BL Ch66

The young police officer in the detention center listened to the conversation of these people as if it were an alien language, completely bewildered. Not wanting to reveal his ignorance, he could only widen his eyes to observe their expressions:

The one who seemed the most normal was being hugged by the one who looked the least normal. Judging by his expression, he didn’t seem too pleased. He raised his hand to push away the abnormal one and said in a deep voice, “I will prove my innocence – hello, could you please inform the people inside to let me in to talk to him.”

The young officer was taken aback, only then realizing he was being spoken to, and quickly responded, “No, only police can go in for interrogation.”

“I’m here to help them,” Bai Zhao pointed at the glass, “Ask Liu Shaojie if he agrees.”

The young officer remembered Xu Sheng mentioning these were all case-related individuals, maybe they could be of use. With skepticism, he opened the internal communication and relayed the message verbatim to the three inside who were on high alert.

Ji Lin and Xu Sheng were still in great shock, not having had the chance to interrogate further, when they heard this request, they initially wanted to reject it. However, upon hearing Bai Zhao’s name, Liu Shaojie’s expression changed, and he immediately shouted, “Let him in! You two, get out!”

Ji Lin looked towards Xu Sheng, who nodded back at him.

They had been exposed, lost Liu Shaojie’s trust, and further interrogation would be futile. Now that Liu Shaojie was willing to talk with Bai Zhao, it might be an opportunity.

So Ji Lin said to the dark glass, “Let him in.”

The interrogation room door opened, and as Bai Zhao passed by them, Xu Sheng, worried, grabbed him and warned sternly, “No funny business, we’re watching from outside.”

The door closed again, swapping the personnel inside and out.

Ji Lin walked briskly behind the glass, intently watching inside, and asked without turning his head, “You guessed it too?”

Yu Duqiu was equally focused, “Yes.”

Lou Baoguo was almost frantic, asking Zhou Yi, “Guessed what? Why are you all speaking in code, leaving just me out of the loop?”

Zhou Yi was in a bind, “I’m not really clear on the specifics, but from what the young master said, they’re probably guessing that Bai Zhiming didn’t die.”

Lou Baoguo was astonished only then, “Didn’t die? How is that possible! Didn’t the big brother see his body with his own eyes?”

Xu Sheng turned back, “Huang Hanxiang was in the sea for days; even his parents couldn’t recognize him. How do you expect a foster son to identify facial features? I’ve read the investigation records; that corpse was missing a pinky finger, matching Bai Zhiming’s disability, and the height and build were similar. Plus, there was Bai Zhiming’s ID in the corpse’s pocket. Most people would think it was definitely him. But on closer inspection, there are many inconsistencies.”

The young officer couldn’t hold back and asked, “What inconsistencies?”

Xu Sheng was about to answer when someone cut in, “Too many.”

Yu Duqiu said, “Of all the murder cases, his was the most unusual. I was always puzzled; why was the murderer so meticulous in the early stages, making Bai Zhiming disappear without a trace, but so careless later, not taking Bai Zhiming’s ID, which made it easy to confirm the identity of the deceased? Moreover, Bai Zhiming drowned with hallucinogens in his stomach, which isn’t like ‘The Queen’s’ style. What baffled me the most was that when I sent people to monitor Bai Zhiming, not a single suspicious person was spotted. Either the murderer’s anti-surveillance was extremely strong, or… there was no murderer; Bai Zhiming ‘killed’ himself and was reborn with a new identity, from then on, no longer Bai Zhiming, and no one would pursue him. If that’s true, that’s a clever ‘shedding of the cicada shell’.”

The young officer, processing the massive amount of information, swallowed and asked, “Then… how did you deduce he’s not dead?”

Zhou Yi also asked, “Yes, yes, Liu Shaojie didn’t seem to say anything.”

“Concern leads to chaos,” Xu Sheng finally got a word in, “Little Ji mentioned there were communication records between Jiang Sheng and Bai Zhiming on Jiang Sheng’s phone, intending to make Liu Shaojie think we had evidence of their crimes. But Liu Shaojie shouted, ‘I told you not to look for him but you had to.’ He knew who Jiang Sheng was looking for, and in this situation, who could it be other than Bai Zhiming? Liu Shaojie mistakenly thought Jiang Sheng was still in contact with Bai Zhiming, leading the police to know Bai Zhiming is alive, rendering all his secrets meaningless. He was almost ready to confess, but then Little Ji asked, ‘Did he kill Bai Zhiming too?’ Liu Shaojie realized we actually didn’t know Bai Zhiming was alive, so he refused to cooperate again.”

The young officer and Zhou Yi exclaimed simultaneously, “So that’s it! But if that corpse wasn’t Bai Zhiming, who could it be?”

Ji Lin pondered for a few seconds, his eyes suddenly showing fear.

“It couldn’t be him,” Yu Duqiu interrupted his thoughts, “I just remembered, the day after the incident at Jun Yue, when I was at your meeting, Director Peng casually mentioned another suspected drowning case from the same month Bai Zhiming went missing, where the body was never found. If my guess is correct, the victim of that case was Bai Zhiming’s scapegoat, the body Bai Zhao identified. After the Yu Alley case, Bai Zhiming might have known the police would eventually trace back to him, so he found a man similar in build, drugged him to cloud his mind, cut off his pinky, threw him into the sea, staging his own drowning to escape police pursuit.”

Ji Lin had been momentarily misled, scaring himself, but after hearing this analysis, he calmed down and agreed, “Indeed, I remember that body wasn’t as tall as Brother Mu.”

Xu Sheng was amazed by his memory, “You remember something from over two months ago?”

Yu Duqiu modestly said, “When I was young, my mind was messed up; perhaps some wires got crossed, enhancing my memory.”

“… No wonder you’re interested in brain-machine interfaces.”

Lou Baoguo, with a normal brain, took a few turns to understand, “So, this kid was stubbornly silent all this time to protect his dad?”

Yu Duqiu, “Something like that, Mu Hao discovered evidence of Bai Zhiming’s involvement in drug trafficking. Given The Queen’s cruel nature, he should have killed Bai Zhiming too, but he let him go. It must have been Liu Shaojie taking the blame to ensure his foster father’s safety. He knew that if he told the police the truth, Bai Zhiming’s life would be in danger, so he kept silent.”

Lou Baoguo, “Damn, this Bai Zhiming is quite something! To make a foster son so loyal?”

“Jiang Sheng too, risking everything for Bai Zhiming’s whereabouts, even being used by The Queen. Seems like Bai Zhiming’s brainwashing successfully created a group of loyal followers.” Ji Lin narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the man who had just entered the interrogation room, “So, the question is – is Bai Zhao the only exception or just another of the same kind?”

Yu Duqiu seemed unconcerned, “Let’s hear what he has to say first.”

Ji Lin glanced over, “Odd, you’re usually the most skeptical at times like this, why so calm today?”

Yu Duqiu shrugged, “Worst case, you arrest him, what else can we do?”

Inside the interrogation room, Bai Zhao had already sat down in front of Liu Shaojie.

Liu Shaojie’s sinister gaze followed him, his mouth just opening when Bai Zhao asked first, “Do you know me?”

Liu Shaojie was taken aback, not understanding the intent behind the question. After a moment’s hesitation, he replied, “Of course, I know you.”

“Jiang Sheng knows me too, right?” Bai Zhao said calmly, “He seems to dislike me, but I’ve never interacted with him, so I couldn’t figure out why.”

Liu Shaojie raised an eyebrow arrogantly, “I don’t like you either, guess why?”

“Because I’m the only legally adopted child of Bai Zhiming, and he favored me, letting me live a normal life, not having to do illegal things like you, living in constant fear, right?”

Liu Shaojie laughed as if he heard a good joke, the mockery on his face evident, “What exactly do you want to say?”

“Thank you for your stupidity, which let us know that both you and Jiang Sheng are Bai Zhiming’s foster sons, and also that Bai Zhiming is still alive.” Bai Zhao watched the man’s face change instantly, but continued calmly, “Although we’ve never met before, we are technically brothers. I sincerely advise you to tell me where Bai Zhiming is and the true identity of the Yu Alley case murderer. I will work with the police to bring them to justice. You’ll get a reduced sentence and can walk out of prison earlier to live a normal life like me.”

Outside, Xu Sheng was getting impatient, “We’ve said all this before, doesn’t he have any other tricks? It’s no use letting an amateur do this. Let’s stop wasting time with this guy and go back to the station to report to Old Peng to organize capturing Bai Zhiming.”

Ji Lin: “In this vast sea of people, where do we even start looking?”

Yu Duqiu also said, “Bai Zhiming might have already fled the country; without leads, it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack, time-consuming and labor-intensive. Bai Zhao isn’t a fool; give him some more time.”

Hearing the same words from different people, Liu Shaojie’s reaction varied greatly. He first burst into uncontrollable laughter, then abruptly stopped, fell silent for a long while, and finally said, “Actually, you don’t need to ask me; you should be able to guess where he went, right?”

Bai Zhao didn’t deny it: “He threw away his real ID; he’s unlikely to stay in the country for long. Without an ID, he can’t use public transport, so he must have smuggled out. And the foreign place he’s most familiar with would be where he often traveled for business – Myanmar.”

Liu Shaojie didn’t deny it either: “You guessed pretty accurately, but Myanmar is huge, full of mountains. If he hides in some remote village, you’ll never find him in your lifetime.”

“Which is why we need your intelligence,” said Bai Zhao, “You and Jiang Sheng were both deceived by his facade of a caring father. I know his character well; he doesn’t love you, only himself. He used you as a scapegoat while he ran away. Do you really want to spend your life for such a person?”

Liu Shaojie thought for a moment: “I didn’t speak up not just for him, but mainly because I hate the police. But you’re not a cop, so I might consider it, provided your promise holds. Will you really take the police to catch them?”

Bai Zhao leaned forward, his dark eyes fixed on his: “I keep my word.”

Liu Shaojie also tried to lean closer: “Alright, I’ll tell you, come closer, I’ll only say it to you.”

The distance between them narrowed, Bai Zhao’s ear almost touching the transparent barrier.

Those in the monitoring room could only see Liu Shaojie’s lips move, hearing nothing.

Just as Ji Lin was about to order the officer to turn up the volume, a sudden outburst came from the interrogation room: “You can dream on!”

Bai Zhao covered his ears and quickly backed away, watching the man in front of him scream wildly, “None of you are any good! I’ve survived this long thanks to my dad! The police will just crush us like cockroaches! Why should I help them? Get lost! All of you, get lost! Fuck off! Don’t bother me again!”

Xu Sheng threw up his hands, “What did I tell you?”

Ji Lin lowered his head, sighed, “Forget it, let him come out.”

The young officer hurriedly opened the door. Bai Zhao, still holding his ears due to the ringing, came out.

Zhou Yi stepped forward to ask with concern, “Are you okay, Xiao Bai?”

Bai Zhao shook his head, “Although he didn’t reveal the exact location, I estimate it’s around the ruby mines in northern Myanmar where Bai Zhiming has some connections and could settle down without issues.”

Yu Duqiu raised an eyebrow, “What did he say to you at first?”

“Just some curse words.”

“Really?”

Bai Zhao responded frankly, “If you don’t believe me, go ask him.”

Yu Duqiu gave a meaningful laugh, “Alright, I’ll trust you this time.”

Seeing them still so leisurely, Xu Sheng urged, “Let’s not talk about this now, we should head back to the station to discuss strategy with Old Peng. This trip wasn’t for nothing; at least we found a significant lead – who’s going to take him away? He’s too noisy, what a loud mouth.”

The young officer quickly said, “I’ll call someone right away.”

“Wait a minute,” Ji Lin hesitated, “I… have one more question for him. Could you all step out for a minute? Just half a minute.”

Xu Sheng was surprised, “What question can’t I hear?”

Ji Lin looked troubled, “It’s not an important question… never mind, forget it.”

Xu Sheng waved his hands, “No, no, I’m just curious, not that I don’t trust you. We’ll go out, make it quick.”

“Okay, thanks, Xu Ge.”

Xu Sheng glanced at the others, deciding to deal with the biggest obstacle first, grabbing Yu Duqiu’s arm and pulling him out, “What are you still standing here for? Let’s go, let’s go.”

Yu Duqiu stood like a stone pillar, not moving, “You trust him, what does that have to do with me? I want to stay and hear what he’s asking.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a solid chest pressed against his back. Bai Zhao gripped his shoulders, pushing him out, “Let’s go, Young Master.”

“Why are you pushing me? Wait, hey—”

Yu Duqiu was half-dragged, half-pushed out of the monitoring room to the corridor of the detention center, looking back with irritation, “You’re getting bolder.”

Bai Zhao rested his chin on his shoulder, his bandaged hand wrapping around his waist, whispering, “My ears hurt, give me a break.”

Lou Baoguo and Zhou Yi watched in shock at the audacity of those hands, then their gaze shifted to the necklace around Yu Duqiu’s neck, wondering if those hands would still be attached to their owner in the next second.

Yu Duqiu was slightly taken aback, not angry, and gently rubbed Bai Zhao’s ear behind him, “Why play the victim? Shouldn’t you be happy knowing your dad’s alive?”

“You know my feelings about him,” Bai Zhao tightened his arms, “I’m different from those two; I don’t care if he’s alive as long as you are.”

Yu Duqiu gave a low hum, “Xiao Bai, the wolf in sheep’s clothing, how long can you keep up this act?”

Bai Zhao cooperatively replied, “Maybe for a lifetime.”

Xu Sheng couldn’t bear to watch, asking Zhou Yi without words, “Are they always this inappropriate?”

Zhou Yi gave an awkward smile, “Please forgive them.”

At that moment, an unrestrained laugh came from inside the door, not even the door could block it, accompanied by Liu Shaojie’s clear taunt: “Didn’t I tell you a thousand times! He’s dead! Dead long ago! Where’s the body? Go down and ask him yourself! Hahaha!”

Everyone outside fell into silence.

After half a minute, Ji Lin came out, closing the door behind him, looking normal, “I’ve had him taken back to his cell. Let’s head back.”

Xu Sheng, who was about to speak, decided to act as if he hadn’t heard, patting Ji Lin’s back, “I have a feeling we’ll catch the murderer soon.”

Ji Lin nodded, “Yes, definitely, once we find Bai Zhiming, the truth will come to light.”

Even the usually carefree Lou Baoguo consoled, “Ji Team, this Liu Shaojie, like Jiang Sheng, hates the police, every word from his mouth is a lie. Don’t let him affect your mood.”

“Yeah, I understand, no need to take it to heart.”

“That’s the spirit.”

Ji Lin took a deep breath to clear his mind of various emotions, clapped his hands, and said, “Alright, we’ll split up here. Xu Ge and I will go back to check the list of missing persons since February this year. Since that body isn’t Bai Zhiming’s, there must be someone else. You all go home, rest up. Bai Zhao, think carefully about where Bai Zhiming might be hiding and any way we might find him. We’ll summon you again later.”

“Okay.”

Ji Lin turned to leave, his gaze inadvertently passing over the watch on Yu Duqiu’s wrist, pausing slightly before quickly moving away as he continued walking.

Yu Duqiu watched the two figures walk away for a moment, then withdrew his gaze and looked at his watch, “It’s still early, let’s head back. The product launch is coming up soon, I have a bunch of things to do, and I need to start preparing for the next plan.”

Lou Baoguo got excited at the mention of a task, rubbing his hands together, “Young Master, what plan?”

Yu Duqiu made a shushing gesture and gave a sly smile, “‘The things that really need to be done, you don’t even tell the gods about.’”