Though Guan Xia and her team hadn’t immediately followed Wu Yingze as a precaution, the specialized task force colleagues were highly professional. With Ji An occasionally calling to share updates, they managed to keep track of him without losing sight.
After a period of tense and expectant surveillance on Wu Yingze, Guan Xia suddenly thought of something and immediately called Xu Nian. This time, Xu Nian answered quickly. As soon as the call connected, Guan Xia eagerly asked, "Xu Nian, has there been any movement from Wu Xingxian’s side?"
In Guan Xia’s stereotypical impression, she always believed that even though Wu Yingze handled most of the dealings for Kangjian Health Center, given their age and father-son relationship, a criminal operation of this scale and level would still be masterminded by Wu Xingxian.
To her surprise, Xu Nian replied, "I just called and asked. The colleagues surveilling Wu Xingxian said there’s been no movement on his end. He attended a dinner party in the evening, didn’t drink much, but brought a female companion home. After that, he stayed in and hasn’t come out since."
Guan Xia was taken aback. After hanging up, she couldn’t help but fall into deep thought. Had she misjudged the situation? Was tonight’s meeting not a critical rendezvous? Or was it possible that in such a large criminal organization, Wu Yingze was actually the true mastermind?
This thought had barely crossed her mind for a few seconds before she instinctively shook her head in denial.
Unlikely. Even if Wu Yingze had been influenced by his surroundings, he was only in his early thirties, while Wu Xingxian was still in his prime. Logically speaking, someone accustomed to holding power wouldn’t willingly relinquish control before truly aging or weakening. Perhaps the meeting they assumed was important tonight wasn’t significant after all.
With this in mind, Guan Xia quickly calmed down, and her earlier anticipation gradually faded.
Guan Xia’s team had two cars, while Ji An and Xu Nian’s side had an unknown number. They carefully alternated and maintained a safe distance to ensure they wouldn’t lose their target while avoiding suspicion.
Just as Guan Xia assumed the two would choose a secluded spot where eavesdropping would be difficult, Ji An suddenly called again, his tone serious and cautious. "Something’s off, Guan Xia. Peng Yuanwei parked his car by the roadside a minute ago, but he hasn’t gotten out. It looks like he’s waiting for someone. Our car is the closest, and if we stop now, we’ll be spotted. We’ll have to drive past. Brother Jiang’s car is behind us with Wang Yu inside. They’ll keep in touch with you."
Guan Xia acknowledged and had barely hung up when Wang Yu called.
"We pretended to be picking up passengers and stopped by the roadside for a few minutes," Wang Yu said rapidly. "Peng Yuanwei still hasn’t left his car. He’s definitely waiting for someone. He’s parked on Jinxin North Second Road, southbound near North Third Road. What about your side? Is Wu Yingze heading this way?"
Guan Xia quickly pulled up the navigation map and confirmed, "We’re nearby. Judging by Wu Yingze’s direction, he’s likely heading toward Peng Yuanwei."
"No wonder Wu Yingze switched to an electric bike last minute," Zhong Xiaoyu suddenly interjected.
The female officer driving added, "Seems like they’re planning to meet inside the car. That means even though we’re close, we won’t be able to hear their conversation."
Zhong Xiaoyu asked curiously, "Didn’t we plant any listening devices?"
Qi Bai, sitting in the passenger seat, turned and said, "Wu Yingze and Peng Yuanwei are extremely cautious. We considered it, but before we could act, we noticed during surveillance that they have drivers or assistants inspect their cars daily with detection equipment. We had to abandon the idea."
Zhong Xiaoyu’s eyes widened in surprise. "Damn, they’re paranoid to this extent? Clearly terrified and guilty. But this means we’re getting nothing tonight, huh?"
She glanced at Guan Xia, who, though not entirely disappointed, couldn’t help feeling a little deflated. Half an hour ago, she’d been hopeful about uncovering a crucial lead.
As expected, things unfolded exactly as they’d anticipated.
Wu Yingze, still in his delivery rider disguise, arrived near Peng Yuanwei’s parked car on his electric bike. Whether this meeting was truly unimportant or a test to check for surveillance, Wu Yingze took his time getting off the bike. Guan Xia’s car had no choice but to drive past as if nothing was amiss.
Fortunately, the trailing vehicles kept up and witnessed Wu Yingze entering Peng Yuanwei’s car. The two immediately drove off, continuing along the same route for three kilometers before merging onto the elevated highway.
Presumably, the highway had fewer surveillance cameras than regular roads, so once they got on, they didn’t exit until 4:57 a.m., when Peng Yuanwei looped back and dropped Wu Yingze off at their original meeting spot. Peng Yuanwei then drove home, while Wu Yingze remounted his electric bike and did the same.
By the time Wu Yingze disappeared into his residential complex, dawn was already breaking.
Even the usually energetic Zhong Xiaoyu was exhausted. She yawned and grumbled, "Well, that was a wasted night. Those two bastards are way too careful. Did they learn this from TV dramas? Meeting inside a car and driving around the highway all night—forcing us to alternate surveillance with zero intel. Dozens of us pulled an all-nighter for nothing."
Rubbing her eyes, she asked Guan Xia, "What now? Keep watching or head back to the hotel?"
Guan Xia didn’t answer immediately. Only after Wu Yingze was completely out of sight did she yawn and say, "No going back to the hotel. Remember Captain Zhou’s call last night? Geng Jing and the seller were arrested. We need to head to Nanping Precinct to check on their progress."
Zhong Xiaoyu slapped her forehead. "Right, forgot about that. Let’s go now before rush hour hits, or we’ll be stuck in traffic."
She thanked the female officer driving them, and Guan Xia and Qi Bai echoed their gratitude before switching back to their own car.
With the windows rolled up and the AC on, Zhong Xiaoyu stretched and sighed. "I wonder how much longer we’ll be stuck living in these cars."
Mid-stretch, she noticed Guan Xia still staring out the window and followed her gaze curiously. "What are you looking at? Wu Yingze’s already home—can’t even see him anymore. Why are you still watching his neighborhood? Did you spot another suspicious person?"
Guan Xia didn’t have time to respond when Qi Bai suddenly said, “Look at those two security guards. Nine times out of ten, they’re in cahoots with Wu Yingze. Just now, Wu Yingze went in wearing a delivery uniform and riding an electric bike, but the guards didn’t even stop him—they just opened the gate and let him through.”
Zhong Xiaoyu took a closer look and said, “Not necessarily. Maybe they just recognized Wu Yingze’s face. After all, he’s a resident here. This neighborhood might not be a villa district, but it’s definitely more upscale than average. They probably prioritize service.”
“Maybe,” Qi Bai replied casually as he started the car. “Either way, everyone who’s had contact with Wu Yingze will be thoroughly investigated. If they’re accomplices, none of them will get away.”
Qi Bai managed to drive into Nanping District Bureau before the morning rush hour. Guan Xia remained silent the entire way.
Truthfully, she hadn’t noticed anything suspicious about the guards, as Qi Bai had suggested. Instead, she had suddenly realized something else—ever since arriving in Shangshuang City, her "halo" hadn’t recharged at all.
Fan Ya and the others could be dismissed—they might not have committed crimes in the strictest sense, merely deceived and manipulated. So their arrests didn’t recharge the halo. But what about Liu Xiang? She was practically a ringleader, responsible for countless victims, even deaths. Yet, even after her arrest days ago and the extraction of her confession, the halo still hadn’t recharged.
Guan Xia frowned. Could it be that the case wasn’t fully resolved yet, preventing the recharge?
She sighed in frustration. This lousy system was not only unintuitive but also lacked a manual, forcing her to figure things out through trial and error. Who knew how long it would take to max it out?
After silently grumbling to herself, Guan Xia snapped back to reality and quickened her pace to catch up with Zhong Xiaoyu and the others, rushing upstairs.
Geng Jing’s arrest was uplifting news for everyone, so just like during Liu Xiang’s interrogation, the observation room was packed.
It was so crowded that Guan Xia could barely move. Fortunately, Xu Nian, who was already inside, spotted her and stretched out an arm to pull her in, squeezing out just enough space for her to peer into the interrogation room through a narrow gap.
Several hours into the interrogation, Geng Jing looked visibly agitated—his eyes bulging as if he could kill the interrogating officer with a glare, his lips pressed tightly together, and his fists clenched in defiance. It was clear he had no intention of cooperating.
Seeing this, Guan Xia leaned close to Xu Nian’s ear and whispered, “How’s it going? Has Geng Jing talked?”
The proximity seemed to make Xu Nian uncomfortable. He rubbed his ear before whispering back, “He’s said a few things, but he’s still resisting. Nothing substantial yet.”
Guan Xia wasn’t surprised. Geng Jing was a seasoned member of the organization—not as high-ranking as Liu Xiang, but his psychological defenses were just as strong.
For a while, the interrogation remained at a standstill. No matter how the officers pressed him, Geng Jing stayed silent, only lashing out with angry table-pounding and curses when pushed too far, refusing to reveal anything useful.
At first, Guan Xia watched intently, but as time passed, her awkward stance, combined with her sleepless night, left her with a throbbing headache, sore legs, and an aching back. She shifted positions more and more frequently, eventually stifling yawns.
Noticing this, Xu Nian lowered his head and whispered near her ear, “Looks like Geng Jing won’t crack anytime soon. If you can’t stay awake, go rest in Captain Zhou’s office. I’ll call you if anything important comes up.”
Now Guan Xia understood why Xu Nian had rubbed his ear earlier. To avoid disturbing others, whispers had to be soft yet clear, which meant speaking directly into someone’s ear. The sensation of warm breath against her skin was strange and ticklish, making her instinctively scratch her own ear.
Thankfully, Xu Nian spoke quickly, and the odd feeling faded within seconds. After a moment’s thought, Guan Xia whispered back, “I won’t be able to sleep with this on my mind. If Geng Jing won’t talk, what about the seller?”
Xu Nian glanced toward the interrogation room before replying, “Captain Zhou’s handling that one. Want to go see?”
Guan Xia nodded eagerly.
Xu Nian then took her arm and used his own to part the crowd, guiding her out with some effort.
Jiang Yingyao, Ji An, and Lu Tingfeng noticed their movement and quickly followed. Lu Tingfeng raised an eyebrow and teased, “What’s this? Going off on your own?”
His tone was playful, and he shot Xu Nian a knowing look.
Xu Nian glared back in warning, his expression calm as he explained, “We’re checking on the seller’s interrogation. Geng Jing won’t talk anytime soon, so we might get useful info faster from the seller.”
Guan Xia, impatient, urged, “What are we waiting for? Let’s go.”
Lu Tingfeng glanced at her, then winked at Xu Nian, his teasing even more obvious. Xu Nian ignored him and strode ahead to lead the way.
As she followed, Guan Xia pulled out her phone to message Pang Le, ensuring they wouldn’t be left behind when the others finished.
To her surprise, the seller’s interrogation room was even more crowded than Geng Jing’s. Though everyone was in plain clothes, a few stood out—their demeanor and age suggesting they weren’t ordinary detectives.
Luckily, with everyone focused on the interrogation, Guan Xia and the others slipped in unnoticed.
Xu Nian carved a path to a corner where they could at least glimpse inside the room. The audio feed ensured they wouldn’t miss a word.
Guan Xia rose on her tiptoes for a better look and finally got a clear view of the seller.
He was a youngish man with a slicked-back hairstyle, dressed in a sharp suit and a tasteful navy-blue tie. His face was unremarkable, even plain, but his relaxed posture in the interrogation room betrayed his confidence—another tough nut to crack.
Sure enough, as soon as Guan Xia steadied herself, she heard the man say impatiently, “I’ve told you repeatedly—I was just driving normally when I glanced in my rearview mirror and thought I saw someone lying on the roadside. I hesitated, not wanting to get involved, but I worried it might be someone in trouble. So I stopped to check.”
Before the interrogating officer could press further, the man spoke up first: "I know what you're going to ask, and I've already answered. That area is in the suburbs, far from the nearest hospital. If there had been a real emergency, calling an ambulance might have taken too long—especially since it involved a child. That’s why I moved them into my car. I planned to assess the situation and take them to the hospital immediately if things took a turn."
Guan Xia quickly grasped the situation. This man had clearly come prepared. Even though he’d been caught red-handed, he had a well-rehearsed explanation that sounded perfectly logical—so much so that he seemed utterly unshaken, even defiant.
It looked like getting a confession out of him wouldn’t be easy anytime soon. After observing for a while longer, Guan Xia quietly stepped out. Just then, Pang Le and the others arrived after receiving the update. The moment they saw Guan Xia, they asked, "How’s it going here? Has the suspect talked?"
Guan Xia shook her head. "No luck. It’ll probably be like the Liu Xiang case—we’ll have to wear him down before he cracks."
Zhong Xiaoyu scoffed. "These suspects are all the same. They resist even when they know it’s inevitable."
Pang Le asked, "So what’s our next move? Just wait here?"
Guan Xia thought for a moment. "Let’s hold on a bit longer. Even though this guy’s tough and getting a confession won’t be easy, he doesn’t seem to be hiding his identity. Confirming his details shouldn’t be hard."
Pang Le nodded. "Alright. Wu Yingze and Peng Yuanwei have other teams on them anyway, so there’s no rush to relieve them. Besides, those two pulled an all-nighter for the stakeout—they’re probably catching up on sleep right now."
Though they were waiting for updates, they weren’t just sitting idle. Guan Xia sent a quick message to Xu Nian before heading with Pang Le and the others to Captain Zhou’s office. They grabbed the jackets they’d left there earlier, draped them over their heads, and slumped onto the conference table to get some sleep.
