Fang Zhenyue stood with his arms folded, a proud and smug smile on his face as he escorted Chen Guangyao to the door, watching him head over to notify You Zhaohua in Team A.
Leaning against the doorframe, he didn’t rush back to his office but stared at the entrance of Team A, his intention to mock You Zhaohua all too clear.
At that moment, Fang Zhenyue didn’t resemble the mature and steady detective he was supposed to be; instead, he seemed more like a six-year-old child, both childish and malicious.
As he had expected, it wasn’t long after Chen Guangyao entered that the Team A office erupted into chaos.
Fang Zhenyue curled up a satisfied smile as the door to the opposite office, belonging to Qiu Sushan, was pulled open.
Qiu Sushan, who had just hung up on a call with her supervisor, didn’t look too pleased.
She was indeed in a difficult position. Receiving three or four calls a day, with the Public Relations Department coming over every few hours to push for progress on cases, and her superiors offloading their pressure onto her, even a clay Bodhisattva would be near losing their temper.
“Fang Zhenyue, let’s have a chat,” madam opened the door.
“Just in time, I also have something to tell you.” Compared to madam’s stormy demeanor, Fang Zhenyue appeared much more radiant.
He walked into the office and comfortably sat down on the sofa, just about to share some good news when Qiu Sushan, unable to wait, spoke first:
“You need to manage Yi Jiayi as well. How is it that her way of solving cases is either trickery or completely uncontrolled?”
“She was the one you brought into the major case team. She hasn’t even gone through the transfer interview yet, hasn’t even received her gun permit, and yet she publicly declared a suspect innocent at a press conference. The case isn’t even solved yet, Patrick, anything can happen, what she’s doing is not proper, how did you teach her?”
Patrick was Fang Zhenyue’s English name, used mainly by his superiors in the police station; most people called him ‘Brother Yue.’
Hearing his English name, he knew Qiu Sushan was anxious again.
His eyebrows furrowed, his pleased expression faded as he looked at Qiu Sushan, his entire demeanor becoming more restrained and profound.
Seeing him like this often made Qiu Sushan nervous, like a strict father counting to three before a scolding, making one’s muscles tense up.
But every time, she also felt irritated. She was the inspector, maybe not very imposing, but he shouldn’t always look at her with that expression.
She had her pride too!
And did he even realize how much pressure she took on for him, how many issues she handled?
“About Yi Jiayi, don’t let her mess around. She’s new to this job, has a strong sense of justice, and gets very motivated with a bit of success. It’s easy for her emotions to get overheated, and once she faces setbacks, it might completely extinguish her spirit. Keep an eye on her, let her observe more, learn more, take it slow.”
Qiu Sushan didn’t entirely trust Yi Jiayi’s assertion that the mainlander was innocent, nor did she want to face the possibility that if he turned out to be the murderer, Yi Jiayi, having been mistaken, couldn’t handle the double blow of work and emotional distress, and would be utterly defeated.
At the end of the day, a child is just a child; what do they know? When a child makes a mistake, it’s because the adults haven’t taught them well.
The conclusion is, it’s all Fang Zhenyue’s fault for being so reckless.
Seeing that Fang Zhenyue still had no intention of speaking, Qiu Sushan’s anger intensified as she continued to scold:
“This kind of youthful enthusiasm shouldn’t be overindulged. She needs to understand the real world rationally.”
“It’s possible she might help solve a case for the victim, but she’s being deceived and exploited by the other party.”
“Isn’t Uncle Jiu’s example right there? You wouldn’t want a spiritually vibrant, talented young person to end up cynical, would you?”
“And also, now that she’s following you, she’s relying on the information you’ve gathered and the clues you’ve sorted out to discover some crucial evidence and solve cases. That doesn’t prove she’s exceptionally talented.”
“Sooner or later, she’ll encounter cases that, no matter how hard she tries, she just can’t solve. Don’t start thinking she’s invincible just because she’s praised by newspapers and people around her.”
Qiu Sushan, frazzled, ruffled her hair and glared at him, saying:
“Yi Jiayi is a rare talent; we need to protect her passion and sincerity, to prevent her worldview from collapsing after setbacks, leading her to become so despondent that she can’t muster any motivation.”
“You need to protect her, tell her to prepare for the possibility that this case might remain unsolved, and also be prepared for the suspect to possibly be from the mainland. She needs to rest, to relax, to accept that there are many things in this world that are inevitable.”
“She mustn’t arrogantly think that what she sees or thinks is definitely the truth.”
“She shouldn’t prejudge when investigating a case, nor make wild accusations without evidence, it’s all on you—”
Qiu Sushan, visibly irritated, gritted her teeth and stared at him for a long time before she made up her mind:
“Either you take this more seriously and teach properly, or you let me take Yi Jiayi.”
Qiu Sushan glared at Fang Zhenyue, and after a tense moment, Fang Zhenyue finally sighed:
“Madam, why are you like a machine gun? Won’t you let others speak?”
“Do you have something to say? Then speak!” Qiu Sushan almost stamped her foot.
Though she outwardly seemed annoyed with him, deep down she actually relied on him.
Fang Zhenyue might be arrogant, but he always handled cases and matters flawlessly. But just because he can be like this doesn’t mean others can too.
He can’t use himself as a model to teach Yi Jiayi.
“There’s been a breakthrough in the case. The Ferry Street dismemberment case and the Lok Kwan Street Park body dumping case are proposed to be combined. Both the forensic science department and the forensic medical department have provided a high-probability assessment supporting the merger. Madam, please approve it, sign off on it, and report it.” Fang Zhenyue helplessly ran his fingers through his short hair, frowning:
“Done venting? Try to be a bit more mature and composed, okay?”
“…” Qiu Sushan was criticized by Fang Zhenyue but didn’t mind it, instead she expressed surprise:
“Consolidated the cases?”
“Yes, Eleven found connections between the two cases, asked the Forensic Science and Medical Examiner’s departments to re-examine and verify everything, and now it’s basically confirmed.” Fang Zhenyue stood up, walked to the office door, and looked back at her: “Anything else you need from me, madam?”
“…Sorry.” Qiu Sushan lowered her eyes in embarrassment, regretting her impulsiveness.
“You were not fully informed, but try to stay calm next time, to avoid a long tirade that just leaves you tired and without a point.” Fang Zhenyue opened the door, then suddenly said:
“I know what is reckless arrogance and what is bold reasoning with evidence and careful verification. I believe Eleven understands this too. I know you are worried about her facing setbacks on her first case and want to protect her. But I am also confident in supporting her to break out of the harbor and brave the waves.”
“Let’s work together with mutual understanding and support.”
Qiu Sushan’s attempt to teach a lesson backfired, and she stood awkwardly at the door to see Fang Zhenyue out, hesitating for a few seconds before finally apologizing briskly:
“Sorry.”
Fang Zhenyue turned back to look at her, nodded with a smile as if he had expected all this, neither surprised nor delighted.
As they were reconciling, suddenly there was a bigger commotion in Team A’s office.
You Zhaohua strode out, followed by a group of Team A detectives.
They came over with such force, as if they were about to perform a knee slide on the spot in thanks to Team B for the combined case effort.
Seeing You Zhaohua and his team not at all resentful about others interfering in their cases, but instead full of gratitude and excitement… Fang Zhenyue only felt a headache.
If it was about arguing, he was never afraid of anyone, but if these people came to thank him, he really didn’t know how to respond.
“Madam, Sir Fang!” You Zhaohua approached and immediately greeted politely, then turning back to see his own team following, he casually pointed to someone and ordered:
“Go back and organize our test results and reports and bring them over.”
“What? All of them coming to my team?” Qiu Sushan joked with a smile.
“If madam accepts, we would definitely be willing. But we are not as excellent as Sir Fang, so it might be hard to get into your team?” You Zhaohua, usually quite domineering, rarely praised someone so directly, convinced internally and spoke openly.
“Sir Fang, we all rushed over here, how about we share the clues together?” After saying so much praise, now came the time to make a request. He laughed and looked at Fang Zhenyue, praying that he wouldn’t say anything unpleasant.
This case had been stagnant for 3 months without a breakthrough, while they had made significant progress in just a few days. This situation was easily embarrassing.
Especially since Fang Zhenyue was not the type to mince words, it was both nerve-wracking and perplexing.
Fortunately, Fang Zhenyue was in a good mood; he just nodded and asked, “Shall we go to your office, or come to ours?”
Liu Jiaming, from the office across the hall, overheard this and immediately shouted, “Team A’s office is like a dump!”
You Zhaohua awkwardly smacked his lips and amiably replied, “Then of course we’ll go to your Team B office. I’ve heard that Little Eleven not only tidies up the office spontaneously but also buys fresh flowers and prepares afternoon tea. Let us also bask in the light of a good office environment and broaden our horizons.”
Thus, the sound of Team A’s detectives dragging chairs from their office towards this side filled the corridor, creating a noisy ruckus. Many people peeked out of their offices to see what was going on, occasionally whispering to each other, the subject of their gossip unknown.
The once bold and confident detectives entered Team B’s office and promptly became meek. Casting a glance at Fang Zhenyue, who stood tall like a tower at the door, they obediently dragged their chairs to the back rows and didn’t dare to utter any nonsense.
Qiu Sushan peeked into the office and saw Lin Wangjiu standing confidently next to the whiteboard, exuding an air of authority.
Liu Jiaming and his colleagues were lounging with their legs crossed, displaying the demeanor of local bosses.
She chuckled gleefully, her mood already improved, standing beside Fang Zhenyue and couldn’t help but boast proudly:
“Patrick is impressive! As soon as this case got connected with you, it has been rapidly advancing.”
“Hey, Sergeant You, for the King’s Park case too, it was Sir Fang who took over, and our Little Eleven suspected there might be a second victim, which led to a breakthrough in the case. It’s also helping you clear up old cases, and we haven’t yet had the meal from the last time; if this case is solved, you’ll owe us a big one.”
“I’ll have our Chief Inspector Zhang treat,” said You Zhaohua with an awkward smile, pleased about the possibility of solving the case but slightly embarrassed by the constant ribbing.
He touched his nose, and seeing everyone in Team B watching him, hesitated for a moment before finally letting out a forced laugh and praising Yi Jiayi:
“We should thank all the detectives in Team B, whose diligent investigations have made it possible to solve the case.”
“Sir Fang is formidable indeed, having already won a silver whistle at the police academy. He has a great strategic view, is reliable in his actions, smart, can sort everything neatly, and never misses any clues…”
“Jiayi is also incredible, with her aura, observational skills, sharp thinking, able to spot discrepancies in the smallest details—a true heroine.”
Hearing him praise her properly, the detectives in Team B finally nodded, reluctantly letting him off the hook.
Qiu Sushan watched the scene, suddenly bursting into laughter, even more triumphant than Fang Zhenyue and the others.
Suddenly, the phone in the office behind her rang. She, who usually frowned upon hearing the phone ring all day, seemed eagerly anticipating it this time.
She turned to Fang Zhenyue and said, “It must be Sir Huang calling to scold me and demand I solve the case quickly.”
Meeting Fang Zhenyue’s gaze, she forcefully patted her chest, boldly proclaiming:
“Don’t worry, I’ll handle the higher-ups. You just focus on your work. Go for it, Patrick!”
After speaking, she happily patted Fang Zhenyue on the back.
She was about to turn back to answer the phone when suddenly she remembered something very important. She took a big step toward the door of Team B’s office and called out to Yi Jiayi, who was distributing afternoon tea to everyone. She shook her right fist and exclaimed loudly:
“Yi Jiayi, Patrick said you’re awesome! You’ve done some remarkable things recently, impressive indeed, keep it up! I’ll also apply for a hero bonus for you at the end of this month.”
Behind me, the ringing of the phone in my office was nearly lifting the roof, and all the detectives in Team B were anxious for her:
“Madam, pick up the phone quickly~~~”
Qiu Sushan laughed heartily, finally turned around, and ran back to her office. She swiftly circled her desk and comfortably threw herself into her office chair, then leisurely picked up the phone that had been ringing for a while.
“Hello? Major Crime Team B, Inspector’s office.” Her voice brimmed with pride.
You Zhaohua watched Madam try not to laugh. Peering into Team B’s office, little Yi Jiayi was blushing deeply from the praise.
She was so brave and smart during investigations, but somehow also had this shy, daughterly demeanor. Tsk, why doesn’t their Team A have such a strong, beautiful, and likable lucky star female detective?!
He decided to go recruit some people for their team, as Team A had a serious imbalance of yin and yang.
“Sir Fang, your madam is really nice, praising both you and Jiayi. It’s like one big happy family within the team,” You Zhaohua couldn’t help but express his envy.
Fang Zhenyue remembered how this woman had broken down just before, and shook his head helplessly.
They hadn’t seen her go mad, of course, everyone praised her.
After closing the door for madam, he led the others back to Team B’s large office.
“Alright, alright, let’s start the meeting.” Fang Zhenyue stood by the whiteboard and waved his hand.
All the bragging was done, all the pride had been taken, all the mockery had been dished out. Team B’s detectives were all satisfied, and it was time to get back to work.