Author: 长洱 / Chang’er

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 66

“Oh, the still image capture system.” When it came to technical issues, Wang Chao suddenly became energetic. “The case isn’t small and has gone through this procedure, but if it’s an internal photo of a drug manufacturing factory passed on by an undercover agent, it should be top secret. Could it be that Zheng Dongdong just happened to use this packaging bag? In fact, looking at his appearance, he probably just wanted to lock us up for a few days, but he didn’t expect things to be so serious.” As if suddenly possessed by a detective, comrade Wang Chao’s eyes lit up. “There’s also the possibility that someone knows that this packing bag will definitely be captured by your filtration system!” At the end, Wang Chao placed emphasis on his tone and even pushed up his nonexistent glasses. “So, is this all a coincidence or a conspiracy?”

“If this problem is too complicated, then go back to the original point and look at the planting case. What would happen if Zheng Dongdong only reported the case to ordinary police?”

“We’d be taken back to the bureau for a cup of tea, and then Lao Jiang would come and fish us out.”

“Now, replace that person with an Interpol officer who wants to track down clues regarding drug smuggling. How will the results differ?”

“We would be arrested by the ICPO and tortured?” Wang Chao looked at Team Leader Ren in horror. “You didn’t really have this plan, did you?”

“Why do you think he brought the entire special forces? To come play mahjong?” Xing Conglian slapped the boy on the back of the head and motioned for him to be quiet.

“Is there any difference between the two outcomes for you?” Ren Xian asked.

Lin Chen looked at Xing Conglian. This was indeed something he couldn’t understand. Assuming that there was really someone working behind the scenes, why did they take such a huge risk and use the photos returned by Fang Zhiming to lure Interpol into taking action?

“This difference lies in time.” It seemed that the answer to the mystery had already been guessed. When Xing Conglian answered the question, he didn’t even pause to think about it.

Lin Chen frowned.

“If we’re taken away by the local police, we can probably see the sun again within an hour.” Xing Conglian kept his lip tight and let go of his analysis as he spoke his opinion on the dark and treacherous thoughts behind this scheme in a frighteningly calm tone.

For a moment, the coldness and silence returned to the room, as if the warm sunlight that was overflowing through the glass window had become ineffective.

No one spoke. Lin Chen thought that he needed to ask the question again. “So, what if it was ICPO?” He looked at the team leader and asked.

“I would’ve detained you as much as I could to limit as much of your personal free time as possible,” Ren Xian replied.

“How long would that be?”

“According to regulations, 48 hours.”

“So all this is to delay us in our case?”

This conclusion was inconceivable.

A trivial crime like hiding marijuana wouldn’t cause them any real substantial harm, so whether it was the local police or the ICPO that was dispatched, the most important difference was that the latter would interrogate and detain them in spite of everything until the end of the 48-hour detention period.

So in retrospect, who on earth would want them to stop for a cup of tea and slow them down?

The answer was almost as obvious as it could be.

Of all the people sitting here, only Wang Chao and Xing Conglian understood the meaning behind this. Wang Chao chewed his gum more slowly. As if he couldn’t understand the mastermind’s brain circuit, he raised a point. “This is too risky. If we were in the process of being interrogated and we talked about Fang Zhiming or content related to the previous case, then wouldn’t the truth come out?”

With a puff, the teenager blew a bubble with his gum.

“It’s simple. The so-called Fang Zhiming and his unfinished undercover case are just two different stages of the same trap.” Regarding people like Xing Conglian, when they say their important conclusions, they would be calm, as if they were introducing a food stall on a vendor street that was the most delicious. “Stage one involves us being arrested, interrogated, and released after serving our full detention. During this period, if Team Leader Ren is lucky enough to talk to us about Fang Zhiming or some other clues, the story will automatically enter stage two…”

“What is stage two?”

“Just like what you did, you would analyze the relationship between the live suicide broadcast and Fang Zhiming’s murder and be led astray.” Xing Conglian ignored the cigarette in his hand and instead yawned.

“Captain, can you please explain clearly?” The teenager closed his laptop, took off his cap, and scratched his head furiously. What he was doing was probably what everyone in the room wanted to do. “According to you, the boss behind the scenes deliberately guided us to investigate the connection between the two cases. But why? If they dare do this, doesn’t it mean that the people who framed us and the drug dealer who killed Fang Zhiming aren the same people? Then, does Yang Dianfeng have anything to do with the jewelry robbery where the vehicle’s time was modified and the subsequent death of the witness, Cheng Weiwei? What the hell is going on?”

The teenager’s questions were like an unstoppable barrage of bullets, but the questions that came out of that small bag seemed to raise far more questions than what the teenager had just asked.

There seemed to be countless strands of fine spider silk in the air that were so sticky that they prevented people from moving or even breathing. Suddenly, Lin Chen saw a lax smile on Xing Conglian’s face.

“You’re making me dizzy by asking so many questions.” The captain of the criminal division bent his finger and tapped the head of his young subordinate. He struck harder this time, which caused the teenager to arch up and grimace in pain. “Captain, it’s very unfair for you to bully the weak like this, do you know that?”

“Do you know why I hit you?” the perpetrator asked.

“Because I asked you a question that you can’t answer, so you feel embarrassed…” The teenager seemed to be courting death.

“Then let me ask another question. Do you know why your grandfather can live to be 90 years old?”

“Because he eats vegetables every day and insists on exercising!”

“No, it’s because he never meddles in his own business.”

The teenager’s eyes widened, and he looked incredulously at his captain, who was still teasing him.

“But, Captain, there are so many clues. The bag that came from the drug manufacturing factory, Fang Zhiming’s death, Yang Dianfeng’s time modification, the entire story of the jewelry robbery, and the background of the witness, Cheng Weiwei. We have too many things to investigate!”

“Stop talking.” There was a rare stern look on Xing Conglian’s face.

Wang Chao quickly silenced his rambling.

“Think about it from another perspective. Why is that bag not a suspicious case set up by the mastermind behind the scenes? In fact, Fang Zhiming’s death may have nothing to do with the case we’re investigating now.” The surrounding air seemed to stagnate, but Xing Conglian’s words were like sharp blades that broke through the sticky spider silk. “You see, we can make countless inferences, but the only certainty is that because there are too many possibilities, we can’t pursue this clue. This is definitely a dead end and will waste countless hours and ultimately lead to no success…” He looked at the teenager solemnly, but his gaze seemed to be cast on everyone in the conference room. “So, stop your thoughts and don’t think about it in this direction, okay?”

This was an order, not a discussion.

For a moment, Lin Chen felt that this order was too uncomfortable.

For people who wanted to solve the case, there was nothing more tempting than the clues in front of them. It was like ripe fruit exuding a sweet aroma or a suspenseful novel that was about to reach its climax. It was difficult to control oneself and pull back the hands reaching out for the fruit or put down the book.

This was because, long ago, people had developed the habit of analyzing and studying various things. The inertia of their thinking made them want to uncontrollably dig up the entire street, even if they knew that this could be a maze laid by the murderer, because they wanted to see what was hidden underneath the maze.

But now, it seemed that Xing Conglian had clearly drawn a line on the ground, telling them that they must bypass it. No matter what was buried in front of them, it had nothing to do with them for the time being.

This was truly unacceptable.

But in the next second, Lin Chen felt as if cold water had poured on top of his head, and the wet and cold feeling instantly woke him up.

He was fortunate that the person sitting next to him was the yawning Xing Conglian.

After all, most people in this world were constantly analyzing and judging. Only a few people could break through the fog and clearly see the truth of the matter. It was even more amazing for people who wouldn’t bother talking nonsense and would just directly state things.

The entire planting case was a sinister thoughtful trap from the start. It wasn’t fatal, but it was cold and vicious. Under the ingenious arrangement of the mastermind, one wouldn’t realize that they were stepping into a well-designed quagmire.

In fact, there were too many ways to delay time and create accidents, such as murder, arson, car accidents, and the likes… but those methods were too heavy-handed, and it would be easy for them to perceive the intent behind them. A case of drug smuggling was the most appropriate. 48 hours was as trivial as a nail piercing a tire. It made you want to stop and address the immediate problem. If you were lucky, you could repair the tire and move on, only to find a few bear traps and iron nails sprinkled on the road ahead. You would grimace as you tried to make your way around these hazards, wanting to increase your speed so you could catch whatever brats set up these traps. By that time, you would be further away from what really mattered.

And what really mattered was the direction and time.

“If all this was done to delay our investigation, it means that the next live death broadcast will happen soon,” Lin Chen said.

“Yes, but that’s not a bad thing.” As Xing Conglian spoke, the stern look in his eyes had disappeared, and Lin Chen found that he was looking at him with a helpless expression. “At any rate, we know the time limit.”

“What the hell do you mean? What’s the time limit?” Wang Chao started to become impatient. It could be because his A’Chen’s face became as ugly as the captain’s, or maybe he couldn’t keep up with all this detective work. After all, he was simply a technician!

“I’m afraid we have at most 48 hours left.”

48 hours was the longest time that Ren Xian could detain them, and likewise, it should be the ending time of the death carnival that was yet to come.

—-

For Lin Chen and Xing Conglian, they had already clarified their direction and knew the worst possibility for the future. However, for Ren Xian, after experiencing all the absurd drama, he couldn’t avoid the most important questions: why did the poorly printed marijuana bag reappear after a lapse of 11 months, and despite the fact that the internal information of the crime squad was kept strictly confidential, how did an outsider know about the photo Fang Zhiming sent back?

Just as he was confused and thinking about whether he should speak, the door of the conference room was opened again.

The vice captain of the second division, who was always carefree, stood at the door. His face was full of joy at the successful interrogation.

“Fuck Lao Xing, you’re like a god. Chen Ping recruited that guy. He said the marijuana and goods were all given by his second assistant.”

Hearing this, Ren Xian’s eyes lit up. He didn’t expect Xing Conglian, who acted like he didn’t know about their case, to have already secretly sent someone to interrogate the suspect.

“Has the arrest been carried out?” Xing Conglian took out another pack of cigarettes like magic and threw it over.

Jiang Chao reached out and caught it, then said, “According to what you told me in the text message, someone was sent to the Chen’s company in the early morning. They were just arrested after Chen Ping gave his name, but when Lao Huang and the others rushed to the assistant office, it was empty. There was coffee on the table that was still hot!”

Ren Xian’s mood was like a roller coaster. When he heard Jiang Chao’s words, he instantly slipped into the abyss. All he could feel was cold and darkness, without a single trace of light.

“It seems as if someone tipped him off.” Jiang Chao opened the cigarette pack, took out a cigarette, and stuck it in his mouth.

Hearing this, whether it was from the residue of tobacco or something else, Ren Xian felt only bitterness in his mouth.

Xing Conglian’s net was closed tightly enough, yet that person could still get away in such a short amount of time, which only proved that there was a mole among the people who were in the conference room.

Ren Xian recalled that there was a signal jammer just now, so the people inside had no chance to inform others on the outside.

Of all the people who went out, Zheng Dongdong was already detained, and Chen Ping and the Chen patriarch were being interrogated, so the only ones who could leak the information were his subordinates, who had just left.

“Team Leader Ren.”

In the bone chilling cold, Ren Xian suddenly heard someone calling to him.

He raised his head and looked at the window, where the bright sunlight was overflowing, creating a dazzling sight.

In the sun, he saw a vague, lazy smile.

Then he heard someone say, “Now, you can go search all the phones and communication devices.”

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