Lin Dongxue was surprised. “Why are you so sure? It could be just a coincidence.”

“Because I would do the same if it were me. Did you bring your gun?”

Lin Dongxue patted her jacket. “Yes…. But I need to remind you. My gun performance is mediocre.”

The two other officers came out from the ward, and asked one of the nurses, “Where is the fire?”

The nurse replied, “A storage room in the east. Nothing else in other areas. Mainly that we are worried the oxygen tanks will explode. We have already contacted the fire fighters.”

The nurses hurried away. The two officers looked at each other. Xiao Zhang suggested, “We should help with the fire!” Lao Zhang, who had been an officer for 20 years, disagreed “This is definitely a distraction made by the murderer. We cannot take even half a step out of the ward. The fire is in the east while this is the west. It won’t affect us.”

Cheni Shi instructed, “You two stay here and monitor. I will look at the staircase.”

He dragged Lin Dongxue and left. The corridor had nurses running around frantically. The two would almost bump into them. Lin Dongxue warned, “It’s currently very chaotic. Don’t run around randomly!”

“Stupid, where do you think Kong Wende would be?”

“You mean he wouldn’t be here?”

“The newspaper reported that the boy is unconscious, of course he would go to the ICU ward!”

Lin Dongxue finally understood.

While the whole hospital was in a state of panic, a figure came in, opening doors to each ICU patient and checking the appearance of each patient. After searching, he couldn’t find who he was looking for. He quietly left and tried to go to another patient’s room.

At this time, a gun pressed against his temples. He reflexively held his hands up.

“Kong Wende, you are under arrest!” Lin Dongxue shouted as she took out her handcuffs and chucked them to Chen Shi.

Chen Shi caught them and pressed Kong Wende against a wall in an experienced manner, moving to cuff his hands against his back. Kong Wende wore a hoodie that was covering his head. He impatiently asked, “Where’s my son?”

“You still know to come see your son?” Chen Shi sneered with a cold smile. “He is fine, without much injuries. He can leave the hospital tomorrow.”

“Didn’t the newspaper say…” Kong Wende turned around to face Chen Shi. He suddenly understood that this was a trap, but it was too late for regret. From the moment he did this, he knew this would be his end. The handcuff crisply clicked on. His anxious heart was finally relieved.

“Let me see him for a little bit” Kong Wende pleaded. “Once I’ve seen him, I will do whatever you ask.”

Chen Shi pointed out, “You can see him, but the way it is now, aren’t you afraid you will cause him trauma? His mental state has only just recovered a bit. Please think of him a little.”

Kong Wende’s lips trembled. He slowly squatted down and cried loudly. “I am not a good dad.”

Watching this middle-aged man bawling, Lin Dongxue pitied him a little. However, when she thought about the things he’d done, the pity left immediately without a trace. He chose this and deserves it!

“Where did you set the fire?” Chen Shi questioned.

Kong Wende said in between sniffles, “I didn’t set anything on fire. I just put a lighter up to a smoke detector. My son is in this hospital as well, so how could I set a fire here?”

So it was a false emergency. Lin Dongxue informed the two other police officers. When they heard that the murder suspect had already confessed, the two were stunned. They immediately escorted Kong Wende into the car.

Lin Dongxue looked at her watch. The time was 3pm in the afternoon. They made the time limit that the crime unit set out to resolve the case.

Kong Wende was escorted to the station. Lin Qiupu, who was surprised, recalled everyone still out investigating. He also announced that the case was already cracked. Applause erupted in the conference room with happy exclamations, except an unhappy face from Xu Xiaodong.

Once everyone calmed down, Lin Qiupu spoke on stage, “Solving the case within 48 hours, there is a person we have to express our gratitude towards. That person is…”

Everyone waited eagerly.

Lin Qiupu looked around the room. “Aiya, he isn’t here?”

Lin Dongxue responded, “He said he was hungry and went out to eat.”

“Ask him to come in!”

Lin Dongxue found Chen Shi in a nearby restaurant about to eat a bowl of beef noodles. Once he heard that Captain Lin wanted to acknowledge him in front of the team, Chen Shi furrowed his brows. “What? He didn’t like me before, but now he’s changed his tune all of a sudden?”

“You really think that my brother is that petty? He obviously has to mention your contributions.”

“I’m not going. We agreed that the contributions would be counted as yours. Moreover, I am not a police officer. I am just a kind-hearted civilian.”

“Hurry up. Everyone’s waiting for you!”

“Let me finish my noodles first!”

“Paying! Check please!” Lin Dongxue put money on the table and forcefully dragged Chen Shi to leave. “I will treat you to good food later!”

Chen Shi was led into the conference room. Lin Qiupu’s face was unhappy, but he cleared his throat. “The reason we were able to crack this case this time was all thanks to Mr. Chen’s help. He is not part of the task force, so we can’t officially commemorate him, so I recommend everyone to reward him with your applause.”

Everyone clapped in unison. Chen Shi who normally doesn’t care about anything became a bit shy and felt over appreciated with all the applause.

Lin Qiupu evilly laughed, saying “Mr. Chen, why don’t you come up and say a few words?!”

“No thanks, no thanks.”

“Come, come!”

“Go, go!” Lin Dongxue pushed him from behind.

Chen Shi grieved; He couldn’t believe this pair of brother and sister. He went up the stage and looked at all the eyes looking forward to his speech. He was silent for a few seconds, before taking out a few receipts from his pocket. “I know I won’t be getting a reward, but can I be reimbursed for these receipts? I have finished my speech. Thank you all!”

After his speech, he bowed. Amidst everyone’s puzzled gazes, he left the stage.

Lin Qiupu coughed. “Okay, although the case has finished, we still have lots of follow-up work to do. Continue to do your work!”

After they adjourned, Xu Xiaodong found Chen Shi and took out his two concert tickets. “Brother Chen, I accept my defeat. I admit that I am not as good as you.”

“Wow, I didn’t think you were so honest!” Chen Shi took the tickets, “Were you thinking of inviting Lin Dongxue to see it with you?”

Xu Xiaodong was embarrassed and shyly admitted, “I’ve already lost the tickets to you. What is there left to say?”

Chen Shi grabbed Xu Xiaodong’s hands and slapped the two tickets into them. “I was just playing with you! Did you really think that I would be after your tickets? If you like her, then be courageous and invite her!”

Xu Xiaodong widened his eyes in surprise and looked at him. Are these words meant to come out of a love rival’s mouth?

Or is it that I’ve got it wrong this whole time? Is Chen Shi not my love rival?

“You really don’t want them?”

“I don’t. People that come after the 90’s like me listen to Zhou Jielun[1]. We wouldn’t listen to people like this Song God of yours called Zhang Xueyou. I don’t even know who they are.” Chen Shi smiled and turned towards the interrogation room and left. He didn’t want to miss the interrogation.

Xu Xiaodong looked at Chen Shi’s back as he left and called out to him. “You came after the 90’s?”

“It’s after 1890’s. I’m not wrong, am I?” Chen Shi turned back to say and laughed a little.

Xu Xiaodong looked at the tickets in his hands. Gaining them after losing them, he appreciated them that much more. His heart thought that he needed to gift these to Lin Dongxue today.

1. Jay Chou. Very popular singer. https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wkFXJujuyXU/V_ZRET1k2sI/AAAAAAAABOo/Rck_QGg5s4MDdxUv7QLKrBiS4xYRlYoLwCLcB/s1600/jaychou.jpg