Zheng Lishan opened her mouth wide, staring at Yi Jiayi in either regret or disbelief, and remained frozen for a long while before finally taking a deep breath.
Lifting her head, she locked eyes with Fang Zhenyue for a few seconds, then suddenly covered her face and began to sob.
Sanfu remained silent the whole time, but now he couldn’t help but look at Yi Jiayi with a complex expression, part exclamation, part inquiry.
For the first time, he saw something different in the face of the young policewoman.
Perhaps it was the aura of righteousness bolstered by the truth, or the convincing wisdom that made her seem no longer like a little sister who could be easily molded and manipulated.
She seemed to have gained a quality that made others slightly nervous when looking at her.
What was it?
Was it a respect that forced him to acknowledge her as a formidable opponent?
Or was it a sense of crisis that set off alarms in his heart?
It was as if… on the competitive path of the Criminal Investigation Department, not even long-timers like Uncle Jiu, Liu Jiaming, or Gary were contenders anymore. This new detective in the Major Crime Unit had become a formidable adversary…
…
Zheng Lishan cried for a long time, as if not only crying over the murder she committed but also pouring out all the grievances and frustrations of her life.
The small private room was quiet, filled only with her sobs. The detectives were all patient, no one urged her on.
Zheng Lishan knew that she no longer had any chance.
After a while, she finally wiped her wet face and asked in a hoarse voice, “Could I have a bottle of water?”
Fang Zhenyue nodded at Liu Jiaming, who paused for a moment before realizing that this time Sir Fang hadn’t called the youngest, Eleven, to fetch the water but was asking him instead.
He went out and called a waiter, ordering several bottles of mineral water, one for each detective and one for Zheng Lishan.
The caps of the mineral water bottles were twisted open, and everyone drank with a gulping sound.
Zheng Lishan was not in a hurry to speak, and Fang Zhenyue was not in a hurry to ask, his patience showing his composure and certainty.
With her eyes tightly shut, Zheng Lishan finally spoke.
…
Zheng Lishan had a father who supported the family by selling char siu bao and who considered buying a Christmas tree every year. But each time, her mother would say that buying such useless things was less practical than buying food and drinks.
This became her father’s obsession and left a mark in her heart.
It made her desperately crave money, longing to change her life through it.
But she was unlucky to have a boss who held prejudices against her, suppressing her every time she had a chance to get promoted.
After several incidents, Zheng Lishan harbored a paranoid thought: as long as her boss, Li Wanqian, was alive, she would never have a chance and would never make money.
It was not until she was caught and brought to justice that she admitted there were other options available to her.
But before the murder, she was completely controlled by rage, harboring the slim hope that she might not get caught, and blindly embarked on a path of no return.
Jiayi listened to the narration, her eyes reddening slightly, unable to bear it and turned her head away.
Fang Zhenyue pursed his lips, stood up, and patted Liu Jiaming’s shoulder, “Take Miss Zheng back to the police station.”
Zheng Lishan signed the record, then stretched out her hands, allowing Liu Jiaming to cuff her wrists. She then bowed her head and walked out like a soulless puppet.
The moment the door was opened, Liu Jiaming clenched his fists, pulled a sofa cover from the large KTV couch, and draped it over Zheng Lishan’s head and body before escorting her out.
The reporters had already positioned their cameras but only captured a figure half-covered, hardly able to tell if it was a man or a woman.
Zheng Lishan paused for a few seconds before continuing to walk. Liu Jiaming didn’t say a word, one hand on her and the other covering his face to avoid the photographers.
Fang Zhenyue nodded to indicate that the uniformed police could remove the police tape and pack up, as the journalists who had been waiting now crowded around:
“Sir, who is the suspect? Do you have any leads?”
“Why cover the suspect? Is there actually no suspect, are you just pretending to catch someone to fool us?”
“Is it a crime of passion?”
“How long will it take to solve the case? Is the public safety in the city recently very bad?”
“Was it a conspiracy involving sixteen people? Why only arrest one, sir?”
Fang Zhenyue pushed through the crowd, only responding with one sentence: “Please call the police public relations department.”
Jiayi followed a few steps behind, and when she suddenly saw Joe, the reporter who had earlier mocked her with ‘female officers should just stay home and have kids,’ he happened to squeeze through.
She glanced at Fang Zhenyue’s retreating figure out of the corner of her eye, deliberately slowed down, and before Joe could speak, she interrupted him sharply:
“Let me tell you, I’m not an actress from the public relations department.”
“I was personally involved in this case. And the previous dismemberment case, I was also involved.”
“I will be involved in all the major cases handled by Team B from now on.”
“Take a good look, from head to toe, I am a real CID officer!”
“What’s your name?”
Jiayi reached out, glanced at the name written in English and Chinese on his badge hanging on his chest, withdrew her hand, and then looked up, chest out, making eye contact:
“I remember your name, and I hope you’ll be a qualified journalist, truly filling your mind with some truth and justice, and less nonsensical chatter,” said the young police detective sternly.
“My name, please remember it too: I am Yi Jiayi, the new detective in the Major Case Unit!”
Joe was taken aback by Jiayi’s furious expression, struck as if by something in his chest. He was rendered speechless, even holding his breath, his face turning red with shame, his eyes involuntarily showing timidity.
This young female officer, she’s really fierce.
After striding angrily a few steps away, Jiayi still felt unsettled and stopped again, turning back to angrily question:
“Why can’t everyone be a bit fairer, more respectful of others? Prejudice can kill, you know?”
With one last fierce glare at Joe, she then turned and quickly chased after Fang Zhenyue. Trying to control her emotions, she peered around and saw that although Sir Fang was surrounded by many reporters, he wasn’t overwhelmed.
Tall and imposing, Fang stood out in the crowd of journalists like a crane amongst chickens.
Jiayi followed his distinctive silhouette, pushing through the crowd to quickly get back behind him, keeping her head low as she followed in step.
This time, Fang Zhenyue finally noticed the young female officer, muttered “Where did you run off to?” and reached out to pull her in front of him. As he gathered her close and moved forward, he turned back to scornfully admonish the reporters:
“Stop following, you won’t get anything from me, go ask the Public Relations department.”
“The earliest caller from the press will get the most patience and the most information. Don’t let others get ahead of you, go make your calls!”
Convinced by his words, some reporters immediately sped past the detectives and dashed out of the KTV to make their calls.
Fang Zhenyue breathed a sigh of relief, seeing the crowd situation improving, before letting go of Jiayi’s arm, still complaining:
“What use is it bothering us? The Major Case Unit is the tightest-lipped!”
…
As journalist Nie Weiyan opened his car door parked by the roadside, ready to rush back to report, he turned and caught the moment Fang Zhenyue was protecting Yi Jiayi as they exited. He instinctively felt the powerful visual of their postures, grabbed his camera hanging in front, and snapped the scene.
In the frame, the man frowned, his face showing impatience yet unable to hide his commanding charm, his arm outstretched to block the reporters rushing towards the KTV. His other hand was tucked in his pocket, his torso slightly turned, partially protecting the young female officer in front.
He appeared reliable and heroic, exuding charisma that sparked imagination.
The woman sheltered in front seemed lost in thought, her eyes lowered, which only highlighted her delicate charm. The neat straight line of her small nose and her fair, pointed chin made her look petite and endearing, eliciting affection.
Her shoulders fitted within the man’s figure, and one could imagine how completely he could envelop her in an embrace from behind.
The contrast between their statures, the difference between her fair skin and his darker tone, made her vulnerability more alluring and his robustness more intimidating.
As Nie Weiyan put down his camera, he thought that with this single photo, he could write a story filled with the dynamic of soft overpowering the hard, full of heat and strength.
It’s a pity, he wasn’t responsible for that kind of editorial coverage.
After closing the car door, Nie Weiyan drove away, casting aside the scene he had just witnessed and began to brainstorm how to write the KTV murder case so that it would be full of twists and turns, captivating the reader.
Recalling what the young policewoman had said to Joe, he was brimming with inspiration, feeling that she truly was a vivid, spirited, and extremely worthy character to write about.
And if he were to give her a title, it would probably be:
《”Don’t Mess with Officer Yi!”》
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