The Car Crash

Tadpole said, "So it's gotta be Hou Yuankun pulling the strings."

Beanpole chimed in, "Using someone else to do his dirty work, man, Hou Yuankun's playing a nasty game this time."

Ding cut in, "I don't care if they're playing dirty or not, our job is to nab the bad guys. We're the blade, but only the blade of the law, the government, and the people. If someone's broken the law, we gotta haul them in. As for who profits, that's not our concern. Catching the bad guys is a win for the country and the people!"

Tadpole and the others had been with Ding for years and knew his character, so they didn't bat an eye. Wang Zhiyuan, as usual, kept his disdain hidden. But Wang Rui and Lin Moran, who were new to the team, felt their blood pumping with excitement.

Bighead's stomach started to rumble loudly. He said sheepishly, "Uh, my stomach's acting up."

Ding noticed it was getting dark outside and handed Tadpole some cash to buy takeout. As they ate, they discussed the case and agreed that Qian Haiyang was the prime suspect. But having a suspect and finding evidence were two different things.

Beanpole said, "I was watching the surveillance footage till the wee hours last night. Not many people went in and out of Zhou Zhaotao's place. Other than him, Qian Haiyang was there the most. He visited three times the week before the incident. Shi Shengli and Zhang Guomin each went once."

Ding said, "That only proves they're suspects."

Tadpole added, "Remember the open safe? Maybe Zhou Zhaotao had something valuable, and the killer was after it."

Bighead said, "But there was a ton of cash, and not a dime was missing."

Tadpole retorted, "How do you know nothing was taken? Maybe they took some and left the rest because it was too much to carry."

Beanpole said, "But no suspicious characters were seen entering or leaving."

Ding said, "I think the safe was opened by Zhou Zhaotao himself."

"Himself?" Bighead and the others were shocked.

Wang Zhiyuan felt a sinking feeling in his chest, realizing he had led them down the wrong path.

Ding continued, "There are two possibilities for the safe being opened. Either it was opened after Zhou Zhaotao's incident, but only firefighters and us went in. Or it was opened before. The safe was in Zhou Zhaotao's room, and if someone else opened it, he'd definitely know. Don't forget, it was the crack of dawn, and he wasn't in his pajamas, he was wearing a shirt."

Bighead slapped his thigh, "His pajamas were hanging in the closet! That means he must've opened the closet early in the morning."

Tadpole said, "If someone else opened the safe, he would've noticed. So, it must've been him. Maybe he wanted to grab some cash, but then the phone rang in the living room, so he left the safe open to answer it."

Wang Zhiyuan was about to speak when Lin Moran said, "There's another possibility. He came home at night and didn't change, only changed in the morning. Then he saw the safe was open and ran to the living room to make a call about it."

Bighead nodded, "That makes sense too."

Ding turned to Beanpole, "Was Zhou Zhaotao wearing the same shirt the night before the incident?"

Beanpole thought for a moment, "Both times, it was a white shirt and black pants."

Tadpole said, "Zhou Zhaotao was a neat freak. Every time he came to the station, he'd wipe down the chairs with tissues. I don't think he's the type to sleep in his clothes."

Wang Zhiyuan thought about his past self and felt a sense of loss. Your character doesn't solely define your lifestyle; your environment plays a huge part. After living as Wang Zhiyuan, he didn't care much about cleanliness anymore.

Ding said, "We don't have enough clues. Guessing blindly won't do. Here's the plan: Tadpole and Beanpole, head back to the crime scene and see if we missed anything. Bighead and Bruiser, take turns keeping an eye on Qian Haiyang with Lin Moran and Wang Rui. Whether or not he's involved, Zhou Zhaotao's death will make him move. Qian Haiyang doesn't have Zhou Zhaotao's clout; there might be infighting, which could lead to clues."

Everyone seemed fine with the plan, but Wang Zhiyuan looked like he swallowed a bug.

Ding noticed and sent Bighead, Wang Rui, and Lin Moran to the dorms, keeping Wang Zhiyuan behind.

Wang Zhiyuan was familiar with the 'heart-to-heart' talk tactic from his leadership days.

After some small talk, Ding asked, "Did you know Lin Moran and Wang Rui before?"

Wang Zhiyuan replied, "Nope."

"How did Lin Moran get that cut on his lip? It wasn't from a bathroom accident, was it?"

Wang Zhiyuan knew Ding was sharp, so he came clean, "I did it."

"What the hell?!" Ding frowned, "What happened?"

Wang Zhiyuan said, "Just messing around, wanted to test his skills."

Ding gave him a puzzled look, then said, "Zhiyuan, this doesn't seem like you."

Wang Zhiyuan noticed the change in address. Of course, no one would guess that he had transmigrated back three years after being killed. He wasn't worried about being found out. He decided to give an excuse, "I'm sorry, boss. I was in a bad mood."

"You think that gives you the right to take it out on someone?" Ding's face darkened.

Wang Zhiyuan wasn't used to being submissive. After a long silence, he muttered, "Won't happen again."

Ding said, "Lin Moran didn't hold it against you and even covered for you. Think about how you should make it right."

I'm already being merciful by not killing him!

Wang Zhiyuan took a deep breath, swallowing his rage. He didn't spare Lin Moran out of kindness, but because he didn't want to act without a surefire escape plan. Given the chance, he wouldn't hesitate to return the favor from his past life!

"I'll take good care of him," he said slowly, leaving the meaning of 'take care' open to interpretation.

Ding said, "That's it? You should at least apologize."

"...Fine."

A real man knows when to bend and when to stand tall.

Wang Zhiyuan had been a big shot for years, and playing the submissive part didn't sit well with him. But he knew he had to get over it. After showing Lin Moran a friendly face in front of Ding, he felt like his old self again. Playing both sides wasn't too hard. Just slap on a smile and curse them in your head.

But Lin Moran wasn't the one he hated the most; it was Qian Haiyang.

In his previous life, Li Xingchen was undercover, so their clash was understandable. But Qian Haiyang was just a fishmonger before Wang Zhiyuan took him under his wing. If it weren't for Wang Zhiyuan, Qian Haiyang would be nothing. This betrayal was harder to swallow than Li Xingchen's.

Meanwhile, Lin Moran was in the car and noticed Qian Haiyang leaving his house. He was about to alert Wang Zhiyuan but saw a cold, ruthless glint in his eyes and thought better of it.

Qian Haiyang drove off.

Wang Zhiyuan, still in the driver's seat, didn't budge and watched him disappear from sight.

Lin Moran anxiously asked, "Aren't we going after him?"

Wang Zhiyuan finally started the car but headed in a different direction.

Lin Moran knew Wang Zhiyuan was unpredictable, so he settled down and stayed put.

Wang Zhiyuan took a shortcut to the main road. After a while, he spotted Qian Haiyang's car approaching from behind.

Lin Moran looked impressed. This kind of tailing usually required two or three cars working together. Wang Zhiyuan did it alone, showing a deep understanding of Qian Haiyang's psychology and background.

Wang Zhiyuan sped up, letting Qian Haiyang pass while keeping him in sight. Just as he was about to change lanes to follow, a car shot out from the left and slammed into them with lightning speed!