Chapter 6

"I also studied computer science at the Public Security University. Doing this job feels like I'm finally in the right field." Li Chi wasn't entirely truthful; he remained wary of these two A country's. Slowly, he began to acclimate to the harsh taste of Marlboro and decided that he would quit smoking for good afterward.

"When I first joined the FBI, I imagined myself as a Jason Bourne type of agent, participating in secret missions, explosions, and shootouts. But I soon realized it was quite similar to being a software engineer—mostly sitting in front of a computer, with occasional fieldwork." Xue Lian shrugged, "Coming to Beijing is practically a vacation." He joked. Li Chi smiled cooperatively.

"I've been to many cities in China, but never to the United States. After all, I'm just an ordinary cop, without titles like yours." Li Chi extinguished his cigarette on the railing and tossed it down below. He felt the conversation had run its course and that delving deeper wouldn't be appropriate. Just then, Sun Yuan approached.

"The forensic team has arrived," he said.

"Good, please tell Miss Salina she can stop now; the forensic team will take over the remaining work." Li Chi felt a sense of relief. Xue Lian had tried to lighten the mood, but Li Chi still felt a subtle tension when dealing with Salina. Xue Lian might indeed be just an ordinary civil servant, but Li Chi wasn't so sure about Salina.

The three of them walked back into the room. "Salina, the forensic team is here," Xue Lian informed her. Li Chi and Sun Yuan moved toward the door just as Deng Tong from the forensic team arrived with three of his subordinates, each carrying a load of equipment.

"Captain Deng? We could really use your expertise here," Li Chi greeted him with practiced familiarity. Deng Tong, the towering and brawny leader of the forensic unit, had initially puzzled Li Chi as to why someone of his stature would take on such work. But after witnessing Deng Tong's skills, Li Chi understood why he was such a valuable asset to the capital's Public Security Bureau.

"No need to look; you've probably already contaminated the crime scene again. How many times have I told you?" Deng Tong directed his team to set up their equipment. "I'll take over the scene. You lot can do whatever you want, just don't linger here." He waved Li Chi aside and squeezed into the room. Salina exchanged a few quick words with Deng Tong, and after a brief standoff, she finally stepped aside to let him work.

Xue Lian walked over. "Captain Li, what's our next move? Should we continue the investigation in Unit 2002 of Building 9?" Li Chi hesitated for a moment, and Sun Yuan gave a slight nod, indicating he should speak.

"Given the current situation, we don't think further investigation is necessary. The forensic team will complete their work. Mr. Xue, Miss Salina, let's head back to the bureau to discuss the next steps."

"Chief, where did those two A country's come from?" Back at the bureau, after sending Xue Lian and Salina off, Li Chi and Sun Yuan went straight to the chief's office. The chief was already seated behind his desk, as if expecting their visit. Li Chi found a chair and sat down, while Sun Yuan remained standing.

"Just like you, I only found out about these two this morning." The chief spread his hands, "You know how seriously the higher-ups take this case. But the A country's joining us was a surprise to me as well. This morning, my old superior called me directly, saying two FBI agents would be involved in the case. No further details were provided." The chief's former superior, Yang Fan, was now a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Public Security. Had this case already reached the highest levels? Li Chi and Sun Yuan exchanged glances.

"Why are they so focused on Zhou Tao, going to such lengths to be involved? Even if Zhou Tao did steal their classified chip, it doesn't seem worth this much effort," Sun Yuan said.

"Xiao Sun, Captain Li, this is your other task." The chief lit a cigarette, "Find out what the A' country are really after. This could be dangerous, so be careful."

"Chief, shouldn't we get some bodyguards? There might be A' country watching us from the shadows," Sun Yuan joked half-seriously.

"Don't make such careless remarks," the chief's face tightened. He cast a stern glance at Sun Yuan, who quickly stifled his laughter.

"As far as I know, it's just these two from A' country. But they have the resources to bring in more, so you must proceed with utmost caution." The chief's tone was grave. "Alright, you're dismissed. You must catch Zhou Tao before the A'country do! That's an order! Understood?"

"Yes, sir! We'll complete the mission!" Li Chi and Sun Yuan stood at attention simultaneously.

Upon leaving the chief's office, Li Chi immediately noticed Salina and Xue Lian, the two from A'country, sitting in the reception area, each holding a cup of coffee. They seemed to be in conversation, but when they saw the two men emerge, both Salina and Xue Lian stood up.

"Captain Li, Dr. Sun, we applied to the Archives Department for access to the relevant files on the Zhou Tao case, but they require Captain Li's authorization before releasing the data," Salina said, her expression strictly professional. Her peculiar Chinese accent made it difficult for Li Chi to fully grasp her words at first. They're pushing hard, Li Chi thought, a flicker of irritation rising within him.

"Indeed, since this is a joint operation, we hope Captain Li can assist us," Xue Lian added, "We will also share some of the data on Zhou Tao that we have on our end. Mutual assistance, after all."

"Oh, my apologies, it must have slipped my mind. I'll notify the Archives Department right away to grant you access to all materials on the Zhou Tao case," Li Chi replied, feigning alarm. He had intended to delay this matter, but the A' country were surprisingly straightforward. "I'll take you to the Archives Department now."

"Captain Li, I have some other matters to attend to. I'll catch up with you later?" Sun Yuan interjected.

"Go ahead," Li Chi patted his shoulder. Since they left the chief's office, Sun Yuan had been engrossed in his phone. He looked up, gave a slight nod to the two A country's as a greeting, then turned and headed downstairs. Li Chi gestured for the two to follow him to the archives.

"Your archives are quite similar to ours, also tucked away in the basement," Xue Lian remarked as they descended to the archives after obtaining the necessary permissions. Salina remained mostly silent.

"Oh, really?" Li Chi responded casually. "This is the digital archives research room. With this hardware key, you can log into the database and access all relevant data on the Zhou Tao case. But please, refrain from any funny business; we have very tight security measures in place." He led them to the reading room, where the terminals were connected to the archives' database servers—access to all data was restricted to this room alone. Li Chi briefly explained how to use the terminal, confident that the two wouldn't attempt anything dubious here—or rather, he almost hoped they would, giving him a legitimate reason to expel the A country's.

A soft chime from his phone signaled a message from Sun Yuan. It mentioned a matter that needed discussion. After a brief explanation to the A country's, noting they'd likely spend the entire afternoon in the archives, Li Chi made his way to the agreed-upon meeting room. Sun Yuan was already seated inside, but his expression was notably uneasy. Li Chi entered and found a chair to sit down.

"Captain Li, I just came back from the tech department. They said they made a significant discovery, and the preliminary report should be ready by tonight," Sun Yuan suddenly said.

"Oh? That's good news," Li Chi replied, "Now, what's the real issue? Speak up."

Having worked with Sun Yuan for two weeks, Li Chi had noticed a habit of his—before discussing anything truly important, he would first mention some related but less significant details as a prelude. Sun Yuan hesitated for a moment, then finally looked up.

"Captain Li, I think we need to revisit the scene, specifically the apartment in Building 9."

Li Chi was a bit surprised. "Why? You said before that there was no need to investigate further, and the A country's have already located the scene. Why go back?"

"Because," Sun Yuan avoided Li Chi's gaze, "the apartment the A country's found—I only mentioned it offhand."

"What do you mean?" Li Chi stood up, leaning closer to Sun Yuan. He didn't immediately grasp what Sun Yuan was implying.

"Originally, based on the data I gathered on residents, I only identified potential suspects in Buildings 1 and 9. The apartment in Building 4 was something I just mentioned after we entered the complex."

"Why would you do that?"

"I wanted to lead the A country's on a wild goose chase. If they find nothing, there won't be any issues."

"And then... they end up finding a crime scene in a place that wasn't even on our radar? Are you suggesting they had an extraordinary stroke of luck, or that they fabricated the evidence themselves?" Li Chi began pacing slowly across the room.