Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Got a Beating

In fact, from the first moment he got off the car, Ji Yinhe felt that there was something wrong with Li Guoping's posture.

Even though she was surrounded by the police and couldn't escape, she still held on to the suitcase tightly.

——As if it contained her most precious things.

While Tang Ci and Li Guoping were talking, Ji Yinhe's eyes never left her hands.

Therefore, he was able to react immediately and without any hesitation, dived into the water following the location where the suitcase fell into the water.

The river water was hot from the sun and mixed with diesel, making it a bit dazzling, but she closed her eyes and stretched out her long arms to grope underwater.

Then I touched the hard rectangular block——

“I got it!”

Ji Yinhe emerged from the water, shook his head, and raised the suitcase high.

The sunlight shone on her moist and slightly red cheeks, making them sparkle like gems.

There was silence on the shore for two seconds, and only Xiao Wu could be heard shouting excitedly: "Ahhhhhhh!!!"

There was a huge applause and shutter sounds all around, and a group of people rushed to the shore. With the help of the water police, Xiao Wu and Cheng Mo quickly threw a rope to Ji Yinhe who was floating on the river.

At the same time, Tang Ci also knocked the metal handcuffs ring onto Li Guoping's wrist.

Ji Yinhe jumped ashore and wiped away the water droplets that were rapidly sliding down her face.

Her vision was still a little blurry, but she vaguely saw Li Guoping pause as he was pushed down the deck.

The gorgeously dressed female general manager looked up at the azure sky in midsummer and smiled a desperate smile.

*

Ten minutes later, the brave policeman Xiao Ji declined the interview with reporters, got into the big jeep, and slowly wiped his hair with a towel.

"Li Guoping's suitcase contained cash, passports, gold bars, and a fake VAT invoice, totaling 1.8 million yuan." Tang Ci jumped into the driver's seat, started the car, and smiled. "It really is money. You guessed it right."

Ji Yinhe stopped and touched his nose.

She's not that amazing yet. All this is thanks to the third eye opened by Comrade Ji and Ms. Lian...

"Where is Li Guoping?"

"He was locked up in Cheng Mo's car with Zhang Hongbo." Tang Ci gestured for her to look at the Santana over there.

Through the car window, Li Guoping hung his head, slumped in his seat with an expressionless face, while Zhang Hongbo next to him looked agitated, crying and laughing - even if one could not hear anything, one could guess that his cursing was quite harsh.

Although Cheng Mo in the driver's seat remained silent, the hair on his head stood up like a hedgehog.

“Hahahahahaha!”

Ji Yinhe burst into laughter for the first time in two days.

Several police cars roared out of the Lugang Wharf, and the preliminary investigation into the case of the Qigong master's ascension to heaven at the compressor factory was finally completed.

"Is the interrogation going to happen next?"

Ji Yinhe was quite curious about the grievances and love-hate relationship between the Zhang brothers and Li Guoping.

Especially why did the woman who had worked so hard to climb to a high position embark on the path of economic crime?

Why did he show that desperate smile when he was arrested?

Tang Ci hummed a sound. "Director Rao is pressing us hard, so Cheng Mo and I will conduct a preliminary investigation and work overnight to organize the materials as quickly as possible and hand them over to the procuratorate."

Ji Yinhe brushed away the strands of hair on his forehead, feeling the excited blood rushing to his brain. "Can I sit in on the class?"

Tang Ci glanced at his watch. "It's almost time to get off work. You should go home and get some rest. The evidence chain in the case of Li Guoping murdering Zhang Chunbo is incomplete, and we'll be busy tomorrow."

"Okay..." Ji Yinhe also felt that his current appearance was still rather embarrassing. "Then just drop me off at the police station. I can ride my bike——"

"I can drive easily, so I'll take you home directly." Tang Ci held the steering wheel and looked ahead, then suddenly asked casually, "Where do you live?"

"...Meiqingyuan, Lotus Leaf Street."

Ji Yinhe pressed his half-dry lower back against the chair and suddenly felt a little nervous.

Why does it feel like the captain has something to say to her...

Sure enough, after a moment of silence, Tang Ci spoke:

"Xiao Ji, I've seen your transcript from the police academy. It's excellent, and you're a rare criminal investigation talent. Although the city bureau has fewer cases now, the quality of the serious crime squad varies. In terms of professional quality and intuitive talent, you're a cut above Xiao Wu, Cheng Mo, and even Lao Che."

Ji Yinhe took a deep breath, "...but?"

"But your experience is still too inexperienced." Tang Ci's expression was calm. "I understand that as a newcomer, a recent graduate still in the internship period, you are passionate about criminal investigation. You can't help but make subjective assumptions, act rashly, and disobey your superiors... For example, you didn't report a tip from an informant, suddenly showed up at the crime scene, didn't follow the procedures for interviews, but blended in with the crowd to get information, and went alone to arrest the suspect while diving for evidence—"

"If I write this down in my report and tell Director Rao the truth, do you think he will ask you to go back and continue writing the materials?"

“…”

The carriage was silent. Ji Yinhe remained silent with a tight line on his lips.

She knew that she had indeed acted a bit radically in some things, but rules are dead and people are alive. If everything was done according to the established procedures, Li Guoping would have been exiled by now.

Besides, although she acted out of line, she always solved the problem and never caused any gossip.

"Speak." Tang Ci glanced at her and said sternly, "Aren't you usually quite talkative?"

Ji Yinhe bit his lower lip and straightened his back.

Under normal circumstances, even if it was Rao Ju, she might dare to refute him.

But Tang Ci was the captain after all, not her direct superior. The county magistrate was not as good as the current manager. She was insignificant and still in the internship period. If she offended him, she would never be able to solve cases in Jiangtan, devote herself to the noble cause of people's public security, and realize her great life ideals.

"Yeah." Comrade Ji Yinhe finally uttered a sentence as soft as a mosquito's hum. "My fault. I'll be more careful next time."

The big jeep drove into the bustling Jiangtan city. The scorching bright sunlight shone on the Sipailou overpass. The red light came on. Tang Ci stepped on the brakes and sighed deeply.

"A few days ago, I attended a training session at the provincial government department. Experts said that the country now places great importance on public security management. After the 1983 crackdown, there's been an increasing demand for systematic and in-depth research into criminal investigations, to develop a scientific, rational, and rigorous work system... This means that future criminal police work can no longer rely on blind deductions. Every clue must be grounded in reality, with all the necessary evidence, witnesses, and confessions before a final conclusion can be reached."

He said earnestly, "I saw the clues you sorted out on the blackboard, but most of them are guesses...Xiao Ji, investigating a case isn't about dreaming; the chain of evidence is the ironclad truth. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"...I understand." Ji Yinhe asked tentatively, "So, Captain Tang, I can still continue to work on the case, right?"

“…”

Tang Ci parked the car at the gate of Meiqingyuan Community, with an expression that was both amusing and embarrassing.

"Yes, we finally managed to recruit a professional. If we don't let you handle the case, who else can we let? Go ahead, Comrade Xiao Ji."

*

Although he was scolded, Ji Yinhe's heart finally settled down after hearing Captain Tang's last words.

She skipped into the community and greeted Chen Ma, who was sitting at the door peeling edamame, and Uncle Wu, who was reading a newspaper by the flower bed, in a melodious tone.

As soon as I walked downstairs to the unit, I saw that the windows on the third floor were wide open.

Old Ji poked his head out, ate melon seeds, and looked at her with a gossipy look on his face.

Ji Yinhe narrowed her eyes thoughtfully, wondering what surprise her dear father would give her next.

Sure enough, as soon as I entered the house, Comrade Ji Jianguo was already standing at the entrance in a welcoming posture.

"Welcome~ Oh no! Welcome~ home~"

Old Ji's nose twitched twice in the air, and suddenly turned to disgust, "Why is it so smelly and dirty? Did you fall into the pit?"

"..." Ji Yinhe explained helplessly, "Dad, I solved a murder case today! To catch the suspect, I fought with him in the crematorium! I even jumped into the river to retrieve evidence and stolen money. A lot of people applauded me, okay?"

"Oh, that's amazing!" Ji Jianguo pinched his nose and fanned himself pretentiously, "Then let me applaud you, okay?"

Ji Yinhe knew that he would not get any praise from his father, and he was too lazy to argue. He changed his shoes, relaxed his tired shoulders and looked around, "Where's my mom?"

"I had another argument with a customer who was trying to extort money today, which delayed the development of new dishes... He called me ten minutes ago and said he would be back half an hour later."

Ji Jianguo sat on the sofa and instructed his daughter, "Go take a shower before your mother comes back, and don't let my wife stink!"

“…”

Comrade Xiao Ji, who was despised, took clean pajamas and walked into the bathroom, thoroughly scrubbed the stains off his body, and threw all the dirty clothes into the washing machine.

When I walked out of the bathroom, I felt refreshed.

Ms. Lian also came back and was standing elegantly in the kitchen, processing the "new products" she had packed from the snack bar.

"Tonight we're having Yanbian beef rice soup with perilla leaves!" Lian Qiao looked quite cheerful, not like she'd just had an argument. "By the way, Yinhe, how about the Liujiang feast I made for you?"

Ji Yinhe recalled the expressions of his colleagues inside and outside the interrogation room who were stunned by the stench that morning, and said tactfully, "Well, the portion is too small, only enough for one person, and he... quite likes it."

Lian Qiao raised her chin proudly. "I told you, my cooking skills are never wrong! Those two customers who tried to extort money today insisted that the shop stinked and suspected we were using the kitchen as a toilet, so they ran off without paying! People like this who spew shit all over the place deserve a beating from me!"

Ji Jianguo and Ji Yinhe: "..."

Xiao Ji sat down at the dining table, Lao Ji brought out bowls and chopsticks that had been boiled in water, and Ms. Lian brought out a large stainless steel basin.

Chili powder is added to the beef soup, the meat slices are large, fragrant, bright red, and sprinkled with green onion rings and chopped wild sesame seeds.

Ji Yinhe swallowed hard and his stomach growled.

"This should be eaten with rice." Lian Qiao scooped a large bowl full of rice from the rice cooker, piled it up like a small mountain, and pushed it in front of her. "Officer Ji, thank you for your hard work!"

"It smells so good! My mom's cooking is amazing!"

Ji Yinhe smiled and tasted the delicious beef soup, then asked curiously, "Mom, have you been to Yanbian and Liujiang? How did you know these methods?"

Lian Qiao and Lao Ji looked at each other.

Before she was cast in this book, she was an internet celebrity food blogger who loved to eat and explore. She downloaded many recipes from Wuzhefold and used these skills to successfully make a fortune in the period literature industry.

But how could she explain it?

To start from the beginning, with the daughter's upright and straightforward character, she might have thought that her parents had been brainwashed by some criminals!

After two seconds of silence, Old Ji tried to smooth things over by saying, "Of course I have. Before you were born, your mother and I traveled to many places!"

Lian Qiao said: "Yes! I have collected many local delicacies!"

Comrade Xiao Ji nodded, and his doubts were dispelled by the spicy chicken feet served by Lao Ji.

The setting sun dyed the sky a brilliant pink and gold. Lian Qiao turned on the TV, and the family of three happily ate dinner while listening to the news.

"...The Jiangtan City Public Security Bureau has always maintained a close eye on social security and cracked down on crimes. Today, the City Bureau's Serious Crime Squad solved a homicide case and arrested two suspects..."

A frame flashed across the screen—Ji Yinhe lifted the suitcase from the water and climbed ashore amid the applause of the crowd.

"Good performance!" Old Ji and Ms. Lian put down their bowls and chopsticks and applauded.

"Of course!"

Although she looked rather disheveled when she got ashore as shown in the news, Officer Xiao Ji still puffed out his chest with pride.

The scene on TV changed again, and the camera was aimed at Tang Ci who was counting the items in the suitcase.

The reporter held up the microphone with an excited look on his face, "Captain Tang, can you tell us about the case?"

"I'm sorry, I can't tell you the details yet." Tang Ci said impatiently, turned around and got into the jeep.

Old Ji immediately exclaimed curiously, "Isn't this the guy who drove Yinhe back home tonight? Your captain? He's quite tall!"

Ji Yinhe listened to the news and thought of tonight's preliminary hearing, and nodded absentmindedly.

Naturally, no one noticed. Lian Qiao, who was sitting opposite, looked at Tang Ci on TV, then looked at his distracted daughter, and a layer of worry appeared in his eyes.

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