“Bastard!”
Emerging from the city bureau, Li Ying could not help cursing. Her chest heaved, her breathing unsteady.
“By the way, how did you end up meeting someone like that?” Lin Wan asked curiously.
Li Ying pouted, looking a bit embarrassed.
Lu Zheng raised an eyebrow. “Not convenient to say?”
“It is not that…”
Li Ying shook her head helplessly. “We met playing script murder games.”
Lu Zheng: ⚆_⚆?
Lin Wan: Õ_Õ
“What is wrong with that…”
Li Ying pulled Lin Wan’s arm and explained. “I only go to proper script murder shops!”
“Of course, of course! I believe you!”
Lin Wan nodded repeatedly. “I, well, I have a friend who also found a boyfriend at a script murder shop.”
“Who? What happened then?” Li Ying asked.
Lu Zheng immediately chimed in. “She was scammed out of three million by that fraud.”
Li Ying, “…”
Lin Wan could not help glaring at Lu Zheng.
She had meant to refer to herself, since she and Lu Zheng had met at a script murder game. She had not expected Lu Zheng to bring up Su Mengmeng’s friend Luo Jun.
Huang Xiumin came out after them, smiling as she comforted Li Ying. “Do not be upset. Just think of these two months as you going undercover. We really did not know about his drug supply line before. Once the case is cracked, I will send a commendation banner to your unit.”
Li Ying’s eyes widened. “Sister! I will call you sister, okay? Are you trying to make my social death complete? You want everyone at my unit to know about this too?”
“Eh?”
Huang Xiumin blinked, then asked. “Cracking a drug use and trafficking case is still a merit. It will count toward your record when transferring back to domestic departments. Are you sure you do not want it?”
Li Ying, “…”
She was just a technician, providing backend technical support. She rarely participated in specific case details, so she mostly built seniority. Merit opportunities were few.
This was a rare achievement she could highlight. Giving it up seemed a bit wasteful, but…
“This case was discovered by Sister Wan. What does it have to do with me?”
Lin Wan smiled. “Do I lack merits? Besides, if not for you, how would I have met him? So your contribution is indispensable. No need to be modest.”
Li Ying was speechless. Could it be calculated like that?
Knowing Lin Wan was deliberately giving her the credit, she felt a bit shy.
Li Ying blinked. “Then I…”
Lin Wan understood her meaning, patted Huang Xiumin’s arm. “Remember to include Li Ying. Do not forget the banner.”
“Got it, no worries!” Huang Xiumin gave an OK gesture, waved, then turned back to the bureau.
“The rest is Xiumin’s business,” Lin Wan said. “Let us head back.”
Li Ying nodded repeatedly, then could not help sighing. “Yes, yes. Sigh, when I get home I still have to confess to my dad honestly. I am done for. Will he beat me to death…”
“Relax. He will only greet the city bureau people to take good care of this Wang Liming,” Lin Wan said. “Of all people to provoke, he chose you.”
…
The next day, just after dawn, Huang Xiumin pulled Lu Zheng, Lin Wan, and Li Ying into a group chat. She told them that after interrogating Wang Liming overnight, the bureau had mobilised and smashed a local gang selling drug products, capturing most of the suspects.
The efficiency was that high!
Huang Xiumin: It has to be high! Our team has KPIs. Until drugs are eradicated, every department has targets. If we are not proactive, what if a brother unit snatches it?
Huang Xiumin: Plus we got lucky. This Wang Liming was connected to a second-in-command in the trafficking gang. We followed the vine and struck gold. Hahaha.
Lu Zheng: Showing off like crazy!
Li Ying: Thank you, Sister Xiumin!
Huang Xiumin: No need for thanks. This gang was quite big. Half our year’s KPI is done. Actually, I should thank you all. We are still pursuing other suspects. Chat later. Dinner when the case closes.
Lin Wan: …
Li Ying: Great, great! My treat!
…
Lu Zheng put down his phone, tore off a piece of youtiao, soaked it in soy milk, and ate it in one bite.
“Are police cases this competitive now?”
Lin Wan nodded. “If you slack even a little, many colleagues will cross boundaries to make arrests. Where would you put your face then?”
Lu Zheng was shocked. “They can cross boundaries?”
“For other things no, but for drugs yes,” Lin Wan said. “It is to emphasise our focus on such cases.”
“Understood!”
Lu Zheng nodded. The country placed great importance on this, having suffered from it in the past.
Seeing Lu Zheng finish eating, Lin Wan handed him a napkin. “Let us go. Xiaoying is already waiting.”
After yesterday’s incident, the two women had agreed to go shopping today to relieve stress.
Lu Zheng, naturally, was in charge of carrying bags.
The pair soon met Li Ying in the Fulong Plaza parking lot and began their shopping trip.
Shopping in the morning, lunch on Li Ying, a movie in the afternoon, then cat cafe time until eight in the evening. Only then did they part ways.
Back home, after a hot shower and some light intimacy, they changed into pyjamas, prepared snacks and drinks, and lounged on the sofa.
Turning on the TV, just as Lin Wan opened a bag of crisps, her phone rang.
It was a video call from Li Ying.
“Little girl wants to check in safe?” Lin Wan smiled and answered. The screen showed a panicked Li Ying, mouth stuffed with cloth and tied from behind.
“Xiaoying!” Lin Wan was shocked and furious, sitting bolt upright.
“Woo, woowoo… woowoo, woo…”
With her mouth gagged, Li Ying could only make these muffled sounds.
“It is all because of you! My brothers all got arrested, and one of them is my own blood brother!”
A vicious voice came from off-screen.
“Lin Wan, right? Time to test your sisterly bond. You are Interpol, are you not? Do not call the police. Come alone, or we tear the ticket right now!”
Lin Wan’s eyes narrowed coldly. “Where?”
“Huaji Town East Gate Port Area parking lot. You have one hour!”
The call ended!
The moment it hung up, Lin Wan said immediately. “Huiji Building, twelfth floor, south-facing room in East Gate Port Area. Four people, armed with guns!”
Lu Zheng: ???
“How do you know?”
Lin Wan said. “Xiaoying just told me in Morse code.”
Lu Zheng’s eyes flashed. “She…”
“Woo, woowoo…” Lin Wan stood to dress, imitating a couple of sounds, then turned back to find Lu Zheng already fully dressed.
“I will get the car.”
“Let us go!”
