Simulated Crime, This Criminal Doesn’t Seem to Be Acting

The interrogation results were not as good as expected, which didn't surprise Ye Sangsang.

People are cunning, and even more so in the ruthless world of business.

Unlike the satire of corporate wars in the era twenty years later, where it's just about pouring water on a lucky plant, the corporate wars of this era are much more brutal. Streets and alleys are fought over for territory, group fights break out, and gangs raid game halls, escalating to even hiring hitmen—such things are not uncommon.

Moreover, many of the people convicted this time were not core members. They were simply thrown out as unwitting scapegoats to distract from the investigation.

So after half an hour of questioning, Ye Sangsang and Wei Quan decided to give up.

To prevent them from intimidating or bribing the victims, Captain Qian dispatched several undercover teams to rural towns, where they secretly protected some of the victims of the Flower Plan, who had been targeted the most, and conducted investigations to track down potential suspects.

As the captain of the criminal investigation squad, he was completely enraged when he learned that they had sent people to cause trouble at the police station and challenge the police.

He gave Ye Sangsang and Wei Quan half a month to uncover the members involved in the Flower Plan within Yuanshan Charity.

They needed to make arrests as soon as possible to let the forces behind these schemes know that the police's authority is solemn and inviolable.

Ye Sangsang and Wei Quan had no choice but to accept the task. Seeing that the interrogation yielded no results, they decided to conduct field investigations instead.

Their goal was to have the victims identify their abusers, break them down, and follow the leads to uncover a larger network.

It was a difficult task, but it had to be done.

After preparing for a long and multi-location operation, Ye Sangsang, Wei Quan, and Yang Hao set off for a township under Yuancheng. There were no undercovers here, and the population was sparse, making it relatively less likely to be noticed.

Yuancheng was a plain area, mostly relying on farming and working outside to make a living. With the economy only just starting to develop in recent years, most people were not well-off.

Even though they had anticipated the difficulty of the journey, they were still unprepared for just how challenging it would be.

Due to the rainy weather and muddy roads, their car took a wrong turn and got stuck in the mud.

They had no choice but to get out and push the car, resulting in them being covered in mud and wasting a lot of time.

Fortunately, after that stretch of road, the path turned into a gravel road, allowing them to proceed smoothly to their destination.

When they arrived at the township police station, all three of them looked quite disheveled.

The town wasn't very prosperous, with most buildings being two-story houses. A single gravel road ran from one end to the other, giving a clear view of the entire town.

The police station chief and a few officers welcomed them and arranged for their accommodation.

Since they had called ahead to make arrangements, they were put up in a house in the back courtyard of the police station.

There were two rooms, one for Ye Sangsang and one shared by Wei Quan and Yang Hao, with a communal bathroom for washing up.

Ye Sangsang felt a little uncomfortable at first, but she quickly settled in, changed into clean clothes and shoes, and went to the front of the police station.

They didn't have the luxury of a shower, as there were no such conditions.

When she arrived at the police station, she found Wei Quan already there.

He was chatting with one of the officers, each holding a cigarette, looking like they had already formed a somewhat familiar rapport.

Detectives in this era were highly socially skilled, and social anxiety was practically a disqualifier for the job.

Ye Sangsang approached, crossed her arms, and asked what they were talking about so enthusiastically.

Wei Quan was straightforward in his response, explaining that he had asked how busy the town was and whether it was a peaceful place.

After all, for detectives, their workload was always at full capacity—even switching to a desk job wouldn't bring much relief, as the exhaustion could lead to burnout or even death from overwork.

Ye Sangsang smiled upon hearing this, nodding in agreement.

Since she had entered this "game," she had been so busy that she barely touched the ground, and downtime in her offline life counted as rest.

The detectives she saw around her were all the same—rushing here and there, barely catching a moment to rest before being called in for overtime.

It was a constant cycle of day and night being flipped.

The officer initially seemed envious, but after hearing all that, he quickly dismissed the thought, shaking his head and saying he couldn't handle it.

Everyone laughed, and their camaraderie deepened.

Later, Yang Hao joined them, and Wei Quan organized a dinner in the town.

They paid in advance to avoid any arguments over the bill.

Ye Sangsang was socially adept, and after a few drinks, she learned that a few new people had apparently arrived in the town after their arrival in the afternoon.

In the current era, towns were relatively closed and isolated, so outsiders were a novelty, much like a rare animal sighting. Most people in the town knew each other, so any new faces stood out immediately.

Wei Quan raised his glass, asking for their help and understanding, as their case was a big one and would require cooperation from everyone for some time.

The implications were clear to everyone present.

Ye Sangsang also joined in, raising her glass, while Yang Hao followed suit, albeit somewhat blindly.

They had arrived at 6 p.m. and didn't return to their lodging until 10 p.m.

After settling in for the night, Ye Sangsang logged off.

Throughout this period, she had not seen Dr. Zhang Jingyue, but this time, she encountered her.

Gentle people are often easily likable, and Dr. Zhang Jingyue was no exception.

She presented some new treatment plans for Ye Sangsang's case.

Unlike her previous readiness to accept the previous doctor's plans without question, Ye Sangsang now raised some objections.

As a regular psychiatrist, Zhang Jingyue was willing to discuss and modify her plans, especially when the patient was communicative and stable.

Thus, Ye Sangsang received an alternative comprehensive treatment plan.

After everything was settled, Zhang Jingyue asked, "Does role-playing in the game make you feel a sense of control and happiness in life?"

This was a profound question, one that hinted at her empathizing with Ye Sangsang's joy.

Ye Sangsang didn't deny it. The goals and roles set by the game did give her a sense of purpose.

Controlling the character did indeed bring her happiness.

"If possible, try to live your real life as vibrantly as you do in the game," Zhang Jingyue advised, adding, "Of course, I suggest setting boundaries and never doing anything that violates the law."

Ye Sangsang had been admitted to the hospital with a high-risk label due to a history of violence; she had been "forcibly admitted."

To be discharged, she had to be confirmed fully recovered.

After hearing the doctor's words, Ye Sangsang smiled faintly and said, "Alright."

Zhang Jingyue nodded with a smile. It was her duty as a doctor to be glad when a patient showed signs of recovery.

She paused for a moment, and just as Ye Sangsang was about to ask if there was anything else, she said, "Although I'm not an orthopedic specialist, I've consulted one about your leg X-rays. You need to start rehabilitation soon, or you might miss the optimal recovery period."

She tried to speak gently, as the origin of Ye Sangsang's leg injury was, according to the hospital admission notes, not something that could be mentioned directly.

Ye Sangsang thought for a moment and didn't refuse. She agreed to Zhang Jingyue's arrangement for her to start rehabilitation.

After resting in reality, Ye Sangsang logged back into the game.

It was early morning, and the first rays of sunlight had just pierced through the clouds, casting a glow over the town's buildings.

After the rain had cleared, there was still some standing water on the ground.

Ye Sangsang walked toward the school, her sneakers occasionally splashing through tiny puddles, as many students passed her on the way.

They had arrived at Yuanshan No. 32 Middle School, the only high school in the nearby towns.

The three of them were dressed in civilian clothes and didn't inform anyone of the details of their case. They simply stated that they wanted to meet certain individuals.

They would approach one at a time, avoiding any gathering of students.

Most importantly, they wanted to protect the reputation of these children, so as not to affect their future due to potential public knowledge of their situation.

As Yu Qingqing had said, the number of female victims far outnumbered the males, with six girls and two boys selected by the Flower Plan from this school.

After entering the arranged room, Ye Sangsang looked at the girls before her and chose not to reveal anything immediately. Instead, she began by asking questions to gently guide them to open up.

They would also observe. If a girl seemed relaxed, it might mean she hadn't been violated and needed to be protected from revealing her innocence.

Only those who appeared tense and anxious would be questioned about the truth.

However, after questioning two girls who were visibly tense, neither had the courage to reveal the truth.

Even though the three of them sighed in disappointment, they understood the consequences that speaking out might bring—social stigma, parental rejection, and the psychological pressure on themselves.

These burdens were like mountains, pressing down on them, making it impossible for them to admit the truth, even though it wasn't their fault.

Ye Sangsang remained expressionless, merely saying, "We need to find a way. We can't have no one speak the truth."

To follow the vine and find the melon, you first need to see the vine to trace it to the melon.

"We need to alleviate their psychological burden," Wei Quan suggested.

Yang Hao scratched his head, "How should we do that?"

Ye Sangsang lowered her eyes and pondered.

【It's so difficult to proceed with our work!】

【Neither side is wrong, yet precisely because no one is wrong, I feel suffocated.】

【Rumors are fiercer than tigers. From their perspective, I might also hesitate if I were in their shoes.】

The room fell into a deathly silence, as they could come up with no good solution. They couldn't treat them like suspects, after all.

At this moment, Ye Sangsang said, "Why don't you two step out? The next one we're calling is a girl. I'll take care of the questioning. As for the boys later, you two can handle them."

They had a planned sequence: one student would return to the classroom before the next one was called, and even the teachers calling them were different.

They didn't know how effective the confidentiality measures were, but they could only do their best.

According to the sequence, the next one was a girl.

Both Wei Quan and Yang Hao nodded. Wei Quan handed Yang Hao a cigarette and then looked at Ye Sangsang, saying, "Yang Hao and I will go to the staircase landing on the rooftop to smoke and keep watch so no one comes over. You handle this girl. We'll take care of the boys later."

"Knock knock knock"

After the two left and shut the door, a minute passed before the knock came again.

Ye Sangsang spoke up, "Please come in."

After a few seconds, the door handle of the rarely used music classroom gently turned, and a girl in a faded school uniform with a simple black ponytail timidly entered.

There wasn't much in the classroom, so she didn't sit down but asked directly, "Ma'am, what's the matter?"

Ye Sangsang, with her thirty-something appearance, was perfectly fine being called "aunt" by a high school student in her late teens.

Ye Sangsang was quite used to it. She brushed her short hair to the side, tucking some behind her ear, and gestured for the girl to sit with her on the student chairs.

They sat in the first row by the window, shoulder to shoulder.

"Hello Qi Yu, my name is Wang Lan," she introduced herself, extending her hand to Qi Yu.

Qi Yu hesitated, glancing at Ye Sangsang before reluctantly extending her hand to shake hers, "Hello."

"I'm here today to ask you about a matter," she said, looking at her and pausing for a moment, "Let me add, I'm Detective Wang Lan from the Yuancheng Criminal Investigation Brigade."

Based on previous experience, at this point, the girl's face would immediately show resistance, and her body might even want to stand up and leave.

This girl named Qi Yu's expression changed, her face tightening with tension, showing a trace of resistance.

Ye Sangsang noticed and shifted her gaze to the girl's steady seated feet.

Qi Yu's expression shifted again, and finally, with difficulty, she spoke, "Police aunt, what do you want to ask?"

Ye Sangsang understood from the girl's question that her hesitation might be rooted in hoping to hear some good news.

"I just want to ask about the Flower Plan. Do you know what happened? Would you be willing to talk to me about it?" Ye Sangsang asked softly.

Wang Lan was a gentle person toward victims, so Ye Sangsang had adopted a gentler demeanor too.

As soon as the words left her mouth, her expression tightened.

Looking at Ye Sangsang's slightly expectant gaze, she lowered her head like a quail, her voice barely above a whisper, "I don't know. Can you not ask me?"

Her feet unconsciously moved, signaling her desire to escape, but constrained by her student obedience, she dared not resist Ye Sangsang, a police officer, and remained awkwardly seated.

Ye Sangsang looked at her and said, "I understand that you don't want to talk about it."

Qi Yu was a bit surprised by Ye Sangsang's words. She had expected to hear many moral lectures or comforting words, urging her to expose those people.

Ye Sangsang smiled and said, "It's your freedom. Even the bravest and toughest people have their own corners they dare not face."

Qi Yu's eyes involuntarily moistened. Ye Sangsang gently stroked her black hair.

"I once watched a movie where the female lead suffered from abuse and molestation during her childhood. Because she couldn't protect a lamb, she always heard its screams," she said. "Later, she learned to overcome herself, which allowed her to escape the shadows of her past." Ye Sangsang adapted the content from a great film she admired.

Her intention was to share this with Qi Yu, subtly telling her that if she didn't overcome her fears, her inner turmoil would persist. The painful memories would echo in her mind repeatedly, becoming a long-lasting torment in her life.

Especially as she grew older and more aware of the realities, the pain would only deepen.

Ye Sangsang hadn't experienced such psychological trauma herself, as her emotions were few, and her personality was at odds with the norms of modern society.

But with her decent intelligence, she could understand why the protagonist in the film felt that way, and she knew how deep the unrest in someone's heart could be.

Qi Yu remained silent, but she understood Ye Sangsang's words, and she understood the lamb that never stopped screaming within her own heart.

Its cries were already beginning to take root.

After a while, she looked at Ye Sangsang and asked, "Do you really investigate? Can you really catch them all?"

"We'll try our best," Ye Sangsang answered.

Qi Yu lowered her head. She was a very clever girl, ranking among the top in her high school. After the incident, she had observed other classmates and sensitively realized that she wasn’t the only one who had been harmed.

But her parents lived in a village dozens of kilometers away, and she could only return home twice a month, taking a two-hour bus ride each time.

In such a closed village environment, they wouldn't allow her to do anything deemed "scandalous."

Female victims, especially those who had been violated…

They were objects of scrutiny.

After thinking it through, she looked at Ye Sangsang and said, "I know you might think I’m weak, but I still want to say that I dare not speak up, nor do I dare to testify in court."

This response wasn't unexpected.

"Can you provide anything at all?" Ye Sangsang asked kindly.

Qi Yu thought for a moment and said, "There's not much. I only know that the man made me call him 'Manager Chen,' and his accent sounds like he's from Qiancheng. I have a classmate who transferred from there, and her accent is exactly the same as his."

Qiancheng was a neighboring city about a hundred kilometers away.

Ye Sangsang took out her business card and handed it to her. "We'll be here for three more days. If anything happens, try to give me a call. If those people come to find you and there's danger, don't be afraid, trust me."

Qi Yu accepted the card and then left the classroom.

Ye Sangsang saw her off, watching her frail figure disappear.

【This case seems less thrilling than the Blind Girl case, but why do I feel so uncomfortable?】

【I looked up the prototype case, and compared to what the case revealed, the original story is even sadder…】

【Seeing Sister Sang continue to investigate, I looked up the prototype case and felt terrible.】

Ye Sangsang wasn't aware of the live stream chatter (the content being discussed in the online broadcast). She headed up the staircase landing, signaling they could proceed with the interrogation.

Wang Lan, based on her character, immediately dismissed the two men and fell into silence.

Wang Lan didn't have a smoking habit, but Ye Sangsang, sensitive to the smoke, couldn’t stand it and went to stand by the window.

Manager Chen, a Qiancheng native.

It seemed they were dealing with quite a network!

She glanced out at the greenery outside the window, her gaze stopping briefly before moving on.

She raised her eyebrows—were they being watched, keeping tabs on their movements?

Outrageous.

Ye Sangsang pretended not to notice, reaching for her phone.@@novelbin@@

Of course, these watchers weren't lurking in the school—they were outside the walls. The window faced the back of the teaching building, close to the wall, so it was easy to spot them.

She smiled and started speaking, "No leads, Captain Qian. These people won't say anything extra, like a bunch of quail."

"Forced interrogation? How can that work! These are all still students!"

"If you're so capable, come and do it yourself. I can't, find someone else!"

After saying all that, she hung up, her expression grim as she walked back and forth by the window.

She was doing this deliberately. Those scumbags might try to threaten the students again, and acting this way might protect them.

A small effort, so why not make it?

When the two men came back up to talk, Ye Sangsang signaled with her eyes, and they instantly understood.

In perfect harmony, they complained about how difficult the case was.

At noon, they left in disappointment.

Ye Sangsang, Wei Quan, and Yang Hao sorted through the clues they had gathered.

Ye Sangsang's side still relied on clues obtained by Qi Yu, while Wei Quan's information came from two boys who had overheard something while drunk.

"The two said that within their organization, there is a selection feast every three months. Held under the guise of honoring outstanding beneficiaries, it selects some girls and boys to be... subjected to selection," Wei Quan said, his fists clenched tightly, but still gritting his teeth to continue, "This selection feast isn't open to everyone, and on the surface, it even welcomes journalists, along with flowers and bonuses."

Ye Sangsang frowned, "Where exactly is it held? In other words, those standing in the crowd are very likely to be criminals?"

“Yes, but the venue for the honoring ceremony is a hotel, and the hotel's major shareholder is the president of the chamber of commerce,” Yang Hao chimed in, more familiar with this information.

Once the location was known, most of the attendees were likely to be criminals.

Ye Sangsang's expression relaxed slightly; their efforts hadn't been in vain.

Wei Quan thought for a moment and said, "They didn’t mention the date, but if we look up local newspaper reports about the honoring ceremony, we should be able to find it. I’ve already asked someone to look into it, and I believe we’ll get the answer soon."

"Alright, and you're planning to catch the ones tailing us, right?" Ye Sangsang looked at Wei Quan.

Wei Quan nodded, "I originally wanted to get some information from them, but now it seems that's unnecessary. We can still use them to lower the guard of that group."

The three stayed in the town for another two days, occasionally chatting with the girls and boys, acting as if they were still searching and persistent without results.

After learning the exact date from the newspaper reports, the trio packed up and prepared to leave.

However, just as they exited the town a minute or two later, Ye Sangsang's phone rang. It was Qi Yu calling.

Wei Quan stopped the car, and he and Yang Hao waited for Ye Sangsang to answer the call.

"Mom, have you finished harvesting the wheat at home?" Qi Yu asked.

Ye Sangsang paused, then spoke in a very low voice, "Is there danger?" Old-fashioned phones were not very good at blocking sound, so she spoke very softly, afraid of exposing the other party.

"I'm out of living expenses. Could you bring them to the school?" Qi Yu heard Ye Sangsang's quiet voice and sounded choked up, his breath quickening.

Ye Sangsang thought for a moment, then spoke in a louder, more confrontational tone, "How much do you need? A hundred? Two hundred? Three hundred? Or more? Who’s phone are you using to call?"

"The music teacher's phone. I need... three hundred... some of it is for materials, can you?" Qi Yu sounded timid, his voice clearly fearful.

Ye Sangsang "hmm"ed, her voice low, "Wait there. I’m just coming to town to sell grain, and I’ll bring it to you. I’m going to ask you where all the money has gone!"

"Just leave it at the security guard’s office... I’ll pick it up after class!" Qi Yu said.

Ye Sangsang hesitated before responding, "Alright."

"Alright," Qi Yu took a deep breath.

She covered the receiver and said to Wei Quan, "Let’s hide the car in a small road and go back." Every second counted now; if they were even a moment late, things might be irrecoverable.

Ye Sangsang released the receiver and said, "Be careful, and if I find out you’ve misused it, you’ll be in trouble!"

"Huh..." Qi Yu immediately said that class was about to start and ended the call.

The three of them drove back to the outskirts of the town, found a secluded spot behind some shrubbery, and hid the car, then headed toward the town.

Ye Sangsang was deep in thought as they drove. Qi Yu's breathing had been rapid, and his speech quick. However, she hadn’t sensed any sense of running, likely due to tension.

But normally, there shouldn’t be any danger; those people weren’t foolish enough to continue causing trouble.

Unless they had discovered something?

Though pondering this now was pointless. They had to focus on saving Qi Yu.

The trio began their search.

It was Saturday, and high school students had morning classes; it was around noon, close to the end of the school day.

Qi Yu had mentioned the music teacher.

Ye Sangsang immediately said, "Ask the principal where the music teacher lives, quickly."

"Got it," Yang Hao pulled out his phone to make the call. Shortly after, he received the information and pointed toward a side road leading into the town, "Let’s go."

Once inside, Yang Hao confirmed the location based on the principal’s description and said again, "Third floor!"

A small, three-story building with mosaic tiles came into view. After assessing the terrain, the trio took out their weapons and headed for the stairs through a nearby alley.

These older homes weren’t very soundproof, and soon they heard a sharp scream from a woman.

"Hurry up!" Ye Sangsang charged forward, reaching the red-painted wooden door at the top of the stairs and kicking it open with a powerful kick.

The building wasn’t large, and the third floor only had one apartment, so Ye Sangsang wasn’t worried about entering the wrong place.

She didn’t hesitate, charging in immediately, "Police! Hands on your head, crouch down!"

The people in the living room looked terrified at Ye Sangsang and quickly complied, crouching down with their hands on their heads.

"Stay out for now!" Ye Sangsang ordered, then rushed into what was likely the main bedroom. There, she saw Qi Yu’s school uniform torn apart, almost completely undressed. Ye Sangsang tucked her weapon away.

The three men in the room turned to look, but before they could react, Ye Sangsang punched the closest one in the face.

Another man charged at her, and Ye Sangsang kicked him back. The third man pulled out a knife, but Ye Sangsang used the man she had just punched as a shield, then kicked the knife-wielder in the lower back, causing the two to stumble together.

With weapon use restricted, Ye Sangsang picked up a chair and slammed it against the back of one man, then slammed it down on the head of the other.

As for the man with the knife, Ye Sangsang tossed the chair aside and maneuvered behind him, dislocating his wrist with a skillful twist.

"Ahhhh!"

"Clang."

The man cried out in pain and dropped the knife.

Ye Sangsang stepped on him from behind, forcing him to his knees, and quickly cuffed him in one fluid motion.

The other two were so stunned by the swiftness of her actions that they only snapped back to reality when they were cuffed.

Ye Sangsang grabbed a bedsheet to cover Qi Yu.

"Come in," she called out.

Two seconds later, Wei Quan and Yang Hao entered the room.

They had expected to handle threats with weapons, not by force.

Seeing the men, one with a bloody nose and bruised face, another with a dislocated wrist, howling in pain, Wei Quan couldn’t help but smile, though he quickly suppressed it, mindful of his role.

Wei Quan instructed the trio to leave, "Get out, and tell us what you’ve done."

Yang Hao dragged the three out and tied them up with the music teacher.

Qi Yu was stunned for a few moments before she fully processed what had happened. Reflecting on Ye Sangsang’s actions, she broke down crying and threw herself into Ye Sangsang’s arms, "Waaaaah, I thought you wouldn’t understand, I thought you’d be too late again, just like before."

[She’s crying, they were almost too late.]

[Qi Yu has been through so much, just because she’s beautiful, does she deserve this?]

[Hugs, it’s not her fault, it’s those scumbags’ fault!]

Qi Yu was almost gasping for air as she cried, and Ye Sangsang had to comfort her by patting her back until she calmed down.

Yang Hao brought the car up, and Ye Sangsang fetched two sets of clothes, giving one to Qi Yu to change into.

After Qi Yu had calmed down considerably, she explained why she was there.

"I originally came to borrow the music teacher’s phone. He gets along well with students in our class, and he and his girlfriend are very kind. Since they charge a set fee for phone usage, we’ve gotten used to borrowing his phone," she paused, calming herself again, "I had planned to come with other classmates, but he was suddenly busy, and since I was already here, and his girlfriend is often at home, I came up..."

Ye Sangsang glanced around the living room and deduced, "So, he knew those people, and when you knocked on the door and sensed something was off, it was already too late, so you decided to keep up the ruse of borrowing the phone to call me."

"Yup! I just felt they seemed dangerous, plus they were unfamiliar faces, and I thought something might be wrong. I was about to leave and say I’d come back later, but they stopped me, so I made up the excuse of calling you," Qi Yu said, then seemed to recall something, her expression filled with fear, "I thought they wouldn’t bother me after I finished the call, but that skinny guy basically outed me, and then they..."

Ye Sangsang knew that those men had bad intentions because Qi Yu was good-looking. Seeing the injuries on Qi Yu's face and hands, she said softly, "Can you move? I'll take you away."

Qi Yu didn't want to talk much and just nodded obediently.

But just as they were about to walk out the door, Ye Sangsang picked up another piece of clothing from the side and wrapped it tightly around Qi Yu.

"Can we not notify our parents?" Qi Yu asked, reaching out with a hint of pleading in her voice.

Ye Sangsang patted her hand and wrapped her arm around Qi Yu, leading her downstairs and comforting her, "Don't worry, I'll handle it."

"…Okay," Qi Yu's voice was a little disheartened, but thinking that the person beside her was Ye Sangsang, she suddenly felt less afraid.

She knew it wasn't that Ye Sangsang didn't want to help her; it was because she was a minor, and there was no way the parents wouldn't be notified.

Qi Yu felt a sense of comfort and reassurance after hearing Ye Sangsang's words

Perhaps it was the sense of security brought by Ye Sangsang's direct kicking of the door and her immediate beating of those three men.

Wuuu, San-jie is so comforting.

Dear Sister Sang, you are the only wife! Love you!

Not bad, not bad. Trust Sister Sang, Qi Yu, don't be afraid. My Sister Sang will handle it well.

Ye Sangsang didn't choose to take them to the town police station for interrogation but instead took them away directly. Since there wasn't enough space, Yang Hao went to borrow a van from the town police station.

Meanwhile, under Ye Sangsang's guidance, he used a tactful approach to quietly bring Qi Yu's mother to the city.

After the interrogation, the perpetrators confessed to their actions, and the rest of the details were also revealed.

"I should have just arrested them first," Wei Quan frowned.

Ye Sangsang shook her head and comforted him, "Don't think too much. No one could have predicted this kind of accident."

The only advantage was that the three men had just called the mastermind to report that everything was normal, so the police hadn't gotten any leads yet.

After admitting this, the three were arrested.

These three were professional stalkers, and their capture could later be used to lull the masterminds into a false sense of security, making them think that nothing had happened.

"Miss Police Officer!"

As the two were about to return to the office, a sweet, clear voice called out.

Wei Quan glanced over and knew that the two had something to discuss, so he turned and left.

Ye Sangsang approached and saw Qi Yu, her eyes red but filled with joy. "What's wrong? Are you alright?"

Qi Yu quickly shook her head, "I'm fine. My mom supports me going to testify in court and identifying those people!"

She had already decided to be a witness after being rescued, and nothing would stop her.

But having her family's support made all the difference to her.

"That's great!" Ye Sangsang smiled.

She looked at the woman beside her, realizing she had underestimated the situation. After persuading her, the mother had chosen to let go.

In this era, there were still parents who loved their daughters and weren't as conservative as one might think.

After taking Qi Yu's statement, Ye Sangsang escorted her home. The round trip took about three hours, with only some comforting words said upon departure, and the rest of the time was glossed over.

When they returned, it was evening, and the three of them worked overtime to finish cutting all the promotional newspaper pages for the commendation event.

The event was indeed held every three months, and the next one was exactly a week away. They weren't sure if it would still happen.

In response, Ye Sangsang decided to look into the background of a well-known Chen family businessman in Qiancheng and directly arrest and interrogate him.

Their actions became more covert, and they requested some teammates from Captain Qian to continue investigating in the countryside.

While the three of them focused on tracking down wealthy Chen family businessmen in Qiancheng, confirming the target's whereabouts, they planned to arrest him in a different city.

It took three days for a round trip, and the suspect was brought back for interrogation.

Initially, the suspect refused to admit anything, but after Ye Sangsang had Qi Yu testify and presented a hidden CD from the suspect's book, Chen Xu, this big fish, finally admitted everything.

Ye Sangsang and her team received the message that although the commendation ceremony had been canceled, the banquet would continue, prompting them to start planning the final sting operation.