Chapter Ninety-Six: I Don’t Know!

Chapter Ninety-Six: I Don’t Know Him!

"How could Tang Zhong possibly kill anyone? He’s just a student," Luo Huan said, her face full of alarm.

For girls in the flower of their youth, murder had always seemed terribly distant, something that existed only in television dramas, films, and the mystery novels they bought. They had never imagined it would happen so vividly, so close to home.

"I don’t believe it either," Cheng Pei echoed. "Tang Zhong is such a good person. How could he kill anyone?"

In their minds, anyone who killed was a bad person. Tang Zhong was a good person, so he could not be a killer.

He Na tightened her arms around Luo Huan and Cheng Pei’s shoulders and looked at Liang Tao. "Did you ask them to explain clearly? What exactly happened?"

"How could they tell us that?" Liang Tao said darkly. "We’re neither his guardian nor his teacher. Maybe they’ve already called the school."

"Ah? Then Tang Zhong—he’s finished, isn’t he?" Luo Huan said. "If they call the school, won’t everyone there know?"

"Let’s find a way to get him out first," Liang Tao said. "Who cares whether the school finds out or not?"

Hua Ming crouched by the edge of the platform tracks, smoking one cigarette after another with his head bowed.

After a long while, he flicked the stub in his hand away, then took out his phone and dialed a number.

The line rang over and over, but no one answered.

He ended the call and dialed again.

This time, someone finally picked up.

"What is it?" came a steady, grave male voice from the other end.

"Uncle, I’m sorry," Hua Ming said in a low voice.

"Mm." The man’s voice softened a little. "Let the past stay in the past. Don’t keep it in your heart. Look ahead more. Your road is still long."

"I know," Hua Ming said. "I know what to do from here on."

"Good. I still have a meeting. That’s all."

"Uncle—" Hua Ming cried urgently.

"What is it now?"

Silence.

"Spit it out. Don’t act like some little woman," the man urged.

"Uncle, a friend of mine has been detained by the Jade Maiden Mountain Subbureau because he was involved in a murder case. I want to ask you to make a call to the Pearl City Bureau—Uncle, don’t be angry. I’m not asking you to shield my friend or alter the investigation. I just want you to call them and tell them to handle the case fairly. I believe he’s innocent." Hua Ming finally voiced his request, each word coming out with obvious unease.

This time, the silence fell on the other end of the line.

"I’m curious. Who is that person?"

"Tang Zhong."

"As expected." The man chuckled softly. "Hua Ming, you’re far too naive. If I make that call, do you think this case could still be handled fairly?"

"But, Uncle—"

Click.

Listening to the dead tone in the phone, all Hua Ming could do was bite down hard on his own lip.

He bit until he drew blood and still did not notice.

Hua Ming searched through his address book again and again, his finger lingering for a very long time over one name without pressing it.

He sighed.

Thinking of the cold, indifferent attitude the police had shown when he and Liang Tao had gone over to ask about the situation just now, he finally dialed that number after all.

A person’s power was very small, especially when that person was an ordinary man with no status to support him.

The phone rang twice before it was answered. A hesitant male voice came through. "Qian Ming?"

"Bro. It’s me." Hua Ming’s voice was hoarse, his finger digging savagely into his own thigh.

"If I remember correctly, this is the first time in all these years that you’ve taken the initiative to call me, isn’t it?" the man said with a light laugh.

"I need your help with something," Hua Ming said.

"So that brotherly title wasn’t free after all. You’re tearing away the curtain so soon—hey, you should at least build it up a little longer and let me properly savor our brotherhood, shouldn’t you?" The man’s tone was teasing, as though he were enjoying an interesting game.

Hua Ming pulled the phone away from his ear, wanting nothing more than to smash it into powder.

"What now? Can’t take it anymore? If you can’t, you can always hang up," the man said.

"A friend of mine is involved in a murder case. I want you to help by calling the Pearl City Bureau. Since you work in the police system, they should give you face," Hua Ming said through gritted teeth.

"Oh. A murder case?" The man considered it for a moment, then said, "Why should I help you?"

"—"

"Qian Ming, what you did last time already made the family very angry. And now, what are you trying to do again? No matter who I call for, I’ll owe them a favor. A huge favor. How am I supposed to repay that in the future?"

"And another thing: that call isn’t something you can just make casually. When a murder case is involved, whoever comes in to clean it up has to bear the risk of the case being reopened later. Why would they be willing to take such a huge risk? Naturally, because they want greater benefits. Qian Ming, what benefit are you going to trade them?"

"I’m not asking you to favor my friend. I just want someone inside—"

"It’s all the same," the man cut him off. "Once I make that call, they’ll understand my relationship with the suspect. In that case, can this case still be handled fairly? No matter what I say, as soon as I make that call, the case will certainly go in the direction I want. My good brother, do you understand? That is the terrifying nature of power."

"I understand," Hua Ming said in a deep voice, as if his heart had been stabbed by a blade.

"You don’t need to call around asking others anymore either. Without calls from Uncle and Father, they’re not going to help you do anything," the man said, and then hung up with a sharp click.

Hua Ming was on the verge of throwing his phone.

His arm lifted halfway through the air, then stopped.

After a moment’s thought, he shoved the phone back into his pocket.

Maybe they would change their minds?

---------

Director Li Botao of the Jade Maiden Mountain Subbureau, Political Commissar Chen Feng, Deputy Director Wei Ming, Team Chief Jiang Kai, and a group of officers stood at the entrance of the small police building, waiting.

Every so often, they looked toward the distance, as though an honored guest might appear at any moment.

And indeed, a distinguished guest was coming.

An hour earlier, Li Botao had received a call from the Pearl City Bureau. Executive Deputy Director Huang Chao was coming to the Jade Maiden Mountain Subbureau to inspect the work.

Since the subbureau had been established, only a low-ranking deputy director had ever come to inspect it. Someone with real power like Huang Chao, a man who held actual authority throughout the entire Pearl City police system, had never once visited, and perhaps had never even let his gaze linger in this direction.

Because the Jade Maiden Mountain Subbureau was too small, and too remote. In their own words, being assigned to work there was practically a banishment.

Now the executive deputy director who could determine their fate was on his way. They could hardly afford not to receive him carefully.

Driving over from Pearl City would still take at least forty minutes, even at high speed.

Yet after receiving the call, Li Botao rushed straight to the bureau, briefly familiarized himself with the situation, and then led the key leadership members to wait at the door.

"They’re here," someone called out.

Li Botao subtly stretched his limbs, then put on a smile rarely seen on his face.

Screech.

A black Mercedes stopped at the police station entrance. Li Botao jogged over and opened the rear door.

As expected, sitting in the back were none other than Huang Chao, the executive deputy director of the Pearl City Bureau, and a young man Li Botao had never seen before.

"Director Huang, thank you for coming all this way," Li Botao said respectfully.

"Mm." Huang Chao nodded indifferently, then turned to the young man beside him. "William, would you like to come in and sit for a while?"

"No need. I’d rather go see Yihan first," the young man named William said with a smile. "Something so big happened. The little girl must have been terrified."

Li Botao’s eyes flickered.

So they really were here for that girl from the Qiu family.

"Mm. That would be good too," Director Huang said with a smile.

He stepped out of the car and said to Li Botao, who was standing in front of him, "I heard there was a homicide here?"

"Reporting to Director Huang, yes." After saluting, Li Botao quickly gave a brief account of the situation he had just learned.

"Hm. That girl named Qiu Yihan, what does she have to do with this homicide?" Huang Chao asked with a frown.

"Reporting to Director Huang, she is a victim," Li Botao answered loudly. "She went sightseeing at Tianyi Temple with friends and accidentally encountered this incident. Both the criminal suspect Tang Zhong and the testimony of the others can prove this."

"She wasn’t injured, was she?" the handsome young man named William asked with a smile.

"We already had a doctor examine Miss Qiu Yihan. There were only a few superficial scratches." Li Botao did not know what this young man’s identity was, but the fact that Huang Chao had come with him already proved he was no small figure. So Li Botao treated the young man with the same respect he showed Director Huang.

"Where is she?" William’s sharply arched brows rose. Clearly, he was very dissatisfied with the term "superficial scratches."

"She’s resting in the lounge. Should I have someone fetch her?" Li Botao asked.

"No need." William waved a hand. His hands, fairer and more delicate than a woman’s, moved with elegant ease. "I’ll go get her."

Then he said to Director Guo Botao, "Director Guo, if Yihan has nothing to do with this homicide and is merely a victim, then I’d like to take her home first. Her grandmother must be worried out of her mind. If there’s anything else, you can speak with my lawyer."

He pointed to a spot not far behind him, where three top lawyers, two men and one woman, were standing.

"No problem. Absolutely no problem," Director Guo said with a smile.

"What about Tang Zhong—"

"Tang Zhong?" William’s lips curved into a trace of icy contempt. "I don’t know him."

Happy birthday, Yun Yun, lovely girl. Thank you for everything you have selflessly given to me and to the Guard Legion.