Wang Shen immediately opened Lin Su's file folder and pulled out the paper containing Lin Su's biography. Wang Shen read through the paper, his brow furrowing slightly.
Seeing that Wang Shen hadn't spoken for a long time, Liang Zichen asked, "Captain Wang, have you discovered something?"
Wang Shen glanced at Liang Zichen but didn't say anything. He simply handed the file to Liang Zichen. Liang Zichen took the file from Lin Su and carefully read through the information on it.
After a while, Liang Zichen looked up at Wang Shen with a hint of surprise and said, "Lin Su's alma mater is not a well-known school. More importantly, this paper does not record Lin Su's occupational information. The paper shows that Lin Su has always been a freelancer."
Wang Shen nodded. "That's right. Lin Su has been a freelancer ever since he graduated. Given this situation, it's difficult to determine whether he and Han Mo had a working relationship five years ago."
"So we need to find other breakthroughs now," Liang Zichen said, nodding. "But where should we start?" Liang Zichen slapped his forehead, lost in thought.
Wang Shen and Liang Zichen spent the entire afternoon thoroughly studying Lin Su's file. However, based on the file, there was nothing suspicious about Lin Su. Now that it was getting late, Wang Shen and Liang Zichen had a quick meal at a restaurant near the police station before returning to the station to wait for Xu Xiaolin's call.
Around 9:45 p.m., Wang Shen received a text message from Xu Xiaolin.
"Any news?" Liang Zichen asked after glancing at Wang Shen.
Wang Shen put his phone back in his pocket, nodded, and said, "Yes, we'll go to the hotel to pick up Xu Xiaolin, and then have her take us to get the diary."
"hotel?"
“That’s right, these days reader meet-and-greets are usually held in hotel auditoriums,” Wang Shen explained.
The hotel where Xu Xiaolin was holding her reader meet-and-greet was located in a bustling downtown area, not far from the police station where Wang Shen worked. The car arrived at the hotel entrance in just a few minutes. Wang Shen and Liang Zichen didn't get out of the car, because Xu Xiaolin was already standing at the entrance as soon as they arrived.
Xu Xiaolin waved to Wang Shen, then walked to the car, opened the door, and sat in the back seat.
"Beautiful writer, we meet again." Liang Zichen turned around and greeted Xu Xiaolin.
"Hey! Handsome guy, you're here too." Xu Xiaolin saw Liang Zichen and showed a surprised expression, but she didn't forget to tease him.
Wang Shen interrupted their conversation and said briefly, "Give me the address."
Xu Xiaolin pursed her lips and gave an address. Wang Shen drove to an old residential area in the suburbs, following the address Xu Xiaolin gave him.
Xu Xiaolin's old house wasn't too far from the city center, but it was definitely quite old. In some ways, the neighborhood was even worse than Han Mo's. The low-rise houses were packed tightly together, scattered about. However, streetlights were scarce, and the winding alleyways seemed to disappear into the darkness.
It was difficult for Wang Shen to drive his car into these alleyways, so he simply parked it in the open space at the entrance of the residential area. The clouds were thick today, completely obscuring the moonlight. The already dim alleyways were now completely black, with no light to be found except for the occasional light from a neighbor's house.
Xu Xiaolin got out of the car. "It's a bit dark here, so watch your step."
Upon hearing this, Liang Zichen chuckled and said, "Beautiful lady, it sounds like you're going to protect us."
"Alright, it's so late. Let's get our things and go home early." Wang Shen walked in front of Xu Xiaolin, his body gradually disappearing into the night.
Not long after, Liang Zichen shouted in Wang Shen's direction, "Captain Wang, wait a minute."
Wang Shen heard Liang Zichen's shout and turned around. He saw Liang Zichen shrug, but could only make out a vague outline. Xu Xiaolin, standing next to Liang Zichen, seemed to have her hands on her hips.
Neither Liang Zichen nor Xu Xiaolin moved an inch. Wang Shen waited for a while, but having no other choice, he turned back. Once back beside Liang Zichen and Xu Xiaolin, he finally saw their expressions clearly.
Liang Zichen looked helpless, while Xu Xiaolin's face showed a hint of anger. With her hands on her hips, Xu Xiaolin angrily said to Wang Shen, "Wang Shen, did I offend you in some way?"
Wang Shen looked somewhat surprised, then waved his hand and said, "How could that be?"
"Then who have you been giving that sour look to from the beginning until now?" Hearing Wang Shen's answer, Xu Xiaolin's anger did not diminish in the slightest.
"Miss, I'm..." Faced with Xu Xiaolin's unreasonable behavior, Wang Shen was truly helpless. "Alright, then I'll apologize to you now."
Upon hearing this, Xu Xiaolin's expression underwent a complete 360-degree change. She smiled and said, "Okay, then I accept your apology."
Wang Shen and Liang Zichen both looked at Xu Xiaolin, then sighed simultaneously. "Then, Miss, please lead the way for us." Wang Shen stepped aside, gesturing for them to proceed.
Unexpectedly, Xu Xiaolin remained standing in the same spot, smiled at Wang Shen, and said, "I'm thirsty."
"Huh?" Wang Shen and Liang Zichen exclaimed in surprise at the same time.
Liang Zichen glanced around at the surroundings, shook his head, and then looked at Xu Xiaolin, saying, "Beautiful lady, where are we going to find water here?"
Hearing Liang Zichen's words, Xu Xiaolin chuckled again, turned around, and pointed into the distance. "Over there, do you see that light?"
Liang Zichen looked in the direction Xu Xiaolin was pointing and saw what appeared to be a point of light. "I see it, and then?"
"There's a small shop over there. Go buy me a bottle of mineral water," Xu Xiaolin said with a smile to Liang Zichen.
"Ah!" Liang Zichen exclaimed in surprise. "Miss, judging from the distance of this light, this convenience store is practically on the other side of the world."
Hearing Liang Zichen's words, Xu Xiaolin rolled her eyes at him and said, "It's not as exaggerated as you say. It's probably only three or four kilometers. I've been there before."
"Three or four kilometers?" Liang Zichen asked in surprise.
"What? Did you even graduate from police academy? You're scared like this by just three or four kilometers?" Xu Xiaolin said, pursing her lips.
After a brief standoff between Xu Xiaolin and Liang Zichen, Wang Shen said, "Can I treat you to something to drink after we get the diary?"
"No way." Unexpectedly, Xu Xiaolin, contrary to her usual self, firmly expressed her refusal. "My old house is still in the alley. I just finished a fan meeting, and my throat is parched."
Wang Shen sighed and said, "Okay, then I'll have Zichen go buy some water. Shall we walk inside first?"
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