Chapter 945: Stuck in a Dead End? Let

“They investigated me back then.”

As Lin Tingting spoke, tears fell down her cheeks.

“It had nothing to do with me—how could anyone have foreseen something like this?”

She was truly frightened, head bowed, hand pressed over her mouth, stifling her sobs.

If it were only a matter of money, it would’ve been manageable—but now someone’s dead, and she feared they’d dig into her family background again.

“Alright, you start questioning.”

Lai Shanchuan stood up, whispered quietly to Li Xuewu: “I’ll go speak with Director Zheng and check on the other teams’ arrangements.”

After speaking, he patted Li Xuewu’s arm, glanced at the weeping Lin Tingting, then walked out the door.

Indeed, they had all been investigated thoroughly, especially Lin Tingting’s family background.

Today’s summons was something Lai Shanchuan himself knew would yield nothing.

She had been under surveillance for months, but showed no unusual behavior, no motive, no opportunity.

Better to let Li Xuewu finish this perfunctory interview quickly and move on to the next person.

Since Lin Tingting was crying, he thought it better to leave them alone to talk—it might ease her pressure, maybe even trigger a memory.

Li Xuewu watched Lai Shanchuan leave, then glanced at the recorder sitting in the corner.

Watching Lin Tingting cry harder and harder, he wasn’t sure whether to continue questioning.

“Why don’t you take a break?”

He waved to the recorder, gestured to the teacup in front of him, then pointed at Lin Tingting.

The recorder glanced at him, walked to the tea cabinet by the door, poured a cup of hot water, and brought it over.

“Thank you.”

Lin Tingting took the cup, thanked the recorder, watched her return to the corner, then turned her gaze back to Li Xuewu.

“Go ahead and ask—I’ll answer every question.”

“Drink some water first.”

Li Xuewu studied her and said: “It’s been a long time since I saw you. Last time was when I went to the supply store to buy cigarettes.”

“Mm.”

Hearing Li Xuewu bring up casual talk, Lin Tingting softly replied, sniffled, and sipped the hot tea from her cup.

“Your friends come around often—especially those close to Director Ma, even the truck drivers.”

“Mm, they live right on our street.”

Li Xuewu nodded and explained: “Big Fat Biao went on a long trip to the Northeast—he’s busy there now. Guo Dong’s handling things here.”

“Oh, so that’s why I haven’t seen that fat guy.”

Lin Tingting wiped her tears, sniffed again, and steadied her emotions.

“Do you still live around here?”

She pursed her lips, set down her teacup, and studied Li Xuewu, as if comparing him to how he used to be.

Same face. Same voice. Same as when she first met him.

A year had passed—they’d known each other a full year. Back then, when Li Xuewu came to her shop to buy a bicycle, his lazy, carefree demeanor was her first impression.

And then… and then… fate played its cruel hand.

“No, I hardly come anymore.”

Li Xuewu smiled faintly: “I used to stay here one or two days a week, but then my wife got pregnant—it became inconvenient.”

“Oh~ Right, of course.”

Lin Tingting lowered her head slightly, nervously adjusted a strand of hair by her ear, and whispered: “It really was inconvenient.”

“Shall I continue?”

Li Xuewu tapped his notes with his pencil: “What was Zhang Shuqin’s reputation at work?”

“Did she have any close friends—or any particularly hostile social ties?”

“Close friends…”

Lin Tingting’s emotions had steadied; she now followed Li Xuewu’s lead: “She was a good person—outgoing and cheerful…”

“Social ties…”

“I don’t know.”

Lin Tingting frowned: “Her family was well-off, and she had such a good nature—no one ever said she had conflicts with anyone.”

“Mm, you say her family was well-off.”

Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow: “Do you know this for sure?”

“I have a general idea—she mentioned it.”

Lin Tingting said: “Her salary was 37.5 yuan. Her husband was a key member of the theater troupe—about 55 yuan.”

“They had no children, so their expenses were light—they lived far better than most families.”

“Was she a big spender?”

Li Xuewu emphasized: “You both worked at the supply store—you saw the goods often. Do you know anything about her spending habits?”

“Mm, honestly, I’m quite a big spender myself.”

Lin Tingting said, slightly embarrassed: “Maybe seeing others buy things made us lose self-control sometimes.”

“That day we went to Wangfujing—it was because the store’s shoe styles didn’t suit us. She wanted to buy shoes too, so we decided to go together.”

“Did you approach her, or did she approach you?”

Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow: “Was this planned, or just a spontaneous idea? What exactly did you plan to buy?”

“I mentioned it to Sister Liu at the front desk—I said the shoes here were ugly. Sister Liu said Wangfujing had new styles.”

Lin Tingting explained seriously: “We were talking when she walked in from behind, heard a few words, and said she wanted to buy clothes and shoes too—she invited me to go with her.”

“She knew I had a half-day off, said she was going to withdraw money that day, and asked me to accompany her for company.”

“We agreed at lunch—first withdraw money, then go to the mall, then return together. But…”

“Why didn’t you go to the mall first, then come back to withdraw money?”

Li Xuewu frowned: “From both convenience and safety, wouldn’t it make more sense to return first?”

“Mm, I only realized later it was odd—I didn’t think of it then.”

Lin Tingting looked at Li Xuewu, defeated: “I was suspected partly because of this—but back then, I was just eager to go shopping. I never considered it.”

“What about the money withdrawal? Any unusual details?”

Li Xuewu nodded: “Did she act strangely? Say anything unusual? Lose or gain anything on her person?”

“No, just withdrawing money.”

Lin Tingting said: “I stayed by the door—I was watching the bikes. She came out, and we left together.”

“What about her bags? How many did she have?”

Li Xuewu glanced at his notes: “You know she withdrew fifty thousand yuan—it was a lot.”

“Yes, I only heard about it later.”

Lin Tingting sighed: “I didn’t pay attention then. She had two bags—one in the front basket of her bike, one tied to the back.”

“Fifty thousand yuan? That’s too much for two bags, isn’t it?”

Li Xuewu frowned: “How big were the bags? Did she say what was inside?”

“No, no… one was her document bag, the other…”

Lin Tingting frowned, thought hard: “It was a small travel bag—tiny. I really didn’t notice. Maybe she brought it herself.”

“What happened after the withdrawal?”

Li Xuewu continued: “Were you two together the whole time before Wangfujing? Did she and the bags disappear for any stretch?”

“Yes, we were together the whole time—it wasn’t too cold yet, we rode and talked.”

Lin Tingting replied: “I’m certain she and the bags were with me until we parted.”

“Then what? At the entrance, she said she had something to do—any unusual behavior?”

Li Xuewu tapped his pencil: “Think carefully—you two had planned to go together. Why suddenly change plans?”

“I just can’t remember~”

Lin Tingting covered her face with both hands, distressed: “Right at the mall entrance, we got off our bikes. She suddenly told me she had something to do, said I should go ahead and shop, she’d join me later.”

“No signs of anything odd?”

Li Xuewu prompted: “Did she see anyone familiar? Hear anything? Notice anything?”

“I really don’t remember.”

Lin Tingting’s voice grew urgent, helpless: “It’s been over two months. Everything I knew was already told during the investigation. Now you’re asking me—I might just be imagining things.”

“And then?”

Li Xuewu asked: “You didn’t ask where she was going—you just went shopping alone, then went home?”

“Yes. I still have the mall receipts you have—people can confirm I was shopping, and when I got home.”

Lin Tingting broke into tears again: “Because of my family background, they’re blaming me for this, aren’t they?”

“Calm down. If they were really going to pin this on you, they wouldn’t have sent me to question you, would they?”

Li Xuewu stood up, walked to her, took her teacup, and handed it back: “If it happened, it happened. If it didn’t, it didn’t. What do you think this place is?”

“Really?”

Lin Tingting lifted her tear-streaked face to look at him. She had no good impression of this place—but she believed his last sentence.

Probably. If they truly meant to make her take the blame, they’d never have sent Li Xuewu to handle this.

She didn’t trust the people here, but she still believed Li Xuewu wouldn’t harm her.

“Drink water.”

Li Xuewu placed the teacup in her hand, gestured slightly, and offered no further explanation.

As investigators, they could neither give guarantees nor disclose case details, only emphasize the fairness of the investigation team.

Lin Tingting didn’t need his further assurance; seeing him so calm, her own heart settled.

Li Xuewu stood to the side, watching her compose herself; the office fell into a brief silence.

“I… did I cause you trouble?”

Lin Tingting suddenly remembered Li Xuewu’s subtle gesture when she first entered, and grew worried about him again.

“No, and even if it was, it wasn’t you who caused it.”

Li Xuewu smiled and asked her, “Why’d you cut your hair short? Looks much neater than before.”

“Yes, I’ve had it short for a long time.”

Lin Tingting lowered her head, sipped the hot water, and couldn’t help letting out a sniffle—she’d cried too hard and was short of breath.

“You… you’re still working in the steel mill’s security office, right?”

“Mm, still in security.”

Li Xuewu smiled and said, “I’ve got no other skills, I’m young, stubborn, and stuck under a bunch of old fossils—where else could I go? Just scraping by for now.”

“Mmm~~”

Lin Tingting laughed despite herself, barely holding back her mouth, her eyes still wet with tears, yet she scolded him playfully: “You’re still just as fond of pretending to be serious while talking nonsense!”

Worried he’d deny it, she gestured toward the door: “The squad leader’s already impressive—just now, that guy called you ‘Li Tuan.’”

“Heh, just joking around.”

Li Xuewu smiled and said, “They’re teasing me—saying I’m too opportunistic, always chasing advancement.”

“It’s good to strive.”

Lin Tingting pursed her lips and looked at Li Xuewu seriously: “You’re smart, capable, young, good with people—if you do your squad leader’s job well, you’ll advance sooner or later.”

These words didn’t affect Li Xuewu, but the recorder in the corner glanced at Lin Tingting with surprise, his lips twitching involuntarily.

“Then I’ll take your good wishes—I’ll work hard.”

Li Xuewu had just smiled in reply when Lai Shanchuan pushed the door open.

He glanced at the recorder in the corner, then turned to Li Xuewu and asked with a smile: “Oh, done questioning?”

“Mm, finished.”

Li Xuewu walked back to the desk, joking: “If you hadn’t come back, I’d have gone back to work already.”

“You can’t leave—this isn’t over yet.”

Lai Shanchuan glanced at Lin Tingting’s condition, didn’t ask about the results, but gestured toward the door: “The credit union staff are here—come with me and take a look.”

“Alright.”

Li Xuewu replied, gave Lin Tingting a reassuring nod, then stepped out first.

Lai Shanchuan signaled to the recorder about Lin Tingting, then followed Li Xuewu out the door.

Li Xuewu’s presence had been reassuring, but now that he was gone, Lin Tingting’s heart tightened again.

The recorder approached her, handed her the interrogation record for verification, and asked her to sign and affix her fingerprint.

Lin Tingting nervously scanned the interrogation transcript; seeing it matched everything she’d said, her tension eased slightly.

After signing and fingerprinting, she sat waiting for a long while without the recorder speaking, then cautiously asked: “So… what else do I need to do?”

“You can go home.”

The recorder glanced at her; his tone was no longer as cold as before.

As he packed up the documents, he added: “If you remember anything new or make any new discoveries, notify us promptly.”

“Ah? Oh, okay.”

Lin Tingting blinked, startled by his changed attitude—and by how she was being handled.

Hearing this, she stood, grabbed her bag, and walked out.

“By the way.”

As Lin Tingting pulled open the door to leave, the clerk’s voice came from behind.

“What?”

“Just a reminder.”

The clerk saw her turn back in surprise, paused, then said: “The officer who questioned you is our former deputy chief of the Public Security Division.”

“Now he’s deputy political commissar and deputy commander of the Third Security Regiment, and also deputy director of the steel mill’s security office.”

“Ah?”

Lin Tingting froze at his words, staring at the clerk, unsure how to react.

The clerk glanced at her, then ignored her and continued organizing his files.

This reminder served multiple purposes: to urge respect for authority, to dispel doubts about institutional fairness, and to hint that if she needed protection in this case, she should know who to turn to.

Sometimes, officials speak this way—cold-faced because they wear this uniform and must maintain solemnity in this setting.

They must uphold their status, their work, and their honor.

Yet even in solemnity, they serve the people; just as Li Xuewu gave no guarantees, the clerk could still see the general picture.

So he subtly guided her on how to handle this matter.

Since someone familiar is handling the case, and he’s told you their identity, what you do next is your own business.

Flexibility means you must first shift your mindset before they’ll accommodate you.

An ambulance has an AED defibrillator—you can go get it yourself. They said they didn’t know how to use it, yet you still held your phone up to their face, demanding they use it, saying they wouldn’t let you—do you really want to save a life, or just want to demand justice?

For officials, some things require you to actively understand and adapt yourself.

You go to the office, and they tell you the legal representative must sign; they keep pointing at the signature field, reminding you.

You insist the representative is overseas and can’t return—did they ask you to bring the representative? Did they say they must witness the signature in person?

You go out, sign it yourself, and come back—would they really say your signature doesn’t count unless they saw the representative sign?

If you insist on rigid justice and truth, they’ll only follow the strictest regulations.

Flexibility doesn’t mean breaking rules, nor is it an excuse for bypassing procedures or ignoring loopholes.

When Li Xuewu questioned the two credit union staff, his expression wasn’t as friendly as before.

Han Luyao, deputy director of the credit union.

Du Xiaoyan, accountant and cashier of the credit union.

Li Xuewu glanced at Du Xiaoyan’s watch and clothing, raised an eyebrow, and told Lai Shanchuan: “Credit unions really are well-off—their fabric’s better than ours.”

Du Xiaoyan’s expression shifted slightly; she frowned and glanced at her superior.

Deputy Director Han Luyao volunteered an explanation: Du Xiaoyan’s salary was sufficient, her spouse also worked, both were dual-income, no elderly to support, no children—her living conditions were naturally good.

Lai Shanchuan studied them silently, offering no comment on Han Luyao’s explanation.

Today’s main purpose was to have Li Xuewu review the relevant personnel; the credit union’s issues weren’t their jurisdiction and had nothing to do with this case—he didn’t care to speak.

Li Xuewu wasn’t from discipline inspection, nor was he the credit union’s superior—he wouldn’t meddle like a dog chasing rats.

He’d said that just to create psychological pressure for them, to ease the upcoming questioning.

“Describe how the incident happened.”

“Alright.”

Du Xiaoyan glanced at Han Luyao; seeing her superior nod, she agreed.

“That day, I was on duty at the counter…”

The incident was simple and brief—just verifying documents, signing, withdrawing money, counting cash.

Just after 1:30 p.m., Zhang Shuqin arrived at the credit union with a colleague; since the credit union was closed for lunch, she knocked on the door, and Du Xiaoyan hadn’t yet fallen asleep, so she remembered clearly.

As acquaintances, Du Xiaoyan didn’t complain about her coming during lunch; instead, she joked with her.

This was confirmed by Han Luyao, who was resting in the office that same day—they’d laughed loudly.

Du Xiaoyan processed Zhang Shuqin’s withdrawal request using the provided documents and helped her pack the cash.

According to her statement, the withdrawal documents and materials showed no irregularities, and Zhang Shuqin had pre-arranged a withdrawal of fifty thousand yuan over the phone.

All procedures were completed, and Zhang Shuqin left at 1:50 p.m.

Precisely timed—Du Xiaoyan had checked the clock, planning to rest again.

“But the supply and marketing cooperative came the next day, saying the withdrawal was five thousand yuan, not fifty thousand.”

Du Xiaoyan said: “I’m certain Zhang Shuqin told me it was fifty thousand yuan—the withdrawal form said fifty thousand yuan, and I gave her fifty thousand yuan.”

“The stamp on the documents was forged.”

Han Luyao explained: “It’s nearly impossible to tell apart—the size and design are identical.”

“Indeed, we noticed this during comparison.”

Lai Shanchuan nodded: “So we initially concluded Zhang Shuqin, familiar with the stamp, had forged it to fake the withdrawal documents.”

Li Xuewu scratched his cheek, frowned, and asked: “If you’re talking about familiarity with the stamp, isn’t the credit union equally familiar?”

“This…”

Han Luyao glanced awkwardly at Lai Shanchuan, then sighed: “If you put it that way, we have stamp patterns for many organizations.”

“Exactly! We can’t just hand out money!”

Du Xiaoyan still remembered Li Xuewu’s comment about her clothes; she couldn’t help speaking up: “If that’s the case, the credit union wouldn’t last two days—we’d go bankrupt.”

“Mm, that’s also a possibility.”

Lai Shanchuan stepped in to smooth things over: “We’re just trying to solve the case—think broadly, run through every possibility we can imagine.”

“But it can’t be too far-fetched.”

Du Xiaoyan glanced over at Li Xuewu and said to Lai Shanchuan: “Director Lai, I got disciplined because the money was stolen, and Director Han suffered because of me.”

“Mm-hmm, yes, I understand.”

Lai Shanchuan nodded reassuringly: “We know all that—we’re already working hard to crack this case.”

As he spoke, he introduced Li Xuewu’s identity to both of them, adding that he was a case expert from headquarters.

Han Luyao’s expression was subtle, but the accountant looked at Li Xuewu with suspicion.

He was far too young, spoke nonsense, and paid excessive attention to her clothing.

Li Xuewu ignored her, instead comparing her account with the case file’s previous statements.

This case was damn strange and complex—he couldn’t figure out Zhang Shuqin’s motive or reason for the crime. What did she even want?

Of course, fifty thousand yuan was a huge sum—he’d only spent five thousand to buy the club’s mansion.

At this time’s purchasing power, fifty thousand yuan could support a comfortable life for a lifetime.

But did Zhang Shuqin really abandon her lover, her job, her life, just to carry fifty thousand yuan and live a miserable, hidden existence?

Cash was just worthless paper outside—it had no exchange value. That’s why Lai Shanchuan said the letter to Hong Kong was nonsense.

“You said Zhang Shuqin came with a colleague. Do you know her colleague? Did the colleague enter the house too?”

“No, I don’t know her.”

“Why did you process her withdrawal during lunch break?”

“Because Zhang Shuqin came often—we got familiar, and she called ahead to arrange it.”

“Why could you handle her withdrawal alone?”

“During lunch break, two people are on duty, but one rests while the other handles any business—if there’s none, they rest too.”

“Did anyone else overhear your phone conversation with her?”

“I was alone in the finance room; I don’t know about her side.”

“How many bags did Zhang Shuqin bring? How was the money packed?”

“She brought one bag, but it wasn’t big enough, so I lent her mine.”

Du Xiaoyan frowned: “I don’t clearly remember how the money was divided—I was just chatting, didn’t pay attention to how much went in each.”

“That doesn’t make sense~”

Li Xuewu tapped his pencil against the documents: “Why isn’t there any record here about the ownership of the bags?”

“You didn’t ask at the time.”

Du Xiaoyan sighed: “That bag was given to me by my husband—he brought it back from out of town to store my uniforms and spare clothes for shifts.”

“Are you close friends?”

Li Xuewu slightly frowned, studying Du Xiaoyan’s expression, waiting for her answer.

Du Xiaoyan nodded calmly: “We’re fairly close. She came often for years—we got to know each other through repeated contact.”

“Later, I found out my husband and she were from the same hometown—we didn’t live far apart, so we could talk.”

“I actually know Zhang Shuqin too—we’re on good terms. She knows everyone in our office, well-liked by all.”

Han Luyao chimed in: “She’s straightforward, generous, good with people, good at handling things. Sometimes when she came to do business, she’d bring us peanuts or sunflower seeds from the supply cooperative.”

Li Xuewu nodded—he could see Han Luyao was protecting his subordinate. No big deal—he did the same himself. Protecting your own was natural.

But what they said matched Lin Tingting’s statement—Zhang Shuqin really was a social butterfly.

Honestly, he hated dealing with people like this during investigations—complex social ties, impossible to untangle.

Meet one person, chat, become friends, become close—it was just too messy!

Hmm, why couldn’t human relationships be simpler?

Why couldn’t they learn from him? Look at Li Xuewu’s social connections—how pure they were, right?

“Do you have any other mutual friends with Zhang Shuqin?”

“No.”

Du Xiaoyan replied: “Both our families are dual-income, we’re not neighbors, not coworkers—our contact was strictly business. It’s not as close as you think.”

“Hmm, you can tell what I’m thinking?”

Li Xuewu smiled, studying her, then asked: “You said your husband and she were from the same hometown—did you know each other before? Where does he work?”

“Same hometown, but we only got to know each other through me.”

Du Xiaoyan clearly resented Li Xuewu’s probing, but still cooperated fully: “My husband works as a procurement officer at a joint venture factory—he’s always traveling, bringing back local specialties.”

“Oh, by the way”

She added specifically: “She got to know my husband because she saw the hairpin I wore and asked where I bought it.”

“I told her my husband brought it back from Shanghai, so she asked me to remember to get her one next time he went.”

“After that, whenever she saw something trendy, she’d ask—since she came often and always brought gifts, I couldn’t refuse. Over time, we all got to know each other.”

“So? You want to question my husband?”

Du Xiaoyan raised an eyebrow: “If you need him to come in for questioning, I’ll call him.”

“Du Xiaoyan’s husband travels frequently.”

Han Luyao helped explain: “He’s away right now—he won’t be back for a while.”

Li Xuewu smiled at the sulking Du Xiaoyan but said nothing. People in the Eight Major Occupations were impressive in this era.

Especially credit union workers—especially women—had big tempers.

Lai Shanchuan stepped in again to smooth things over, smiling: “No problem, just asking questions.”

Back in Zheng Fuhua’s office upstairs, he and Lai Shanchuan lit cigarettes before reporting the findings to Director Zheng.

“Now I finally understand why Director Lai looks so frustrated.”

Li Xuewu leaned back on the sofa with a bitter smile, shaking his head: “I’m young, inexperienced—I just can’t understand this suspect’s mindset.”

“Veterans always say cases leave traces—but this one? It’s just….”

Lai Shanchuan smoked heavily, also shaking his head with a sigh.

“Traces must exist—we just haven’t found the core issue yet.”

Zheng Fuhua watched the two like wilted eggplants and reminded them: “Investigative mindset matters—clues hide in the details.”

“Alright, tell me the interview results.”

Li Xuewu scratched his head: “Lin Tingting’s biggest inconsistency might be that she didn’t notice the order of Zhang Shuqin’s withdrawal and shopping was off. The rest…”

“I agree with this conclusion.”

Lai Shanchuan nodded: “I think the breakthrough isn’t with Lin Tingting—she had no prior knowledge of the money and no means to take it.”

“So don’t waste energy on her. I suggest keeping minimal surveillance—everything else can be dropped.”

“Mm, fine.”

Zheng Fuhua smoked heavily—he’d been smoking since they entered, and now he lit another after finishing one.

“What about the credit union staff? How are they?”

This question was directed at Li Xuewu—they’d all reviewed the statements, but none had offered psychological insight.

Li Xuewu thought for a moment: “I didn’t spot any issues. The newly discovered money bag doesn’t warrant further study.”

“We have to admit our mistake.”

Lai Shanchuan spoke up: “Our earlier investigation and statements were incomplete, full of gaps.”

He admitted fault in front of Zheng Fuhua—Li Xuewu didn’t stop him. Saying it now helped him cover his back.

Zheng Fuhua waved it off—it was normal in investigations. Statements often conflicted; witnesses were human, not machines.

Give your conclusion. What’s the next step?

“My view is still the money.”

Li Xuewu took a drag, tapped ash into the tray, and frowned: “Forget five thousand or fifty thousand—use these two bags as the starting point, shift the investigation’s focus.”

“You mean stop focusing on interpersonal relationships and Zhang Shuqin herself, and instead investigate based on financial interests?”

Lai Shanchuan frowned, thinking: With these two bags—fifty thousand yuan—as the origin, who else might be involved?

“Yes.”

Li Xuewu sat up straight, looking at Zheng Fuhua: “Eliminate every possibility. Whatever remains—even if it seems impossible—is now a possible truth.”

“So if Zhang Shuqin’s trail is dead, we must shift perspective and keep investigating.”

“Makes sense.”

Lai Shanchuan thought, then nodded: “If traces don’t exist, maybe our perspective is wrong. Change the angle—opportunities might appear.”

“Two directions.”

Li Xuewu looked at both men: “First, continue investigating Zhang Shuqin’s social circle—focus on who knew about this money.”

“Including how she learned about the withdrawal, her habits, frequency, route after withdrawal, direction, and decision to shop.”

“Second, I recommend focusing on Du Xiaoyan’s husband.”

Li Xuewu’s face turned serious as he tapped the desk: “He’s constantly traveling—check his travel dates and destinations. See if they match the timing of letters sent home.”

“We never thought of that.”

Lai Shanchuan frowned: “Did she say when her husband left?”

“No. The statement has no information about her husband.”

Li Xuewu looked at Zheng Fuhua: “If we start from the money, Zhao Ziliang—who helped Zhang Shuqin buy goods—has a connection.”

“This…”

Lai Shanchuan hesitated, looking at Li Xuewu and asking, “Do you think Du Xiaoyan has a problem?”

“Heh, I already said psychology isn’t a lie detector.”

Li Xuewu chuckled, flicking ash from his cigarette, “I can only judge what investigation to pursue based on the interrogation process. Without evidence, I won’t speak recklessly.”

“Of course, the investigation confirmed this morning still needs doing. Too much time has passed—it’s all fog.”

“Sigh~”

Lai Shanchuan sighed and said, “We’ve thrown every resource into this case. I’m truly afraid it won’t end well.”

“Take it slow.”

Li Xuewu drew a puff of smoke, glanced at their gloomy faces, and smiled, “What, dinner tonight? I remember Director Zheng still owes me a meal.”

“Hehehe~”

Lai Shanchuan glanced at Zheng Fuhua, then grimaced and gestured to his own mouth, “All blisters. Can’t even drink water, let alone eat.”

He gestured toward Zheng Fuhua, who was smoking furiously across from them, “Zheng’s even worse than me—less than two months, nearly ten packs of cigarettes.”

“Hey, you’d better cut down.”

Li Xuewu looked at Zheng Fuhua and said, “Don’t die before you finish the case.”

“Upfire, all of us are upfire.”

Zheng Fuhua nodded, crushed his cigarette in the ashtray, and sighed deeply, “What can we do if we can’t solve it? At least we won’t betray our conscience.”

Their sighs and groans killed Li Xuewu’s appetite for dining out—right now, they wouldn’t be able to eat even if they went.

So this meal would remain Zheng Fuhua’s debt—for now, to be repaid when the chance came.

But watching Zheng Fuhua smoke like he was eating cigarettes, Li Xuewu wondered if he’d have to wait until his funeral to get that meal.

As the command vehicle pulled out of the branch compound gate, Lin Tingting, who had been waiting there, blocked its path.

Han Jiankun frowned first, but when he saw the light revealed a woman, he pulled his hand back from his pistol grip.

He was used to it—dangerous elements didn’t show up at the branch gate.

The car jolted, snapping Li Xuewu out of his thoughts; he glanced forward and recognized who had stopped them.

“Leader?”

“Mm. Let her in.”

Hearing Han Jiankun’s question, Li Xuewu nodded and gave the order.

Han Jiankun opened the door, stepped out, and waved off the guard who had come from the gatehouse, signaling everything was fine.

He walked to the front of the car, studied the woman, saw she carried nothing, then told her Li Xuewu wanted her to get in.

The act of stepping forward to stop the car had used up all Lin Tingting’s courage; now, hearing Li Xuewu invited her in, she hesitated again.

Han Jiankun glanced at her, walked to the car door, and waited.

The headlights blinded her; she couldn’t see inside. She clenched her fingers, then walked over.

Han Jiankun opened the door, warned her to watch her step, and returned to the driver’s seat once she was inside.

In the back seat, Li Xuewu studied the bowed head of Lin Tingting, then took her tightly clenched fist in his hand—it was icy cold.

“Waiting long?”

Li Xuewu asked her, but received no answer—only silence.

When Han Jiankun started the car and the motion made her sit up straight, Li Xuewu felt her fingers unclench in her nervousness.

The cabin was warm, but the heat couldn’t reach fast enough; Li Xuewu touched her wrist—it was cold too.

Lin Tingting stubbornly tried to pull her hand back, but his large grip held her fast—she couldn’t muster any strength.

“Find a restaurant. Let’s have hotpot.”

Li Xuewu placed her hand on the heater vent and told Han Jiankun.

Han Jiankun didn’t answer, turned the wheel, and pressed the accelerator forward.

The car was dim; Li Xuewu couldn’t see Lin Tingting’s expression, so he stayed silent.

For a while, silence filled the cabin, making even Han Jiankun, the quiet type, feel uneasy.

As if deliberately getting back at Li Xuewu, the hotpot place he picked was Donglaishun—the very place Li Xuewu had taken Lin Tingting for her first hotpot.

Actually, Han Jiankun wasn’t to blame—he’d simply chosen the best place when ordered to get hotpot.

In Dongcheng, the closest and tastiest hotpot spot? It had to be Donglaishun.

He’d already parked. What could Li Xuewu do—make him switch restaurants?

So when they got out, Li Xuewu looked at the towering sign, then at Lin Tingting’s bowed head, and thought: Han Jiankun, you driver, you’ve got balls.