On the second morning after returning to our city, the moment I opened my eyes, I saw over a dozen missed calls on my phone.
All of them were from Old Zhao.
I dialed back: “What is it?”
“Captain Shen, something big happened!” Old Zhao’s voice was anxious. “Liu Jianguo is trying to run!”
I snapped fully awake instantly.
Liu Jianguo, the legal representative of Hongyun Investment, was a retired section chief in his sixties. Although he was merely a figurehead on the surface, standard operating procedure required us to detain the legal representative first when making arrests.
“When did this happen?”
“Just now,” Old Zhao was breathing heavily. “Our people got word that he was on his way to the airport. His car was intercepted by us just as it hit the elevated highway. He’s currently detained at the Traffic Police Brigade, but he’s extremely agitated and screaming to see a lawyer.”
I sat up in bed: “I’ll go handle it.”
Hanging up the phone, I checked the time—6:30 AM.
After quickly washing up and changing, my phone rang again just as I was heading out the door.
It was Wen Ruzhou.
“Captain Shen, I just heard about Liu Jianguo,” her voice sounded slightly out of breath. “Where are you? I’ll go with you.”
“Traffic Police Brigade.”
“I’m waiting for you downstairs.”
Without saying more, I hung up and went downstairs.
Wen Ruzhou was already standing by the entrance of the building wearing a black jacket. Her hair was not fully dry yet, clearly having rushed down right after a quick shower.
“Get in,” I pulled open the passenger door.
She climbed in and fastened her seatbelt.
I drove fast, running two red lights in a row, arriving at the Traffic Police Brigade twenty minutes later.
Liu Jianguo was confined in an interrogation room, handcuffed to a chair. His hair was a disheveled mess, and his face looked sallow.
Seeing me enter, his eyes lit up slightly: “Officer Shen, I’ve been framed!”
Ignoring him, I sat down opposite and opened my notebook.
Old Zhao stood at the door and offered me a cigarette; I waved my hand, indicating I wouldn’t smoke.
“Tell me why you wanted to run,” I asked.
“I… I didn’t want to run…” Liu Jianguo’s voice trembled. “I just wanted to go hide for a few days and come back after the heat died down…”
“What heat?”
“Just… just the Hongyun situation…” He lowered his head. “The police came knocking, and I was scared…”
I stared at him for a moment.
His acting was clumsy. When lying, his eyes flickered and his hands unconsciously picked at his trouser legs. This was not a sophisticated man.
“Liu Jianguo,” I said, “do you know how severe the Hongyun situation is?”
He raised his head, his eyes reddening: “I know… I know… but I couldn’t help it either…”
“What do you mean you couldn’t help it?”
He opened his mouth, then closed it again.
I waited a few seconds, receiving no answer.
“Wen Ruzhou,” I called out.
Wen Ruzhou walked over from the doorway and stood beside me.
“Show him the official notice of Hongyun’s case filing and the amount involved.”
She pulled a document from her bag and placed it in front of Liu Jianguo.
I pointed at the numbers on it: “Two hundred million yuan. Over three hundred victims. Do you know what that means?”
Liu Jianguo’s face grew even paler.
“If you were truly framed, right now is your chance to confess,” I stood up, looking down at him. “If you keep playing dumb, you can wait to rot in prison.”
His whole body trembled, and tears suddenly spilled over.
“Officer Shen… I really don’t know anything…” he sobbed. “I am the legal representative, that’s true, but I was just a figurehead… others managed the company’s affairs… I really…”
“Who were the others?” I interrupted him.
He froze for a moment, his eyes evasive: “Just… just people in the company…”
“Names.”
“I don’t know…” He shook his head. “I really don’t know… every time, someone just called me to sign something, so I signed… I truly know nothing about the money…”
I stared at him for a long time.
He wasn’t lying.
He genuinely knew nothing of the inner workings.
He was just a puppet used by others, meant to be discarded after serving his purpose.
“One last question,” I said. “Who is the actual controller of Hongyun?”
Liu Jianguo’s lips quivered, seemingly hesitant.
“Speak.”
“It’s… it’s a person named Zhou…”
My heart skipped a beat.
“Which Zhou?”
“Called… called Zhou Jianguo…”
My hands were shaking slightly as I walked out of the interrogation room.
Zhou Jianguo.
That name again.
The financial transfer hub of the Dingsheng case fifteen years ago, the man who had been taking hush money from Lin Meihua continuously for ten years, had now reappeared in the Hongyun case.
A portion of Hongyun’s funds had passed through Zhou Jianguo’s hands and flowed into Huachuang Investment. And Huachuang Investment’s money ultimately flowed into Hong Kong.
This line of inquiry was becoming clearer and clearer.
“Captain Shen,” Wen Ruzhou walked over to my side, “is this Zhou Jianguo connected to the line you were investigating before?”
I didn’t answer, walking straight toward the parking lot.
She caught up: “Captain Shen, what do we do next?”
“Head back first,” I said. “Zhou Jianguo is a key figure; we need to find him as soon as possible.”
Just as I reached the car, my phone rang.
It was Old Zhao.
“Captain Shen, we found Zhou Jianguo’s location. He’s hiding in a residential complex on the outskirts of town; our people are lying in wait.”
“Send me the address.”
“Understood.”
I hung up the phone and pulled open the car door: “Get in.”
Wen Ruzhou followed: “Going to make the arrest?”
“Right.”
I started the car and drove toward the outskirts.
The place Zhou Jianguo lived in was an old residential complex on the outskirts—a six-story building without an elevator.
I parked the car at the entrance of the complex and led the team in on foot.
The unit Old Zhao mentioned was on the second floor of Building 3, the door on the right. I motioned for the others to spread out and surround the area, while I took Wen Ruzhou upstairs to knock.
Bang, bang, bang—
No answer.
I knocked a few more times.
“Zhou Jianguo, police! Open the door!” I spoke loudly.
A commotion came from inside, sounding like furniture being moved.
I glanced at Wen Ruzhou; she nodded and stepped back toward the side of the door.
I raised my foot and kicked the door hard.
The door burst open.
The living room was in utter disarray, and Zhou Jianguo was climbing out of the window.
“Freeze!”
Hearing my voice, he climbed even faster.
Without hesitation, I charged forward, grabbed his ankle, and pulled hard.
He slammed down onto the floor, letting out a miserable shriek.
Taking advantage of his fall, I pinned him down, twisted his hands behind his back, and snapped the handcuffs on.
“Zhou Jianguo, you are suspected of assisting in the illegal transfer of funds involved in a crime. You are hereby summoned according to the law. Whatever you have to say, save it for when we get back.”
Lying flat on the floor with his face pressed against the cold ground, he wailed: “You’ve got the wrong man… I really don’t know anything…”
Ignoring him, I motioned for the others to take him away.
“Captain Shen,” Wen Ruzhou called out to me suddenly.
Turning back, I found her standing by the window looking outside.
“What is it?”
“Look at this.”
I walked over and followed her gaze downward.
In the parking lot below, a man wearing a gray jacket was walking briskly toward the complex entrance. His pace was swift, glancing left and right as if surveying his surroundings.
“Follow him,” I said.
Wen Ruzhou nodded, turned around, and dashed downstairs.
I followed behind, simultaneously pulling out my phone to call Old Zhao: “There’s a suspicious individual in the complex wearing a gray jacket, heading toward the entrance. Block him!”
When I burst out of the building entrance, I saw that Wen Ruzhou had already caught up to the man.
The two were grappling at the edge of the parking lot.
“Wen Ruzhou!” I yelled, quickening my pace and running over.
The man shoved Wen Ruzhou violently, running toward a nearby alleyway. Wen Ruzhou stumbled from the push, slamming against a parked car with a dull thud.
Without stopping, I gave chase straight into the alley.
The alley was very narrow, bounded by high walls on both sides and devoid of light. I felt my way forward along the wall, my footsteps amplified in the confined space.
A sudden flurry of footsteps came from ahead.
I picked up the pace to pursue.
Turning a corner, I spotted the man attempting to scale a low wall at the end of the alley.
Charging up, I grabbed him by the collar and yanked him backward with force.
He was dragged down by my pull, slamming onto the ground.
However, his elbow struck my forehead at the exact same moment.
I felt a surge of sharp pain and my vision went dark, but I held onto his clothes in a vice-like grip without letting go.
“Let go of me!” he thrang.
Clenching my teeth, my grip tightened even further.
Footsteps echoed from behind—it was Wen Ruzhou and Old Zhao arriving with the others.
Together, several officers subdued the man and slapped handcuffs on him.
“Captain Shen, are you alright?” Old Zhao’s expression changed when he saw the blood on my forehead.
I reached up to touch my forehead, my fingers coming away stained with blood.
“I’m fine, just a superficial injury.”
“Stop the bleeding first; leave things here to us.”
Nodding, I leaned against the wall to catch my breath.
Wen Ruzhou ran over, her face pale: “Captain Shen, you’re bleeding!”
“I see it,” I waved my hand. “Who is that man?”
“Don’t know, found no ID during the search,” Old Zhao said. “But judging from what he had on him, he’s likely an accomplice of Zhou Jianguo.”
“Take them back for interrogation first,” I said. “I’m fine.”
“Captain Shen…” Wen Ruzhou looked at me, worry in her eyes.
Standing up, I patted her on the shoulder: “Let’s go, back to the detachment.”
Her hands were ice-cold—whether from running or anxiety, I didn’t know.
I didn’t let go, dragging her along as we walked outward together.
In the emergency room, the doctor finished treating my wound and applied a piece of gauze to my forehead.
“The cut isn’t deep, but it’s best to get a couple of stitches, otherwise it will heal more slowly.”
“No need for stitches,” I said. “Just prescribe some medication.”
Glancing at me, the doctor didn’t insist further, prescribing some anti-inflammatory drugs and painkillers before letting me go.
Wen Ruzhou stood waiting for me at the door of the clinic room; seeing me come out, she stepped forward: “What did the doctor say?”
“I’m fine,” I stuffed the medicine into my pocket. “Let’s go, back to the detachment.”
“Captain Shen, you need to rest right now.”
“Rest for what?” I looked at her. “Interrogating suspects can’t wait.”
Her mouth opened as if to say something, but she ultimately swallowed her words back.
It was already two in the afternoon when we returned to the detachment.
I had Old Zhao interrogate the two suspects separately, while I sat in the monitoring room watching the interrogation feed.
Zhou Jianguo was spineless; after just a few questions, he confessed everything.
He was indeed merely a small fry responsible for passing transactions for the “higher-ups” and taking a commission. Hongyun, Dingsheng, and even several earlier cases all bore his trace.
“Who are the higher-ups?” the interrogating officer asked.
“I don’t know…” Zhou Jianguo lowered his head. “It was always phone contact, never met in person…”
“What accounts did you use to transfer money to them?”
“There were dedicated accounts… I only had the passwords, I don’t know the account opening details…”
The interrogation continued, but key information was scarce.
Zhou Jianguo was just a hound; the true master had never shown his face.
Rubbing my temples, I walked out of the monitoring room.
In the corridor, Wen Ruzhou was standing there holding a boxed meal.
“Captain Shen, you haven’t eaten lunch yet.”
I glanced at the meal box: “You haven’t eaten either?”
“I did, this was bought for you,” she handed the box over. “Eat it while it’s hot.”
Taking it, I opened the lid—it was braised pork over rice.
“How did you know I liked this?”
“You had this in the cafeteria last time,” she smiled faintly. “Guessed.”
Saying nothing, I picked up the box and began eating.
Halfway through, a thought suddenly crossed my mind: “You got pushed by that guy today, are you alright?”
She froze for a moment, then shook her head: “I’m fine, just scraped a bit of skin.”
“Let me see.”
“No need, really, it’s nothing—”
Setting down my meal box, I stood up, walked over to her, and pulled up her sleeve to look.
There was indeed a bruise on her wrist—not large, but turning purple already.
“Remember to be careful next time,” I released her sleeve. “Go to the infirmary to get some medicine to rub on it.”
She didn’t move, merely looking at me.
“What is it?”
“Captain Shen,” her voice was very soft, “today in the alley, why did you charge in alone?”
I was taken aback.
“Why?”
“Yes,” her eyes were bright. “That man clearly had accomplices. If you chased in alone, what if something happened…”
“Nothing will happen to me.”
“What if something did?”
I looked at her without speaking.
She continued: “You are the lead investigator; your safety is more important than anything. If something happened to you today, what would happen to this case?”
I fell silent for a few seconds.
“Are you worried about me?”
Her face flushed slightly, but her tone remained calm: “I am your partner; worrying about you is only natural.”
Without replying, I turned back, picked up the meal box, and continued eating.
She stood there without leaving.
Only after a long while did I speak: “Won’t happen next time.”
She froze: “What?”
“I won’t chase someone down alone next time,” I paused. “Satisfied?”
She let out a soft laugh: “Okay.”
That night, I worked late in the office overtime.
Wen Ruzhou didn’t leave either, staying by my side the entire time to organize interrogation records and case materials.
She sat at the adjacent desk, head lowered as she wrote something, occasionally looking up at me before continuing to write.
I didn’t know what she was writing, but that quiet atmosphere felt very comforting to me.
By the time all the materials were organized, it was already nearly two in the morning.
“Head back and get some rest,” I stood up and stretched.
She also stood up, packing her notebook into her bag: “Captain Shen, you’ve had a tiring day, get some rest early.”
“What about you?”
“I’m heading back to the dormitory.”
“Let me walk with you,” I said. “It’s too late; I’m not comfortable letting you walk the night roads alone.”
She froze for a second, then smiled: “Okay.”
We walked out of the office building together, strolling along the deserted street toward the dormitory area.
The night wind was cool, leaving one feeling quite clear-headed.
“Captain Shen,” she spoke suddenly.
“Hmm?”
“About today, I’ve been thinking about it.”
“Thinking about what?”
“If that man had a knife on him, and you chased in alone, would something bad have happened?”
I didn’t answer.
“If something happened, I would feel terribly guilty,” her voice was very soft. “Because I was the one who chased first, only to end up getting you hurt.”
I stopped in my tracks.
She stopped alongside me, turning to look at me.
The moonlight shone on her face, softening her features.
“Wen Ruzhou,” I said, “don’t say things like that in the future.”
“Why?”
“Because you are my partner,” I paused. “If my partner gets into trouble, there’s no way I won’t give chase.”
Her eyes brightened.
“Same goes for you,” I looked at her. “Next time you face danger, you are not allowed to charge in alone. Do you hear me?”
She nodded: “I hear you.”
We continued walking forward, neither speaking another word.
Reaching the downstairs of the dormitory, I stopped: “Head up, get some rest early.”
She nodded, turning to head upstairs.
“Wen Ruzhou.”
She turned back.
“See you tomorrow.”
She smiled: “See you tomorrow, Captain Shen.”
She went upstairs and vanished into the stairwell.
I stood in place, watching that light turn on, then switch off.
Then I turned around and walked toward my own quarters.
The night wind was still just as cool, but I didn’t feel cold.
I thrust my hands into my pockets and felt the box of unfinished medication.
The wound on my forehead was still throbbing with faint pain, but I didn’t care.
What was on my mind was another matter entirely.
Tomorrow, there would be even more cases to handle.
More truths to pursue.
More paths to walk.
Yet no matter how far the road led, at least for now, I was no longer alone.