Chapter 367: Let Me Be the Villain

This isn't really my area of expertise… Yu Dazhang was starting to get a little anxious at this point.

He really didn't have any experience in this area.

"Can you be sure?" he asked.

"I won't be wrong." Seeing Qu Tuotuo's voice was very firm:

"I used to work at a financial company abroad, and later the boss of that company was arrested for illegal transactions."

"Among them were money-laundering operations, including large sums being frequently transferred in and out, using cryptocurrency and coin-mixing techniques to conceal the real trail."

That was experience… Yu Dazhang didn't really understand it, but hearing Seeing Qu Tuotuo explain it so clearly, he still managed to grasp some of it.

It was precisely because she had had similar experiences before that she was able to make such a quick and accurate judgment this time.

"Let's call the police."

Yu Dazhang thought it over and over, and felt this was the best approach:

"If it's inconvenient for you, just send me the evidence you currently have, and I'll be the one to report it."

He was, in a way, also considering Seeing Qu Tuotuo's family.

Doing the righteous thing against one's own kin isn't as simple in practice as one might imagine.

What's more, even an upright official has trouble adjudicating family affairs—there are plenty of emotional entanglements in this.

If Seeing Qu Tuotuo reported it herself, Qu's Mother definitely wouldn't be able to accept it.

So, it might as well be him who plays the villain.

At least up to now, Yu Dazhang and Seeing Qu Tuotuo weren't married yet, so theoretically speaking, he was still an outsider.

"That is a way to do it."

Seeing Qu Tuotuo had clearly also thought through the pros and cons, though her voice still sounded a little hesitant:

"But I don't have any hard evidence on hand right now. Give me a few more days, and once I get conclusive evidence, I'll hand it over to you."

"Don't keep investigating." Yu Dazhang was getting a little anxious:

"You only know the theory in this area, but you don't have any investigative experience. This kind of thing has to be left to the professionals."

After saying that, he thought it over in his head.

It seemed he didn't have a single familiar face over at the economic-crimes division.

He did have a few of the leaders' phone numbers saved, but he knew those people hadn't given him their numbers so he could report cases to them.

Besides, a small criminal-investigation cop going straight to the economic-crimes leadership to report a case would be like climbing onto the kang from over the stove—ignorant of the rules.

That kind of favor was one he couldn't afford to owe either.

So, for this kind of thing, he still needed to find someone from his own department.

"How about this."

After Yu Dazhang made up his mind, he instructed Seeing Qu Tuotuo:

"Later I'll have a colleague from economic crimes contact you. As for the specifics, just cooperate with them when the time comes."

Police-civilian cooperation—he was confident Seeing Qu Tuotuo wouldn't refuse.

"Got it." Sure enough, Seeing Qu Tuotuo agreed right away:

"Then I'll wait for your colleague to call me."

The two of them lingered on the phone a while longer before finally hanging up.

Yu Dazhang then called Li Jun.

Even if it meant owing a favor, he still had to follow proper procedure, and it was easier to communicate between captains.

Once the call connected, he got straight to the point:

"Captain Li, my girlfriend's side has turned up something that needs the economic-crimes colleagues to step in and investigate."

Yu Dazhang then went through the whole story from beginning to end.

When it came to Li Jun, he still trusted him, so he held nothing back.

Including all his worries about Seeing Qu Tuotuo, which he reported in full just as they were.

"Understood."

After hearing him out, Li Jun said calmly:

"Send me your girlfriend's contact details later."

After giving that instruction, he shifted the subject:

"How are things going on your end?"

Yu Dazhang had known Captain Li would definitely ask about his progress, so he had long been prepared.

He gave a concise account and added his own analysis.

"Over three hundred people rescued!" Li Jun said in surprise:

"At this rate, this case is going to be off the charts."

Over three hundred people was just the tip of the iceberg… Yu Dazhang didn't mention the next steps of the operation plan.

That was discipline.

Apart from the officers handling the case, the next step of the plan must not be revealed to anyone else—every criminal-investigation cop knew this rule.

In fact, this was also for Li Jun's own good.

If the operation failed, Li Jun would be under suspicion of having leaked information.

One phone call and suddenly you're a person of suspicion—how unfair would that be.

So after Yu Dazhang finished speaking, Li Jun didn't press further.

"Hard to say at this point." Yu Dazhang said vaguely:

"But the investigators over in Province n are taking this case very seriously, and the coordination between the different police branches is also very smooth."

These words were meant to put Li Jun at ease.

Although he was leading the case here, when the actual operation came, there was no need for him to take part.

"No matter when, don't put yourself in danger."

Li Jun still couldn't help but urge:

"A qualified criminal investigator must stay calm and rational; a sense of responsibility and vigilance are both extremely important."

Yu Dazhang felt a warmth in his heart and immediately replied:

"I know, I know, I'll be careful."

The next day.

Support from other cities arrived one after another, and the interrogations at the municipal bureau were also being stepped up.

Wang Hao recorded all the information on the "feet" in his home laptop, which also contained detailed information on every factory.

After the investigators found it, they verified it one by one with Wang Hao.

This information covered not just Jianning City alone, but the entire province of N.

Just as Team Leader He Hua had inferred earlier, this criminal organization only trafficked cheap labor within province N — the target was very clear.

That afternoon, the top leader of the provincial department and the captain of the criminal investigation brigade also came to Jianning.

The various police branches held discussions on the joint operation.

As for the top leader coming personally?

Very much so.

Judging by the current situation, the rescue operation had already expanded to the entire province.

It's just that Jianning had the most cheap laborers and the longest development time, making it the primary target to strike.

For a case like this, the Ministry would eventually send people down to direct and supervise, and to coordinate the handling.

A day passed in this busy bustle, and the case developed much as Yu Dazhang had expected.

The only thing that surprised him was that Zheng Ting still hadn't opened her mouth.

No matter how the officers from the provincial department questioned her, she kept her lips sealed and refused to talk.

This won't be easy… Yu Dazhang knew where the problem lay.

Zheng Ting's experiences were different from ordinary people's — she had grown up in an orphanage.

In an orphanage, the children's lives were full of uncertainty and caution.

This sense of insecurity drove them to value the emotional bonds between companions even more, longing for recognition and care.

At the same time, they would also gain a sense of belonging and security by helping others.

Put bluntly: they value loyalty and brotherhood.

Conversely, children spoiled since childhood grow up to be more selfish.

This is a psychological change brought on by experience, and an influence caused by the living environment.

"Get the pre-trial colleagues over here," Yu Dazhang said to Qi Fang:

"There's not much time left, we have to break her down quickly."

Every trade has its specialty.

Within the police force there are also many specialties.

Among them, the most professional in interrogation is the pre-trial officer.

Pre-trial officers often collaborate with criminal investigators — criminal investigators focus on case investigation, while pre-trial officers focus on statements and the completion of the chain of evidence.

If you run into a stubborn one and the criminal investigators can't break them after a long assault, that's when an experienced pre-trial officer has to take over.

Yu Dazhang watched Zheng Ting on the surveillance screen in the observation room and couldn't help but smile.

She really can struggle.

The more you struggle, the more excited the pre-trial colleagues get.

(End of this chapter)