He Chuan Zhou had not yet stepped into the office when the noisy discussions inside suddenly stopped. As
soon as she stepped through the doorway, various low, suspicious sounds resumed, barely covering the tension
in the room.
On her way down the hallway, He Chuan Zhou had seen through the glass window that as soon as Shao Zhixin
heard someone announce her arrival, he hurriedly covered his phone with a document on his desk. Now, he was
sitting with his hands pressed against his ears, pretending to examine some files with a resigned look.
Leaning against the door frame, He Chuan Zhou gave him a brief glance before letting her gaze wander around
the rest of the room.
Xu Yu and the others seemed to realize that the topic they had hastily chosen was too awkward, so they
gradually fell silent. Only Brother Huang, an *old hand, continued to drink tea and move the mouse to fill
out some forms, managing to look unfazed. He casually raised his hand in greeting when he noticed her.
//Tnote: old hand means someone who has experience doing a particular task. //
He Chuan Zhou walked straight to Shao Zhixin's desk, tapped it with her fingers, and held out her hand.
Shao Zhixin looked up, feigning ignorance, and said, "Huh?"
He Chuan Zhou looked down at him with calm yet penetrating eyes. "I don't like to remind people twice about
the same thing."
Fidgeting with his hands, Shao Zhixin uneasily muttered, "It's really nothing worth seeing, just some
nonsense." Seeing He Chuan Zhou's insistence, he finally picked up his phone, unlocked it, and handed it to
her.
The video focused on a wooden table in the center of the frame, behind which sat a man in a black
short-sleeved shirt. His figure was blurred, and his voice had been altered.
After listening to a couple of sentences, He Chuan Zhou's eyebrows slightly raised.
That brat Tao Ruiming still hadn't listened to advice. Provoked by reporters, he personally accused their
police station of overstepping boundaries in the investigation of Tao Xianyong, alleging unethical and
unfair practices. He claimed they had induced witnesses and used this as an excuse to investigate
unnecessary personal information.
Moreover, a certain investigator was accused of leaking important case details, which, when spread with some
false information, had severely damaged Tao Xianyong's reputation and caused significant financial losses to
Guangyi.
Tao Ruiming listed recent protests at various Guangyi branches and the baseless accusations he faced at
school, arguing that the sensationalist reports had led to online bullying, disrupting his normal life. He
urged netizens not to be misled and to speak cautiously.
The video was well-made. Whether Tao Ruiming had rehearsed his lines, or the editing was top-notch, the
first three minutes were clear and concise, without unnecessary rambling, it didn't sound like the ramblings
of a fool.
Yet, there was nothing particularly surprising or disappointing to He Chuan Zhou. Tao Ruiming's vague
references were cloaked, and when the interviewer tried to get him to name names, he was evasive.
However, being somewhat inexperienced, he lost his cool when the interviewer brought up He Xu's old case,
responding with some rash statements.
He Chuan Zhou paused the video, rewound it a bit, and replayed the earlier part. She noted the interviewer's
skillful questioning. The tone was calm, but they effortlessly maintained control of the conversation.
Whenever Tao Ruiming hesitated or seemed unwilling to delve deeper, the interviewer would skillfully guide
him to reveal more details through subtle prompts.
Without much thought, Tao Ruiming had been led by the nose, revealing critical information.
For instance: He Xu had committed suicide due to guilt. There was no court trial, so there were no records.
He Xu's daughter, now a mid-level officer at the police station, was in charge of investigating Tao Xian
Yong's case and had close ties with the reporter.
Those unfamiliar with He Chuan Zhou might not know who she was, but insiders at the station could guess.
After all, she was the only female detective in the major crimes unit with the surname He.
Netizens, following this clue, could quickly figure out her identity.
Even without a thorough investigation, He Chuan Zhou believed that soon there would be "concerned citizens"
revealing her personal details.
As the video looped back to the beginning, He Chuan Zhou opened the comments section and started scrolling
through the popular ones.
The office was filled with the altered, raspy voice from the video. Everyone was pretending to focus on
their work, but most of their attention was on He Chuan Zhou's reaction.
This felt like their toughest test. Rarely did they get results, and this time was no different.
Shao Zhixin couldn't help but recall the many times he'd mentioned He Xu's story in front of He Chuan Zhou.
It was practically a workplace miracle that he hadn't faced repercussions.
He Chuan Zhou watched with a neutral expression. Apart from a slight surprise at the beginning, her face
showed no emotion as she finished the video. Handing the phone back to Shao Zhixin, she said, as if
discussing something unrelated, "Don't pay attention to this during work hours."
Shao Zhixin, surprised and apprehensive, asked, "Captain He, aren't you angry?"
"Why should I be angry?" He Chuan Zhou replied nonchalantly. "That idiot got played."
Shao Zhixin, impressed by her composure and tolerance, watched her in admiration. He saw her take out her
phone, dial a number, and hold it to her ear, waiting for the call to connect.
"What are you doing?"
He Chuan Zhou said, "Calling the police. Someone's spreading rumors."
Shao Zhixin: "..." It was logical, but it still felt odd.
He Chuan Zhou calmly said, "Back to work."
Everyone spent the day on edge. They hadn't expected He Chuan Zhou to have such a background and couldn't
gauge her current mood. They couldn't even ask if she was okay, let alone inquire about the truth.
Everyone was anxious, except for He Chuan Zhou, who seemed indifferent.
She was the first to leave when work ended.
As she drove out of the station, she noticed someone lurking suspiciously near the entrance, peeking in from
behind a wall.
The security guard, likely finding him suspicious, stood at a distance, watching him closely to prevent any
potential danger.
He Chuan Zhou rolled down her window and motioned, "Get in, I'll give you a ride."
Tao Ruiming, wearing the same wrinkled black short-sleeved shirt as in the video, initially looked wary. He
assumed she was there to concede and straightened his back before jumping into the passenger seat.
Driving slowly, He Chuan Zhou didn't ask where he was headed. Once he was buckled in, she directly asked,
"Who interviewed you?"
"Don't you recognize him?" Tao Ruiming was surprised and answered honestly, "It's Han Songshan."
He Chuan Zhou nodded thoughtfully, "Hmm. It seems he's still up to no good."
She glanced at Tao Ruiming, her tone full of implication, "Quite dramatic, isn't it?"
Tao Ruiming, not good at dealing with her, always found her somewhat eerie and hard to read. After a few
seconds of silence, he asked, "What exactly do you want? I suggest you stop."
"What do I want?" He Chuan Zhou said with a hint of amusement, "You should ask your good partner that."
Her smile was cold, possibly due to her icy gaze, making it seem like a form of sarcasm.
"Guangyi is already in turmoil, and you're hastily handing a knife to your opponent. Did you ask anyone
before making this decision? Do you really think Han Songshan, that old fox, approached you out of
overflowing sympathy to help you seek justice?"
Tao Ruiming retorted sarcastically, "Are you trying to sow discord between us? Do you think I would believe
you?"
"I'm not trying to convince you to believe me."
He Chuan Zhou paused, wanting to see his bewildered reaction. She also felt he was too naive, to the point
of not knowing what he had done wrong, which made him seem pitiful.
"Did Han Songshan tell you that my dad committed suicide?"
"What are you trying to say?" Tao Ruiming sneered, "Isn't that the case?"
He Chuan Zhou signaled and pulled onto the rightmost street.
The red light at this intersection was particularly long, over a minute. Above was an overpass, and the
pedestrian crosswalks formed a zigzag, split into two sections.
Trucks roared from behind, but inside the car, it was silent.
She stayed silent for so long that Tao Ruiming started to feel uneasy.
Just as the light turned green, she finally spoke, her lips barely moving, "Tao Ruiming, anyone can say
that, but not you."
Her words were light, yet they hit like thunder, "Because my dad fell from the rooftop trying to save your
mom. I told you to call her and ask, but it seems you didn't dare."
Her facial muscles stiffened when she said this, but Tao Ruiming didn't notice.
He froze for a moment, his pupils trembling slightly in shock, and his breathing stopped for two seconds.
When he came to his senses, he nearly jumped out of his seat, shouting in agitation, "Impossible! You're
lying!"
He Chuan Zhou glanced quickly at his face, "You're lying. You told an outrageous lie in the interview. You
thought I hired the trolls, but you seem to forget who the real media professional is. Even though Han
Songshan is no longer a reporter, his company and his network still have plenty of resources. He easily made
you believe him and forced you to speak for Guangyi because you're the dumbest one. Tao Ruiming, you're so
foolish."
Tao Ruiming tensed up, gripping the seatbelt across his chest. He opened his mouth to argue, but his mind
was frantically processing her words. Like a malfunctioning machine, every time he reached a critical point,
his thoughts went blank.
Only He Chuan Zhou's cold voice continued to drill into his ears, "Han Songshan is much smarter than you. He
knows how to manipulate public opinion. He's used these tactics many times. He doesn't need to reveal the
truth about the case or provide any evidence. As long as he proves you're a habitual liar and ungrateful,
most netizens will believe it was your family lying back then. You think his main target is me, but it's
actually Guangyi."
Tao Ruiming wanted to silence her, but no sound came out. His mind was in turmoil, shifting between coherent
thoughts and unrelated details. Each of her words hit him like a tidal wave, preventing him from connecting
the scattered information to reach any conclusion.
Perhaps it was due to fear, or maybe his emotions were too chaotic. But deep down, an intuition he was
unwilling to admit told him He Chuan Zhou made a lot of sense.
His racing heart and cold limbs reacted before his rational mind. Yet, he stubbornly muttered in denial,
insisting she was lying.
The car stopped just then. The slight inertia snapped him out of his daze.
He looked out the window and found himself in an unfamiliar neighborhood, surrounded by unfamiliar
buildings.
In a state of heightened alertness, Tao Ruiming tried to open the car door but found it locked. He
immediately started shouting, "What are you doing? Where are we? Let me out!"
A passerby approached, bent down, and knocked on the window, reminding them, "You can't park here."
He Chuan Zhou replied, "I just reported a crime. I brought the suspect here for defamation and creating a
disturbance. Please take him for questioning."
Tao Ruiming looked out again and realized they were in front of a police station.
The guard was a bit confused, and so was Tao Ruiming.
He Chuan Zhou said, "Please take him inside. I'll go park the car and come in later to give a statement."
He Chuan Zhou had not yet stepped into the office when the noisy discussions inside suddenly stopped. As soon as she stepped through the doorway, various low, suspicious sounds resumed, barely covering the tension in the room.
On her way down the hallway, He Chuan Zhou had seen through the glass window that as soon as Shao Zhixin heard someone announce her arrival, he hurriedly covered his phone with a document on his desk. Now, he was sitting with his hands pressed against his ears, pretending to examine some files with a resigned look.
Leaning against the door frame, He Chuan Zhou gave him a brief glance before letting her gaze wander around the rest of the room.
Xu Yu and the others seemed to realize that the topic they had hastily chosen was too awkward, so they gradually fell silent. Only Brother Huang, an *old hand, continued to drink tea and move the mouse to fill out some forms, managing to look unfazed. He casually raised his hand in greeting when he noticed her.
//Tnote: old hand means someone who has experience doing a particular task. //
He Chuan Zhou walked straight to Shao Zhixin's desk, tapped it with her fingers, and held out her hand.
Shao Zhixin looked up, feigning ignorance, and said, "Huh?"
He Chuan Zhou looked down at him with calm yet penetrating eyes. "I don't like to remind people twice about the same thing."
Fidgeting with his hands, Shao Zhixin uneasily muttered, "It's really nothing worth seeing, just some nonsense." Seeing He Chuan Zhou's insistence, he finally picked up his phone, unlocked it, and handed it to her.
The video focused on a wooden table in the center of the frame, behind which sat a man in a black short-sleeved shirt. His figure was blurred, and his voice had been altered.
After listening to a couple of sentences, He Chuan Zhou's eyebrows slightly raised.
That brat Tao Ruiming still hadn't listened to advice. Provoked by reporters, he personally accused their police station of overstepping boundaries in the investigation of Tao Xianyong, alleging unethical and unfair practices. He claimed they had induced witnesses and used this as an excuse to investigate unnecessary personal information.
Moreover, a certain investigator was accused of leaking important case details, which, when spread with some false information, had severely damaged Tao Xianyong's reputation and caused significant financial losses to Guangyi.
Tao Ruiming listed recent protests at various Guangyi branches and the baseless accusations he faced at school, arguing that the sensationalist reports had led to online bullying, disrupting his normal life. He urged netizens not to be misled and to speak cautiously.
The video was well-made. Whether Tao Ruiming had rehearsed his lines, or the editing was top-notch, the first three minutes were clear and concise, without unnecessary rambling, it didn't sound like the ramblings of a fool.
Yet, there was nothing particularly surprising or disappointing to He Chuan Zhou. Tao Ruiming's vague references were cloaked, and when the interviewer tried to get him to name names, he was evasive.
However, being somewhat inexperienced, he lost his cool when the interviewer brought up He Xu's old case, responding with some rash statements.
He Chuan Zhou paused the video, rewound it a bit, and replayed the earlier part. She noted the interviewer's skillful questioning. The tone was calm, but they effortlessly maintained control of the conversation.
Whenever Tao Ruiming hesitated or seemed unwilling to delve deeper, the interviewer would skillfully guide him to reveal more details through subtle prompts.
Without much thought, Tao Ruiming had been led by the nose, revealing critical information.
For instance: He Xu had committed suicide due to guilt. There was no court trial, so there were no records. He Xu's daughter, now a mid-level officer at the police station, was in charge of investigating Tao Xian Yong's case and had close ties with the reporter.
Those unfamiliar with He Chuan Zhou might not know who she was, but insiders at the station could guess. After all, she was the only female detective in the major crimes unit with the surname He.
Netizens, following this clue, could quickly figure out her identity.
Even without a thorough investigation, He Chuan Zhou believed that soon there would be "concerned citizens" revealing her personal details.
As the video looped back to the beginning, He Chuan Zhou opened the comments section and started scrolling through the popular ones.
The office was filled with the altered, raspy voice from the video. Everyone was pretending to focus on their work, but most of their attention was on He Chuan Zhou's reaction.
This felt like their toughest test. Rarely did they get results, and this time was no different.
Shao Zhixin couldn't help but recall the many times he'd mentioned He Xu's story in front of He Chuan Zhou. It was practically a workplace miracle that he hadn't faced repercussions.
He Chuan Zhou watched with a neutral expression. Apart from a slight surprise at the beginning, her face showed no emotion as she finished the video. Handing the phone back to Shao Zhixin, she said, as if discussing something unrelated, "Don't pay attention to this during work hours."
Shao Zhixin, surprised and apprehensive, asked, "Captain He, aren't you angry?"
"Why should I be angry?" He Chuan Zhou replied nonchalantly. "That idiot got played."
Shao Zhixin, impressed by her composure and tolerance, watched her in admiration. He saw her take out her phone, dial a number, and hold it to her ear, waiting for the call to connect.
"What are you doing?"
He Chuan Zhou said, "Calling the police. Someone's spreading rumors."
Shao Zhixin: "..." It was logical, but it still felt odd.
He Chuan Zhou calmly said, "Back to work."
Everyone spent the day on edge. They hadn't expected He Chuan Zhou to have such a background and couldn't gauge her current mood. They couldn't even ask if she was okay, let alone inquire about the truth.
Everyone was anxious, except for He Chuan Zhou, who seemed indifferent.
She was the first to leave when work ended.
As she drove out of the station, she noticed someone lurking suspiciously near the entrance, peeking in from behind a wall.
The security guard, likely finding him suspicious, stood at a distance, watching him closely to prevent any potential danger.
He Chuan Zhou rolled down her window and motioned, "Get in, I'll give you a ride."
Tao Ruiming, wearing the same wrinkled black short-sleeved shirt as in the video, initially looked wary. He assumed she was there to concede and straightened his back before jumping into the passenger seat.
Driving slowly, He Chuan Zhou didn't ask where he was headed. Once he was buckled in, she directly asked, "Who interviewed you?"
"Don't you recognize him?" Tao Ruiming was surprised and answered honestly, "It's Han Songshan."
He Chuan Zhou nodded thoughtfully, "Hmm. It seems he's still up to no good."
She glanced at Tao Ruiming, her tone full of implication, "Quite dramatic, isn't it?"
Tao Ruiming, not good at dealing with her, always found her somewhat eerie and hard to read. After a few seconds of silence, he asked, "What exactly do you want? I suggest you stop."
"What do I want?" He Chuan Zhou said with a hint of amusement, "You should ask your good partner that."
Her smile was cold, possibly due to her icy gaze, making it seem like a form of sarcasm.
"Guangyi is already in turmoil, and you're hastily handing a knife to your opponent. Did you ask anyone before making this decision? Do you really think Han Songshan, that old fox, approached you out of overflowing sympathy to help you seek justice?"
Tao Ruiming retorted sarcastically, "Are you trying to sow discord between us? Do you think I would believe you?"
"I'm not trying to convince you to believe me."
He Chuan Zhou paused, wanting to see his bewildered reaction. She also felt he was too naive, to the point of not knowing what he had done wrong, which made him seem pitiful.
"Did Han Songshan tell you that my dad committed suicide?"
"What are you trying to say?" Tao Ruiming sneered, "Isn't that the case?"
He Chuan Zhou signaled and pulled onto the rightmost street.
The red light at this intersection was particularly long, over a minute. Above was an overpass, and the pedestrian crosswalks formed a zigzag, split into two sections.
Trucks roared from behind, but inside the car, it was silent.
She stayed silent for so long that Tao Ruiming started to feel uneasy.
Just as the light turned green, she finally spoke, her lips barely moving, "Tao Ruiming, anyone can say that, but not you."
Her words were light, yet they hit like thunder, "Because my dad fell from the rooftop trying to save your mom. I told you to call her and ask, but it seems you didn't dare."
Her facial muscles stiffened when she said this, but Tao Ruiming didn't notice.
He froze for a moment, his pupils trembling slightly in shock, and his breathing stopped for two seconds. When he came to his senses, he nearly jumped out of his seat, shouting in agitation, "Impossible! You're lying!"
He Chuan Zhou glanced quickly at his face, "You're lying. You told an outrageous lie in the interview. You thought I hired the trolls, but you seem to forget who the real media professional is. Even though Han Songshan is no longer a reporter, his company and his network still have plenty of resources. He easily made you believe him and forced you to speak for Guangyi because you're the dumbest one. Tao Ruiming, you're so foolish."
Tao Ruiming tensed up, gripping the seatbelt across his chest. He opened his mouth to argue, but his mind was frantically processing her words. Like a malfunctioning machine, every time he reached a critical point, his thoughts went blank.
Only He Chuan Zhou's cold voice continued to drill into his ears, "Han Songshan is much smarter than you. He knows how to manipulate public opinion. He's used these tactics many times. He doesn't need to reveal the truth about the case or provide any evidence. As long as he proves you're a habitual liar and ungrateful, most netizens will believe it was your family lying back then. You think his main target is me, but it's actually Guangyi."
Tao Ruiming wanted to silence her, but no sound came out. His mind was in turmoil, shifting between coherent thoughts and unrelated details. Each of her words hit him like a tidal wave, preventing him from connecting the scattered information to reach any conclusion.
Perhaps it was due to fear, or maybe his emotions were too chaotic. But deep down, an intuition he was unwilling to admit told him He Chuan Zhou made a lot of sense.
His racing heart and cold limbs reacted before his rational mind. Yet, he stubbornly muttered in denial, insisting she was lying.
The car stopped just then. The slight inertia snapped him out of his daze.
He looked out the window and found himself in an unfamiliar neighborhood, surrounded by unfamiliar buildings.
In a state of heightened alertness, Tao Ruiming tried to open the car door but found it locked. He immediately started shouting, "What are you doing? Where are we? Let me out!"
A passerby approached, bent down, and knocked on the window, reminding them, "You can't park here."
He Chuan Zhou replied, "I just reported a crime. I brought the suspect here for defamation and creating a disturbance. Please take him for questioning."
Tao Ruiming looked out again and realized they were in front of a police station.
The guard was a bit confused, and so was Tao Ruiming.
He Chuan Zhou said, "Please take him inside. I'll go park the car and come in later to give a statement."