CH 32

Some words can only be heard by certain people while others must never be heard by certain people. This isn’t hypocrisy, just a matter of appropriate time and person.

Lin Chen’s conversation with Xing Cong Lian was brief, but when they returned upstairs, Wang Chao had already gotten two computers ready. Wang Chao nodded at Xing Cong Lian, signaling that the tracking system was set up so they could call the kidnapper.

The leather sofa in the office glistened in the bright light along with the Pixiu figures on the table. Mrs. Xing’s face in the photo was ever radiant and charming.

Whether it was the chairman or his assistant, or even the manager of the transportation company who arrived together, everyone turned their gaze at the two who entered at last. They had been waiting full of expectations. Perhaps no one realized it yet, but within only half an hour, everyone’s attitude towards Xing Cong Lian and Lin Chen changed from disdain and suspicion to expectation and trust.

But Captain Xing, the one bearing all this expectation and trust, didn’t immediately get down to work like everyone expected him to. In fact, he even appeared to have forgotten the 26 children and 2 teachers waiting to be saved. Xing Cong Lian sat down beside Wang Chao and talked to him patiently.

The people in the office were disappointed, as if a raging fire that had been blazing hot was extinguished by a mild breeze.

However, it wasn’t just Captain Xing who was in no hurry to deal with the kidnapping.

Lin Chen looked around, then walked to the window and pushed it open. He circled the office once before taking a paper cup at the water dispenser and filling it with hot water.

Five minutes later, Xing Cong Lian was still speaking with the technician and Lin Chen was drinking tea.

The half-opened window brought in fresh air, but the people who expected the police to rescue the hostages straight away were in low spirits.

The owner of the office finally couldn’t hold it in. The 40-something year old director cleared his throat and asked, “Captain Xing, what are you waiting for?”

Another person also finding it unbearable was, of course, Inspector Huang hundreds of kilometers away and facing more than ten people with their lenses from the media.

Reporters had set up their cameras along with the recording instruments and had waited for nearly ten minutes. Even the psychology expert holding the phone felt that his initial excitement and tension prepared for confronting the kidnapper about to fade into nothing.

Jiang Zhe peered beyond the crowd to watch Inspector Huang who stood in an aloof manner and rejected approach from anyone with his posture alone. After some thought, Jiang Zhe pocketed his phone and apologized to the media while approaching Huang Ze. Jiang Zhe whispered to him, “Inspector Huang, the reporters are already a little impatient. In case something occurs during the rescue process due to Captain Xing’s delay, the one who will be blamed by the reporters for not taking action will just be you ah.”

Jiang Zhe might have been ridiculed for being unable to recite the DSM-IV-TR by Lin Chen, but he still had a thorough understanding of how officials’ minds work. Huang Ze finally reacted after Jiang Zhe emphasised the words “Captain Xing”.

As if connected through telepathy, Xing Cong Lian glanced at the clock on the corner of the computer screen. Exactly ten minutes later, his phone rang.

“Inspector Huang.”

“Captain Xing.”

After the meaningless greetings, they both went silent.

“Inspector Huang, what can I do for you?”

Xing Cong Lian spoke with a nonchalant tone. It was, in fact, this casual attitude that made his voice sound so grating to Huang Ze’s ears. 

Huang Ze’s voice was frigid. “I’m here to inform you, Captain Xing. Because this case has elevated from a simple robbery to a hostage situation and the location is not within the scope of Hong Jing City, Captain Xing can only assist with the resolution of the case, and not lead the operation.”

“I know, Inspector Huang. Didn’t you refuse my participation from the start? However, I happened to be at the surveillance center right now, so I have the ability to help.” Xing Cong Lian switched the mobile phone to his right hand and patted Wang Chao’s shoulder. “Our technician is here and has built a tracking system. First, find a laptop, and then I will ask him to teach you the method of tracking the kidnapper’s phone.”

The moment Xing Cong Lian touched his shoulder, Wang Chao got his signal and refreshed the page. If Huang Ze were there, he would be shocked to see that what the screen displayed wasn’t a tracking program, but a normal email site.

After the refresh, a new email popped in. 

“Ah, how do you do, Inspector Huang? I’ve heard of your glorious name long ago, I don’t know if you play WoW? Is your camp The Alliance or The Horde?” Wang Chao chatted as he opened the email.

“There are 28 lives in the hands of the kidnapper right now. Do you think you are worthy of your police badge based on the words you have just spoken?” Huang Ze was not Xing Cong Lian, much less Lin Chen. Hearing such frivolous words being said, he reprimanded Wang Chao without mercy.

“Oh, then I take it you’re playing as the dwarves…” Wang Chao replied, glancing at the email. Halfway through, he was stunned and turned to Xing Cong Lian, mouthing, “What the fuck?”

Xing Cong Lian only gave the email a brief look before looking away. He appeared to be unsurprised by what he’d read. XXing Cong Lian knocked on the table, signalling Wang Chao to not leave Huang Ze hanging for too long.

“Oh, yeah. Inspector Huang, the steps are very simple. I’ll teach you how to breach the Telecom Bureau’s server. I already left you a back door on their server. First, open the DOS command editor, then I’ll tell you a couple of lines to enter…”

“Wang Chao, police officers must not transgress the law knowingly!” Huang Ze roared, “Give the phone back to Xing Cong Lian!”

“Xing Cong Lian, what the hell is wrong with you?! The time I gave you wasn’t for you to find someone to breach the Telecom Bureau’s system!”

“But Inspector Huang, if we want to rescue the people, isn’t it better for us to take action as soon as possible? If we communicate with the people at the Telecom Bureau before doing anything, coordinating the tracking of the kidnapper would take too long…” Captain Xing replied, sounding very innocent.

“Xing Cong Lian, what exactly do you want?” At that moment, Huang Ze seemed to have guessed what Xing Cong Lian was playing at. “Don’t say you want Lin Chen to handle the negotiation, and for your technician who had opened the back door to the Telecom Bureau to track and locate the kidnapper’s phone?”

Xing Cong Lian stopped playing dumb with Huang Ze. He smiled softly and said, “Inspector Huang, please check your email.”

The call was then hung up. The beeping sound left Huang Ze feeling incredulous.

Precisely at this moment, Huang Ze’s phone indicator blinked, notifying him of a new, unread email.

Although he was angry, he still opened it.

The email was short and brief, but its content was rich.

The email contained a personal information investigation report from Mayday, the most well-known investigation company.

The target of the investigation was Jiang Zhe, a returnee who came back from overseas and was currently serving as a consultant for the police.

Huang Ze looked at Jiang Zhe, who sported his signature messy curls, and stepped aside, finger pressed on his phone screen. His face was turning uglier by the second.

According to Mayday’s investigation, Jiang Zhe’s so-called education in an Ivy League psychological institution in Country X was a lie. In fact, during his three years abroad, he was studying at a community college in the outskirts of Country X’s capital.

After Jiang Zhe returned to China, he worked as a commentator for an Emotion Program hosted on a famous TV station through connections. Because of his sharp, humorous comments along with his self-deprecating jokes, everyone’s attention was always on the hot topics he created. He was also honest in admitting that he dropped out of university because of conflicting opinions with the professor and didn’t receive his degree, so no one doubted whether or not he actually studied in that university.

He was a bold and careful liar who played the media, journalists and even Huang Ze himself.

Next to the sofa, Lin Chen, who was holding his cup of tea also thought it was incredible. “Did you find someone to investigate Jiang Zhe?”

“Yes.”

“In such a short time?”

“Professional investigation companies are always more efficient.” Xing Cong Lian paired his forced expression with a helpless look. “Moreover, I can’t use police resources to check him.”

“How did you know there was a problem with Jiang Zhe’s educational history?”

Xing Cong Lian’s eyes drooped. He looked at Lin Chen and said, full of sincerity, “I’ve seen the real one. Of course I could distinguish a fake.”

Lin Chen sighed a little helplessly. When facing Captain Xing, someone who had Italian blood running through his veins, very few people could parry the genius skills that leak out from time to time.

Soon, Inspector Huang finished reading the report in a matter of moments and called again, this time full of aggression.

“Xing Cong Lian, what do you want?”

Xing Cong Lian’s breathing was relaxed. He stayed silent for a moment. When he spoke up, his tone was serious. “Huang Ze, you know who’s more suitable to handle the negotiation under these circumstances. Put away your personal grudges and those hypocritical rules and regulations. Our goal is to send those kids back to their parents safe and sound. It’s that simple, right?”

At the other end of the line, Huang Ze fell silent. How could he answer that with a no? Xing Cong Lian and Lin Chen had dug a pit for him. Lin Chen’s pit was filled with responsibilities while Xing Cong Lian’s was morality. However, Xing Cong Lian was far more treacherous in comparison. First, he secretly investigated Jiang Zhe and made use of Huang Ze’s lack of tracking capabilities. Then, while telling him what was right to do, Xing Cong Lian used a gentle and imperceptible method to guide him into the pit so that he gives up leading the negotiation.

Huang Ze took a deep breath and calmed down. Asking himself, he found that he could only raise his hands in surrender. “Then Captain, can you provide me with a solution?”

“You can grant special permission for the opening of a psychology consultant position now ah, wouldn’t that be in line with regulations?”

Hearing this, Huang Ze thought, “Oh, it’s that simple”. In fact, from the very start, Xing Cong Lian arranged all these so that Lin Chen could have a reasonable status. It was still a vague feeling, but Huang Ze noticed that Jiang Zhe’s matter was not about slapping his face but more about allowing him to backtrack to safety. The reason why Xing Cong Lian went around in such a roundabout way was because he respected Huang Ze’s opinion and judgement as an inspector.

A person with such a way of doing things, Huang Ze had no words to say. This conversation could only be concluded with the word “Okay”.

It was quick and straightforward.

“My god, Boss, you’re such a schemer.”

Wang Chao, who had listened to everything from start to finish, couldn’t help but feel goosebumps all over his body. He curled up in the corner of the sofa and rejected Xing Cong Lian’s approach.

At this moment, Lin Chen put down his cup and raised his gaze to look at his friend. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found himself bereft of words.