99: Chapter 99 Lei Dapao personally comes to the door!

The smoking area at the end of the Municipal Bureau corridor.

Lei Dapao leaned against the wall, with a small mountain of cigarette butts piled up by his feet.

Usually, the cleaning lady sweeps this area three times a day, but today, perhaps seeing that Captain Lei's expression was too grim, she didn't dare to come over and risk his wrath.

With a cigarette between his fingers, he took a deep drag, the embers burning all the way down to the filter.

His lungs burned with pain, but this sharp sensation slightly suppressed the fire raging in his heart.

Twelve hours.

He had just thumped his chest and made bold promises in the bureau chief's office, but now that he was out in the breeze, his mind had cleared up quite a bit.

He had talked a big game.

Xiao Li from the Technical Division ran over clutching a laptop, his glasses fogged up.

"Captain Lei, we've checked everywhere."

Xiao Li's voice trembled slightly, clearly shaken by Lei Dapao's outburst in the conference room earlier.

"We reviewed all the surveillance footage within a five-kilometer radius of the textile factory. Forget about Sister Hong's minivan; we didn't even see a mouse."

"They're using cloned plates and specifically avoiding surveillance blind spots. Their counter-surveillance awareness is just too high."

"Also, that Nokia phone uses a burner SIM card; we can't trace any real-name information, and the signal base stations are mobile as well..."

Xiao Li's voice grew quieter as he spoke, until he finally clamped his mouth shut.

Lei Dapao didn't speak; he threw the cigarette butt on the ground and ground it out fiercely with the tip of his shoe.

Just as expected.

This gang of human traffickers isn't just some petty thieves; they are professionals.

They are like rats in a gutter—slippery and elusive—vanishing into the sewers at the slightest disturbance.

Conventional methods have completely failed.

Lei Dapao reached into his pocket for his cigarette case, gave it a shake, but it was empty.

Irritated, he crumpled the empty cigarette case into a ball and smashed it into the trash can.

With a loud "clang."

A passing female officer jumped in fright.

Qin Yumo had been standing not far from him, leaning against the windowsill, holding her phone as the screen lit up and dimmed, over and over again.

She looked at Lei Dapao's flushed face, her lips moving as if to speak, but she swallowed the words back down.

Bringing up Su Yun right now would be walking straight into the line of fire.

Lei Dapao is a man who has believed in evidence and science his entire life, and he detests anything involving superstition or charlatanry.

The last time she mentioned it, she got chewed out completely.

At this critical juncture, if she were to suggest asking a fortune-telling streamer for help again, Captain Lei would likely blow his top.

But...

What about those children?

Time was ticking away, and with every minute that passed, the likelihood of the children being smuggled across the border or harmed increased.

Qin Yumo gritted her teeth, just about to speak.

"That kid surnamed Su."

Lei Dapao suddenly spoke up.

His voice was as hoarse as if he had swallowed a handful of sand, grating to the ears.

Qin Yumo was stunned. "Huh?"

Lei Dapao didn't look at her, his eyes fixed on the light on the corridor ceiling, as if trying to stare a hole right through the bulb.

"I'm asking you, where does that fortune-telling kid live?"

Qin Yumo's heart skipped a beat.

She even suspected she had misheard.

Is this still the same Lei Dapao who constantly criticizes "feudal superstition"?

Is this the same Captain Lei who would rather run himself ragged than believe a single word of metaphysics?

"Jin... Jinxiu Jiangnan."

Qin Yumo reacted quickly and immediately gave the address.

After saying it, she quickly added.

"Captain Lei, this kid has a very strange temper; he's not someone just anyone can hire."

"How about I go over there right now? After all, I've shown my face there before, so I might be able to get a word in."

This was to give Lei Dapao a way out.

For the captain of the Criminal Investigation Detachment to go and beg a web streamer for help—if word got out, how would Lei Dapao be able to lead his team in the police force in the future?

Besides, Qin Yumo had already experienced Su Yun's sharp tongue.

He was incredibly caustic.

If Lei Dapao went and they didn't see eye-to-eye, they might even end up fighting right there on the spot.

Lei Dapao waved his hand.

He straightened up and reached out to brush the cigarette ash off his police uniform, his movements slow and careful.

"No need."

"I'll go myself."

Qin Yumo panicked. "Captain Lei, I can handle this kind of thing. You still need to be here to command..."

"Command my ass!"

Lei Dapao cursed, but there wasn't much anger in his tone; it was more filled with helplessness and determination.

"The Technical Division has investigated everything down to the underwear and still hasn't found anything. What am I supposed to be commanding?"

"Sitting here waiting to pack up and get fired in twelve hours?"

Lei Dapao turned around and looked at Qin Yumo.

His eyes, red from lack of sleep, were filled with bloodshot veins.

"Yumo, that's many human lives."

"Several living, breathing children."

"For the sake of these children, never mind a fortune teller—even if he were Yama himself, I'd still go and pay my respects."

"As for this old face of mine..."

Lei Dapao gave a self-deprecating smile and reached out to touch his stubbly face.

"I'm someone who's about to take off this uniform and get out, so what face do I need?"

After saying this, he strode towards the elevator.

His back looked a bit hunched, but his footsteps were exceptionally heavy.

Qin Yumo watched his retreating figure, her eyes suddenly stinging.

This is Lei Dapao.

Even if forced into a dead end, even if he had to shatter the principles he had upheld his entire life, as long as it was for the case and to save people, he would sacrifice everything.

...

Jinxiu Jiangnan.

Su Yun was humming a little tune while strolling around his living room.

He moved the newly bought screen to a different spot and held it up against the light to take a look.

This screen was antique-style, painted with landscapes. Once placed in the background of his livestream, the aura of an otherworldly master would immediately skyrocket.

"These days, even being a master requires some packaging."

Su Yun adjusted the camera angle while muttering to himself.

"Otherwise, if people see your background is a messy dog kennel, who would believe you can tell fortunes? At best, they'd think you're here to beg for food."

Just then, the system in his mind suddenly popped up.

[Ding! Important character detected approaching!]

[Temporary event triggered: Distinguished Guest Arrives!]

[Hint: This character possesses great righteousness but is currently burning with anxiety; this is a key opportunity for the host to obtain a large amount of merit points!]

Su Yun raised an eyebrow.

Possesses righteousness?

Burning with anxiety?

This profile sounds so familiar, doesn't it?

He walked to the window and took a peek downstairs.

A black Passat was parked downstairs.

The car door opened, and a middle-aged man in plain clothes stepped out.

Although he wasn't wearing a police uniform, the way he walked—back straight as a rod, every step precise—made it clear he was either from the military or a veteran criminal investigator.

Plus, that face he had seen at the press conference.

Su Yun chuckled.

Isn't that Captain Lei?

Just last night, he was there vowing to solve cases through science and strictly forbidding his subordinates from engaging in feudal superstition.

How did he end up here now?

Looks like he's been pushed to the edge by Sister Hong and her gang.

"I have to say, although Old Lei has a foul temper and is a bit stubborn, his ability to take action is truly beyond reproach."