Chapter 97: Drugging

We took a car to a popular KTV joint in the city. Wang Dali's natural talent as a mic hog came through loud and clear. With the goddess in front of him, he was going all out, belting out Jay Chou's "Confession Balloon" with full enthusiasm.

I was playing on my phone beside him, feeling like a burden had been lifted—let him have his moment.

Suddenly, Zhang Yan leaned in and teased me, "Hey handsome, you're single, right? How could you have a girlfriend and still come out to play?"

"She's busy," I replied simply.

"Hmph, yeah right. Why aren't you singing then?" Zhang Yan pressed.

"I'm no good at singing," I shook my head.

"Come on, come on, how about we duet 'Will You Marry Me Today?'" Zhang Yan grabbed my arm, pouting coquettishly.

A shiver ran down my spine. I glanced at her heavily made-up face—it was like a female version of Wang Dali! She was definitely playing the field widely, especially with this act. Honestly, if she were a guy, she might be even more flamboyant than Wang Dali.

Luckily, a small commotion distracted Zhang Yan from me. Ye Shiwen cut off Wang Dali's song mid-flow, and they started arguing. Ye Shiwen called him a mic hog, and Wang Dali retorted that no one else was singing, so he might as well sing more.

I quickly stood up to intervene. "What's the fuss about? One song each, that's all."

Ye Shiwen snorted, pulled out a cigarette, glanced at Xia Mengmeng, and stepped outside to smoke.

Wang Dali handed the mic to Zhang Yan and said, "Where are the drinks? I'll go remind the bar."

Ten minutes later, Wang Dali returned with drinks and snacks, cheerfully greeting everyone. Zhang Yan sniffed the air. "Smells amazing! Wang Dali, you even ordered fried chicken?"

"I'm treating you all—late night snack. If it's not enough, I'll order more," Wang Dali bragged.

"Fried chicken at KTV is so expensive, Wang Dali, you're really generous!" Zhang Yan said, surprised.

"Haha, it's nothing," he chuckled.

We were about to drink when Ye Shiwen suddenly pushed the door open. "Mengmeng, don't drink that!"

Everyone froze. Ye Shiwen took the cranberry juice from Xia Mengmeng, held it up to the light, and showed us a tiny pill bubbling inside.

Then he slammed the glass down, splashing juice everywhere, and pointed angrily at Wang Dali. "I saw this guy sneaking something into the drink when I went to the restroom. That's disgusting—to do this to my Mengmeng."

Zhang Yan was stunned, quickly checking her own drink. "Wang Dali, how could you do such a thing? Drugging Xia Mengmeng?"

Xia Mengmeng turned pale, covering her mouth, looking at Wang Dali with disbelief.

Wang Dali's eyes went wide, desperately begging me with his gaze. Knowing him, he'd never do something like that.

Ye Shiwen puffed up, ready to take Xia Mengmeng away. Wang Dali looked like he was about to cry. I couldn't stay silent any longer—had to stand up for my buddy.

I said, "Do you have any proof Wang Dali put the drug in?"

Ye Shiwen sneered, "What proof do you need? He brought the drink; no one else touched it."

I smiled bitterly. "That's not logical. Drugging a girl in front of so many people wouldn't work—it'd backfire."

"I don't know about that. Maybe your friend isn't too bright," Ye Shiwen shrugged helplessly.

Wang Dali jumped up in anger. "Ye Shiwen, who are you calling stupid? You're the one playing dirty!"

"Damn, you dare accuse me? You're the culprit!" Ye Shiwen shot back.

"I swear to God, I would never do such a thing!"

"Hmph, no oath can change facts."

Their argument grew louder, almost coming to blows. My head was about to explode. I intervened again, "Stop it! Words don't prove anything—we need evidence."

"Evidence?" They both froze. Ye Shiwen said, "Isn't this evidence?"

"That's nothing. Has the pill's content been tested? Have the fingerprints on the glass been checked? At least check the surveillance footage!" I pointed out.

Ye Shiwen laughed coldly. "Surveillance? You think you're a cop?"

"Sit down, I'm going to the bar."

As I left, Ye Shiwen suddenly called from behind, "Wait!"

His expression was weird. I immediately knew he was setting a trap. He probably thought a student like me couldn't get the footage. Without saying a word, he turned and went back to the room.

Fine. You'll be crying soon enough.

I reached the bar and asked the waiter directly, "Where's the surveillance room? I want to see footage around 9:30 near the bar."

The waiter snapped, "Who are you? You can't just watch surveillance whenever you want."

I showed my police ID cover. The waiter immediately changed attitude and apologized for earlier rudeness. He said he needed to check with the manager and asked if I was investigating a case. I cut him off, "No time to waste—I'm after a suspect. Take me there now."

After years of dealing with cops, I learned sometimes a little bluff goes a long way.

The waiter called a staff member who led me to the surveillance room, bowing respectfully along the way. These entertainment spots always have some shady secrets; cops are like cats to mice here.

I reviewed the footage. About ten minutes ago, Wang Dali ordered drinks and went to get fried chicken. At that moment, a tall, glasses-wearing guy approached the bar and paused by a cup. Though the image was blurry, I clearly saw him slip something into the drink.

I sneered. Ye Shiwen, you're so dumb.

I asked the staff, "Can you copy this clip to a USB? I'll return it right away."

"Sure, officer, one moment." The staff quickly copied the footage.

Back in the room, Ye Shiwen and Wang Dali were still yelling, while Xia Mengmeng had already grabbed her bag, ready to leave. I raised my voice, "Everyone, quiet! Watch this."

The KTV's TV has a USB port. I plugged in the drive and played the clip. When the moment appeared, Ye Shiwen tensed and reached to turn off the TV. I blocked him, sneering, "What are you doing?"

His face went pale, lips trembling.

I said, "If you're innocent, you don't have to worry. Sit down."

He awkwardly sat back on the sofa.

When the clip played, Zhang Yan yelled, "Oh my god, how could you do such a dirty thing? I really misjudged you!"

Ye Shiwen's face turned green then white, then he forced a laugh.

"Let me explain," he said, pulling out a blister pack missing one pill. "It was just a joke. That's not a drug, it's a vitamin pill I take. Don't believe me? I'll drink it."

He took a big gulp. "See? Nothing wrong—just kidding…"

Before he finished, a cup of drink splashed on his face. Xia Mengmeng, holding the cup, was livid. She slammed it down and stormed out without looking back.

"Mengmeng, wait, let me explain!"

Ye Shiwen tried to follow, but Wang Dali threw a punch. They grappled on the sofa, fighting. Zhang Yan jumped up scared, shouting, "Stop fighting!"

I sighed. Wang Dali can't focus. Such a perfect chance to send Mengmeng home, and they're fighting here.

Mengmeng's a girl, it's late—makes me uneasy. I gave up trying to calm them and ran after her.