His tense square face revealed a sinister aura.
Suddenly, as if he noticed something, he stopped, raised his head and looked around.
"Go!" Ji Bai shouted in a low voice. At Su Mu's command, several nimble figures emerged from various corners and rushed towards Chen Yong. Chen Yong reacted very quickly. When he heard the hurried and dense footsteps around him, he ran away without even looking back! But how could the detectives give him a chance? A young criminal police officer slammed into Chen Yong head-on, and other criminal police officers swarmed over and pinned Chen Yong to the ground in an instant.
This thunderous scene stunned the proprietress at the door and also frightened passers-by.
"Catch the criminal!"
"Catching a thief!"
"Wanted criminal! He must be a wanted criminal! This posture!"
People stepped back and surrounded the entrance of the hotel, standing still to watch.
"Behave yourself!" Su Mu shouted with a sullen face, and several criminal police surrounded Chen Yong and took him into the car. Ji Bai walked forward and talked to Su Mu in a low voice.
Yao Meng also came out of the car and looked at Chen Yong coldly.
"This is also a police officer! So beautiful." Someone nearby said loudly, and many people looked over. Yao Meng's face felt slightly hot, and she subconsciously glanced at the people around her. Just then, she was stunned.
In the outermost crowd on the left, a tall and thin man was staring at Chen Yong who was being escorted into the car, with a very ugly expression on his face. He had a black bag on his shoulder, but Chen Yong had no bag on him.
After standing there for only a few seconds, he quickly turned around and walked quickly towards an alley in front.
"Stop!" Yao Meng shouted. The man froze and ran away.
Ji Bai and Su Mu turned around at the same time when they heard Yao Meng's voice. The next second, Ji Bai turned around and chased after her, and Su Mu followed closely behind.
Once you enter the alley, it is completely different from the noisy streets outside. The street lights were dim and the ground was narrow and rugged. There were only a few passers-by. When they saw the man and Yao Meng running at full speed one after the other, they were so scared that they retreated against the wall.
Yao Meng listened to the powerful footsteps behind him, and his rapidly beating heart seemed to be injected with new energy. He had a strong urge to catch the gangster with his own hands right in front of him. She was the sprint champion in the police academy. She gritted her teeth and sped up almost beyond her limit, closing in behind the man.
The man heard the sound of strong wind behind him and started to panic. He turned around suddenly and saw a very beautiful girl. He was angry, scared and incredulous. He took out a dagger from his pocket and stabbed Yao Meng!
"Ah!" The two middle school students nearby screamed in fright. Yao Meng was blocked by them and couldn't dodge in time. Looking at the sharp dagger in the man's hand, she was a little afraid to reach out to block it.
Is Ji Bai right behind her?
During this moment of distraction, I felt a sharp pain in my left shoulder; the dagger had already penetrated.
At the same moment, she felt the man's breath suddenly approaching from behind her. "Let go!" Ji Bai shouted sternly, and had already twisted the man's wrist and pinned him to the wall.
Ji Bai turned around, glanced at her quickly, frowned and said in a deep voice: "Su Mu, call a doctor!"
Yao Meng pressed the wound on her shoulder with one hand: "No, it's okay!"
——
Police lights were flashing, and almost half of the street was blocked by the crowd of onlookers, making it pitch black. The detectives all got into their cars and left one by one.
Yao Meng was sitting in a van with the door half open, and a doctor was treating her wounds.
Half of my shoulder was exposed, it was slightly cold and very painful. But within that pain, there seemed to be waves of indescribable throbbing.
Su Mu was the first to walk to the car and glanced at her shoulder: "Are you okay? Fortunately, Captain Ji subdued her in time, otherwise the knife would have pierced her bones."
The doctor also said it was a close call.
Several young detectives came over, looked at her wounds, and whispered their concerns, some of them even blushing. This made Yao Meng feel a little embarrassed, but also a little complacent. Because their eyes always drifted to her white shoulders from time to time, but she couldn't hide them because she was treating the wound.
"How is the wound?" A deep voice sounded, and Ji Bai's tall figure appeared beside the car. As soon as his eyes touched her shoulder, he quickly looked away and turned his body slightly to the side, and his face was blocked by the car door.
"It's okay." Yao Meng replied softly.
"Yao Meng is very strong," the doctor praised.
"That's good." Ji Bai said gently, "You performed very well today."
His footsteps faded away, and Yao Meng thought, he was so different, so different.
——
Ji Bai and others interrogated the two prisoners overnight, and Chen Yong confessed to his crimes. At the same time, they also obtained more valuable clues - their superior "Lu Ge" will soon transport a batch of "goods" to the province for transit.
Ji Bai immediately reported the situation to the provincial department and municipal bureau, and at the same time planned a larger-scale arrest operation with Su Mu and others.
The local police took Chen Yong to the crime scene for identification. The villagers watched curiously, just like in previous days.
But when they saw the cold and disdainful expression on Chen Yong's face, and saw Ma Rongrong's deaf and mute parents making hoarse and indistinct sounds as they grabbed Chen Yong and beat him, they all fell silent. A young man who witnessed the corpse that day was the first to rush forward and kicked Chen Yong hard. Later, all the young and strong men surrounded him and beat Chen Yong until he was almost dead. Even Zhang Zhuangzhi rushed up and kicked him, and the police couldn't stop him. Later Chen Yong was sentenced to death.
——
While Ji Bai was fighting day and night on the front line, Xu Xu's work and life were very peaceful.
She didn't feel any "worry" and didn't call or text him again so as not to affect his work. However, she noticed that the number of times she thought of Ji Bai was gradually increasing.
The first day is 2 times, the second day is 5 times, and the third day is 8 times. Of course, compared to 24 hours, 1440 minutes and 86,400 seconds in a day, brief absences of mind for only a few seconds each time are nothing at all. But this was the first time in Xu Xu's life that she thought of someone so frequently (except for the suspect, who she could think of 24 hours a day).
That afternoon, Old Wu took over from Ji Bai and convened a regular team meeting. Old Wu said: "Team Ji has solved the case..."
Then Xu Xu thought of Ji Bai again, and thought of his stern expression and cold eyes whenever he interrogated the prisoners.
So handsome.
Then she was named.
"Da Hu, Xu Xu, the provincial department has requested additional personnel for this case, and the director specifically asked the two of you to support Team Ji."
——
At midnight that day, Da Hu and Xu Xu arrived at Xiangchuan County. Da Hu is one of the best catching experts in the team, and Xu Xu is a psychological expert. Psychological comfort is very important for victims of trafficking, so these two people were named.
A young man came to pick them up: "Captain Ji is still in a meeting with Captain Su. Yao Meng is injured and resting in the dormitory."
When Xu Xu was in the car on the way to the County Public Security Bureau, Ji Bai had just finished a meeting.
Everyone sighed that they could finally go home and have a good sleep, as tomorrow would be another round of fierce battle.
Su Mu said, "Captain Ji hasn't had a good sleep these past few days, go upstairs and get some rest early."
The Public Security Bureau office building was built in the 1990s. At that time, it was fashionable to reserve a few guest rooms on the top floor for receiving senior leaders. Ji Bai and Yao Meng each occupied a standard double room.
Ji Bai smiled and nodded: "I'll leave in a while."
Everyone left quickly, and Ji Bai sat alone in the empty office, waiting with his eyes closed.
The little one will be here tonight.
Did she know that he was waiting for her?
——
The young man did not take Xu Xu and the other person to the office. Instead, he went straight to the door of the guest room and said, "The meeting is over. Everyone has gone home. You should rest first."
Da Hu poked his head in and said, "Hey, Captain Ji hasn't come back yet. Xu Xu, go see Yao Meng and express everyone's concern to her. It's too late today, I'll see her tomorrow."
Xu Xu nodded.
She tiptoed into the guest room where they were resting. The room was dark. She turned on the light in the corridor, only to find Yao Meng's bed empty.
——
Xu Xu put away his luggage and made the bed, but Yao Meng didn't show up. There was no movement in the corridor outside the door, and it sounded like Ji Bai hadn't come back yet.
Xu Xu wanted to sleep, but his brain was inexplicably clear, and he felt that he missed him a little and couldn't help thinking about him. So he dressed neatly, took out a stack of information from his bag, circled a few pieces of information that might be valuable to the case as a disguise, and got up and went downstairs.
It was already very late at night, and the sky over the small county town was exceptionally bright, with the stars shining brightly and clearly. There was only one room with the light on on the entire floor, reflecting the dark corridor, and there was no sound at all. Xu Xu's heartbeat quickened a little, and he subconsciously slowed down his pace. Just as he reached the window, he glanced sideways and stopped.
The lighting in the huge office was soft. Looking past the many messy desks, Ji Bai was sitting at a table against the wall. He closed his eyes, his handsome face leaning slightly against the leather chair, his chest rising and falling steadily, and he had fallen asleep. Yao Meng squatted on one knee in front of him, one step away, staring at him intently.
She was wearing a white shirt and black trousers, her long hair fell on her shoulders like silk, and her eyes were shining brightly on her pretty profile.
Xu Xu was about to greet her, but saw her slowly lower her face and approach Ji Bai's slender hand hanging beside the chair. It was like I pressed my face against the back of his hand, yet it was like there was still a little distance between us.
The posture is so humble and pious, full of love.
After maintaining this posture for a few seconds, Yao Meng stood up and tiptoed out of the office. She looked so preoccupied that she didn't even notice Xu Xu standing by the window, and went upstairs from the other end of the corridor.
Xu Xu was silent for a moment, then opened the door and walked in. When he turned around, for some unknown reason, he locked the door.
His eye sockets were a little sunken, and there was some dark stubble on his chin. Must he be extremely tired that he fell into a deep sleep?
Xu Xu dragged a chair and sat down opposite him, with his hands placed neatly on the armrests, staring at him with a serious expression.
After staring for a while, he habitually tapped the back of the chair with his right fingers.
When you have knocked 142 times, stop.
She walked back to the window, looked out, made sure there was no one there, and then walked back to Ji Bai. Her heart was beating as fast as a drum and her face was burning as if it was on fire. She also knew that what she was about to do was wrong, and it was equivalent to sexual harassment, but...
With the lightest movement, she lifted the back of Ji Bai's other hand, brought it to her mouth, and touched it lightly.
Well, I feel much better.
☆、33
Ji Bai was too tired, so he fell into a deep dream.
In the dream, the sunlight was dazzling. He was sitting lazily in front of a pond with willows swaying in the wind, with a fishing rod at his feet. A slender girl was squatting on the ground with her back to him, concentrating on doing something, making a lot of noise, including ding-dong-dong and hua-hua-la.
After a while, the girl suddenly turned around and threw a large, silver-shining fish to him: "Master, you have worked hard investigating the case! Here is a fish for you."
It turned out to be Xu Xu catching fish.
The slippery fish scales rubbed against his hands, feeling wet, soft and a little itchy.
He looked down at the half-dead fish on the back of his hand, then looked up at her: "I won't eat it."
Xu Xu was surprised: "Why?"
He looked into her wet, dark, yet clear eyes: "Men only want to eat women, why eat fish!"
"oh……"
Xu Xu, Master wants to eat you. Eat early or late, you have to eat anyway.
…
"Captain Ji hasn't left yet? Hey, why is the door locked?"
A vague sound came into my ears. Ji Bai woke up with a start. The sunny pond, Xu Xu and the fish in front of him had all disappeared.
——
Su Mu left his keys in the office and turned back to get them. Seeing that the lights in the office were still on, he raised his hand to greet him. But when I turned the door lock, it didn't move.
Just as he was suspicious, the door opened from the inside, and a strange girl looked at him with a blushing face: "Hello... please come in." When he looked over again, Ji Bai was standing up from the chair, his eyes still staring at the girl, with a smile on his face.
Su Mu heard from his subordinates today that Ji Bai has a girlfriend in Lin City, who seems to be also from the Municipal Bureau. Now seeing this scene: the middle of the night, a locked office, a man and a woman alone, what else is there to not understand... Come on, he came at a really bad time.
When Ji Bai saw his expression, he knew there was a misunderstanding. Glancing at the extra chair in front of him and the clock on the wall - it was obvious that Xu Xu had been here for some time.
She had been sitting quietly beside him? No wonder Su Mu misunderstood.
The smile on his lips deepened... He could pursue her patiently and low-key, but he would not be responsible for the misunderstanding she caused herself.
He walked up to her and said in a softer tone, "Xu Xu, this is Captain Su, calling for help."
To Su Mu, these words were clearly the tone of a man commanding his woman. How could he be uncertain? He was, after all, a detective with excellent investigative abilities in Xiangchuan County, so he smiled cheerfully and said, "You're welcome! Is this my sister-in-law? Hello! I'll take the key and leave."
The moment Su Mu suddenly appeared, Xu Xu was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat. He immediately let go of Ji Bai's hand and ran to open the door. I caught a glimpse of Ji Bai from the corner of my eye and saw that he looked normal, so I felt relieved. Hearing Su Mu's words, she replied politely: "Hello, Captain Su! I am Xu Xu from the Municipal Bureau, you are wrong..." Before she finished speaking, Ji Bai's low voice interrupted her: "When did you arrive?"
"About ten minutes ago." Xu Xu replied calmly, "You fell asleep, so I didn't wake you up. I checked the information."
While the two were talking, Su Mu had already taken the key from the table: "Goodbye."
——
The night is getting darker and quieter. The two walked back along the aisle step by step.
Xu Xu was exceptionally silent.
Ji Bai put his hands in his trouser pockets and followed her slow pace.
In fact, when I was busy with the case, I never thought about her at all. But the moment he saw her, some kind of emotion belonging to "Xu Xu" emerged from his heart, very soft, and a little hot, even hotter than before, comforting him all over.
The little guy didn't go to bed late at night, so he ran to the office to find him first. The relationship between a master and his apprentice does not include the feeling of being separated for three years after not seeing them for a day. Even if she is still ignorant, how could she not have him in her heart?
Of course, the case has not been solved yet, so it is not the time to consider personal feelings. But as a man, his feelings for her were more certain and stronger than before. Even if I don't break this layer of paper immediately, it's time to make her aware of its existence.
So he glanced at her thin shoulders and said calmly, "Aren't you cold wearing so little?" Without waiting for her to answer, he raised his arm from behind and put it on her...
"Boss!" A cheerful voice came from the end of the corridor, and Da Hu strode out of the darkness. "I've been waiting for you for a long time and you didn't come back. Is Xu Xu here too?"
Ji Bai…put his arm down from mid-air with a normal look on his face.
——
When Ji Bai finished taking a shower, it was already past two in the morning. As soon as he lay down in bed, he heard the big beard on the bed opposite him ask, "Boss, are you and Xu Xu in a relationship?"
Ji Bai put his arms behind his head, a smile on his face in the darkness, and said calmly: "Focus on investigating the case! Why would you think about these things?"
Da Hu: "Oh. Then I misread it just now. I thought you were going to hug Xu Xu, but I interrupted you."
Ji Bai smiled faintly and said nothing.
After a while, Da Hu said quietly, "That's good. Xiao Xie from the Bureau's Cultural Heritage Department asked me about Xu Xu a few days ago. He said that if she didn't have a boyfriend, he would pursue her. So I can give him a definite answer."
Ji Bai was silent for a moment, then answered calmly: "Then you should give him a definite answer - Ji Bai also wants to pursue her, so let him think it over carefully."
Da Hu was stunned for a moment and then burst into laughter. Ji Bai also laughed, and after a while he said, "Xu Xu is shy, don't make trouble in front of her."
"clear!"
In the next room, when Xu Xu walked in, there was a dim light left on in the corridor for her. Yao Meng's face was buried deep in the pillow, curled up, and it seemed that she was fast asleep.
Xu Xu also went to bed quietly.
——
The next morning, news came that "Lu Ge" was about to appear in Shangshui Township, Ziyuan County, hundreds of kilometers away. As the commander-in-chief of the action team, Ji Bai led all police officers to Ziyuan.
In his and Xu Xu's hearts, it was only natural that the case was not solved and their love was put on hold. So when we get along again, we naturally return to the efficient and simple partnership mode without any distractions.
The provincial department attached great importance to this case and specially dispatched Deputy Director Liu Ying to supervise and guide this operation. She is a woman in her forties. Although she is no longer on the front line, she was once a well-known criminal investigation expert in the province, especially with rich experience in human trafficking cases. The night they arrived at Ziyuan, they immediately held a meeting to deploy the arrest operation for the next day.
There are many rumors about "Lu Ge". It is said that he has dozens of subordinates, working in dozens of provinces across the country. He not only engages in human trafficking, but is also involved in drugs. The criminal group has begun to take shape. Moreover, this man was extremely vicious and ruthless. Many of his "undisciplined" subordinates or victims were shot to death by him personally and their bodies were abandoned in the wilderness. So it is very likely that he was carrying a gun this time. Director Liu specifically reminded everyone to act with caution and not let "Lu Ge" escape.
——
On the day of the operation, the weather was gloomy and the surroundings were quiet.
"Lu Ge" settled down in a farm on the east side of the town. Looking through a telescope across the woods, an inconspicuous three-story white building stands quietly among the undulating rice fields.
"Action!" Ji Bai gave an order, and several police officers, led by him, quickly approached the small building from all directions and surrounded it in an instant. Da Hu was the first to break open the door and rush in. At this time, the second and third floors were obviously no longer quiet, and people could be vaguely seen gathering in front of the windows. After a while, a man on the second floor opened the window and jumped down. He was caught by the police downstairs as soon as he landed.
Ji Bai and others attacked like tigers out of their cages. Director Liu, Xu Xu, Yao Meng and others also came downstairs in police cars. For a moment, the alarm bells rang loudly and the sound was overwhelming. Soon, criminal police escorted the suspect out of the building, and a dozen trapped young women and children were also escorted out. The oldest is twenty-five or twenty-six years old, and the youngest is two or three years old.
Ji Bai led a team of people to search every room on the third floor.
"Safe!" "Safe!" everyone reported in a deep voice.
"Boss, we have arrested eight suspects in total and put them all in the car." Da Hu said, "We have rescued thirteen victims, eight women and five children. But..." He paused and said, "After a preliminary check of the suspects' identities, there is no 'Lu Ge'. They said 'Lu Ge' changed his plan temporarily and did not come to Shangshui Township."
"Damn! He ran away!" Su Mu sighed heavily.
Da Hu also said helplessly: "Director Liu will be furious now."
Ji Bai didn't say anything. He stared at the room in front of him in deep thought. Seeing that he looked strange, Da Hu and Su Mu also became alert.
There are two rooms on the third floor, and all the victims just now were rescued from here. At that time, several criminals were staying on the second floor drinking and eating. But the room in front of him was obviously much neater and cleaner than the other one, and the sheets looked new. There was also a small square table in the room, with a few dishes on it, an overturned wine glass, and some residual wine splashed on the table.
Ji Bai lowered his head and sniffed the table: "Moutai. The people downstairs are drinking rice wine."
Da Husumu was stunned.
"Damn, we're receiving the leader!" Da Hu said excitedly.
Ji Bai walked to the bed again, lowered his head and looked carefully for a while, then picked up a long hair with his gloved hand. I squatted down again and looked at the ground. There was a narrow footprint with some mud on it.
After a while, he stood up and looked at the two bearded men sternly. "Long hair, high heels, 165-175cm tall, thin body—'Brother Lu' is a woman. Immediately notify Director Liu and Xu Xu that she is among the victims."
——
Shangshui Township is not big to begin with, and the noise of the police car alarmed the surrounding villagers, and the crowd of onlookers grew larger and larger.
The arrest operation has been completed. In order to protect the victim to the greatest extent, according to the plan, Xu Xu, Yao Meng and others, together with several criminal police officers, will escort the victim back to the police station first.
A total of two vans were used to transport the victims. Yao Meng and two detectives took one car, and Xu Xu took another. Xu Xu helped several girls and children into the car. When he looked up, he saw two adult women following Yao Meng into another car.
Xu Xu looked at them and felt that something was a little wrong. But I can’t say what it is specifically.
At this time, Director Liu and a criminal police officer came over and said as they walked: "Leave the rest to Xiao Ji. I will help him take care of the rear and comfort the victims." He looked up at Xu Xu and said: "Are you Xu Xu? Come on, let's talk on the way."
——
The van drove along a short section of national highway and entered the town. There were more and more cars, farm vehicles, pedestrians and even livestock, and the scene was noisy and chaotic. The vehicles had to slow down and the distance between the two vans gradually widened.
Director Liu was calling the provincial department leader: "It's a pity that 'Brother Lu' was not caught... That's right! We must continue to issue a nationwide manhunt, and we must not let him go unpunished!"
After hanging up the phone, Director Liu turned to look at Xu Xu: "You are Yang Qinglin's junior sister, right?"
Xu Xu was slightly startled and nodded.
Yang Qinglin is her senior in the Department of Criminal Psychology. That was the person who seemed to have confessed his love to her that year.
Director Liu smiled: "Qinglin is now a key talent introduced by the provincial department. His criminal psychology analysis has played a very critical role in several major cases. But he said that your level is higher than his. He is a person who does not speak or lie, and he only admires you. I am personally very interested in the application of criminal psychology in China. If there is a chance, we can call Qinglin and have a good chat."
Director Liu's words were already considered to be favored by the leader, but to her surprise, Xu Xu did not reply. She lowered her head, not knowing what she was thinking. Suddenly he looked up at Director Liu and said, "Director Liu, I suspect that 'Lu Ge' is a woman. She pretended to be a victim and got into the car in front."
Director Liu was startled, his face darkened: "Why?"
Xu Xu mentioned one of the young women he had just seen, and then said, "She was wearing two-inch high heels, her hair was a little wet, her nails were just trimmed and the nail polish was bright and clean, and her coat didn't fit her well."
After she said this, Director Liu looked at the other women in the back car: all of them had dirty faces, and it looked like they hadn't changed their clothes for a few days. They were all wearing sneakers or flat shoes, and some were simply not wearing shoes - this group of victims had been sold to Shangshui Township after traveling thousands of miles, and had already suffered torture.
At this moment, Director Liu's phone rang. It was Ji Bai: "Director Liu, we suspect that Brother Lu is among the victims. He may be carrying a gun. Be careful. Stay calm and don't alert the enemy. We will be here soon."
Director Liu and Xu Xu looked up at the same time. The town road in front of them was bustling with people. A van in front of them turned a corner and drove into the fork in the road.
"Call immediately! Don't alert the suspect!" Director Liu ordered in a deep voice.
The criminal police in another car received the call and was quite surprised: "It's bad! We just parked the car. A child was crying and making a fuss about going to the toilet. Now Yao Meng is accompanying the child and another woman to the toilet. Yes, that woman has long hair and seems to be wearing high heels!"
Xu Xu immediately took out her cell phone and the first thing she saw was a text message from Ji Bai: "Be careful." She didn't reply, but immediately called Yao Meng. Yao Meng was still calm when she answered the phone: "Xu Xu, what's the matter?"
Three minutes later, everyone rushed to the outside of the public toilet. Yao Meng, with a pale face, was standing there holding a child. In the public toilet behind her, a window on one side was smashed open, and "Lu Ge" had disappeared long ago.
Director Liu stared at Yao Meng with a sullen expression: "What are you doing?"
☆、34
In the early morning, heavy rain pounded against the window frames, and the whole town was shrouded in a gloomy mist.
In the meeting room of the county public security bureau, the core criminal police officers sat solemnly around a long black table.
The operation was very fruitful. Over the past few days, more than 30 suspects were arrested and more than 40 victims were rescued. But "Lu Ge" is still like looking for a needle in a haystack, and his whereabouts are still unknown.
The Public Security Department issued instructions, issuing a province-wide wanted order and conducting a large-scale manhunt. The mission of the action team led by Ji Bai has come to an end for the time being and they will be disbanded today. Everyone will return to their posts and wait for instructions.
After Ji Bai finished his brief summary report, he invited Director Liu to speak to everyone.
Director Liu has always been well-known in the provincial public security department for his swift and decisive actions, and this time is no exception.
After affirming the achievements and value of this operation, she changed the subject: "But this operation cannot be said to be successful. It can even be said that it failed at the last moment. 'Lu Ge', the gangster named by the Ministry of Public Security, escaped from under our noses due to the negligence of some comrades."
The sound of rain was as dense as drumbeats, and the whole office seemed even quieter.
Yao Meng sat up straight, her face turning red and white.
Director Liu's eyes stopped on her and he said bluntly, "Yao Meng, I made an exception and allowed trainee police officers like you and Xu Xu to participate in the operation because I hope you can play your professional role. However, Lu Ge was in your car, but you didn't notice it at all, and let her go into the toilet alone and escape easily. I cannot tolerate such a mistake. After I go back, I will ask your director to punish the person responsible for this matter. I also hope that you will reflect on it, improve your professionalism in the future, and never let similar mistakes happen again."
Yao Meng's tears welled up in her eyes and she lowered her head, "...Yes, Director Liu."
Director Liu was always critical of the matter, not the person. After criticizing the girl, he saw how aggrieved she was, and his anger subsided. He said to Ji Bai, "I have no objection. Let's adjourn the meeting."
Ji Bai raised his eyes to look at her and said in a deep voice: "I don't agree to punish Yao Meng."
Everyone was quiet, only the sound of rain outside the window could be heard.
Yao Meng looked up in a daze, looking at Ji Bai with tearful eyes. He sat not far from her, with the dim sky outside the window behind him, and his face was so calm and determined.
Director Liu had a sullen face and said nothing. Ji Bai pretended not to notice and continued to speak calmly, "Yao Meng was indeed negligent in this matter. But she is a trainee police officer after all and lacks practical experience. Considering her overall performance in this operation, I think her performance is basically excellent."
The room became even quieter, and many young detectives did not dare to make a sound. The veteran detectives all remained calm, as if they were unaware of the tense atmosphere at the scene.
At this time, Da Hu coughed lightly and muttered, "I agree with Captain Ji's opinion." Xu Xu nodded, "I agree too." Her voice was clearer than Da Hu's.
Yao Meng sat between the two of them, with her head lowered.
Director Liu glanced at them and then stared at Ji Bai: "According to what you said, are we going to let the responsibility of letting Brother Lu escape go?"
Ji Bai: "I am the commander-in-chief of the operation. If you want to hold me accountable, I will bear the responsibility."
Director Liu threw the notebook in his hand and said, "Ji Bai! Do you really think I can't punish you?"
Ji Bai remained silent with a calm expression. No one else said anything, and the atmosphere in the office suddenly became extremely tense.
Suddenly, Yao Meng choked up and raised her head: "It's my responsibility. If you want to punish me, punish me. It has nothing to do with him... or the boss."
The room grew increasingly quiet, with only Yao Meng's very quiet sobs being heard.
At this time, another cadre from the Provincial Department laughed: "Look how scared the little girl is, don't cry... Ji Bai, Director Liu is so strict just to improve the quality of your Lin City team. In the Provincial Department, it is Director Liu who praises you the most. How could he really punish you, little junior brother?" Ji Bai and Director Liu both graduated from the Criminal Investigation Department of the People's Public Security University, so they can be considered as classmates.
He looked at Director Liu again: "I think what Ji Bai said makes sense. How about we go back and discuss it?"
Ji Bai nodded: "You are right, I was too aggressive and didn't pay attention to the way I spoke. Director Liu, please calm down."
Director Liu was also angry just now, but now seeing Ji Bai's calm gaze, his anger was somewhat subdued. He just said with a stern face: "Dismiss!"
——
Director Liu returned to the province by car that afternoon, and Ji Bai personally drove him part of the way. Director Liu didn't look kind to him all the way, but he smiled in the end: "Okay, I accept your opinion and won't mention any punishment. But you have to go to the provincial department to report this matter yourself."
"No problem, I'll do as you say. As soon as I get back to Lin City, I'll go to the provincial government and plead guilty."
"You kid... tell Yao Meng that this is who I am. My tone was a bit harsh today. Tell her not to feel burdened."
——
As soon as the provincial leaders left, the atmosphere among the remaining people immediately became much more relaxed. Su Mu suggested that they host a lunch with local specialties for Ji Bai and others. After a night's rest, we will send a car to take them back to Lin City early tomorrow morning.
The location was set at a restaurant by the river, very close to the police station.
The rain still didn't stop. When Yao Meng arrived, only Su Mu, Ji Bai, Da Hu and two other criminal police officers were sitting by the window. The others had not arrived yet.
After Yao Meng was criticized today, people who were more familiar with her came to comfort her. Most of the unfamiliar detectives had a look of gentle comfort in their eyes. But this is not important to her, what is important is Ji Bai. Although I was sad, the sadness became sweet when I thought of his attitude today.
The Xiangchuan police hosted the party and everyone in Lin City took their seats. The chair to Ji Bai's right was still empty. Yao Meng's heart beat faster and she walked around Da Hu. Who knew that as soon as he walked behind Da Hu, he reached out and pulled him to his side: "Hey, that seat is taken, you sit over here."
Before Yao Meng could react, the other men all laughed, as if they understood each other tacitly. Ji Bai smiled faintly and said nothing, but he didn't deny anything.
Yao Meng's mind was a little confused, and her temples were throbbing with an unbearable pain.
After a while, Xu Xu came, looking calm, and sat next to Ji Bai very naturally. Because Da Hu had warned people not to make a fuss, everyone stopped laughing and pretended not to see anything.
The dinner was a great pleasure for both the host and the guests. During the meal, a young criminal police officer got drunk and lost himself in thought. He said to Xu Xu with a thick tongue: "Sister-in-law, I toast to you!"
Xu Xu wanted to explain, but Ji Bai pulled her sleeve calmly and said, "They are all drunk. Let them be. We will be back tomorrow anyway."
Yao Meng couldn't hear their conversation, so she didn't eat much or talk much during the meal, but she always had a smile on her face.
——
In the afternoon, the rain got heavier and it became as dark as night.
This time they stayed in a hotel in the county, each with a room. A group of criminal police found a room to play cards and made a lot of noise. Xu Xu drank a glass of white wine in total, and as soon as he returned to his room, he fell asleep.
Yao Meng sat in front of the window of her room, looking at the heavy rain and listening to Ji Bai's room next door, which was quiet. After a while, she got up and went out.
——
Ji Bai opened the door and was slightly startled when he saw Yao Meng.
She was dressed lightly, in a thin white shirt and simple trousers. She seemed to have been caught in the rain, her long wet hair fell on her shoulders and her face was pale. Looking at him, my eyes were filled with silent and surging emotions.
"Ji Bai." She called softly.
The sound of rain was dripping, and the police compound in the small county town seemed even more empty and silent in the heavy rain.
Ji Bai stared into her eyes and said, "Yao Meng, you are an excellent talent with very comprehensive abilities. As your superior and colleague, I will spare no effort to help you achieve greater success in your work. Other than that, I have no other thoughts about you."
Yao Meng looked at him in a daze, feeling a little humiliated. But she asked knowingly, asking a question that was even more humiliating: "Do you have someone in your heart?"
"have."
——
After closing the door, Ji Bai walked into the room.
Da Hu had been watching the game in his room. He heard most of the noise at the door but didn't say anything. After a while, he said, "Yao Meng is a good girl in other aspects, but she has too many ideas and too many twists and turns, which are actually unnecessary."
Ji Bai nodded and said, "Don't tell anyone about what happened just now."
"I know." Da Hu understood that Ji Bai wanted to save the girl's face.
The two watched the game for a while, and Da Hu suddenly hummed a song in a rough voice: "There is only you in my heart, not her, you have to believe that my sincerity is not fake..."
Ji Bai suddenly laughed.
——
As dusk falls, everyone gathers in the courtyard to visit Xiangchuan City at night. Da Hu went to knock on Yao Meng's door, and she said she was tired and didn't want to go.
The air was fresh after the rain, and although the ground was still wet, there were more and more pedestrians on the street. A group of energetic, tall and strong men surrounded Xu Xu and Ji Bai, attracting the attention of many passers-by. Ji Bai looked indifferent. Xu Xu was slightly embarrassed. He lowered his head and walked quietly. Gradually, his presence faded away.
After walking for almost ten minutes, everyone was warm.
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