I poured myself a cup of coffee, but found that there was no one in the big house. The door of the conference room was closed, probably because they were having a meeting.

Because they have not yet been involved in a formal case, she and Yao Meng do not attend such meetings. Xu Xu stood up and paced in the empty office for a while. He glimpsed that Ji Bai's office door was open and a slender figure was vaguely visible busying around inside.

This office is decorated very simply and neatly, with square bookcases, square desks, and upright solid wood benches... At first glance, everything in the room seems to be made up of straight lines, with only black, white and gray colors, clean and neat. But a closer look revealed many discordant details. On the innermost layer of the bookcase, there was a black and exquisite Ferrari model; a dark grey coat was draped lazily over the back of a chair; and on the wall hung an abstract painting with exaggerated lines and dull colors, resembling a person, a ghost, a mountain, or nothingness...

"It seems that Captain Ji is a person who strictly abides by the rules, but also has a strong personality." Yao Meng straightened up from the table, holding a wet rag in his hand, and looked at Xu Xu with a smile.

Xu Xu nodded, she had the same judgment.

Yao Meng sighed: "Classmates all envy us for being able to come to the city criminal police team. But I don't know if Captain Ji will bring anyone with him. Brother Zhao said that Captain Ji rarely brought anyone with him before."

Xu Xu understood that Ji Bai had contacted him but had not told anyone else.

The two of them didn't interact much in school before, but Yao Meng was very outgoing and proactive, and was one of the few classmates who could talk to Xu Xu. Xu Xu didn't have any good or bad feelings towards Yao Meng, he just thought she was a girl with comprehensive abilities.

Xu Xu could see that Yao Meng really wanted to be with Ji Bai, which was normal, and so was he. So she said frankly: "Team Ji called me yesterday and assigned me a task. I think he should lead me."

Yao Meng was stunned, but did not hide the disappointment that quickly flashed across her eyes. But he soon revealed a helpless smile: "Okay, I knew I couldn't win against you. Alas!"

She was so straightforward that Xu Xu smiled slightly. Yao Meng also laughed and handed the rag to Xu Xu: "I wanted to perform well and win a chance! Whoever is the master should serve him. I won't wipe it anymore!"

Xu Xu nodded, took it, and began to wipe it carefully. Yao Meng looked at her slightly hunched back and said with a smile, "Xu Xu, let's work hard together. Although we have different masters, we should communicate more in the future."

"Okay." Xu Xu nodded at her seriously.

***

When he got off work that day, Xu Xu was still standing in front of the computer, as still as a mountain. Yao Meng did not work overtime with her old colleagues to order food like she did yesterday. Instead, she took the subway on time and returned home.

Her parents are retired employees of a leather factory and live in an old factory dormitory in the south of the city. After arriving home, Yao Meng had no appetite to eat. She ignored her parents' advice and went straight back to her room and locked the door.

After lying in bed for a while, she took out her cell phone and dialed the number she remembered so well.

"Hello, Captain Ji." She was a little nervous, trying to maintain a sweet voice. "I am trainee Yao Meng. I am sorry to bother you. When I was collecting information today, I had a difficult problem. I heard from Officer Zhao that you are more familiar with this area. Can I ask you for advice?"

What made her happy was that Ji Bai's attitude was very kind. He listened to her problem, explained it patiently, and praised her for being studious. This attitude encouraged Yao Meng, and he spoke boldly: "Captain Ji, I know you rarely take interns. But I really want to learn from you. I wonder if you can give me this opportunity?"

Ji Bai on the other end of the phone smiled and said, "That's not true. But the team has already decided on the trainee. Officer Wu will guide you. He has a lot of experience. When I first joined the police force, I learned a lot from him."

Yao Meng: “That’s great.”

"Anything else?"

"No, thank you."

After hanging up the phone, Yao Meng sat at the head of the bed, looking at the night view outside the window. Shrouded in twilight, the factory dormitory looked so old and dilapidated that it looked like a deserted ruin. She felt a little sad and felt like tears were about to overflow.

After a while, she took out her phone again and sent a text message: "Captain Ji, thank you for your guidance. I will follow Officer Wu and work hard to live up to the expectations of the team leaders. P.S.: If I encounter problems in the future, I can also regard you as a teacher and ask you for advice?"

After waiting for a long time, Ji Bai still didn't reply. It was not until she went downstairs, ate a quick meal, washed the dishes and mopped the floor that her cell phone rang. Picking it up and taking a look, Ji Bai said, "The apprentice mentor is only a small factor for you. The key is the work performance. My apprentice is no different from other people's apprentices. Work hard."

***

Xu Xu had dinner at the police station and then returned home. She now lives in a community called "Yutingyuan". It was the house Xu Jun bought for her at the beginning of this year. The community is located in the financial and commercial district, where elites gather and public security is good. It is close to where Xu Jun works.

As it was still early, she changed her clothes, put on a towel, put on headphones and went out. There is a newly built park near the community with a very good environment. She planned to run a few laps and then go home to continue working overtime.

Under the setting sun, the park was filled with fresh greenery, and Xu Xu ran slowly along the path. There were people exercising here and there, including middle-aged, young, elderly, and children... They easily passed by her. Xu Xu turned up the volume on his headphones and maintained a steady speed with a clear conscience, his eyes diffusely gazing at the surrounding scenery.

This is the time of the day when she is most relaxed. Sometimes her mind wanders; sometimes when she is interested, she observes the people around her, analyzes their behavior, and imagines what kind of people they are - completely at her own will.

First lap.

On the grass on the gentle hillside on the right, a father and son were sitting. The child was smiling and pointing at her and saying something, and the father was also smiling. Xu Xu glanced at the child indifferently, but she probably guessed that the child was laughing at her ridiculous running speed, and she felt a little embarrassed.

There was a white-haired old man sitting in the pavilion, holding this radio, half-closed his eyes;

Under the paulownia tree, a man and a woman stood, talking and laughing. The woman was in her thirties and the man looked to be in his twenties. Their postures were close but not intimate. They must be brother and sister.

Second lap.

The father and son stood up holding hands, probably planning to go home. The child smiled again when he saw Xu Xu, and Xu Xu looked away again indifferently;

The white-haired old man in the pavilion has gone;

The man and woman were still in their original positions, having already sat down.

The third lap.

It was getting a little dark and there were fewer people in the park. There are office areas and high-end residences nearby, and as it's getting close to evening, not many people come to the park.

On the grass on the hillside, only the man and woman were left, talking with their heads down. The man put his hand on her shoulder, smiled and said something. The woman also smiled and leaned back on the grass in an elegant and light posture that was pleasing to the eye.

Xu Xu looked away calmly.

Just then, the woman suddenly screamed.

Xu Xu stopped and turned to look. The woman opened her mouth wide. Raised right hand. Her palm was a bloody mess and blood was gushing out from her wrist. The man next to her also changed his expression suddenly.

Xu Xu took off his headphones and rushed over.

If I'm not mistaken, the woman's wrist artery was cut. It happened suddenly, right under her nose.

While running, she suddenly remembered what Zhao Han said during the day: "... a citizen was accidentally cut by a blade left on a bench in Ruiying Park..."

Not an accident?

☆、Poisonous tongue but reasonable

The woman's face had turned pale with fright. She hurriedly reached out to press on the wound, but the blood still flowed out. The man also recovered from his shock. He helped her press the wound and took out his cell phone to call 120: "Fangting Park, my friend's wrist was cut..."

"Get out of the way." Xu Xu had already rushed behind the two of them, "I'm a police officer."

The man was startled, let go of the woman and stepped aside, but he still stared at Xu Xu suspiciously.

Xu Xu took a deep breath, grasped the woman's wrist, and pressed firmly and precisely above the artery.

The blood flow gradually slowed down.

The woman's long skirt and hands were stained with blood, and her face was pale: "Thank you..."

Xu Xu: "The nearest emergency center is less than 10 minutes away by car. You won't be in any danger."

Both the man and the woman breathed a sigh of relief and said thank you again in unison. Xu Xu nodded and stared at the woman: "What happened just now?"

Although the woman was weak, her voice was steady: “There was something on the grass and I was cut.”

At this time, the sky had already darkened, the street lights had not yet come on, and the grass was dark and unclear. The man used his cell phone to illuminate the grass, leaned in closer to take a look, and said in a colder tone: "There are blades on it."

Xu Xu nodded: "Don't destroy the scene, wait for the police. You come and hold the wound."

The man was a little surprised: "Me? What about you?"

Xu Xu glanced at the woman's wound that was still bleeding and frowned: "Press it."

Both the man and the woman were stunned, as if they had not expected Xu Xu to speak to a man in such a tone.

But the man still reached out and pressed the wound for her. Xu Xu took out a towel and folded it, then picked up a wooden stick from the ground, tied a knot around the woman's upper arm, and tightened it with the stick. The tourniquet was ready.

The woman groaned in pain, and the man hesitated: "Is this to stop the bleeding?"

Xu Xu was too lazy to talk nonsense with him and asked the woman: "Do you have a pen?"

The woman shook her head, Xu Xu looked at the man again, and he shook his head as well.

Xu Xu stretched out his index finger without changing his expression and rubbed it back and forth on the woman's bloody arm, getting a lot of blood on it.

The man was surprised: "What are you doing?"

Xu Xu glanced at him coldly, then lowered his head to write the time on the woman's upper arm. In this way, when the emergency personnel arrive, they will know how long the tourniquet has been applied before proceeding to the next step.

Seeing that she wrote about time, the man and the woman were not stupid and roughly guessed it. The woman said gratefully: "Thank you, thank you so much." The man didn't seem to care about Xu Xu's indifference towards him, and stared at Xu Xu with great interest.

"You stay and talk to her until the ambulance arrives." Xu Xu said to the man and turned to look at the grass.

The street lights were on, and the grass was shining white. Xu Xu got very close before he could see the bulge hidden in the grass. It is an extremely sharp paper cutter. The lower half is buried in the soil and the upper half is painted green, so it is difficult to be found.

And there are more than one, long and short ones are arranged in a shape.

It's a five-pointed star.

It wasn't an accident, someone buried the knife here on purpose.

Xu Xu looked for a while, then stood up and looked around. The grassland was not large, and the area where they were sitting was where the vegetation was the best and the terrain was the flattest.

Therefore, the purpose of the person who buried the knife was very clear.

She looked back at the couple. They were already seated in the pavilion. The woman leaned in the man's arms. The man's voice was clear and soft, and it came quietly with the night. But while he was talking to the woman, his eyes were looking at Xu Xu. Xu Xu then noticed that he was very tall, wearing a well-made black casual suit, and had a fair and handsome face. Although his eyes revealed arrogance, his expression was open and frank.

Xu Xu walked over and asked: "Who among you suggested sitting down on the grass?"

The man's face slightly changed, and the woman replied, "It was me." She added in a weak but clear voice, "Officer, Zixiao is my cousin. He just came back from abroad and came to see me today. It was also my suggestion to go for a walk in the park."

Xu Xu nodded, ignoring the man's burning gaze, and continued to survey the grassland.

Soon, ambulances and police cars arrived, and park managers were also alerted. Xu Xu assisted the paramedics in getting the woman into the car. The paramedic saw that she was also covered in blood and hesitated: "Are you okay?"

Xu Xu shook his head and was about to talk to the police officer next to him when he suddenly heard a clear voice shouting, "Officer, please leave us your contact information."

It’s that Zixiao. He also got into the ambulance and sat next to the woman, and they both looked at her from a distance.

Xu Xu replied calmly, “No need.” After hesitating for a moment, he still smiled faintly and waved his hand towards them to show encouragement.

***

When Xu Xu received Ji Bai's call, he was holding a high-intensity flashlight, checking the grass in the park inch by inch.

It was already very late at night, and rows of tree shadows swayed in the breeze like ghosts. Ji Bai's voice came through the night, lazily and slightly cold: "What time is it now?"

Xu Xu was stunned.

After the ambulance left, the park was closed. The police began to investigate the scene and worked with park managers to check whether there were any hidden paper cutters. She identified herself to the police and said she was a witness and was allowed to stay at the scene.

Although she followed the professor and participated in many case analyses. But this was the first time I witnessed the case in person. The police and medical staff who arrived all praised her for her excellent emergency response and for keeping the scene intact. She also felt inexplicably excited and nervous inside.

So, in this rare excitement, I forgot about time and the homework assigned by Ji Bai.

"I forgot," she replied. "There was a case of intentional injury here."

She briefly explained the case. Ji Bai was silent for a moment and said, "Give the call to the person in charge at the scene."

The police officer in charge at the scene was in his thirties. He smiled as soon as he answered the phone: "Captain Ji, hello! Yes, that's what happened..."

After talking for a while, the policeman handed the phone back to Xu Xu. Ji Bai asked, "Can your phone make video calls?"

Xu Xu was slightly surprised and answered, "Yes."

IT products are her only hobby, and her mobile phones, computers and MP4 players all have the highest configuration on the market.

"Open."

With all the lights on, the park looked a lot brighter and larger, but it was still dark overall. The news that Detective Ji Bai wanted to see the scene spread, and several policemen and park managers gathered around, curious and suspicious.

Xu Xu held up his phone, also confused: What does Ji Bai want to see?

Holding the phone, Ji Bai walked around the park briefly. Before he could speak, another person's voice could be heard faintly on the phone: "Ji San, come over for a drink."

"Wait a moment." Ji Bai replied with a smile.

Xu Xu frowned slightly.

At this time, Ji Bai said: "The rockery in front, the willow trees on the right, and the bridge behind you."

After a moment, everyone cheered - they really found two more blades from the rockery and under the willow tree.

***

After that, Ji Bai said that the police on the scene should handle the rest themselves.

The police officer in charge was obviously much more relaxed. He took the initiative to take the phone and said with a smile, "Captain Ji, thank you so much... Yes, there were few people in the park when the incident happened, so there was no panic. Xiao Xu from your team handled the scene very well. Ah... No wonder, no wonder, it turned out to be your apprentice... A good teacher produces good students!"

When he said this, the men around him all looked over and stared at Xu Xu with respect and surprise.

Xu Xu's face gradually became hot.

After a while, the police returned the phone to her and, as if to appear more friendly, changed the address: "Xiao Xu, your master said he wants to talk to you."

Xu Xu is a technology geek, and he was secretly excited after seeing Ji Bai show off his skills just now. I took the phone and asked him, "How did you do that?" without waiting for him to speak.

Previously, the police at the scene had roughly deduced more than 30 possible locations where the knife might have been buried. She also thought that they were basically reasonable, so everyone was investigating together. It’s just that the park is so large that we haven’t gained anything yet. But it was still dark, and Ji Bai only took a rough look around, so it was impossible for him to look closely, but he found two accurately.

Unexpectedly, Ji Bai did not answer but asked: "You haven't answered my question just now. What time is it now?"

"Half past twelve."

"What time do you want to give me the missing persons analysis report?"

"Eleven o'clock."

Ji Bai laughed. The tone was faint, but to Xu Xu's ears, it sounded clearly sarcastic.

She was very surprised and uncomfortable - she thought that since she had just told Ji Bai about the case and he was involved in it, he must understand that she had delayed her homework because of this case.

He also seemed to praise her to the police and indicated that she was his apprentice.

Unexpectedly, after talking about the case, he turned hostile and continued to ask her for homework.

She felt that this "master" was a little unreasonable.

As if sensing her silent resistance, Ji Bai asked, "Are you feeling wronged?"

Xu Xu said nothing.

Ji Bai continued to attack her slowly, "Aren't you asking me how I found out where the knife was buried? It's very simple, intuition. Any criminal policeman who has worked for more than ten years, as long as he has a little bit of brains, can infer it based on experience.

But what does this case have to do with your failure to complete the task I assigned you? Your staying at the investigation scene for so long not only did not achieve any result, but also wasted my time. Xu Xu, if you don't see the report I want before 6 o'clock tomorrow morning, you can decide what to do. ”

☆, You come and I go

When encountering setbacks, Xu Xu's reaction is different from that of his peers.

Most young people have a strong desire to realize their self-worth, so they care more about "feelings" and "gains and losses". Only after several years of social tempering can one more or less develop a calm temperament of "not being happy with things or sad with oneself". And this calmness is sometimes a kind of numbness.

But Xu Xu naturally cares more about "how things should be" and does not have a particularly strong desire for "what kind of person I must become". She studies criminal psychology simply because she is interested in it and is good at it. She doesn't pay much attention to other people's feelings, or even her own feelings. This trait makes her calmer than the average person, but also makes her less humane.

So that night, after being severely reprimanded by Ji Bai, she did feel briefly aggrieved and uncomfortable, but by the time she walked out of the park gate, she had completely recovered as normal.

It was already midnight, the streets were dark, the street lights were dim, and there was no one around. Xu Xu looked at his elongated reflection and thought that what Ji Bai said was actually correct. From the results, apart from saving people, she did not play any other role at the scene and also delayed her work. So just go back and work overtime with peace of mind.

In addition, she was more interested in what Ji Bai said about the criminal police's "intuition" and "experience". That was exactly what she lacked. Thinking of this, she even felt a little happy.

***

The moon is cold, the stars are sparse, and the night is long.

Finally finishing the report, Xu Xu stared at the screen full of words and felt a sudden fatigue.

Only then did I realize that my entire right wrist was numb and my whole body felt like it was falling apart. Yes, today was very physically demanding. I stopped the bleeding of the injured, ran all over the park, and then stayed up all night.

Although he wanted to go to bed, after sending the email to Ji Bai, Xu Xu thought for a moment and called him.

Because she remembered that he was angry today, right?

Although he had trouble controlling his emotions, as his apprentice and subordinate, she felt it necessary for her to take the initiative to make a phone call to ease the relationship.

She still understands the ways of the world.

In the quiet night, the mechanical "beep-beep" sound seems particularly empty. After the phone rang a few times, he picked up the phone. He didn't speak right away and only the faint sound of his breathing could be heard.

"Hello, Captain Ji." Xu Xu reported calmly, "I just sent the report to your email. Please check it. The report is divided into four parts, and there are 17 attachments with related materials..."

"Xu Xu." Ji Bai interrupted her.

Xu Xu stopped immediately and waited for instructions.

"Calling your boss at 4 a.m. to report a trivial report, do you want to stop working in the criminal police team?"

Xu Xu then looked at the time on the computer: 4:07.

After a moment of silence, he said, "Sorry, I didn't pay attention to the time. And you told me yesterday that you wanted me to send it to you before 6 o'clock. Now it's before 6 o'clock."

There was silence on the other end for a moment, then suddenly a low laugh came out, and the voice became lazy: "Go ahead, you're awake anyway."

"oh."

She began to report slowly, but from the other end of the phone, there were rustling noises, the sound of the faucet running, the window being opened, and the crisp sound of a spoon hitting the wall of a cup.

Xu Xu suddenly remembered that when he was video chatting with him yesterday, he heard someone asking him to drink. It was already 12 o'clock.

So he was hungover and was woken up by his own phone call?

"What are you staring at?" He was quick to notice her distraction.

Xu Xu continued.

The chaotic noise from the other end of the phone disappeared, leaving only his slightly long breathing sound, probably because he was smoking. Xu Xu wrapped himself in a blanket and sat in front of the computer with his phone in hand. The surroundings were cold and quiet, with only his voice, an occasional "hmm", which sounded casually, yet low and powerful.

An irrelevant picture suddenly popped up in Xu Xu's mind - Ji Bai was also wrapped in a quilt, curled up in bed, talking to her on the phone. The scene made her feel a little weird: she had no idea what a tall and stern man looked like, curled up in bed.

In the picture, the man's face is blurred. She had seen his photo in the information and vaguely remembered that he had regular facial features, but she didn't care too much about what he looked like exactly - instead, she had studied the facial features of several photos of wanted criminals for a long time and could copy them at any time.

In fact, Ji Bai did stuff himself into the quilt, wrapped up like a big bear, and talked to Xu Xu. There is still a chill in Beijing in early spring, especially around sunrise, when it is extremely cold. What's more, he didn't go to bed until three in the morning, was drunk, and had a headache as if someone was shooting him with a machine gun inside.

Xu Xu was very devoted in her report, but he actually didn't listen at all, nor did he open her report to read it.

After reading a report she submitted previously, he found that it was more than qualified, it far exceeded his requirements. For such a smart and self-disciplined subordinate, he certainly would not waste his energy reading the densely packed reports.

But she didn't have to know. She still needs to be sharpened.

The sky outside the window was still dark. Ji Bai lit a cigarette, closed his eyes, dozed off, and occasionally responded to her to show his presence. It was very quiet around him, and he realized that this girl's voice was different from the others. His voice was apparently very soft, but he spoke in a very low tone, which was quite comfortable to listen to. The more I listened, the more sleepy I felt... Damn, the cigarette butt is hot! He woke up with a start, but said to her lazily, "Well, this part is written quite rigorously."

***

The next day, Xu Xu went to work with dark circles under his eyes.

Because of his pale skin and small face, the two dark circles are particularly obvious. As soon as I entered the office, I felt like several people were staring at me. She sat down without looking around, but saw a bright red banner and a large bouquet of tender white roses on the table.

The banner reads: Brave and righteous, a heroic woman.

The signature is Ye Zixi.

It turns out that the woman I rescued yesterday was called Ye Zixi. Xu Xu felt that the name sounded familiar; he had heard it on the news.

No wonder they were able to find her so quickly and send her a banner.

"Pa pa pa—" Warm applause suddenly broke out. Xu Xu looked up and realized that everyone had stood up, smiling and applauding at him.

"Salute!" The voice of Officer Wu, who is over 40 years old, was as loud as a bell. Everyone raised their right hands in unison to show their respect to her.

Xu Xu immediately raised his hand to salute, but his face felt slightly hot as he met so many bright, smiling eyes.

"Well done, Xu Xu." Officer Wu praised.

"Don't underestimate Xu Xu because of his small stature. When faced with big events, he has the demeanor of a great general," someone said in a literary tone.

"Xu Xu, the person you saved was Ye Zixi!" Zhao Han said with a smile, "She often gives interviews and appears in magazines."

Xu Xu avoided everyone's gaze and answered honestly: "It's just a simple first aid for wrist bleeding. Every senior here will do better than me. It's just that I happened to encounter it."

Everyone laughed. It is not easy to say that she is a newcomer.

Xu Xu looked at everyone's gentle smiles and suddenly understood.

Compared with the work of a criminal police, what she did was indeed not worth mentioning.

They took this opportunity to help her integrate into the criminal police team.

Xu Xu was a little touched, blushed, and sat down in silence.

At this time, Yao Meng smiled and said, "I suggest that we have lunch together at noon to celebrate for Xu Xu!" At the same time, he gave Xu Xu a wink. Xu Xu understood that she wanted him to take this opportunity to get closer to everyone. Xu Xu nodded at her and said, "Yes, I'll treat everyone to dinner."

Everyone laughed and said how could you let a little girl spend money, but the dinner was set.

**

After working for a while, Xu Xu was summoned by the director.

It turned out that Ye Zixi's banner and flowers were sent directly to the director and then handed over to her personally.

She is a senior executive of the Ye Group and a well-known figure in the city's business community. She usually has a good relationship with the mayor and various government agencies. The director felt very honored to receive her banner and praised Xu Xu sincerely.

Seeing that Xu Xu didn't say much for a while, the director didn't care too much. Instead, he felt that this girl was very honest. Smiling, she said, "You didn't tell me your name yesterday, but as soon as she called, I knew it was you."

Xu Xu nodded: "My appearance is more obvious."

The director was stunned and couldn't help laughing.

The place for lunch was decided to be a small restaurant not far from the police station. On the way there, everyone went in groups of three or four, with Yao Meng and Xu Xu holding hands. Xu Xu was a little uncomfortable, but looking at her bright and friendly eyes, he silently told himself to get used to it.

Yao Meng asked: "What did the director ask you to do? He wanted to praise you for saving people, right?"

Xu Xu nodded.

Yao Meng gave her a reproachful look and whispered, "Why didn't you invite the director to have lunch with you?"

Xu Xu remained silent, not even thinking about it.

The meal was a pleasant one.

Xu Xu had never known that the men in the criminal police team could be so talkative and talkative, and there was constant laughter during the dinner. With the presence of a pleasing beauty like Yao Meng, who was busy refilling water and adding food to everyone, the atmosphere of the chat became even more lively.

They also talked about Ji Bai. Officer Wu said that Captain Ji had not been home for three years and would definitely relax well this time before coming back; Zhao Han said that the director had specifically instructed not to disturb the boss on vacation due to any recent cases. Some people also said, Xiao Xu, you must work hard with Team Ji, this opportunity is not available to everyone.

Xu Xu nodded repeatedly, thinking that Ji Bai's prestige in the police force was so high.

When it was time to pay the bill, Xu Xu had just taken out his wallet when he was stopped by several grown men vying to pay. Zhao Han shouted, "Don't fight! The boss said he'll pay for the meal."

When he shouted this, everyone stopped what they were doing. Zhao Han took out his wallet and said, "I just texted him that I was having dinner, and he said I would put it on his bill."

Everyone said "Oh" and took the wallets as a matter of course. Xu Xu was just about to say, "Let me do it," when he suddenly felt Yao Meng pinching his hand.

Turning around, he saw Yao Meng's eyes sparkling. Xu Xu didn't quite understand what she wanted to say, but he didn't ask.

☆、The Dandy Appears

This weekend, the sun was shining brightly in Lin City, and the warm spring breeze seemed eager to warm up every inch of the city.

But the people in the city's criminal police team have no time to enjoy this beautiful □. Because three days after the Ye Zixi case, two more knife-blade injury accidents occurred. The four cases are being investigated together, led by the city's criminal police team.

In fact, except for Ye Zixi, everyone else only suffered minor injuries. One person only had a small cut on his hand, and he didn't even think of reporting it to the police. If the police hadn't called every park, they wouldn't have known about this. The consequences of this series of cases can be said to be relatively minor and did not cause public panic.

However, the police department still takes the case very seriously, and the chief specifically requests that additional police forces be deployed to conduct surveillance and searches in various parks.

However, two days passed and nothing was found. Because not only did the criminal not leave any clues, but he also stopped committing crimes.

On Sunday afternoon, Xu Xu sat in the Criminal Police Team's meeting room, frowning in thought as he stared at the whiteboard full of photos.

Because Ji Bai was on vacation, the director instructed him not to interfere in the case; everyone else went to investigate, and Yao Meng also went out with his master, Officer Wu. Xu Xu proposed to the team to try to draw a portrait of the criminal, so she has been working alone.

Xu Xu was playing with a pen in his hand, staring at the photos and maps on the whiteboard, muttering to himself.

Ruiying Park, Fangting Park, Chaoyang Park, Yumin Park... are all in the area where she lives. They are parks specially planned by the government for the new CBD area, and many financial groups have spontaneously invested in them. Among them, Fangting Park is beautifully built and is even hailed as the symbol of CBD.

The murderer used a very common paper cutter, which can be bought online for ten yuan a pack, and the blades are combined several times to form a five-pointed star shape;

Twice the knife was buried in the grass and the green paint was ordinary. However, colleagues in the forensic department discovered that there were other trace ingredients in the paint. Once it was mixed with water, which was found to be taken from the city’s river; another time, a variety of very strange ingredients were detected, and it was finally determined that it was actually malatang soup. Finally, it was traced back to a common base recipe on the market. Malatang is popular in this city, with huge daily sales, and there is no trace of it at all;

There is no regular pattern in the time of occurrence of the four cases. Some occurred on weekdays, some on weekends; some occurred in the mornings, afternoons, and evenings.

Xu Xu was about to speak when he suddenly heard a gentle voice behind him: "Officer Xu?"

It’s Ye Zixi.

As evening approached, the sunlight painted the empty office a light honey color. Ye Zixi was wearing a white suit and standing in front of Xu Xu gracefully, with a faint and friendly smile on her face.

In fact, last time, Xu Xu didn't pay much attention to her appearance. He only remembered that she was a thin but calm woman. Blood was spurting all over the floor, but he remained calm and cooperated with her first aid.

Now that they were face to face, Xu Xu had an idea of ​​her appearance.

She has a slim figure and delicate features. But because his eyes were extremely clear and sharp, he exuded a cold and stern temperament.

Xu Xu nodded and waited for her to speak.

She smiled slightly and held Xu Xu's hand: "Xu Xu, I came here to thank you in person for saving my life. Thank you!" She spoke slowly, and because of her slowness, she seemed very emotional.

Xu Xu also smiled, but he was not used to physical contact with others, so he pulled his hand back: "You're welcome. Is your wound healed?"

Ye Zixi nodded and showed her the scar on her wrist.

"Are you free tonight? I'd like to invite you to dinner." Ye Zixi said softly.

Xu Xu: "Sorry, I don't have time. Thank you, I appreciate it."

Ye Zixi looked at the photos on the wall and knew that she couldn't get away, so she put her arm around her shoulder with some regret: "Then when you're done with this, you must give me this opportunity and treat you to a meal."

Her intimate actions made Xu Xu uncomfortable again, and he struggled slightly. Ye Zixi stared at her for a moment and smiled: "Then I won't bother you anymore. Come on."

Xu Xu sent her to the door and returned to the whiteboard to ponder. After a while, I received a text message from her: "Someone asked me for your contact information, but I didn't give it to him. If I want to see my savior, he has to go through some trouble, right?"

Xu Xu took a quick glance, threw the phone away, and continued thinking about the case. And then forget about it.

When it was time for dinner, someone delivered takeaway food to the Criminal Police Team, and the recipient was Xu Xu. We ordered exquisite meals from Guangzhou Restaurant. Xu Xu thought that his brother was just being considerate of him and didn't take it too seriously.

But when I called Xu Jun that night, he said he had been in a meeting all afternoon and had no time to be a caring brother.

Xu Xu understood: "It's Ye Zixi."

Xu Jun seemed surprised: "Which Ye Zixi?"

"That Ye Zixi."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk...why did she send you food?"

Xu Xu then told him about saving Ye Zixi a few days ago. Xu Juan took a breath and asked, "Are you okay?"

Xu Xu: "Of course I'm fine."

"What about Ye Zixi?"

"It was really serious at the time, but it's better now."

Xu Jun was relieved then, and joked that the first loving lunch box his sister received was actually given by a woman. He also said that he heard that Ye Zixi was a famous intellectual beauty, and asked Xu Xu what she thought of her. Xu Xu frowned and said that he was very busy, then hung up the phone.

Who would have thought that in the next two days, Ye Zixi actually ordered exquisite lunch and dinner every day and had them delivered to Xu Xu. Take away a large box of fresh fruit, enough for the entire criminal police team.

This even alarmed the director, who made a special trip to the Criminal Police Team in the afternoon and ate a few mangosteens.

Xu Xu doesn't like to be in the spotlight, so he calls Ye Zixi. But Ye Zixi said gently but firmly that seeing Xu Xu was working so hard, she wanted to show her appreciation. And I have already ordered a month's worth of meals and fruits, which cannot be canceled.

Xu Xu was preoccupied with the case, so he just let her go.

But there has been no breakthrough in the case.

In addition to patrolling the several parks we already have, the team plans to start patrolling