Zhou Wei stood frozen in place as Lu Linjiang rifled through his wallet, inspecting it inside and out. After a moment, Lu remarked with a sigh of admiration, "This is a very fine wallet."
Zhou Wei’s bravado instantly deflated. He reached out sheepishly, hoping to take the wallet back, but Lu Linjiang deliberately held it high and stepped back.
"Now, Officer... I was just joking with you earlier. I didn't mean it. Can I have my wallet back?"
Lu Linjiang nodded. "Of course. But I have one question: where did you buy this? I’d like to get one for myself."
"Where? I... I bought it on Taobao," Zhou Wei stammered.
"Great. Send me the link."
Realizing he’d walked into a trap, Zhou Wei quickly changed his story. "Oh, wait, no. I remembered wrong. I bought it at a night market stall."
Lu Linjiang looked at him, the faint, barely perceptible smile vanishing from his face. His expression turned cold. "Setting aside the fact that Jinghai’s night markets were shut down years ago, I find it hard to believe a stall-bought wallet would bear the signature of a European master craftsman. I had no idea domestic knock-offs had reached such a level of authenticity."
Someone in the crowd of onlookers, apparently unable to mind their own business, spoke up sharply. "So what? These days, knock-offs are better quality than the originals. Besides, if you've got a problem with it, go investigate the counterfeiters. Why are you harassing an ordinary citizen?"
"Yeah, exactly! Officer, I really did just buy it at a stall. I thought it looked unique. I didn't know if it was second-hand or a knock-off, but that shouldn't be illegal!" Seeing someone take his side, Zhou Wei seized the opportunity to defend himself.
Lu Linjiang’s gaze flickered between the two of them. Satisfied they didn't know each other, he ignored the "righteous" bystander and spoke directly to Zhou Wei. "Fine then. You’re coming back to the station with me to give a statement. You can describe the seller's appearance so I can investigate."
Zhou Wei’s mouth twitched. He immediately refused. "That... I bought it years ago! How am I supposed to remember all that?"
"Exactly! That’s asking too much," the young bystander added. "I don't even remember what I ate yesterday, and you're asking about something from years ago?"
Lu Linjiang didn't want to cause an unnecessary scene, so he simply warned the young man, "Cooperating with a police investigation is every citizen's duty. Whether he remembers or not isn't the point; what matters is his attitude toward the investigation."
Zhou Wei hadn't expected the officer to remain so steadfast under the scrutiny of the crowd. He shut his mouth guiltily, but within a minute, he began to regret his silence. "How about this? You give me the stuff inside, and you can keep the wallet. Consider it my contribution to the state for the investigation."
Lu Linjiang looked at him. "That’s not how the regulations work. You’re coming with me. We’ll follow the proper procedure. It’s better for both of us that way."
Lu Linjiang seemed completely impervious to persuasion. Zhou Wei grew increasingly agitated, scratching his head in frustration. He wanted to run, but all his belongings were in the officer's hands; if he stayed, he was clearly in a bind.
"By the way, let’s inventory your items in front of you so you can't claim anything went missing later." Lu Linjiang walked over to the nurse’s station, asked for a plastic bag, and began placing the contents of the wallet inside one by one. "ID card, cash... a total of two hundred nineteen yuan and thirty cents. Two bank cards, one store membership card, one key, no... wait."
Once everything had been removed, Lu Linjiang noticed a slight bulge in the wallet’s lining. He felt it with his fingers, then pulled the lining open, holding it up to the light for a closer look. "Interesting."
He glanced at Zhou Wei, who clearly had no idea what was happening. Lu Linjiang felt around the bulge until he found a nearly imperceptible thread. Following the thread to the edge of the inner lining, he finally located a tiny zipper.
The zipper was so small that Lu Linjiang had to use his fingernails to slowly nudge it open, revealing a hidden compartment. He peered at the contents, and a flash of excitement finally broke through his cold expression. He turned to Zhou Wei. "I’m afraid whether you want to come with me or not is no longer up to you."
The onlookers in the infusion room saw Lu Linjiang’s discovery clearly. Zhou Wei, in particular, turned deathly pale. Those who had previously thought Lu Linjiang was abusing his power now sensed something was wrong. No one spoke up again; instead, the crowd began to eye Zhou Wei with suspicion.
Zhou Wei remained in a daze until he was brought into the interrogation room. Lu Linjiang laid out the contents of the wallet on the table. Seeing Zhou Wei staring blankly, he finally pulled the items from the hidden compartment.
They were two plane tickets.
"So, been traveling abroad lately?"
Zhou Wei didn't know whether to nod or shake his head. He stole a timid glance at Lu Linjiang, his mouth twitching into a grimace that looked like a cross between a smile and a sob.
Lu Linjiang actually admired the man’s persistence—still refusing to talk even in this situation. "Do you think I have to wait for your confession to figure this out? If I have to do the work myself, the charges I decide to pin on you might not be so pleasant."
Zhou Wei suddenly snapped out of it, nearly jumping out of his seat. "What—what charges could I possibly have? Is picking something up illegal now?"
"Where did you pick it up?" Lu Linjiang’s voice wasn't loud, but it sent an involuntary shiver through Zhou Wei. The little confidence he had managed to scrape together vanished instantly.
"In... in the car..." Zhou Wei’s head slumped, looking like a withered squash.
"Was it Guzman’s?" Lu Linjiang placed a photo of Guzman in front of him. Zhou Wei glanced at it. "I don't remember."
Lu Linjiang suddenly slammed his hand on the table. The photo jumped; Zhou Wei jumped even higher, recoiling violently. "I’m not lying! It’s been so long! Besides, all foreigners look the same to me. I really can't tell them apart."
Lu Linjiang narrowed his eyes. "So, you’ve 'picked up' things from more than one foreigner?"
Zhou Wei nearly slapped himself. "I... that is..."
Lu Linjiang stopped wasting words on him. "There are six hours left until dawn. This is your last chance." He slapped a pen and paper onto the table, gathered the evidence, and walked out.
It happened to be Guo Junyi’s shift. Lu Linjiang handed him the wallet. "It’s been almost three months. See if we’re lucky enough to find any fingerprints or other traces."
Guo Junyi looked at the item. After everything that had happened, he was extremely sensitive to the name "Guzman." Seeing the name on the case file, he asked, "What, this case is still being investigated?"
"Yes," Lu Linjiang nodded. "The taxi driver who drove Guzman before he died picked up his wallet."
"A wallet? I remember there was a wallet among Guzman’s effects." Guo Junyi examined the item. It wasn't a standard pocket wallet; strictly speaking, it was more of a small clutch or pouch, large enough to hold a phone or keys. If one tried to put it in a pocket, most of it would stick out.
"Exactly. No one expected Guzman to have another one like this. The driver probably saw it, thought it looked expensive, and kept it. We’ve been running in circles for no reason." Lu Linjiang handed over the two tickets found in the hidden compartment.
"Tickets?"
"Look at the name."
"Roman Salazar?" Guo Junyi struggled with the English name, then reacted. "That sounds familiar."
"Guzman’s alias," Lu Linjiang provided the answer immediately.
The destination on the tickets was Sweden. Guo Junyi checked the dates. Guzman had arrived in Sweden the day before Tao Minxing and the others left for the meeting in Jinghai. The other ticket was for a flight back to Italy, ten hours after his arrival in Sweden.
"He was a busy man," Guo Junyi remarked dryly.
"If I remember correctly, he traveled to Jinghai from Italy," Lu Linjiang rubbed his temples. "If I’d noticed the driver’s behavior earlier, we wouldn't have taken such a long detour."
This was a bit of an excuse. At the time, Xu Sichen had noticed something off about Zhou Wei, but then Guo Junyi’s accident happened, Lu Linjiang went to Tuocheng, and the remaining team members, Xu Sichen and Tang Hua, were overwhelmed. Zhou Wei’s suspicious behavior hadn't been glaringly obvious, and since Guzman’s essential travel items were all accounted for in his known belongings, Zhou Wei had managed to slip through the cracks.
"That sounds like you're blaming me," Guo Junyi said, quickly catching the implication and offering a half-joke.
"Hey, no! I’m just looking for a reasonable explanation for my own oversight." Lu Linjiang spoke smoothly, showing none of the guilt he claimed to feel. "When Director Chu asks later, this explanation might save me from a lecture."
Guo Junyi was about to tease him further when the phone on the desk rang.
"A call at this hour? What major case is it now?" Guo Junyi muttered as he picked up. He heard Chu Juxian’s voice on the other end: "Is Lu Linjiang with you?"
Guo Junyi gave Lu Linjiang a 'you're dead' look and replied in a normal tone, "He’s here. I’ll put him on." He handed the receiver to Lu, mouthing, *It’s Director Chu.*
Lu Linjiang was puzzled. He hadn't even reported the new lead yet; was Director Chu already calling him in to write a self-reflection? That seemed a bit too proactive.
"Director Chu, this is Lu Linjiang."
"Come to my office."
Lu Linjiang hung up and scratched his chin. "Who talked so fast?"
Guo Junyi looked at him with pity. "Good luck. Better to get it over with quickly. Now, get out!"
Lu Linjiang: "..."
He jogged to Chu Juxian’s office. It was midnight. As soon as he entered, he was hit by a cloud of cigarette smoke that made him cough.
"Director Chu, it's so late."
Chu Juxian stood up and opened a window to let the smoke out. "I’ve been taking calls all afternoon. Not a moment’s peace."
Lu Linjiang realized immediately that Chu Juxian hadn't called him about Zhou Wei.
"How is the investigation into Jiang Langmin going?"
Lu Linjiang replied, "There was a new development tonight. Are people putting pressure on you?"
Chu Juxian gave him a look that said 'obviously.' "He seems to have good connections. I’ve had calls all afternoon asking what’s going on. It’s an endless headache. They even brought up the matter between you and Jiang Cheng." He huffed at Lu Linjiang, though he didn't seem to truly mind the gossip. "Tell me. What’s the new development?"
After listening to Lu Linjiang’s report, Chu Juxian said thoughtfully, "It’s a lead, certainly. But trying to link it directly to Jiang Langmin is still a bit of a stretch."
"True. Director Chu, I have an idea." Lu Linjiang looked at Chu Juxian, and after receiving a nod of permission, he continued, "Jiang Langmin is meticulous. If we follow standard procedures, I’m afraid we’ll never catch him. I think we’ll have a better chance if we manufacture the evidence ourselves."
Chu Juxian looked at Lu Linjiang, his expression unreadable regarding the suggestion.
"The calls this afternoon were actually helpful," Lu Linjiang added. "At least they’ve created pressure on us. It’ll make certain actions look more convincing."
***
