Chapter 776

"Do you have your ID cards? If you don't have them, just give your ID number—we need to register first."

Wang Yan wore a stern expression, his demeanor rigid and authoritative, clearly a cop not to be trifled with, suppressing the rising tension among the group.

The couple in their mid-twenties, clearly the owners, the woman pulled out both their ID cards from a small bag. They seemed decent enough, financially comfortable—the woman's bag alone cost over twenty thousand yuan; based on Wang Yan's extensive experience buying bags for women, it was genuine. From their attire and style, they were fashionable and clearly had spending power.

Seeing Wang Yan's gaze turn toward them, the other young couple and the woman in her forties all shook their heads; the woman in her forties added, "Who carries their ID card everywhere they go?"

One sentence, paired with her expression and gestures, already revealed three-tenths of her sharp, bitter nature.

"Give your ID number. You start first. Xia Jie, write it down, then check it with the police terminal."

Hearing Wang Yan's words and seeing his intimidating demeanor, the three complied obediently. Resolving an issue couldn't be done with a smiling, powerless attitude—unless the matter itself was absurd and didn't require seriousness. A kind demeanor made people think you were easy to fool. Both parties were present; without asserting authority, the situation would spiral out of control.

After Xia Jie finished verifying each person's identity information, Wang Yan returned the two ID cards: "Now explain what happened."

The couple in their mid-twenties: the man was Qiao An, the woman was Wu Qian.

Qiao An said: "Officer, here's what happened: we rented her apartment, moved out three days ago—that's July 9th. When we left, we left behind a jewelry necklace worth over thirty thousand yuan. We were exhausted from moving, and after arriving at our new place, we spent two more days unpacking. Only yesterday did we realize the necklace was gone. We called the landlord, and she said she hadn't seen it. We asked the two of you, and you both said the same. We were just about to call the police when you showed up."

"Don't you dare smear me like that—you're implying I stole it! What proof do you have—"

"I didn't ask you. Why are you so eager to interrupt?" Wang Yan frowned, cutting her off. Seeing her reluctantly fall silent, he turned back to Qiao An, still frowning. "You're being too vague. Give me details. Did you only leave behind the necklace, or were there other items too? And you must prove you actually owned such a necklace. Do you understand me?"

Wu Qian said: "Officer, there were other things too. We packed using those plastic storage boxes. We lived here for a year, so we had a lot of stuff—we forgot one box in the bedroom. That box contained not only the necklace, but also some souvenirs we bought on trips: decorative items, bracelets, and other small jewelry."

"These things weren't cheap either. The most valuable was the necklace. We just want the necklace and the other small jewelry back—the souvenirs we'll let them keep. But they refuse to admit they took anything. Officer, the receipt is inside the necklace box, but here's my payment screenshot—it's from last year, when my boyfriend bought it for me. He even posted it on his friend circle."

This couple kept calling the officer "Uncle Policeman." Why did young people call police officers "Uncle"? Maybe because as kids, parents and teachers always said "Uncle Policeman," or perhaps because of that old song: "I picked up a penny on the roadside and gave it to Uncle Policeman…"

Wang Yan took the phone, glanced at the payment screenshot, then at the necklace glowing beautifully under the jewelry store's lights, and nodded. He turned to the young couple: the man was Zhu Yilin, the woman was Meng Xiaoyue.

"When did you move in?"

"We just moved in yesterday, Officer Uncle—we're completely innocent!" Zhu Yilin waved his hands frantically. "When we came, the apartment was spotless—nothing inside at all! Officer Uncle, you've got to protect us!"

Wang Yan nodded and turned to the landlord, Lü Shuzhen: "You tell us your side."

"After they moved out, I came to check the apartment the next morning and hired a cleaner to tidy up. But I checked every corner—I saw nothing. Now they're accusing me of stealing their stuff."

"Officer, you've got to judge fairly. When this complex first opened, my family bought two units here—one ninety-two square meters, one one hundred ten. The price was over eight thousand per square meter—so the two apartments cost one point seven to one point eight million. Do you think I'd steal their petty stuff? What's so valuable? Who even cares? I think they're trying to extort me. You say you forgot? Who knows if you lost it yourself and are blaming me? Or maybe you never lost it at all—you hid it and came here to hassle me. Isn't this just because we didn't return your deposit? Is this really worth making a scene over? And you lived here a year—floor scratches, damaged furniture—aren't those costs?"

"Look, don't misunderstand me—I'm not saying I won't return the deposit. But we handle things one at a time, right? If you dirtied or damaged the place, shouldn't you pay? Officer, tell me—isn't that fair?"

Wu Qian wasn't easy to push around either—she'd been arguing with Lü Shuzhen just now. Hearing Lü's words, she tried to stand up and scream at her three times, but Qiao An held her back, and Wang Yan's glare silenced her. She sat there, glaring and gritting her teeth at Qiao An, thinking this man was useless.

Wu Qian wasn't someone to be trifled with; just now, she had been arguing with Lü Shuzhen. Hearing Lü Shuzhen's words, she tried to stand up and curse her several times, but Qiao An held her back, and Wang Yan's glance scared her into sitting there sullenly, squeezing Qiao An's arm with gritted teeth, thinking this man was no use.

"I really didn't take anything. Officer, don't be biased. If you handle this like this, I'll file a complaint against you."

"Complaining is your right—do it whenever you feel like it. But I hope you watch your tone. Is understanding the facts considered bias?" Wang Yan frowned at the middle-aged woman until her face grew uneasy, then turned to Ning Jian beside him: "Is there any surveillance footage?"

Ning Jian shook his head: "Unluckily, it's been broken these past two days."

"All the surveillance in the compound is down?"

"No, not all. But the surveillance in Building A—their rental unit—is down, along with several other buildings and parts of the compound and underground garage. The system's undergoing maintenance and upgrades. No one knows what they did—it'll take two more days to restore."

Ning Jian sighed. This was exactly why he thought the case was messy—normally, if someone carried out a box, it'd be caught on camera. Except for the stairwell, every elevator, garage, and compound entrance had surveillance—it couldn't be hidden.

Wang Yan nodded: "Let me summarize the situation. Qiao An and Wu Qian insist they left a plastic storage box containing a necklace and other jewelry and souvenirs worth over thirty thousand yuan in Lü Shuzhen's rental apartment. Lü Shuzhen insists that after they moved out, she checked the apartment the next morning and saw nothing, then hired a cleaner. When Zhu Yilin and Meng Xiaoyue moved in yesterday, they found no such box. Is that correct?"

He'd said it once—the case was already clear. If Qiao An and Wu Qian weren't lying, then Lü Shuzhen must have taken the box containing the necklace and other items.

The problem now: Lü Shuzhen denies it, and the compound's surveillance happened to be broken. As always: catch the thief with the stolen goods. Evidence and facts must speak.

But Lü Shuzhen was treating the police like fools. Wang Yan was certain Qiao An and Wu Qian weren't lying—they were restraining themselves, barely holding back fury, especially Qiao An. Though quiet, he was angrier than the loud Wu Qian.

He was still trying to reason, asking for the return of the items without making a scene. Otherwise, they'd have called the police immediately. Thirty thousand yuan, with payment records and invoice receipts—this clearly met the criteria for embezzlement, and the amount was substantial, refusal to return it, possibly involving concealment or transfer with his partner—serious circumstances. If charged, the standard two-year sentence could easily become longer.

But he still restrained himself, trying to reason with them, asking that the items be returned and not making a scene. Otherwise, they would have called the police immediately—over thirty thousand yuan, with payment records and invoice logs from the time, clearly meeting the elements of embezzlement, and the amount was substantial, with refusal to return the property, possibly involving collusion with her partner to transfer or conceal it, constituting aggravating circumstances; once a case was opened, what should have been a sentence under two years could easily be extended to over two years.

Lü Shuzhen was uncooperative: "It was in the morning—who remembers exact times? I've got call logs—I checked. Ten twenty-three. Officer, you're not accusing me of stealing, are you? That's not fair…"

Wang Yan waved his hand, cutting off her tantrum, and turned to Ning Jian: "Are the compound entrances and underground garage entrances still working?"

"Yes, they're fine. And since it's been less than seven days, the footage is still saved."

"Good. Let me state the issue clearly." Wang Yan looked at Qiao An and Wu Qian. "If it's ultimately proven you did not leave the plastic storage box containing the necklace and other jewelry and souvenirs worth over thirty thousand yuan in Lü Shuzhen's apartment, thereby causing disruption to her life, we will support Lü Shuzhen in suing you for false accusation."

"According to Article 243 of the Criminal Law: fabricating facts to falsely accuse another person with intent to subject them to criminal prosecution, if the circumstances are severe, shall be punished with no more than three years' imprisonment, detention, or surveillance; if serious consequences result, the punishment shall be three to ten years' imprisonment."

"I hope you understand the consequences. Everything I'm saying is being recorded by the body camera. If you accept this and wish to proceed, we can return to the station now and open a case for investigation."

Wu Qian stared, panicked—anyone wronged would react. She thought Wang Yan didn't believe them and was siding with that old woman.

Qiao An held Wu Qian back, stopping her from speaking, and nodded heavily: "Officer Uncle, we accept everything you said. We're willing to bear the corresponding responsibility."

Qiao An held Wu Qian back, preventing him from speaking, and nodded heavily: "Officer, we accept everything you said and are willing to accept the corresponding responsibility."

Wang Yan nodded and turned to Lü Shuzhen: "Lü Shuzhen, I must also tell you this. If you truly took Qiao An and Wu Qian's belongings and refuse to admit it or return them, once we confirm the facts, a sum of over thirty thousand yuan is no longer a civil matter. If we open a case and investigate, and prove you took their property, begging for their forgiveness won't help much."

"Your actions constitute the crime of embezzlement. Embezzlement means illegally appropriating property entrusted to you, lost property, or buried property, with intent to unlawfully possess, and refusing to return it when the amount is substantial."

"According to Article 270 of the Criminal Law: illegally possessing another person's property, with a substantial amount, and refusing to return it, shall be punished with up to two years' imprisonment, detention, or a fine; if the amount is huge or other serious circumstances exist, the punishment shall be two to five years' imprisonment, plus a fine."

"If you really took their belongings, I give you one minute to think clearly. If you return the property now, you'll receive a lighter punishment. I've explained the consequences. I hope you understand my goodwill. A criminal record will affect your children and their descendants."

To punish without teaching is a crime. Though Lü Shuzhen, as an adult, surely knew stealing was wrong, as a law enforcer, Wang Yan had to say it. If she returned the items now, before a case was opened, a light punishment—fifteen days detention, a few thousand yuan fine—would suffice. But if she still refused, Wang Yan would definitely prosecute her—not just her, but anyone helping her conceal or transfer the items. He was inclined to pursue them all.

Because even if you don't know what law you broke, don't you know you broke a law? Knowing full well, yet stealing out of greed—punish you must. When committing the crime, you didn't think twice—now you regret it? Cry and beg for forgiveness? The chance was given. If you can't grasp it, don't blame him.

But unfortunately, Lü Shuzhen didn't sense Wang Yan's goodwill. She stuck her neck out: "I didn't take anything! As a police officer, you're framing an innocent citizen! I see—you're in cahoots with them, bullying a woman! I'll file a complaint! Everyone's watching—tell me, is this fair?"

Wang Yan said nothing, just stared at her until the woman felt a chill run down her spine. Then he spoke calmly: "If you have an issue, state it. Throwing tantrums is useless. If you have no issue, I'll apologize and support your lawsuit against them. If you have an issue, screaming won't help."

"Sit down, drink some water, calm down. You're coming with us for investigation. If we find you were wronged, we'll support your lawsuit against them. The logic is clear. If you throw another tantrum, I'll put handcuffs on you."

Wang Yan's voice was quiet, but piercing—and with a sharp crack, he slammed the handcuffs onto the table.

Using the crowd to confuse the situation was a common tactic. But the law was clear: what good does causing a scene do? If the matter escalates and the truth is revealed, the negative impact might lead to an even harsher sentence.

Because this woman's behavior wasn't directed at Qiao An and Wu Qian—it was a challenge to Wang Yan's authority as a police officer, and thus to the authority of the public security organs behind him.

Lü Shuzhen shuddered, staring at the gleaming silver handcuffs, snapping back to reality—but still showed no intention of returning the items. As if relying on the lack of evidence, and now, with her pride at stake, she was terrified but determined to hold on.

Wang Yan turned to Zhu Yilin and Meng Xiaoyue: "You're not involved. Leave your phone number and go. Keep your phone open—we might need to contact you for further details."

Wang Yan said to Zhu Yilin and Meng Xiaoyue: "You two are done here—just leave a phone number and keep it open; we might need to contact you for details."

As he spoke, he stood up and looked around: "I just saw some comrades using their phones to record videos. You may post them, but do not edit them maliciously. If you won't post the full footage, don't post at all. Are we clear? My chest-mounted body camera recorded everything. I take full responsibility for every word I've said. I hope you comrades cooperate and avoid unnecessary misunderstandings."

Seeing everyone around nod in agreement, Wang Yan told Xia Jie to wait there and stay safe, then said to Ning Jian: "Let's go get the surveillance footage and show me your check-in records."

Managing actual resident populations is part of a community police officer's duties, and every community cooperates. Especially in newly built high-rises, you can't get on the elevator without an access card, and all renters must register with property management to obtain one. Owners who live there are even more straightforward—often, each family member gets their own elevator card, so all actual occupancy data is officially recorded.

Ning Jian said nothing and directly took Wang Yan to the surveillance room, where two young ex-soldiers monitored various screens, and a middle-aged man and a young man were hunched over a computer, adjusting the software.

Ignoring them, Wang Yan pulled out his USB drive and copied surveillance footage from all entrances and the still-active sections—from when Qiao An and Wu Qian moved out in the afternoon until the following night.

Lü Shuzhen has only two possibilities: either she took the items home, or she hid them outside. We'll open a case immediately. If Lü Shuzhen confesses, great. If not, we'll apply for a search warrant to search her home, or track her movements via surveillance and continue searching—no difficulty here.

Lü Shuzhen simply lacks legal awareness—or rather, she has it but still clings to the hope of getting away with it. The surveillance had been broken for several days; perhaps she somehow learned about it, and now she feels invincible.

But can a police case with strong suspicion not be solved without surveillance? That's treating the state's coercive apparatus as if it were powerless.

Indeed, as Wang Yan copied the footage, Ning Jian said: "Officer Wang, I couldn't say this in front of that woman, but two days ago, their cat ran downstairs and got lost, so they came here to check the surveillance. So she knows most of the surveillance in our neighborhood is broken."

"If you're confident, why let them sit here? Just file a report."

"There's already tension between property management and owners. If we arrest an owner, our future work will be harder. Besides, that couple doesn't seem like they want to go that far—that's why we're sitting down to mediate. Then you and Officer Xia showed up."

"Alright, this matter has nothing to do with your property management. From now on, if there are property disputes or injuries, report them directly to the police." Wang Yan waved his hand. "Also, I need to tell you something important. Prepare a pass card for entering and exiting the neighborhood and using the elevators, then issue a notice to all residents informing them we'll be conducting home visits."

These are home visits, not home investigations—make sure they understand that so they can prepare. After visiting the merchants here, we'll visit residents. Also, prepare for us a complete list of occupancy records so we can cross-reference them. Don't need me to say more: check your own fire safety and neighborhood security hazards.

I'm warning you now, or else when I find problems later, don't blame me for being harsh. And fix your surveillance issue within two days."

Wang Yan sought Ning Jian for precisely this reason—this is an apartment complex, not like Dongning Village's low-rise houses. Also, relatively speaking, this new neighborhood has many young people who work regular hours and overtime, making visits harder.

People are already exhausted; having to deal with police visits makes them unwelcoming. They're not as relaxed as retired seniors.

"Don't worry, Officer Wang, we guarantee no problems. If anything goes wrong, not only will your unit penalize us, our company will punish me too. To be honest, I just got promoted—this is my first time managing an entire neighborhood, and I'm determined to do it perfectly."

Ning Jian made his promise, and he spoke the truth—if property management fails and affects future housing sales, he'll definitely be fired…

After checking Lü Shuzhen's family background and elevator card usage records for two buildings, Wang Yan returned to the front lobby and said to Qiao An and Wu Qian: "Let's go to Balihe Police Station to file a case. It'll take about two hours—is that okay?"

They had no objections—they came today specifically to resolve this. If Wang Yan hadn't shown up, they'd have called the police after more arguing. They immediately waved their hands, shook their heads, and stood up with their belongings.

"You ride with us." Wang Yan put away the handcuffs he'd slapped on the table, nodded toward Lü Shuzhen, who had fallen silent and anxious, and said: "Let's go."

Without giving Lü Shuzhen time to think, everyone exited the building, boarded an electric sightseeing vehicle, then got into a car. Behind them, Qiao An and Wu Qian followed in a black BMW 5 Series with Ping'an City license plates, heading straight to Balihe Police Station.

In the car, Lü Shuzhen kept typing furiously on her phone. Wang Yan and Xia Jie pretended not to notice, saying nothing the entire time—because the body camera was recording.

Even after arriving at the station, Lü Shuzhen didn't speak about returning the items.

This time, Wang Yan didn't park in the back. He stopped on the street in front of the station. Since Lü Shuzhen was resisting stubbornly, fine—he'd handle it. He brought them inside, first taking Lü Shuzhen to the underground holding room, then went to find Zhang Zhijie to file the case for Qiao An and Wu Qian. Wang Yan followed Xia Jie to the back to review surveillance.

This time, Xia Jie had no objections. She smiled: "I think Lü Shuzhen won't hold out long. On the way here, she nearly spoke several times, but held it back each time."

"We still need to check the surveillance. Brother Zhang has already filed the case—the behavior fits, the amount is significant. Brother Lin has been here half a month already, so it's convenient to handle directly."

The "Brother Lin" Wang Yan mentioned was the prosecutor sent by the procuratorate, Lin Chunyuan. Ever since Wang Yan began image enhancement work, Lin had arrived with an assistant and never left. His workload was always maxed out, extremely demanding.

"What if she confesses? What if she returns the items?"

"What's a criminal case?" Wang Yan asked back, then said no more, sat at his desk, and turned on his computer to review surveillance.

Li Dawei stood up and asked: "Brother Yan, why are you and Xia Jie back? Is there a case?"

Without Wang Yan needing to speak, Xia Jia smiled and answered: "When we first arrived at Xincheng Aofu… then we came back. We're just about to check surveillance. Where are Yang Shu and Zhao Jiwei? Out on patrol?"

"Yeah, my master and I are on duty today. He's at the front reception desk. Didn't you see him?"

"Did I ask you?" Wang Yan chuckled and shook his head.

Li Dawei grinned, unconcerned, took a sip from his water cup, and sighed: "But your luck is too good! You just got there and found a case? And it's a criminal case of embezzlement? That's at least two years, right?"

Wang Yan could understand why Li Dawei always thought he was lucky. After all, they'd all arrived together; they were naturally jealous. And the Dong Nianfeng murder-and-dismemberment case had indeed been stumbled upon by Wang Yan and Zhao Jiwei.

But they all ignored one key point: he went out. He actively went among the people. Naturally, he'd encounter more conflicts and problems. If it were really luck, Zhang Zhijie had been working over a decade—why doesn't he have Wang Yan's luck wherever he goes?

But Li Dawei and the others only saw the outcome, not the process. The same was true of other veteran officers in the station—they all thought Wang Yan was just lucky.

Wang Yan didn't respond. He listened as Xia Jie chatted with Li Dawei, then checked the elevator card swipe records he'd pulled earlier. Instantly, he knew Lü Shuzhen was lying—clearly recorded was her swipe to enter the building at 6 p. m. on the night Qiao An and Wu Qian moved out.

At that time, she'd just wanted to check the apartment's condition and wouldn't have paid attention to such details. Besides, the building was tall—23rd floor—and Lü Shuzhen didn't look like the type to climb stairs for fun.

Lü Shuzhen left the rented apartment at around 7 p. m. Around the same time, her husband Han Tianquan drove into the underground garage from outside. Ten minutes later, Han drove out with Lü Shuzhen. They returned together at around 10 p. m.

Combined with Lü Shuzhen's earlier statements recorded by the body camera, the contradiction was obvious—this was the classic example of greed combined with stupidity.

In fact, Lü Shuzhen and her husband lived comfortably—they could afford to buy two apartments at once. One rented out, one for themselves. The other might be for their fifteen-year-old son, or held for price appreciation. This area is still under development, and the neighborhood's school district is a branch of a prestigious city elementary school, close to the subway station—many investors are active. Plus, they drove a top-spec Magotan worth over 200,000 yuan.

Yet with all that, they still took the tenant's leftover belongings.

Xia Jie had just finished chatting with Li Dawei when she saw Wang Yan shaking his head. She couldn't help asking: "Didn't you find anything?"

"I found it. I'm just amazed by their greed and stupidity."

"So fast?" Xia Jie glanced at her own desktop, then at Wang Yan.

"Lü Shuzhen lied to us. She actually went to that apartment the night before, then called her husband back. He drove out of the neighborhood to move the items, and they returned. Based on timing, I think her husband argued with her but ultimately agreed."

Wang Yan showed Xia Jie the linked records and surveillance footage.

"I just don't get it," Xia Jie sighed. "They're well-off—why covet someone else's stuff?"

Li Dawei chimed in again: "It's greed. As you said, that box was worth 30,000 to 40,000 yuan. Even if they're rich, they're not so rich they'd ignore that. And it's jewelry and necklaces—women love beauty. That 'Zhen' probably couldn't afford such things herself, saw someone else's, and wanted to keep them. And you said the renters' 2,000-yuan deposit hasn't been returned—think how terrible that 'Zhen' must be."

"It's greed that caused this," Wang Yan smiled, standing up. "Let's go, Xia Jie. Hand the case over to Brother Zhang. We've still got visits to do."

"Already leaving?"

"You want to stay with this case? Then stay."

"No, I mean it's too fast."

"That's why I say they're stupid. No difficulty. Let's go."

As he spoke, Wang Yan turned and walked away. Xia Jie froze for a moment, then quickly reattached her eight-piece gear and jogged after him.

The car was parked up front, so they had to walk that way. Wang Yan went back to the reception room to find Zhang Zhijie and update him.

As soon as he entered, he saw a middle-aged man with long, side-parted hair and glasses, speaking kindly to Qiao An and Wu Qian. They looked troubled. Before them sat a transparent plastic storage box filled with various items.

Wang Yan asked: "You're Lü Shuzhen's husband, Han Tianquan, right?"

"Hey, hey, it's me, it's me, Officer! It was all my wife's greed—I swear! These past two days, I've been thinking of returning the items to them; after all, something that doesn't belong to you is hot to handle, right? I told her not to take it, I told her not to take it, but that wasteful woman refused outright. Officer, give us another chance—I promise it won't happen again. I've brought everything here, not a single item missing."

Han Tianquan pleaded with both hands clasped, hoping to turn a big matter into a small one, a small one into nothing.

Wang Yan waved his hand and asked, "Brother Zhang, has the box been touched yet?"

"No, why?" Zhang Zhijie looked puzzled.

"Just now I checked the elevator card records. They show that Lü Shuzhen went to the apartment last night—she arrived at the underground garage at seven, left ten minutes later, and returned with the other person around ten at night. Leave the box for now. I'll come back tonight to collect fingerprints and secure the evidence."

Without giving Han Tianquan a chance to glare and protest, Wang Yan turned to him: "You're not leaving either. Stay here to cooperate. Your kid's still in school, right? Ask relatives or friends to pick him up—it might take a while. Brother Zhang, I'm leaving it to you. I'll continue my door-to-door visits."

Zhang Zhijie nodded with a smile, watched Wang Yan and Xia Jie leave, then turned back, glaring at Han Tianquan, who was still lying, and slammed his fist on the table…

In the car, Xia Jie hesitantly asked, "They have a child too—is this really fair?"

"You're slipping again. It's not up to me—you tell the judge. Did they intend to illegally possess someone else's property? Did they commit a crime? Han Tianquan's role in moving evidence is clear-cut—what's there to argue? Do you want to show favoritism? Pretend not to see it? Besides, their child is already fifteen—not a little kid."

"Even if both get sentenced to two years, relatives and friends can care for the child. We have social welfare agencies. That's no excuse to let them escape punishment. If they truly cared for their child, they wouldn't have committed the crime. When Qiao An called yesterday demanding the items back, they should've returned them. They didn't even consider the child—why are you pitying them? It makes no sense."

"And don't forget—I gave Lü Shuzhen multiple chances: when I explained the law to her, when I asked about the entrance/exit surveillance footage from Ning Jian, even on our way back here—I kept giving her chances. But she kept stubbornly denying everything. So what's the point of mediation? She must be dealt with."

Xia Jie sighed: "I just worry it'll affect their child. Fifteen isn't young, but it's not old either. When word gets out that his parents committed crimes, other kids will mock him. Over time, he might become bitter, even turn to crime himself in a few years."

"Then arrest him too. Remember: no one can commit a crime without paying a price. If we say 'can't arrest' because one family has a child, and another has an elderly person with no one to care for them—what's the point of the law?"

After a pause, Wang Yan added, "But law shouldn't ignore human sentiment. Judges will consider circumstances too. Besides, they'll surely hire lawyers. Given Han Tianquan's role, I think he'll get a lighter sentence."

Xia Jie fell silent, thinking about her ever-rising sympathy. Long after they arrived at Xincheng Aofu, Wang Yan finally parked the car. She asked, "You don't think Han Tianquan and Lü Shuzhen will divorce, do you?"

"Who can say? Comrade Xia Jie, you're overstepping. You must understand: whatever happens to this couple is their own doing. Why are you worrying for them? What about Qiao An and Wu Qian, the victims?"

"Sure, they seem well-off—but isn't every yuan still money? Two thousand yuan deposit withheld—how upset must they be? Thirty thousand yuan worth of property stolen, and they can't prove it, forced to watch Lü Shuzhen deny everything and even turn around to accuse them of ill intent—how disgusting is that?"

"Precisely because of them, even if Lü Shuzhen had returned the items on the spot, I'd still have detained her and fined her. If she walked away scot-free, wouldn't that be grossly unfair to Qiao An and the others? Think from multiple angles—don't let emotion cloud your judgment. Let's go."

Wang Yan got out of the car without another word.

A woman's sentimentality, combined with the sacred duty of a people's police officer and the ideal of upholding justice and fighting crime, had turned Xia Jie into a saintly figure. Her experience was still too limited; her judgment too soft—she gave sympathy too freely.

"I'm sorry," Xia Jie said, stepping out and walking beside Wang Yan.

"Why apologize? Speak your mind—it's good. What I told you is just my personal view. This is just a discussion. Whether you listen or accept it doesn't matter. What matters is being yourself."

Wang Yan was shameless—he said one thing and did another. Right now, he was just saying what sounded nice. But in truth, he'd slowly infiltrate Xia Jie's thinking and correct this habit of over-sympathizing. Otherwise, every time he did something, someone would complain about how pitiful the offender was. Once or twice was fine—but over time, it got annoying.

Watching Xia Jie's inexplicable mood rise, Wang Yan chuckled and ruffled her hair. "Come on, let's visit some merchants first. Pay attention, learn—this skill is important."

"Can you stop always messing up my hair? Like I'm a kid," Xia Jie snapped, swatting his hand away.

Wang Yan just smiled, turned, and strolled casually toward the store at the community gate bearing the sign "Jiale Supermarket," waving casually at the former soldier who had been standing guard and watching the scene for a long while.

As soon as they entered, a woman in her thirties sitting behind the counter watching a drama jumped up and greeted them: "Officers, are you here to shop or for something else?"

"That's strange, Sister—don't you hear anything?" Wang Yan grinned. "We're here for door-to-door visits—just checking in on things."

"Oh…" The woman suddenly understood. "You're Officer Wang, right? I just heard someone say someone in our community got caught stealing—that's you guys? And I heard before you went to Dongning Village and solved a case that had gone unsolved for three years?"

Wang Yan no longer corrected the title "Officer Wang." Only the residents of Dongning Village truly saw him as an "officer." Others, perhaps having heard of his work there, or simply not knowing how else to address him, had picked up the habit of calling him "Officer Wang"—just like everyone used to call him "Officer" when he first started, out of unfamiliarity.

"That's right—so you see, Sister, your news isn't that outdated," Wang Yan nodded approvingly. "But you're wrong about one thing—I need to correct you. The person we arrested in our community didn't steal. I won't go into details, but we're setting the record straight."

"Oh come on, Officer Wang, don't leave us hanging! Who knows better than you? Give us a hint!"

"No way—we have rules. If you find out on your own, fine. But I won't tell you." Wang Yan waved his hand, changing the subject. "What's your name, Sister?"

"Su Qingmin."

Wang Yan nodded. "Sister Su, how long have you had this supermarket? Did you buy a house here?"

"We bought a house, so we rented this shop to open the supermarket. Our kid's in school, and downtown housing is too expensive and run-down. This area has good schools, and my husband's work moved here too, so we bought here. For about the same money, we got a bigger, better house than if we'd stayed stuck in Ping'an. I used to run a nail salon, but it failed and I lost money. When we moved here, I opened this little supermarket—it's convenient for taking care of the kid."

The woman didn't wait for Wang Yan to ask more—she just kept talking.

"Where's your husband?"

"What does he do?"

"Programmer. Makes games."

"Wow, that's great—must earn a lot. Did you buy this shop too?"

"Rented. He doesn't earn that much—maybe two or three ten thousand yuan a month, sometimes with bonuses. These years we've spent a lot—we don't have much saved. Just being able to afford a house was enough. This shop? Over two million yuan—I couldn't afford it." The woman sighed, waving her hand. "My husband's not having it easy either. Everyone says programmers earn a lot, but it kills you. No rest, never off more than two days a month, comes home late every night. He's thirty-four now—right in the middle of that 'midlife crisis' everyone talks about. He worries every day, terrified of getting laid off…"

"Yeah, nothing's easy these days. These internet companies…"

Xia Jie didn't say a word. She just watched Wang Yan chat with the woman. She noticed that after the initial questions, Wang Yan hardly asked anything else—but still, Su Qingmin spilled everything.

Including, but not limited to: family members, their jobs and incomes, health conditions, friends, relatives, the supermarket's operations, daily profits, and even a few neighborhood gossip topics, plus asking around about other merchants in the area—she spoke without holding back.

Moreover, whenever residents came in to shop and lingered to join the conversation, Wang Yan would pull them in too, chatting endlessly—soon the whole supermarket buzzed with activity.