin Yuan had said this afternoon he was going to Gaode Pharmaceutical to collect a debt, then he hadn't replied, which was completely unlike him.

Su Monong felt something was off, so she immediately summoned the legal director, Fei Fanjin.

Heading to Gaode Pharmaceutical Group……

Su Monong quickly used her connections and learned that Lin Yuan had been arrested!

He was being held at Longjing Police Station.

Su Monong's face was anxious as she brought Fei Fanjin to the entrance of Longjing Police Station.

Half an hour later, Su Monong's car stopped at the entrance of Longjing Police Station; late at night, only the reception room of the station had its lights on.

The two entered the reception room; the on-duty officer glanced at them, his tone flat: "Coming here this late, what's the matter?"

"We're looking for Lin Yuan," Su Monong said, handing over her business card, "He went to Gaode Pharmaceutical this afternoon to collect a debt, then we lost contact; we suspect he was brought here."

The officer glanced at the card, typed a few keys on the computer, then looked up with a more wary expression: "Lin Yuan is suspected of violent assault; he's under investigation now. Who are you to him?"

"I'm his company's supervisor," Su Monong said hurriedly, "He wouldn't commit violence; it must be a misunderstanding. We want to see him and, by the way, apply for bail."

Before the officer could speak, a man in black police uniform stepped out from the inner room—Captain Zhang, Zhang Ming.

Captain Zhang glanced at Su Monong, then at the officer's computer screen, leaned against the reception desk and snorted: "Want to see Lin Yuan? No way."

"He's currently a key investigation target; he injured over a dozen Gaode Pharmaceutical security guards, with both human and physical evidence present. During the investigation, no one is allowed to see him."

Su Monong frowned, stepped forward to say something, but Captain Zhang cut her off directly: "I know the Su Group's reputation, but before the law everyone is equal; the evidence is laid out here—no one can just take him away."

Fei Fanjin clenched the corner of her clothes in anxiety and couldn't help but say: "Captain Zhang, Lin Yuan really isn't like that! It must be the Gaode Pharmaceutical people framing him; could you please look into it again?"

"Whether we investigate or not is our business," Zhang Ming said, his face darkening with a warning, "If you keep causing trouble here, we'll treat it as obstructing official duties—get out now."

Su Monong suppressed her anger, realizing further argument would be useless and only make things worse, so she could only pull the still-arguing Fei Fanjin and turn away.

Walking out of the police station gates, the night wind carried a chill that blew on her face; Su Monong stopped, turned back, and glanced at the station's tightly shut iron door.

A flash of iciness crossed her beautiful eyes.

"Director Su, what do we do now?" Fei Fanjin's voice sounded anxious, "We can't even see Lin Yuan's face; will he be wronged in there?"

Su Monong raised her hand and patted her shoulder: "Don't panic, if he won't let us see him, we'll find someone who can."

"Let's go back first; tomorrow morning I'll contact the district government, then investigate this Captain Zhang's background—if Gao Qiming can bribe him, we'll find his leverage and definitely be able to rescue Lin Yuan."

At the same time, inside the interrogation room.

The interrogation room lights had been on all night; the glaring strong light shone directly on Lin Yuan's face, and even with his eyes closed he could feel a scorching white.

He was handcuffed to the iron chair, his wrists rubbed raw; since being brought in last night he hadn't had a sip of water or a bite to eat, let alone sleep—whenever his eyelids drooped, a harsh noise would blare from the nearby speaker.

Lin Yuan's stomach was empty, he was hungry and thirsty.

With great difficulty he made it to dawn, the door was pushed open, and last night's Captain Zhang walked in with two officers.

Zhang Ming held a confession slip and slapped it down on the table in front of Lin Yuan with a "Pa—".

"Lin Yuan, stop resisting; sign this confession and you could get a few years off, otherwise you'll continue to suffer here."

Lin Yuan lifted his heavy eyelids, focusing his gaze on the confession.

The words "Violent debt collection causing serious injury" stood out especially sharply.

Lin Yuan tugged at the corner of his mouth, his voice hoarse like sandpaper rubbing: "I'm not guilty, I won't sign."

Zhang Ming's face darkened, his eyes full of threat: "You think the Su Group can save you? I tell you, if you don't confess, you'll stay locked up here, left to starve or die of thirst with no one caring."

The police officer beside him also chimed in: "Be smart, don't refuse a toast only to drink the penalty—we have plenty of ways to make you talk."

Lin Yuan gave a cold smile: "Captain Zhang, you and Gao Qiming are definitely in cahoots, right?"

Zhang Ming snapped angrily: "Don't spout nonsense! Lin Yuan, I'm giving you one last chance—sign this, explain the 'violent debt collection' matter clearly, and at most you'll be detained six months before release."

He leaned forward, staring at Lin Yuan with eyes full of malice, his fingers tapping out a rapid sound on the table.

"If you still refuse to confess, once we gather all the evidence of your 'assault'—the security guards' injury assessments, the on-site surveillance—you won't be able to turn things around; even rotting away in prison would be light, you're looking at at least five years."

Lin Yuan leaned back in the iron chair, not lifting his eyelids at all, squeezing out a hoarse voice from his throat:

"I haven't committed a crime, I won't sign."

Captain Zhang choked on those words, his face turning livid, and he violently flung the confession to the floor, scattering the papers everywhere.

"Good! Good, not signing!" he snarled through gritted teeth, pointing at Lin Yuan's nose, "I want to see how long you can endure!"

Having said that, he turned and strode out the door, and as he passed the doorway he shouted at the police officer guarding outside: "Keep him locked up! Don't give him water, don't give him food—see how long he can hold out!"

The interrogation room door slammed shut with a "bang," leaving Lin Yuan alone, sitting under the harsh light.

Lin Yuan slowly lifted his head, gazing at the tightly closed door, and let out a soft sigh—

This Captain Zhang and Gao Qiming are indeed in league, not even observing basic rules.

He flexed his wrist, the icy cold of the handcuffs biting into his skin, the previously rubbed-red spot now turning purplish.

If this continues, he won't even need to wait for the evidence to be complete—he'll first die of thirst or hunger, or be worn down.

Lin Yuan's gaze darkened; only one thought remained in his mind: he had to resort to his last resort and break out tonight.

Since they don't reason or follow rules, he saw no need to observe any rules with this bunch of scum and degenerates.

He began quietly observing the interrogation room's surroundings—

In the corner of the wall there was an old vent, the iron grating rusty and patchy, which shouldn't be hard to pry open;

The door was iron, but the hinges seemed a bit loose; when Captain Zhang shut the door just now he heard a faint "creak".

Lin Yuan moved his fingers slightly, feeling the little strength left in his body, then lowered his gaze to the handcuff's latch.

He had knocked it once last night, already a bit loose; if he found a chance to knock it a few more times, it should open.

The strong light remained glaring, but Lin Yuan no longer cared; he closed his eyes, began to gather his strength, and waited for night to fall.

At the same time.

Hangchengshi, Public Security Bureau, Criminal Investigation Detachment.

Mu Lingxue sat at her desk, looking at the case file before her.

Before her lay a stack of domestic violence case files.

On top lay the photo of the victim Zhang.

The woman's cheekbones were bruised purple, her eyes empty as if covered in a layer of gray, she didn't even have the courage to lift her head and look at someone.

This was the case Mu Lingxue had just taken this morning; the victim Zhou Mei had been abused by her husband Zhang Qiang for half a month, now frightened into insanity, unable to utter a complete sentence.

But Zhang Qiang insisted it was merely a "spousal quarrel and shoving," stubbornly denying he had struck her.

The forensic doctor could only determine that Zhou Mei had external injuries.

There wasn't sufficient evidence to prove Zhang Qiang's domestic violence.

The case was stuck, unable to move forward.

At times like this, the first person Mu Lingxue thought of was Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan's medical skill was no boast—he could precisely determine the exact time of injury from pulse, the extent to which subcutaneous bruising had faded, even changes in tongue coating.

Something the forensic doctor couldn't do; with his help, perhaps they could find evidence of Zhang Qiang's domestic violence and expose his lies.

So Mu Lingxue picked up her phone and called Lin Yuan.

But Lin Yuan's phone went unanswered.

Mu Lingxue frowned and kept dialing.

But she called Lin Yuan dozens of times in a row, no one picked up, and her WeChat messages went unanswered?

Lin Yuan had never been like this before; even if he were busy, he'd reply with a text.

Mu Lingxue felt a twinge of worry—had something happened to Lin Yuan??

Mu Lingxue could hardly sit still.

She went to the Technical Section office.

Mu Lingxue used the Public Security Bureau's technical system to check……

As a result, she actually discovered that Lin Yuan had been locked up in the Longjing Police Station??

This?? What situation??

……

In the afternoon, Mu Lingxue drove, rushing to the entrance of the Longjing Police Station.

She stopped her Range Rover and rushed straight into the police station's reception hall.

Mu Lingxue placed both hands on the reception desk, her tone filled with uncontainable urgency: "I'm looking for Lin Yuan. Is Lin Yuan in your police station? I want to see him."

The duty officer glanced up at her, then lowered his head to continue sorting files, his tone perfunctory: "Lin Yuan is suspected of violent assault; he's now a key investigation target, so he cannot be seen or released."

"Violent assault?" Mu Lingxue furrowed her brows, her voice suddenly rising: "I know what kind of person he is; he would never intentionally hurt someone. There must be a misunderstanding here!"

"Whether there's a misunderstanding is our business to investigate; don't cause trouble here." The officer impatiently lifted his eyes, his gaze full of dismissive intent.

Mu Lingxue took a deep breath, suppressed her anger, pulled out her phone, pulled up her work ID photo, and handed it over:

"I am Mu Lingxue of the Criminal Investigation Detachment of the City Public Security Bureau; I now requisition Lin Yuan. Please release him immediately and cooperate with my work!"

Mu Lingxue still needed to take Lin Yuan back to handle the domestic violence case.

The duty officer glanced at the phone screen, then lifted his head to size up Mu Lingxue.

She was wearing an off-white T-shirt and tight jeans.

She wasn't wearing a uniform, and her hair was simply tied back; she looked nothing like a public security officer.

"You don't even have a uniform, and you just show up with a photo ID—who knows if it's photoshopped?" The officer snorted, pushed his phone forward, and said, "Don't try to fool people with a fake ID; get lost, or I'll charge you with obstructing official duties."

"I, I've been working on a case all day and didn't have time to put on the uniform," Mu Lingxue explained.

But the staff refused to believe her, insisting Mu Lingxue was impersonating a public official.

Mu Lingxue's anger flared instantly; just as she was about to say more, footsteps suddenly sounded in the hallway.

Zhang Ming walked over in uniform, playing with a bunch of keys in his hand; seeing Mu Lingxue in the reception room, he stopped and raised an eyebrow:

"What's going on?"

The duty officer immediately stood up to report: "Captain Zhang, this person claims to be from the City Public Security Bureau, wants to find Lin Yuan, and is presenting a photo as ID—I think it's fake."

Zhang Ming stepped up to Mu Lingxue, looked her up and down, and curled his lip in a mocking smile: "Criminal Investigation Detachment of the City Public Security Bureau? Your name is Mu Lingxue? I've never heard of someone like you."

"Just because you haven't heard of me doesn't mean I don't exist." Mu Lingxue's eyes turned cold, her tone carrying an undeniable seriousness:

"Now, immediately take me to see Lin Yuan, or else you'll delay the case and won't be able to bear the responsibility."

"Unable to bear responsibility?" Zhang Ming, as if hearing a joke, suddenly burst out laughing: "I think you're crazy, daring to come here and pretend to be a public official! You and Lin Yuan must be accomplices! Plus you're driving a Range Rover worth over a million— which City Public Security Bureau officer can afford such a million-dollar luxury car? Do you think I'm stupid?"

Seeing the Range Rover parked at the entrance, Zhang Ming became even more doubtful of Mu Lingxue's identity.

How could an ordinary police officer afford a million-dollar luxury car!

This woman is clearly pretending! She's trying to trick them into releasing someone!

Mu Lingxue was fuming: "Outrageous! Your Longjing Police Station is going too far! My work credentials are right here—what forgery? I truly have urgent business to see Lin Yuan! Lin Yuan is an advisor to the City Public Security Bureau's Criminal Investigation Detachment! I urge you to release him immediately! Otherwise, you'll delay the Bureau's case—can you bear that responsibility?"

Captain Zhang Ming snorted at her words: "Making things up? Keep making them up?"

Zhang Ming lifted his chin at the two officers beside him, his voice suddenly turning harsh:

"Impersonating a City Public Security Bureau officer is a criminal offense! Take this woman down together, bring her to the interrogation room for questioning—she might be Lin Yuan's accomplice!"

The two officers immediately stepped forward, reaching out to grab Mu Lingxue's arms.

Mu Lingxue sidestepped to avoid them, pulled out her physical work ID from her bag, and slapped it onto the reception desk with a "pa" sound.

"Open your eyes and look carefully! This is an official ID issued by the Bureau, the number can be checked! If you dare to move against me, it's obstructing official duties, plus an added charge of abuse of power!"

Zhang Ming lowered his head to glance at the work ID, his eyes flickered, but he still steeled himself and waved his hand:

"Don't believe her! These days fake IDs are made even better than the real thing—arrest her first, we'll talk later; if anything happens, I'll take responsibility!"