Chapter 95: His stepmother was arrested; he'd go call the police right away and send her to jail…
The next morning, Qiu Xiaoman got up early, ate breakfast, and called Li Tuantuan to go to the base to report for duty.
Shen Tenglong was already waiting at the door. Upon seeing Qiu Xiaoman, he couldn't help but speak well of his uncle. As he drove, he muttered, "Uncle originally wanted to drink when he got home last night, but I reminded him that he was going to open a detective agency today. If he drank and messed things up, how could he help you? He immediately put down his glass. Little sister, your uncle cares about you."
Qiu Xiaoman ignored him, but Shen Tenglong continued, "Uncle got up early this morning. He personally bought the steamed buns on your seat. Why don't you try some?"
Qiu Xiaoman saw this, picked up a steamed bun, and stuffed it into Li Tuantuan's hand: "You eat it, I'm full."
Li Tuantuan could tell she was in a bad mood, so he obediently picked up a steamed bun and had another meal.
Seeing that she remained unmoved, Shen Tenglong had no choice but to say something crucial: "My uncle asked me to tell you that he's going to call the police and pick up your aunt from the mental hospital to send her to jail. You might ask, since your aunt already has a mental illness diagnosis, even if your uncle reports her, it probably won't do any good, right? But my uncle told me to tell you not to worry, he'll find a way to prove that the medical record is invalid."
"Isn't he afraid of going to jail for harboring a criminal?" Qiu Xiaoman finally asked.
This gave Shen Tenglong a glimmer of hope, and he breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "It's only natural that your uncle thinks your aunt is sick. He was afraid that your aunt would continue to hurt you, so he sent her to a mental hospital. This time is perfect for gathering evidence."
Fine, Qiu Xiaoman was speechless. She had already come up with a reason. She really was a businesswoman; her mind was very quick.
If Shen Qinghuai really defends himself from this perspective, the police are very likely to believe him. After all, Liang Yuting is his wife, and it is normal for him not to believe that his wife would try to harm his eldest daughter and to suspect that she has a mental illness.
Qiu Xiaoman closed her eyes, not wanting to continue Shen Tenglong's conversation.
What she's more concerned with now is what exactly made Shen Qinghuai change his mind.
After going through the recent events in her mind, she couldn't find a reasonable explanation. She could only keep this question mark deep in her heart and slowly observe his every move in the future.
At the next intersection, Qiu Xiaoman instructed, "Go to the Criminal Investigation Department, I have something to do."
Otherwise, she wouldn't have set off so early, it's still early.
Shen Tenglong didn't ask her what she was going to do, and continued to speak well of his uncle all the way.
Annoyed, Qiu Xiaoman immediately switched to something else to shut him up: "Alright, instead of worrying about others, why don't you go back and help me look for anything my second brother used or any clothes he wore? A missing person isn't necessarily dead. I'll find him, whether he's alive or dead—that's my principle. Hurry up and get me something with his scent. When I'm free sometime this Sunday, I'll take the dogs to Miyun Reservoir. Maybe we can find him. My aunt will be overjoyed then!"
Shen Tenglong was quite surprised. He looked at Qiu Xiaoman in the rearview mirror in astonishment: "Really? So many years have passed. Even if he's still alive, won't his scent change?"
Qiu Xiaoman sighed, "It's hard to say. If his living environment has changed drastically, the scent could very well change. Also, if the remaining scent on the items you've kept isn't enough for the dog to track him, then you'll just be disappointed. But I'm the kind of person who likes to do my best and leave the rest to fate. I should at least look for it, don't you think?"
Shen Tenglong excitedly agreed: "Okay, after you go to work, I'll go home and look for it. There's a box in my room with all the clothes he wore before he disappeared, untouched. Also, his pillow and the books he used are all there."
"Where are the shoes you wore?" Qiu Xiaoman was happy to change the subject. Shoes retain their smell for a longer time, and if the person had smelly feet and the shoes hadn't been washed, that would be even better.
Shen Tenglong thought for a moment and said, "I haven't seen his sneakers for a while. My mom probably threw them away. I'll ask her when I get back."
"Okay, I'm going to take a nap. Don't talk." Qiu Xiaoman didn't want to hear him sing praises to Shen Qinghuai. She needed to figure out first whether Shen Qinghuai had figured things out on his own or for some other reason.
Although she would never forgive him in either case, she would feel much better if it was the former.
The car arrived at the entrance of the Criminal Investigation Department. The night shift workers had not yet left. Qiu Xiaoman got out of the car, leaving Shen and Li to wait for her at the entrance.
Team Leader Zou wasn't there at the moment, and the office was locked, but there was a women's restroom at the end of the corridor, so she went to the women's restroom window, found Lele's den, and whistled.
Lele didn't come over immediately. Instead, she flew around the torture lab building once before stopping at the window and reminding her, "Human, do you know someone is following you?"
"Following me?" Qiu Xiaoman frowned. "When?"
"It's been like this for the past few days, and it's still here now. Go and take a look at the other end of the corridor." Lele had already spotted the car that had been following them.
It was pitch black, making it easy to spot, because the man driving looked menacing and had a scar on his face; he was unforgettable.
Qiu Xiaoman quickly went to the other end of the corridor. The men's restroom was on this side, so she opened the window in the corridor, looked into the alley next to it, and asked, "Is this the place?"
“That’s right, right here. Look down.” Lele perched on Qiu Xiaoman’s shoulder and reminded her, “Be careful, don’t get caught.”
Qiu Xiaoman poked half her head out and, sure enough, saw a Mercedes-Benz.
These days, even buying a Santana requires a certain amount of financial resources; cars like Mercedes-Benz and BMW are simply unaffordable for ordinary families.
The people on the bus are important figures.
Qiu Xiaoman dislikes passive waiting. If these people were hired by the Liu family to kill her, she would rather confront them head-on than be secretly eliminated one day.
However, she couldn't alert them, so she instructed, "I'll stay upstairs for a while, and you can go and listen to what they're saying."
Ten minutes later, Lele returned and earnestly imitated what she was saying.
Qiu Xiaoman overheard them talking about "President Shen" and "Miss Shen," so she could basically conclude that these two people were invited by Shen Qinghuai.
She was very grateful to Lele, but unfortunately she had left in a hurry that morning and hadn't brought any food with her. She could only promise Lele that she would bring her some peanuts or other good things next time she came.
After going downstairs and getting back to her car, Qiu Xiaoman called Shen Qinghuai, getting straight to the point by giving him the license plate number, and then asked, "Did you tell them to follow me?"
It's about following, not tracking; the emotions implied are different.
Following is relatively neutral, while tracking sounds a bit scary.
Shen Qinghuai was a thoughtful person and keenly noticed the difference in word choice. He quickly confessed, "Dad was afraid something would happen to you, so he made this special arrangement. The Liu family hates you to the core, but there's nothing he can do. Good child, don't be angry. After the Liu family's matter is settled, if you don't like it, I'll tell them to stay away and not get in your way."
"Working is tough, don't take it out on them. They hid very well; it was my birds that noticed them." Qiu Xiaoman wasn't angry; she was just curious and asked, "When did you start having them protect me?"
“From the day you almost got hit at the intersection,” Shen Qinghuai said, forcing a smile. “Xiaoman, Dad is sorry. Dad just wants to make it up to you as much as he can.”
Qiu Xiaoman fell silent. What's the point of this old man doing these underhanded tricks instead of doing what he should be doing? Does he think he's the protagonist of some tragic drama?
fed up.
She took a deep breath and said, "Don't let them follow us. It's not appropriate. I'm a public servant; you're harming them."
“Then I…then I…” Shen Qinghuai’s mind worked quickly and he immediately thought of an alternative plan, “Then I’ll rent a shop near the courtyard, the base, and the criminal investigation building, so that if anything happens to you, they can get to your side to protect you in time.”
"I'm not that useless." Qiu Xiaoman didn't want him to do that. If every public official had to be followed and protected by a hundred or eighty people every time they went to work, wouldn't the world be in chaos?
Shen Qinghuai remained silent for a while before saying, "Okay, Dad believes you."
"Hmm." Qiu Xiaoman guessed he wouldn't listen, and would probably still rent a shop, but he just wouldn't let her know.
"Fine, let him do whatever he wants. She's not that free to meddle in everything." She instructed, "Send those two bodyguards back. If the Liu family wants to retaliate against me, even if you have the bodyguards follow from a distance, they won't be able to catch up. It's better to let them go and help gather more evidence of the Liu family's crimes so that we can wipe them out in one fell swoop."
"Okay, I'll do as you say." Shen Qinghuai hung up the phone and quickly called his two bodyguards. Since his daughter told him not to blame them, he would do as she said.
He immediately contacted several acquaintances and tried to open more shops in the area where his daughter worked and lived. After all, he was in the trading business, so getting goods was quite easy for him.
As for the business registration authority, just follow the procedures.
*
Qiu Xiaoman took Li Tuantuan to find Captain Meng.
Team Leader Meng was both amused and exasperated: "Is this kid still growing? With those skinny arms and legs, if someone tried to force their way into the base, could he stop them?"
Li Tuantuan lowered her eyelids in embarrassment: "I'm sorry, Captain Meng, my adoptive parents' family wasn't well-off, so I'm not very strong. I'm sorry to disappoint you."
Team Leader Meng felt a pang of regret. Oh no, he'd forgotten that this child was an abandoned child, unloved by both parents, and had only grown up because of the kindness of his adoptive parents.
It's a blessing that the siblings didn't starve.
Now he actually said that to the child, look how upset the child is. That foul mouth of his deserves a beating.
She quickly smiled and said, "It's alright, it's alright. Now that you're working and have a salary, you can treat yourself to something nice. Keep it up, young man, work hard, grow taller and stronger, your little sister Xiaoman is counting on you to protect her."
Li Tuantuan smiled shyly: "Yes, thank you, Captain Meng. I will try my best."
Seeing that the job interview went smoothly, Qiu Xiaoman left Li Tuantuan in Captain Meng's office while she went to the training field to train the dogs.
When Deputy Captain Qu saw her arrive, he gave her a form: "These are the seventeen dogs that will be taking the assessment at the end of this month. If there's nothing else going on at the Criminal Investigation Department, please help them out and try to get them passing on the first try."
Qiu Xiaoman understood, so she quickly blew her dog whistle and took the four dogs she was assigned to for training.
Fang Jiadong, who was standing to the side, was very unconvinced when he saw her coming over. Every time they went to a training exercise, he would have his dog compete with Qiu Xiaoman.
Qiu Xiaoman was happy to have someone competing with her; she wasn't angry at all, but rather pleased.
During the break after training, she walked ahead, intending to go back and check on Li Tuantuan.
Fang Jiadong's voice rang out from behind him. He didn't like being overshadowed by a female comrade in every way, and he was very unhappy, so he could only resort to psychological tactics.
So he asked, "Did you see those workers building the boiler? I heard they were all arranged by your father who refuses to acknowledge you? That's really strange. He refuses to acknowledge you, yet he's eager to provide heating for you. What's his motive? Could it be that you have some evidence of his illegal activities that you've got on your hands? Comrade Qiu, this won't do. It's illegal to keep quiet about such matters. I advise you to have a serious talk with your father and have him turn himself in."
Qiu Xiaoman turned around abruptly and sneered, "Don't you have police dogs? If you suspect he's broken the law, go find the evidence, go arrest him. What's the use of yelling at me? Am I your superior? Do you need my approval to take any action?"
Fang Jiadong was speechless, so he could only roll his eyes in resentment: "Then you better tell your father to hide his tail well. If I really find out one day, don't blame me for not warning you."
Qiu Xiaoman deliberately played word games with him: "It's okay, go ahead and try to find one. Humans evolved away from their tails a long time ago. If you actually manage to find one, you might even be able to apply for a Nobel Prize in Biology. Good luck, I'm waiting for your good news."
Fang Jiadong couldn't argue with her, so he could only snort and quicken his pace to walk ahead of her, so as not to get annoyed by her swaying ponytail.
Qiu Xiaoman ignored him and rushed to Captain Meng's office to ask. She learned that Li Tuantuan had already gone to the guard room to get used to the work environment.
Team Leader Meng reassured him, "I had him light a charcoal brazier so he wouldn't be too cold. Don't worry, the construction here is progressing very quickly; it should be finished in about a week."
Qiu Xiaoman didn't respond to that. If she refused, her colleagues who were looking forward to the heating would definitely be dissatisfied, and then it wouldn't just be Fang Jiadong targeting her. After all, she was new and didn't want to make too many enemies.
But if she accepts the heating, it's tantamount to admitting that she's Shen Qinghuai's daughter. If others laugh at her then, saying that her own father doesn't recognize her, she'll be even angrier.
No matter what she did, she got angry, so she could only vent her anger on Shen Qinghuai.
She called Shen Qinghuai and questioned him, "Are you burning money? Huh? Is this heating system absolutely necessary?"
"Xiaoman! Dad's worried you'll get frostbite. It's really painful. It'll be itchy and painful, and you'll scratch your hands raw so you can't work!" Shen Qinghuai quickly lowered his tone and coaxed, "Xiaoman, don't be angry. Dad's in the mental hospital now. Your Aunt Liang is being examined by the doctor. If all goes well, the police will be able to take her away soon. Xiaoman, Dad's trying to make up for my mistake. It's just a heating system, it's nothing. Dad can earn that money back with a little effort."
Hearing this, Qiu Xiaoman became even angrier and questioned, "You're so generous now, huh? Where were you all this time? Do you know I was supposed to take the college entrance exam this year? How dare you keep calling yourself 'Dad'? Have I acknowledged you? Let me tell you, I've already sent a telegram to my parents in Yunnan, telling them to come here to see my leg. Don't blame me for not warning you later, don't go near them. My dad's name isn't Shen Qinghuai!"
Shen Qinghuai remained silent for a long time, but finally forced back his heartache and said, "Okay, I'll listen to you. If you don't like being called 'Dad,' then call me 'Old Man,' or 'President Shen' will do too. Don't be angry. I can't change the past, but I promise I will never let you down again."
Qiu Xiaoman was speechless.
She really wanted to cry. If Shen Qinghuai had had this attitude in her past life, she would be sitting in a classroom in the county high school preparing for the college entrance examination now.
She must have just taken her monthly exam and is excitedly looking for her name on the school bulletin board.
If nothing unexpected happens, she will see herself in the first position, which is one of the few ways she can prove herself.
But now, she can only watch others take the college entrance exam and realize their dreams, while she can only be immersed in hatred and tainted by grievances day after day in this twisted father-daughter relationship, turning into a volatile young woman with unrecognizable emotions and loss of control.
She silently hung up the phone, walked to her office, and slumped down.
Fang Jiadong, with a look of amusement, muttered to Lu Zhiqiang, "Tsk, it must be because her father refuses to acknowledge her, and she's heartbroken. Come to think of it, with so much wealth in President Shen's family, how could his wife possibly acknowledge the child born to his ex-wife? If she did, it would be like she's stealing his money."
Lu Zhiqiang quickly shot him a dagger, telling him to shut up.
Fang Jiadong didn't want to shut up. He originally thought this colleague would be like the others, and they would get along well.
He didn't expect that this colleague, who had only been there a short time, would become a privileged individual, not only enjoying the priority action authority given to him by Captain Zou, but also becoming a big shot in the entire base and even the police force.
What about someone like him who works hard and is down-to-earth? What about him?
He was unhappy, so he had to speak out. He was clearly a chosen one too, so why was it that only Xiao Qiu received praise and recognition?
He felt so inferior compared to her, he was so wronged!
But Qiu Xiaoman wasn't one to be trifled with. She slammed her hand on the table, stood up, picked up the list of dogs about to take the test, and slammed it onto Fang Jiadong's desk: "Fang, stop gossiping. Whether I steal Shen Qinghuai's money or not has nothing to do with you, but I will steal your police dog spot! Let's make a bet. If more of my trained dogs pass the police dog test at the end of the month, you'll kneel down before me and learn to bark for a month! Do you dare to bet?"
"Alright! If you lose, you'll have to kneel down and call me grandpa for a month!" Fang Jiadong, being competitive, immediately accepted the challenge.
After get off work, he immediately went to Captain Meng and asked to have one of the dogs that Lu Zhiqiang, Dou Lei, and Deputy Captain Qu were in charge of given to him.
He refused to believe that he could train six dogs and lose to someone surnamed Qiu.
Team Leader Meng didn't want to do it that way, as it wasn't fair. He only agreed to give one dog to Fang Jiadong, so that both Xiao Qiu and Xiao Fang would have four dogs participating in the assessment, treating them equally.
Seeing that he wouldn't help him, Fang Jiadong had no choice but to resort to pleading: "Fine, then let me choose four myself. I don't want the ones you assign me. If you don't agree, I'll go to my father and find a way to get you fired!"
Team Leader Meng got angry too. So what if you're a third-generation Red!
He got angry, slammed his hand on the table, and stood up: "Go ahead and sue! Go ahead and sue! Don't think you're the only one with connections! Qiu's grandfather is also a retired cadre!"
"Do they even acknowledge her?" Fang Jiadong couldn't help but sneer.
Team Leader Meng sneered, "Don't worry about whether you acknowledge her or not. As long as Shen Qinghuai is willing to protect her, she's still a child of the Shen family, whether she acknowledges it or not! If all else fails, there's still Director Wen. Go ahead and make a scene. I want to see just how much you're worth in Director Wen's eyes!"
"Don't try to intimidate me with Director Wen!" Fang Jiadong became even more defiant, sneering, "Even Director Wen shows deference to my grandfather. Just you wait and see!"
Team Leader Meng was incredibly annoyed and roared, "We'll see! What kind of person are you? A grown man, arguing with a young girl. You're seven years older than her, don't you have any shame?"
"What's there for me to be ashamed of? We're all instructors, who's more noble than whom?" Fang Jiadong said harshly before swaggering away.
At noon, Qiu Xiaoman called Li Tuantuan and followed Shen Tenglong to a noodle shop in the city center for a quick and easy meal.
When it came time to pay, Li Tuantuan tried to take out her money again, but Qiu Xiaoman stopped her, saying, "Here you go again. Wait until you get your salary before you treat me."
Li Tuantuan blushed and lowered her head: "Okay, I'll listen to you."
Shen Tenglong watched from the side, thinking to himself that this little Li was really like a little dog, so obedient.
After leaving the noodle shop, he hurried to take Qiu Xiaoman to the base. On the way, Qiu Xiaoman asked him, "Did you find Second Brother's shoes when you went back this morning?"
"I'm looking for it, turning everything upside down. I'll go back and check again this afternoon." Shen Tenglong drove steadily and soon arrived at the base, then turned around and went back.
Qiu Xiaoman had just sat down in her office when her cell phone rang. It was Shen Qinghuai calling to inform her that Liang Yuting had been taken away.
"For now, we'll put her in the detention center and wait for the police and court to go through the procedures." Shen Qinghuai already had evidence, so reporting Liang Yuting would have been easy for him.
Qiu Xiaoman frowned: "I'm curious, what evidence do you have, and is it useful?"
“Yes, Chai Dafei is willing to testify, and I’ve already found the dump truck driver’s family; they’ve agreed to help persuade him. As for Liu Yao, I have a way.” Shen Qinghuai had already grasped the latest developments regarding the Liu family. He told Qiu Xiaoman, “Liu Yuandou died despite all efforts to save him. Liu Yao’s biggest backer is gone; confessing and receiving leniency is his only way out.”
Qiu Xiaoman was relieved; she would feel much better if Liang Yuting could go to jail.
Even if justice comes late, it's still better than justice that never comes.
However, she asked Shen Qinghuai a question: "Will you regret it? In this way, your other four children will no longer be able to work for the government."
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