047 Hung Up

The interrogation room fell into a brief silence.

Han Bin lifted his chin. “Why aren’t you talking?”

Yu Wei bit her lip. “What proof do you have? Can you prove I went to Anyang Apartments?”

“There’s surveillance in the taxi. You’re a smart woman, you know what that means.”

Han Bin was watching her closely. Some people bite their lips when anxious, uncomfortable, depressed, or embarrassed.

“I did go to Whirlwind Internet Café, but that doesn’t mean I was making a blackmail letter,” Yu Wei shifted the topic.

Her attitude showed she was wavering.

Han Bin pressed on, dismantling her resolve. “There’s surveillance in the café too. The footage shows you writing the letter, the USB drive, the envelope—clear as day. These are all evidence.”

“There are plenty of USB drives and envelopes of the same style. You can’t call it a blackmail letter just because they look alike,” Yu Wei argued.

“The blackmail photos—those were taken on your phone, weren’t they? That’s unique,” Han Bin countered.

Yu Wei’s expression changed subtly. She took a deep breath. “There are no blackmail photos on my phone.”

“What if I find them?” Han Bin’s tone carried a hint of challenge.

“If you manage to find them, I’ll admit everything,” Yu Wei shot back, glaring.

“Your phone has already been sent to the tech team. Even if you deleted the photos, they can recover them,” Han Bin said.

Yu Wei’s body trembled, and panic flashed across her face.

“Will you confess?”

She didn’t reply.

“Then we’ll wait until the tech team recovers the photos from your phone.” Han Bin settled into his chair, changing to a comfortable position. “But whether you’ll get a reduced sentence then—that’s uncertain.”

“If there’s no reduction, you’ll be sentenced for a long time. Whether your boyfriend can wait for you to come out is even more uncertain,” Tian Li said with a smile.

“Hmph, even if my sentence is reduced, he won’t wait for me,” Yu Wei sneered.

“Whether he waits or not, I can’t say. But your mother certainly will,” Tian Li’s tone grew solemn.

Yu Wei’s voice quivered. “Does my mother know I’ve been arrested?”

“She’s outside, do you want to see her?”

Yu Wei shook her head, covering her cheeks with her hands, and sobbed quietly. “I never thought you’d catch me.”

“Does your father know you used the photos to blackmail Chen Luyan?” Han Bin followed up.

“He doesn’t. He’s just a pervert obsessed with secretly taking photos,” Yu Wei said, disdain evident.

“You’re still young, with a bright future ahead. Why do this?” Tian Li sighed.

Yu Wei wiped away her tears. “Money. I needed money.”

Tian Li walked over and handed her a tissue. “You’re their only daughter. If you need money, why not ask your parents? Why extort others?”

“In the café, you saw my boyfriend. Do you think he’s handsome?” Yu Wei answered off topic.

“He’s decent,” Tian Li nodded.

“I’m average-looking. Many people say I’m not good enough for him. What do you think?” Yu Wei pressed.

“You spent a lot of money to keep him?” Han Bin recalled the scene from buying clothes last time.

“Yes, I owe a lot of online loans.”

“Is keeping a man with money really what you want?” Tian Li asked.

“I’m happy when I’m with him. That’s enough,” Yu Wei forced a smile.

...

Yu Wei confessed, and her family fell apart.

Her mother, Yang Lin, arrived at the precinct, crying bitterly in the lounge.

She had spent her life as a devoted wife and mother, hoping her husband and daughter could live safely and happily together.

Now, her husband had been detained for voyeurism and fired from his job. Her daughter had been arrested for extortion and faced prison.

She felt as if her world had collapsed.

Tian Li comforted her for half an hour before putting her in a taxi.

The case was closed, and the members of Team Two breathed a sigh of relief.

They’d seen many such human tragedies.

Emotional, easily affected people couldn’t handle being detectives—if they cried along with the victims’ families, how could they solve cases?

With the investigation over, Team Two could finally take a break.

Han Bin poured himself a cup of coffee, sat back in his chair with his legs propped on the desk, and took a sip, savoring the flavor.

“Bin, you usually drink tea. Why coffee today?” Zeng Ping yawned.

“Just trying something different for a change, to perk myself up,” Han Bin grinned.

“Which do you think is more effective, tea or coffee?” Zeng Ping raised his teacup and took a gulp.

“Team Leader Zeng, you should have more experience than us,” Li Hui teased.

“I haven’t drunk much coffee, not used to it.”

“Doesn’t matter if it’s coffee or tea—drink too much and you build resistance. When I first joined the detective team, a cup of tea would keep me up all night. Now I can drink a whole pot and still sleep,” Tian Li complained.

“Tian Li’s right. I usually drink coffee when I’m idle, but when I’m thirsty, I stick to tea. At least it doesn’t make me overheated,” Han Bin shared.

Zhao Ming hadn’t been a police officer long and couldn’t be as indifferent as the others. He was still affected by the case and couldn’t help but ask, “Do you think Yu Wei regrets it now?”

“Regret or not, the crime’s been committed. It’s too late to say anything now,” Tian Li replied.

“About this case, it puzzles me. When we were in school, it was always the guys spending money on girls to win them over. Now it’s the reverse—the girls spend money on the guys, even taking out online loans. Isn’t that foolish?” Li Hui struggled to understand.

“Hui, you don’t get it. Nowadays, young women like handsome guys. As long as he’s good-looking, nothing else matters,” Zhao Ming patted his chest.

“Well, another point for Teacher Yu,” Li Hui joked.

“Li Hui, I don’t like that remark. Don’t stir up discord among the people,” Tian Li waved her fist.

Li Hui quickly stepped back. “A lady uses her words, not her fists.”

“Come on, Hui, that’s a bit much,” Zhao Ming laughed. Tian Li was a slender woman—what harm could a couple of punches do?

“As your senior, let me remind you: in our team, don’t mess with ‘Sister Tian,’ or you might get beaten up,” Li Hui said solemnly.

“Alright, enough messing around. Clean up,” Zeng Ping waved his hand energetically. “Dinner’s on me tonight.”

“Hooray, long live Team Leader Zeng!”

“We’ve been waiting for those words!”

“Let’s vote—what are we eating tonight?” The office of Team Two grew lively.

“Hey, hey, what are you all doing? Don’t you know it’s work hours?” At that moment, Zheng Kaixuan strode in with his square face and insulated mug.

“Captain Zheng.”

“Captain Zheng, you’re here.” Everyone stopped their chatter and greeted him.

“What’s got you all so excited?” Zheng Kaixuan asked.

“Nothing much. We solved the case, so everyone’s happy,” Zeng Ping replied perfunctorily. “What brings you here?”

A smile gradually appeared on Zheng Kaixuan’s stern face.

“I’m here for dinner.”

“Boo!”

Everyone realized they’d been teased and let out a playful chorus of boos.