Pang Le's remark drew the attention of everyone in the office, who instinctively turned to look at her.
Frowning slightly, Pang Le wore a puzzled expression as she said, "Maybe I'm overthinking it, but something about Wu Yingze's ex-girlfriend being the legal representative of Kangjian Health Check-up Center doesn't add up. Based on the details Xu Nian just shared, if she could study abroad like Wu Yingze, even if her family wasn't as well-off, she certainly wasn't struggling. Would a girl like that really be so obedient to Wu Yingze? They'd already broken up, yet she willingly became the legal representative? A girl who studied abroad should have some awareness—she wouldn’t be so easily deceived or manipulated, right? And then there’s the fact that she never got back together with Wu Yingze, stayed in Shangshuang City for only three years after graduation before going abroad again, and then gradually stopped returning home altogether. The more I think about it, the more I suspect something terrible happened to her."
After Pang Le finished speaking, Lu Tingfeng suddenly interjected, "Ten years ago, Wu Yingze was already in his twenties. Growing up under his father Wu Xingxian's influence, even if he wasn’t the most seasoned operator, the clues we’ve uncovered so far show he’s ruthless enough. I doubt his ex-girlfriend acted willingly—she was probably coerced or manipulated. But there’s still one question: why choose an ex-girlfriend as the legal representative? If he wanted to distance himself completely, wouldn’t it make more sense to pick someone unrelated? An ex-girlfriend is still a connection; with a little digging, it’d be easy to tie him to the investigation."
This was indeed a puzzling point. Guan Xia mulled it over but couldn’t make sense of it. She glanced around, only to see similar expressions on everyone else’s faces—no one could come up with a reasonable explanation for this odd behavior.
The office fell silent for a few minutes until Xu Nian finally changed the subject. "Let’s note down the inconsistencies for now. We’ve just started investigating Wu Xingxian and his son, and with so few leads, many things are still unclear. As we gather more evidence, the answers will reveal themselves."
"So, what’s our next move?" Qi Bai was the first to ask.
Instead of answering directly, Xu Nian looked at Guan Xia. "Guan Xia, any thoughts?"
After a moment’s consideration, Guan Xia replied, "I think we should keep tailing Wu Yingze over the next few days. I’m really curious about what he was doing at Kangjian Health Check-up Center that late at night, especially in heavy rain—was he meeting someone or handling some business? Also, regarding the center’s senior management: since there’s no apparent connection between the center and the Wu family, there must be someone loyal to them behind the scenes. That person is the key—they’d hold critical evidence. We need to find them first."
Xu Nian nodded in agreement. "Alright, let’s split up. Brother Jiang and Wang Yu will investigate Wu Yingze’s ex-girlfriend, the legal representative of the center. Lu Tingfeng and I will dig into Kangjian’s background, screening all employees to identify who’s clean and who’s suspicious. The rest of you will divide into teams to keep surveillance on Wu Yingze. Sound good?"
After assigning tasks, Xu Nian double-checked with Guan Xia, who had no objections. Lu Tingfeng, however, chuckled in surprise. "How unusual. It’s been ages since we worked together on a case. I thought you’d assign me to Guan Xia’s team for surveillance—after leaving the police force, that’s my specialty now. Did you misspeak? Maybe you meant Qi Bai, not me."
Honestly, Guan Xia had also been surprised by Xu Nian’s division of labor, and judging by the others’ reactions, they felt the same way. All eyes turned to Xu Nian after Lu Tingfeng’s remark.
Xu Nian shot Lu Tingfeng an exasperated sidelong glance but kept his tone even. "No mistake. I meant you. Even though you left the force, you’ve always been quick with ideas and sharp on details. To save time, I figured I’d better bring you along."
Lu Tingfeng raised an eyebrow smugly, his expression saying everything without words.
Guan Xia found his look downright punchable, and she could only imagine how Xu Nian felt. She noticed Xu Nian’s jaw tighten slightly, as if he were grinding his teeth, but he held back any retort. Instead, he checked his watch and said, "It’s almost midnight again. Let’s head back to the hotel and get some rest. Tomorrow’s another busy day."
With that, the group noisily filed downstairs and piled into their cars. As they settled in, Guan Xia suddenly remembered something and turned to Ji An in the passenger seat. "Oh, Ji An, we’ve been in meetings all night—you and Zhong Xiaoyu haven’t even checked your health reports yet. Everything normal?"
At Guan Xia’s reminder, Pang Le and Lu Tingfeng also chimed in, urging them to share.
Zhong Xiaoyu retrieved her report from the backseat, flipping through it quickly. "Nothing major for me—just the usual old issues."
Pang Le’s eyes widened in concern. "Old issues? You’re still young! How do you already have ‘old issues’?"
Zhong Xiaoyu handed the report to Pang Le nonchalantly. "Like I’ve told you before, I left the military due to injury. My leg’s a bit of a problem, but it’s manageable. Just some common stuff—lower back strain, minor inflammations here and there. No big deal, really."
Though Zhong Xiaoyu brushed it off, Guan Xia and Pang Le grew anxious, leaning in to scan the report. Most values fell within normal ranges, with only a few minor fluctuations marked by small arrows. The doctor’s final note recommended regular check-ups but confirmed nothing serious. Relieved, they handed the report back.
Pang Le then turned to Ji An. "What about yours, Ji An?"
Ji An smiled. "Just some minor irregularities from too many late nights. If Guan Xia got checked, I might even be healthier than her."
Pang Le snatched the report skeptically, but after a quick review, she sighed in relief. "Yeah, you’re pretty much fine."
Over the next few days, the team split up again, working from dawn till dusk. Sometimes they didn’t even share breakfast, and on occasion, they missed each other entirely despite staying on the same hotel floor. Most updates were exchanged in their group chat.
Guan Xia’s team made little progress, but the task force and Captain Zhou had a breakthrough.
Late on August 19th, as Guan Xia’s team returned to the hotel after another fruitless day, Xu Nian called with news: after 16 straight hours of interrogation, Liu Xiang had finally cracked.
Guan Xia, who had been slumped in exhaustion, immediately perked up. She urged Qi Bai to take a detour at the next intersection, steering them straight toward Nanping District Station.
Among those who rushed over upon hearing the news were Jiang Yingyao and Wang Yu, who arrived even slightly earlier. By the time Guan Xia got out of the car, the two had already sprinted into the office building. Guan Xia and the others immediately broke into a full-speed dash, charging inside like a whirlwind.
When she entered the room where the interrogation was being observed, Guan Xia realized just how many people were invested in this case. A space no larger than twenty or thirty square meters was crammed with dozens of individuals. Having arrived last, Guan Xia and her group had no choice but to squeeze into the farthest corner, straining to catch a glimpse of the interrogation room through the gaps in the crowd.
Fortunately, the audio was broadcasted, so even if they couldn’t see clearly, they could at least hear every word Liu Xiang said.
Guan Xia listened as the interrogating detective asked, "Do Ning Xin and Ning Ping’an know each other? Take a look at these two photos."
After the detective’s words, there was silence for several minutes before Liu Xiang finally spoke.
Perhaps due to sixteen hours without sleep or rest, Liu Xiang’s voice was hoarse, carrying a tone of numbness as she answered, "Yes."
"Then explain—how did you meet?" the detective pressed.
The interrogation room fell quiet again before Liu Xiang replied calmly, "We met at a shopping mall. Though, to be honest, it wasn’t really ‘meeting.’ I only saw them twice. The first time, I was eating at a rice noodle shop in the mall. The child—Ning Ping’an—seemed to find the stool too high and kept squirming uncomfortably. While her mother, Ning Xin, was fixing her food, she nearly fell. I happened to be nearby and caught her. Ning Xin thanked me. The second time was in the mall’s restroom. Ning Xin was using the toilet, and Ning Ping’an tried to wash her hands by climbing onto the sink from the mop basin in the corner. She almost fell again, so I held her until Ning Xin came out, then handed her back. Ning Xin thanked me once more."
"Was it a coincidence?" The detective cut straight to the point. "Or did you deliberately approach them? When exactly did these two encounters happen?"
Liu Xiang sounded weary as she replied, "I don’t remember the exact dates. It was probably January or February of 2019—around the time before the Lunar New Year. The mall was packed, and I almost lost track of them a few times."
Though she didn’t directly admit it, her wording confirmed that the encounters had been premeditated.
The detective continued, "Who instructed you to deliberately approach Ning Xin and Ning Ping’an? What’s their name? How did you communicate? Have you met in person? Describe their appearance."
Liu Xiang answered, "I don’t know their name. We’ve never met. We only communicated through an old button phone—no internet, no registered name. Whenever there was a target, they’d send me a message with all the details: name, age, gender, home address, and a time limit, usually one or two months. For Ning Ping’an, it was two months."
"Where is that phone now?" the detective pressed. "Aside from this, was there any monetary exchange? After securing the child, how did the transaction happen? Did you ever meet the buyer?"
Another pause filled the room before Liu Xiang continued, "The phone is hidden in a secret compartment in a supermarket warehouse. Before each operation, we’d receive funds—they’d message me where to pick up the money. My job was just to get the child. Everything after that was handled by others. I never met the buyers."
"Do you know what happens to the children after they’re sold?" A new voice, sharper, asked the question Guan Xia had been desperate to hear.
As expected, Liu Xiang responded indifferently, "What else? Either someone wants a child, or they have… particular tastes. I just followed orders. You take the money, you do the job."
Her tone was casual, but Guan Xia felt a chill crawl down her spine. She wanted to scream—how could someone who had once carried a child, who knew the pain of losing one, inflict that same agony on others years later?
But the detective’s line of questioning diverged.
"If Ning Ping’an was the only target, why kill Ning Xin?"
Liu Xiang’s reply was icy. "I didn’t kill her. I don’t know. But I’d guess she got in the way when they were taking Ning Ping’an. They must’ve been annoyed and just… took care of her."
The word "took care of" made Guan Xia’s vision swim.
The detective’s voice turned sharp. "You never planned to let Ning Xin live from the start, did you? The moment you lured her and Ning Ping’an into that car, you intended to silence her."
Liu Xiang scoffed. "That wasn’t the plan. If it were, I wouldn’t have bothered disguising myself during those two encounters or when tricking her into the car. She was the one who misjudged the situation, thinking she could turn the tables. She caused the car crash, scratched and bit my partner. If I hadn’t stopped them, she’d have died right then. I gave her a little extra time."
