"Ye Qian, the murder suspect, escaped from prison last night!" Yang Wei said with a smug look on his face, already imagining the satisfaction of shooting Ye Qian on sight.
Wang Yu gave Yang Wei a disdainful glance, her mind in turmoil. She cursed inwardly, "You idiot, how could you let this happen? This just gives them an excuse to go after you." But now was not the time to blame Ye Qian. She glared at the duty officer and demanded, "You were on duty last night. How could you let the suspect escape? What exactly happened?"
The duty officer, seeing Wang Yu's anger, felt a bit intimidated. He knew well how formidable she was. In the entire police force, not many dared to confront Wang Yu, and those who did often ended up badly beaten, except for Ye Qian, of course. "Last night, the suspect suddenly complained of stomach pain, so I went over to check on him. He took the opportunity to knock me out and escape. When I woke up, it was nearly dawn, so I waited until the chief arrived to report it," Sun Jisheng explained.
Sun Jisheng felt somewhat guilty about Ye Qian's escape, but under Yang Wei's pressure and the allure of various incentives, he had ultimately chosen to go along with the plan.
Chief Hu Yue was furious, almost losing his temper. Didn't this idiot understand how important Ye Qian was? If Ye Qian escaped and the higher-ups found out, Hu Yue might lose his job. The suspect should have called him immediately instead of waiting until dawn. Now, how was he supposed to catch Ye Qian? A whole night was enough time for Ye Qian to get to Hainan Island. But it wasn't the time to blame Sun Jisheng; he needed to think of how to handle the higher-ups.
At that moment, Hu Yue's phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, his face turned pale. He had guessed what this call was about. He cautiously answered, "Deputy Secretary Ouyang, what can I do for you?"
"I just wanted to ask about the suspect Ye Qian. What's his status?" Ouyang Cheng's voice came through the line.
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Hu Yue stammered, "Deputy Secretary Ouyang, I'm sorry. My subordinates were negligent, and the suspect escaped last night. Rest assured, I will mobilize the entire force to recapture him immediately."
To Hu Yue's surprise, Ouyang Cheng didn't seem shocked or angry. Instead, he calmly said, "Xiao Hu, this is a serious oversight. How could you let the suspect escape? You must recapture him quickly, but remember, we are a democratic country. Until the court convicts him, he is still a lawful citizen, so be careful during the arrest."
Hu Yue was even more confused. Yesterday, Ouyang Cheng had sternly ordered the suspect to be shot on sight if he resisted, but now he was talking about democracy and lawful citizens. What had changed overnight? Hu Yue couldn't figure it out but was relieved that Ouyang Cheng wasn't blaming him. He quickly agreed and hung up.
After the call, Hu Yue looked around the station and shouted, "What are you all standing around for? Go recapture the suspect! But remember, no guns. We need the suspect alive for a fair trial."
Yang Wei was stunned, not understanding how things had taken such a turn. He thought the plan was to let Ye Qian escape, then have Ouyang Cheng apply pressure so they could kill Ye Qian during the recapture. "Chief, are you sure? Ye Qian is a fugitive, and..."
Before he could finish, Hu Yue interrupted, "Enough! Do as I say. This is an order from above. Now go!"
Wang Yu was also puzzled. Yesterday, it was clear someone wanted Ye Qian dead, but now the orders had changed. Had something happened overnight? Regardless, this was good news for Ye Qian.
Just as the police were about to set out, Li Hao, the chief of the district police bureau, walked in with a stern expression. Hu Yue hurried over to greet him. "Director Li, what brings you here?"
"I heard you detained a murder suspect yesterday?" Li Hao asked as he walked inside.
Hu Yue was sweating bullets. He had forgotten that Ye Qian was Li Hao's brother. "Yes, Director Li, but I was just following orders from above," Hu Yue said, trying to shift the blame.
"Hmph," Li Hao snorted coldly. "The higher-ups are very concerned about this case. Vice Secretary Wang has ordered me to transfer the suspect to headquarters for detention."
Hu Yue was shocked. Even the usually low-profile Wang Ping was getting involved. This case was escalating. He knew about the political tension between Wang Ping and Ouyang Cheng. "But... but..." Hu Yue stammered.
"What? Are you going to defy Vice Secretary Wang's orders?" Li Hao's face darkened. "Hu Yue, do you want to retire early?"
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Hu Yue had no choice but to comply.