Chapter 185: Good Guy, I Almost Confessed, How Excited!

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

“This person…”

“Can we find him?”

Eight o’clock in the evening.

It should have been the end of their workday, but Su Xuan and Zhou Qiang were still in the office. They had just used Officer Mo’s composite sketch to search on the police cloud database.

“Based on Officer Mo’s composite sketch, this guy named Chuan Yang seems to be a good match,” Su Xuan said, his expression serious. “But the time and location don’t match up.”

Zhou Qiang, hunched over the desk, was staring at the computer screen. The man’s facial features closely resembled the composite sketch, almost a perfect match among the people they had found.

But, as Su Xuan had pointed out, he was too far away.

Furthermore, their investigation had revealed that this individual worked for a state-owned enterprise, with a schedule that required him to be at work five to six days a week. Such a person wouldn’t have the time or the need to travel all the way to Xiangjiang City, which was quite far, to purchase the information provided by Qian Gui. Besides, the benefits and treatment in a state-owned enterprise were more than decent.

Thinking about this, Zhou Qiang’s gaze became distant, and he felt like a deflated balloon.

“Chuan Yang won’t work, so let’s look at the others?”

After a long pause, Zhou Qiang struggled to sit up, staring at the computer in front of him. “I just can’t believe we can’t find him!”

Su Xuan nodded as he watched Zhou Qiang’s determination.

To be honest, in Su Xuan’s eyes, Chuan Yang was undoubtedly the most similar to the composite sketch. But he was also the least likely suspect. However, when they tried to find someone else, they couldn’t find anyone who resembled Chuan Yang.

In the end, after searching and re-searching, they circled back to Chuan Yang.

Sitting in front of the computer, Su Xuan glanced at Zhou Qiang, and Zhou Qiang looked back at him.

“How about… we investigate?”

One person cautiously suggested, and the other immediately agreed.

“Alright!”

“Let’s do it!”

Investigating someone who was quite far away from their location was not as simple as searching online. Su Xuan and Zhou Qiang made a decision. The next day, they went to see Old Mai.

Ironically, it was Su Xuan and Zhou Qiang who surprised Old Mai.

“What’s this about?”

“You guys actually want to go investigate in another city…”

“You said this guy has been working in a state-owned enterprise all along. If we can’t find anything, won’t this trip be in vain?”

“I won’t approve this business trip!”

Old Mai hesitated, having reservations about their plan.

The situation they were facing was no longer a matter of whether Su Xuan and his team wanted to go, but rather, going was a necessity even if the outcome might not be favorable.

Chuan Yang lived in a city nearly nine hours away by high-speed train. It was a long journey for a job like this.

Su Xuan and Zhou Qiang were tangled up about one thing in particular. If Chuan Yang had conducted the transaction with Qian Gui online, even if the distance was great, it would just be a matter of a single internet connection.

But Chuan Yang had opted for a different approach. He conducted the transaction in person, using cash. This showed a high level of trust in Qian Gui.

“Old Mai, I must go…”

“I have a strong feeling that if we go there, we can find some clues.”

Su Xuan told Old Mai.

“We’ve already come this far. We can’t afford to lose half of it now.”

“Moreover, in recent years, the chances of children going missing in our city have increased significantly…”

“Especially in our county…”

“The number of reported cases in a year has multiplied compared to previous years.”

“It’s hard to believe that Qian Gui’s involvement isn’t part of the problem…”

After Su Xuan expressed his determination, Old Mai lowered his head. As the head of the local police station, he had been dealing with numerous missing children cases in their jurisdiction for over a year. Did he not know about them? However, most of these cases had never been resolved. When a child went missing, they simply couldn’t find them.

They had considered the possibility of organized crime involvement, and that’s why Su Xuan had personally interrogated the human trafficker they caught earlier. But that lead had already gone cold. Their department was searching for any clues or evidence, as any organization, no matter how careful, would leave traces behind during their operations. Even if the other party tried to erase all evidence, there would always be something left behind.

The progress was slow, and they never expected Su Xuan to bring up another lead after more than a month.

Old Mai sighed, “Fine! If you want to go, I’ll give you a ten-day leave for your business trip. Including the round trip, I’ll give you twelve days. If you can’t find anything in those twelve days, you better come back. I’ll also contact the local police for cooperation. That’s the best I can offer.”

Su Xuan and Zhou Qiang exchanged glances and both became excited. “Yes, Chief Mai! We promise to complete the mission!”

The business trip was scheduled for 8 a.m. the next day. Su Xuan packed his things and arranged to meet Zhao Ruoxi, who happened to have some free time.

In fact, Su Xuan had been very busy since the day he invited her to dinner. If it were any other girl, she might have already expressed her discontent. But Zhao Ruoxi was different. Her own job kept her occupied, and when both of them were busy, they didn’t pay much attention to whether the other had sent messages or not.

When Su Xuan received her call and explained that he was going on a business trip and wanted to have dinner with her today, she readily agreed. They had an enjoyable meal together. If it weren’t for the late hour and the fact that Su Xuan had to go back to pack, they might have arranged for a late-night snack as well.

During the drive back, Su Xuan considered speaking several times. However, seeing Zhao Ruoxi sitting in the passenger seat, engrossed in her phone, he decided to keep his words to himself. Perhaps it would be better to wait until after the business trip to discuss anything important. It didn’t seem fair to drop a bombshell on her today and leave for the trip tomorrow.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Su Xuan thought, making a decision internally. But just as he was contemplating, Zhao Ruoxi, who had been engrossed in her phone, suddenly turned to look at him.

Her gaze carried a hint of confusion, and Su Xuan was caught off guard by her unexpected scrutiny. His mind raced, and his eyes darted to a nearby bubble tea shop along the street.

His mouth acted faster than his brain. “Um, I just wanted to ask you… do you want some bubble tea?”

Zhao Ruoxi:…?

In that moment, Su Xuan, who had unintentionally dug himself into a hole, wished he could turn back time by a few minutes. He regretted not being able to control his gaze and for inadvertently staring at the girl.

“Do you see now?” He thought bitterly. “You see what happens when you can’t control your eyes?”

“Sure!” Zhao Ruoxi replied, her voice carrying a playful tone. “I haven’t had bubble tea in a while. It’s a good idea. Just pull over to the side of the road, and I’ll go buy it.. What flavor would you like?”