320: Chapter 320 Ye Qingcheng's Countermeasures: Luring the Enemy into a Trap (Part 2)

Listening to Shen Jianan's vivid narration of Ye Qingcheng's past, Qin Yi's gaze locked onto her face. Seeing the undisguised look of admiration in her eyes, he couldn't help but feel a deep interest in this legendary woman—the former captain of the Sharp Sword Commando Unit's female special forces team and the current head of the Security Bureau's Special Action Department.

However, when Shen Jianan mentioned that Ye Qingcheng and the woman named Hong Ying were actually former comrades-in-arms, Qin Yi frowned and couldn't help but interrupt, "You mean that woman named Hong Ying was also a member of our Dragon Country's Sharp Sword Commando Unit's female special forces, just like Ye Qingcheng?" He raised an eyebrow slightly, his eyes filled with surprise.

Shen Jianan nodded and replied, "Yeah. Hard to believe, right? I didn't believe it at first either. But Sister Qingcheng told me this herself, so it can't be wrong." Saying this, she sighed, a look of deep regret appearing on her face as she continued, "Sigh, I just don't know why this Hong Ying joined Hongmen. It's truly a waste of all the years the country spent nurturing her!" She shook her head, her eyes full of pity.

Qin Yi didn't respond to Shen Jianan's assessment; he only gave a helpless smile.

Qin Yi leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, his mind racing. In his view, based on Shen Jianan's account, Hong Ying must have been severely injured at the time. Combined with the mission's failure and the deaths of her teammates, she likely felt too ashamed to stay in the military, which is why she chose to retire. As for why she joined Hongmen, it was most likely due to her injury.

However, Qin Yi also had some doubts. How could a foot that had undergone amputation surgery actually be restored? What kind of miracle was that? Could Limb Regeneration truly exist in this world? Thinking this, Qin Yi couldn't help but secretly ask the System, "System, does Limb Regeneration really exist?"

[Ding! To answer the host, with the current technological level of Blue Star, true Limb Regeneration is not yet possible. However, just because Blue Star's technology hasn't reached that stage doesn't mean this System can't do it. As long as the host works hard to level up, the items in the System Mall will definitely dazzle you!]

Hearing this, Qin Yi raised an eyebrow. In his view, the System was an existence that far surpassed Blue Star's technology. Since even the System asserted that true Limb Regeneration was impossible, how could Hong Ying's injury be explained?

Just as Qin Yi wanted to continue questioning the System, the phone on the table suddenly vibrated with a "buzz, buzz, buzz..." He was slightly startled and reached out to pick up the phone.

Shen Jianan, sitting opposite him, immediately stopped talking and looked at Qin Yi's phone with a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

Qin Yi glanced at the caller ID; it was Xu Qian calling, so he immediately answered. He sat up straight with a gentle smile on his face. This scene actually made Shen Jianan feel a bit jealous.

The call connected, and Xu Qian's voice came through: "Hello, Young Master Qin, where are you? Xiao Yue and I have finished our work here."

Qin Yi glanced at the time; without realizing it, it was almost noon. He smiled slightly and responded softly, "Oh, I'm over at the library chatting about some matters with Officer Shen."

Hearing this, Xu Qian couldn't help but mutter to herself, "Why is it Officer Shen again? Didn't he say he was with Master Ma? Officer Shen has been getting quite close to Young Master Qin lately..." However, though Xu Qian was suspicious, she didn't feel it was her place to ask more since Qin Yi hadn't elaborated.

Xu Qian bit her lip gently, trying to keep her voice calm. "Officer Shen is there too, I see. It's like this: Dean Liu is asking what our plans are for lunch."

"Oh, I've already decided. The Back Street BBQ joint behind the school. How are things on Fatty's side? Are they finished?"

"Almost. There are still two or three people waiting for interviews this morning. There should be some more in the afternoon as well," Xu Qian replied.

"Mhm. Then you and Xiao Yue should wait for them to finish. Fatty knows where the shop is. Once Fatty is done over there, just head over with him."

"Alright, then I'll tell Dean Liu not to prepare anything for lunch."

"Okay, I'll head straight there in a bit too. See you at the BBQ joint in a while."

"Mhm, see you later." With that, Xu Qian hung up the phone.

After ending the call, Qin Yi stood up and said to Shen Jianan, "Officer Shen, it's almost noon. Why don't we grab a meal together?"

Shen Jianan stood up as well, her lips curling into a smile as she agreed almost without hesitation, "Sure. I'm actually getting a bit hungry too."

"Then, let's go." Qin Yi smiled and made an inviting gesture with his hand. Then, the two of them walked side by side toward the library exit.

As luck would have it, right at that moment, Xu Zilin and Yoyo appeared at the corner of the second-floor stairs, holding hands. Xu Zilin was clutching three books to his chest with one hand while his other hand was being held by Yoyo, looking very sweet together.

"Zilin... Yoyo... what's this?" As soon as Qin Yi's gaze landed on their joined hands, his eyes involuntarily widened slightly. He looked at them with a face full of curiosity, thinking to himself: Yoyo's efficiency is way too high. How long has it been, and they're already holding hands?

Xu Zilin never expected to bump into Qin Yi in the library. A look of panic instantly appeared on his face, like a child caught in the act of doing something wrong. He instinctively tried to pull his hand away from Yoyo's grasp, his eyes darting around as he avoided Qin Yi's gaze. He nervously checked the surroundings, and only after seeing no sign of his sister did he secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

"Uh, Brother Yi, why are you at the library? Where's... where's my sister?"

"Oh, Officer Shen had some business with me. The sun was too strong outside, so we came to the library to chat. Don't worry, your sister is still at the college busy with the company's recruitment; she's not with me."

Xu Zilin felt slightly relieved and scratched his head with a sheepish laugh. Forcing a fawning smile onto his face, he explained, "Um, Brother Yi, about me and Yoyo... could I trouble you to not tell my sister for now?"

However, before Qin Yi could speak, Yoyo spoke first. She tilted her head up slightly, and a look of grievance immediately appeared on her face. Her eyes turned slightly red, and her voice even carried a hint of a sob as she chimed in, "Xiao Linzi, what do you mean by that? If you don't like me, you can just say it. Am I that bad? Is being with me embarrassing for you? Why do you have to hide it from your sister?"

As she spoke, tears actually began to well up in Yoyo's eyes. Crystal droplets swirled in her eyes as if they might fall at any moment, making her look pitiable.

Yoyo's acting naturally didn't pass muster in front of Qin Yi and Shen Jianan. However, with this series of moves, she had Xu Zilin wrapped around her finger.

Shen Jianan, who was quietly watching the show from the side, found Xu Zilin's helpless appearance secretly amusing. Her lips couldn't help but curl up, and she quickly raised her hand to hide her expression, which was on the verge of breaking.

Qin Yi was stunned by Yoyo's skillful acting. His face was full of disbelief, and he silently gave Yoyo a thumbs-up. He thought to himself, "As expected of a performing arts student—those emotions, those tears, they come right on cue... I just feel sorry for my future brother-in-law. He was taken down by Yoyo so quickly; I'm afraid his life won't be easy in the future."

Seeing Yoyo's eyes redden and the crystalline shimmer within them, Xu Zilin—a green youth who had just turned eighteen—couldn't possibly handle such a display. He panicked instantly, forgetting everything else. Regardless of the fact that Qin Yi was right in front of him, he immediately took the initiative to hold Yoyo's hand and explained in a soft, gentle voice, "Yoyo, I... I didn't mean it like that."

Yoyo wasn't actually angry; she naturally knew what was on Xu Zilin's mind. However, in front of her future boss, Qin Yi, Yoyo still had to secure some status for herself.

So, Yoyo pouted slightly, looking all aggrieved as she continued to press him, "Then... then what do you mean? I like you and I'm with you, so why can't we tell your sister?"

Xu Zilin looked at Qin Yi with some difficulty, his eyes full of a plea for help.

But Qin Yi didn't want to get involved. Matters of the heart were best experienced on one's own, lest he be blamed later. Thus, Qin Yi immediately responded, "Then you two chat first. Officer Shen and I have some business, so we'll head out now." After saying that, Qin Yi beckoned to Shen Jianan, and they walked toward the library exit together.

Left with no choice, Xu Zilin had to bite the bullet and explain, "Yoyo, I really didn't mean it that way. I just feel that I've only just started university, and all these years, my tuition and living expenses have been provided by my sister. I don't want her to think that I'm neglecting my studies by dating as soon as I started college... That's why... that's why I asked Brother Yi not to tell my sister about us for now."

Seeing that Xu Zilin's attitude was sincere, Yoyo didn't continue to harp on it. Instead, she took the out he gave her, pouting and responding with feigned anger, "Then... then when do you plan to tell your sister?"

"When I get a scholarship, okay? Don't worry, I'm confident. As soon as I get a scholarship, I'll tell my sister. I want to prove to her that even though I'm dating you, Yoyo, it won't affect my studies." After saying this, Xu Zilin straightened his back with a look of determination.

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

However, after waiting for a moment and seeing no response from Yoyo, Xu Zilin asked again nervously, "Is, is it okay?"

Seeing Xu Zilin's nervous appearance, Yoyo couldn't help but chuckle. She stood on her tiptoes, reached up, and patted Xu Zilin on the head with a gentle and doting motion, responding softly, "Silly, I was just teasing you. I believe in you, you will definitely get the scholarship. However, you can't make me wait too long. Also, you must promise me that while you can hide our relationship from your sister, you cannot hide it at school. I refuse to be your secret girlfriend!"

"Of course! I promise!" Xu Zilin replied solemnly, a happy smile spreading across his face.

"Alright, alright. Let's head over. Ying'er said Brother Yi is treating us to barbecue for lunch, let's not keep them waiting." With that, Yoyo took the initiative to hold Xu Zilin's hand and walked quickly out of the library.

...

At this moment, at the Security Bureau Modu Branch, Ye Qingcheng was driving with Huang Hansheng, who was handcuffed, sitting in the passenger seat as they arrived in the courtyard of the Modu Branch.

Inside the car, Ye Qingcheng lowered her voice and reminded Huang Hansheng again, "When you see Director Li later, don't be nervous. Just insist that you are being framed, and absolutely do not show that you already know his identity. Remember, you have to play the part convincingly."

Huang Hansheng nodded and replied, "Don't worry, Captain Ye, I know what to do."

"Good, get out of the car." After saying that, Ye Qingcheng got out first. She quickly walked around to the passenger side, opened the door, and roughly dragged Huang Hansheng out of the passenger seat.

This pull not only made Huang Hansheng stumble twice, but he almost lost his footing and fell to the ground.

Huang Hansheng steadied himself, frowned, glared at Ye Qingcheng, and growled, "Ye Qingcheng! What are you doing?! I am, after all, the Deputy Director of the Modu Branch, not a criminal suspect!" After speaking, Huang Hansheng couldn't help but look nervous, glancing around as if afraid of being seen by others.

Upon hearing this, Ye Qingcheng's eyes turned cold, and she retorted angrily in a deep voice, "Shut up! One more word, and I'll send you back to solitary confinement right now!" Having said that, she raised her hand to grip Huang Hansheng's shoulder tightly, as if escorting a prisoner, and walked quickly toward the branch office building.

At this time, by the window of the Director's office upstairs, Director Li was staring intently at the scene below with a sinister gaze. The corners of his mouth curled into a cold sneer, and a flash of triumph crossed his eyes.

"Ye Qingcheng, oh Ye Qingcheng, aren't you very impressive? Now you're still obediently bringing the person back to me! Don't you want to use the affairs of our Modu Branch to climb up the ladder? This time, I won't let you get your wish; I'll make you take a big fall right here in our Modu Branch!"

After speaking, Director Li adjusted his collar, walked quickly out of the office, and went downstairs to personally welcome Ye Qingcheng.

It was noon, and the officers returning from field duty were arriving one after another. Seeing the scene of Ye Qingcheng escorting Deputy Director Huang, their eyes were filled with disbelief, and they began to whisper among themselves.

"What's the situation? Why is Deputy Director Huang handcuffed?"

"I don't know, looking at this posture, something big must have happened."

"Don't you guys know yet? This morning, Director Li sent people to search Deputy Director Huang's house. Deputy Director Huang must be in trouble..."

...

The whispers rose and fell, and every face was filled with confusion and curiosity.

Just then, Director Li approached in a hurry, striding from a distance until he reached Ye Qingcheng and Huang Hansheng.

His gaze first lingered for a moment on Huang Hansheng's handcuffed wrists, then his brows furrowed instantly. He looked at Ye Qingcheng with an expression full of concern mixed with a hint of questioning, and said with a tone of slight dissatisfaction, "Captain Ye, this is a fellow comrade from our Security Bureau who fights side-by-side with us, why the need for such a big fuss and treating him like this?" As he spoke, he pointed at the handcuffs on Huang Hansheng's hands.

Seeing this, Huang Hansheng immediately put on an extremely aggrieved look, stepped forward to get closer to Director Li, and muttered with a crying tone, "Director Li, you must stand up for me..."

However, just as Huang Hansheng took a step, Ye Qingcheng grabbed him firmly. Ye Qingcheng replied coldly, "Director Li, you're impressive. I really didn't expect that in order to clear Deputy Director Huang's name, Director Li would even call Director Xu. This move of yours has truly opened my eyes."

Upon hearing this, Director Li felt that Ye Qingcheng was accusing him of snitching to Director Xu.

Therefore, Director Li coughed lightly, smiled, and explained, "Ahem, Captain Ye, don't misunderstand. I was just making a normal work report. Comrade Huang Hansheng is, after all, the Deputy Director of our Modu Branch; when a comrade has problems, leadership must certainly be concerned. Although Comrade Huang Hansheng may have had some issues at work, please rest assured, Captain Ye, that after our Modu Branch's investigation and evidence collection, we have already grasped some clues and believe we can clear Comrade Huang Hansheng's name."

"Oh? Does Director Li mean that our Special Operations Department arrested the wrong person? Framed our own comrade?" Ye Qingcheng glared at Director Li and asked sternly.

Seeing Ye Qingcheng get angry, Director Li sneered inwardly, but smiled slightly on the surface, hurriedly waving his hand, "Captain Ye, don't be impulsive. I understand that the suspect's death must have affected the Special Operations Department's investigation. However, we are police, and we need evidence to arrest someone. I have also read the suspect's autopsy report. During that period, although Comrade Huang Hansheng had contact with the suspect, it was four or five hours away from the suspect's time of death, which is not enough to prove that Comrade Huang Hansheng killed the suspect. So, Captain Ye, why not calm down, hand Comrade Huang Hansheng over to our branch, investigate the doubts thoroughly, and then come to a conclusion later?"

Ye Qingcheng crossed her arms and said angrily, "Enough. Since Director Li believes that Deputy Director Huang didn't kill the person, then produce the evidence. If there isn't enough evidence, I will still take the person away!"

"That is natural. However, it's just about lunchtime. Why don't you go grab a meal first, Captain Ye, and after you finish eating, you can join us for the interrogation?"

"No need. Skipping a meal won't kill me. I have limited time, so let's get started. Don't think that stalling for time here will change anything!"

Director Li, however, looked troubled, raised his hand to rub his stomach, and responded with a sheepish smile, "Oh, Captain Ye is young, skipping a meal is fine, but I'm older and can't handle it. Besides, even if I don't eat, the officers under me still need to eat. People are made of iron, food is steel; if we don't eat, how will we have the energy to conduct the interrogation?"

Ye Qingcheng raised her hand to interrupt Director Li, glanced at the wristwatch on her wrist, and said coldly, "I can only give you half an hour. Half an hour later, if the interrogation hasn't started, I will take Deputy Director Huang away. At that time, don't go complaining to Director Xu, saying I'm bullying people and not giving your Modu Branch a chance to prove yourselves!"

"Hey, Captain Ye, you're exaggerating. How would I dare say you're bullying people? Alright then, half an hour, half an hour to eat, and once we're done eating, we'll start the interrogation immediately." After speaking, Director Li signaled the male officer who had searched Huang Hansheng's home in the morning to step forward and take over Huang Hansheng, while also pointing at the handcuffs on Huang Hansheng's hands and continuing to smile at Ye Qingcheng, "Captain Ye, we're all comrades, let's take off these handcuffs first. The person is already at our Modu Branch, no need to worry about Comrade Huang Hansheng escaping. We're all one family, let's not make things so distant."

Ye Qingcheng looked displeased, took the handcuff key from her waist, stepped forward, removed Huang Hansheng's handcuffs, and then walked away toward her temporary office without looking back.

Huang Hansheng flexed his wrists, his face full of resentment, glared at Ye Qingcheng's departing back, and complained in a low voice, "What a piece of work, just because she's from the Ye family, she's here throwing her weight around! She really thinks she's something!"

Hearing Huang Hansheng's words, Director Li's expression darkened. He glared back at Huang Hansheng with eyes like knives and said in a deep voice, "Shut up! Do you have any sense of organizational discipline left? Is this something you should be saying? Don't you see what kind of situation this is!"

Huang Hansheng looked extremely aggrieved and said anxiously, "No, Director Li, I'm framed... I really didn't do anything, you have to believe me..."

However, before Huang Hansheng could continue, Director Li raised his hand to interrupt him, turned to the male officer beside him, and ordered, "What are you still standing there for?! Hurry up and take Comrade Huang Hansheng to the interrogation room! Don't dilly-dally here and delay the real work!"

"Yes!" The male officer responded loudly, then said politely to Huang Hansheng, "Huang, Deputy Director Huang, please."

Huang Hansheng took a deep look at Director Li, his eyes filled with complex emotions—gratitude, helplessness, and a trace of imperceptible resentment. Then, he took a deep breath and walked toward the interrogation room.