In the glaring sunlight, I took a deep breath and then dialed the number of policewoman Wang Xiaoling for the first time. After she answered, I said to her, "Officer Wang, hello... It's a bit presumptuous of me to call you, but I can only ask you about this matter..."

She asked me with some doubt, "Are you the person who helped my grandma collect bottles a couple of days ago?"

"Yes, but this time I'm not here to complain to the old lady. I really need your help. Is it convenient for you to talk now?"

"There's nothing inconvenient about it, I'm off during the day... But, isn't it a bit too familiar of you to ask for my help right off the bat?"

"I know it's presumptuous of me to ask this, but if there were any other way, I wouldn't have asked you, a friend I've only met once, for help."

"We're not friends yet." After a slight pause, she asked warily, "Have you done something wrong?"

“You can’t doubt me like that. I’m a very sensible person… It’s a friend of mine who got into trouble. He was taken away by you guys last night… He runs a seaside inn in Majiuyi.”

Wang Xiaoling immediately understood. She replied angrily, "Your friend is too lawless! The higher-ups have repeatedly ordered that guesthouses around Erhai Lake be shut down for rectification. The entire Dali, from top to bottom, is working hard to restore a healthy tourism ecosystem. Yet, there are these profit-driven people who are engaging in illegal activities while destroying the fragile environment. Don't they realize that if Erhai Lake really becomes the next Dianchi Lake (a lake in Yunnan that has been severely polluted), how long can their guesthouse business last? You can't be without principles in life and work, and you can't be reckless... Don't try to plead for me; this is outside my jurisdiction... and I don't have the ability to do so!"

Wang Xiaoling works in the public security system, so her words are very official, but they are not without reason... I can tell that she is a woman with a strong sense of justice, and her anger is very genuine; it's not just for show to make me back down.

I lowered my voice and replied sincerely, “Officer Wang, you misunderstood me… I’m not here to ask you to intercede for me. Strictly speaking, I’m here to cooperate with your work… First of all, I absolutely admit that my friend’s behavior was wrong; secondly, I also affirm your actions. This society needs fairness and justice. Their illegal operations not only damage the ecological environment, but are also unfair to those law-abiding guesthouse owners… So, I called you hoping you could help me meet with this friend so I can persuade him to hand over all his illegal gains… He might not realize the seriousness of the matter yet, so we need someone he trusts to convey this message to him, to make him feel the crisis… That way, your work will be easier, right?”

"The difficulty in the interrogation right now is that many innkeepers are unwilling to cooperate, but we definitely have ways to confirm it..."

"If they are willing to confess voluntarily, why waste police resources... Moreover, the so-called policy is people-oriented, so please give them a chance to admit their mistakes."

After a moment of contemplation, Wang Xiaoling said, "Let me call and ask my superiors. In principle, suspects are not allowed to meet with relatives and friends during the investigation."

"Then I'll wait for your news."

"Um."

...

I sat not far from the police station, anxiously waiting; in the meantime, I sent Tie Nan's real name to Wang Xiaoling via text message, and in my mind, I was trying to figure out if I had any chance of meeting Tie Nan.

Based on my conversation with Wang Xiaoling, none of the innkeepers are willing to confess yet. So time is of the essence for both Tie Nan and me. If someone gives in before Tie Nan, then Tie Nan's situation won't be as optimistic as the first person to confess.

Ten minutes later, Wang Xiaoling called me back. She said she could meet Tie Nan, but only for ten minutes. She asked me to wait for her because she had to be involved in the whole process.

...

There is a difference between female police officers and women. At least Wang Xiaoling can tell how long "a while" is. She arrived in fifteen minutes, while for most women, "a while" has no absolute time limit. I once waited for an hour and a half because of Yang Sisi's "a while," and that is by no means an exaggeration.

Although it wasn't her working hours, Wang Xiaoling still put on her police uniform, probably to tell me the seriousness of the matter and to warn me not to try anything funny in front of her.

I can understand her behavior because she volunteered for this task, and if anything goes wrong, she will be the first person held accountable.

Under the blazing sunlight, I squinted and said to her, "Thank you so much, Officer Wang!"

"This is my duty, and I hope you can persuade your friend well... As far as I know, these guesthouse owners have anticipated the risks in advance, so they have all agreed to say the same thing: they only admit that the guesthouses are sold to tourists on a short-term rental basis, and they haven't made any money at all... But that's not the result the higher-ups want. The symbolic significance of this operation is far greater than its practical significance; otherwise, protecting Erhai Lake will really just become an empty slogan."

After a brief pause, Wang Xiaoling continued, "Of course, we're not trying to intimidate them by wrongly convicting these innkeepers... They know better than anyone whether they're operating for the public or just offering short-term rentals... We'll collect relevant witness testimonies and physical evidence. It's not difficult, except for the workload. Once we have all the evidence, we'll consider transferring some particularly egregious cases to the procuratorate for judicial processing."

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!