Chapter 22: A Child’s Tears and a Detective’s Insight

Hao Yang didn’t want anyone to wipe her tears. She turned her head away.

However, the Police Officer was incredibly patient. She subtly changed her angle and continued to gently wipe Hao Yang’s tears.

“I don’t need you to wipe my tears,” Hao Yang said, forcing the words out in a single breath, stifling her sobs.

“As soon as you stop crying, I’ll stop wiping them,” the Police Officer replied gently.

Hao Yang felt a surge of embarrassment at being treated like a child. In a fit of pique, she buried her face in her knees.

“Don’t cry anymore. If you keep crying, your eyes will get puffy and ugly,” the Police Officer teased. “No one will want you when you grow up, and you won’t be able to get married.”

“Who cares if anyone wants me? I can live perfectly fine by myself!” Hao Yang retorted, wiping away the remaining tears on her face.

The Police Officer’s few words had, for a moment, made her sorrow vanish without a trace. The urge to cry had completely disappeared.

“You stopped crying so quickly! How impressive. Here, have a candy as a reward.”

With that, the Police Officer pulled a candy from her bag. Before Hao Yang could even agree, she popped it into her mouth.

Hao Yang found herself reluctantly eating the candy.

After a few licks, she realized it was an orange-flavored fruit candy. It tasted quite good.

Hao Yang, in fact, ate it with relish.

Hao Yang didn’t realize for a moment that the Police Officer was coaxing her like a child.

And the officer was remarkably good at it, too. It seemed the Police Officer was quite skilled at comforting children, appearing very experienced.

It was only then that Hao Yang belatedly realized she was acting like a child.

She consciously tried to make her expression more indifferent, leaning back against the nearby sofa.

The Police Officer watched Hao Yang’s petulant actions, shaking her head with a faint smile.

Then, she returned to her workstation, her fingers busily tapping on the computer keyboard.

****

Meanwhile, in the police break room…

Wang Jian pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He took one out, placing it between his lips, intending to relax with a smoke.

However, when he patted his pockets, he found no lighter.

He headed to the table to search for one. Many smoking colleagues often came to the break area for a quick puff.

For convenience, there were usually one or two lighters left on the table, but today, strangely, he couldn’t find any.

Wang Jian stood up again, a hint of annoyance clouding his face. Not finding a lighter after searching for so long left him feeling quite frustrated.

“Need a light? I’ve got one.” A voice drifted from nearby.

“Come on, light it for me! I can’t find my lighter anywhere.”

Wang Jian didn’t think much of it. The voice sounded somewhat familiar, making him assume it was a colleague who had also come for a smoke.

He unhesitatingly rushed over to borrow a light.

With the cigarette still dangling from his mouth, he leaned towards the person’s lighter. The person obligingly flicked it open.

Just as the cigarette caught fire, Wang Jian noticed something off about the individual before him.

The person’s clothes looked different from their standard police uniforms.

This, combined with the familiar voice, made him pause.

Wang Jian slowly raised his head, looking up. He found Captain Yan staring directly at him.

Captain Yan even gave him a ‘death glare.’

“Captain Yan, you’re here to relax too, huh? Care for a cigarette?” Wang Jian offered, gesturing with his pack.

“I’ve quit smoking,” Captain Yan replied unhurriedly. “You should cut back a too.”

“Then I’ll quit too!” Wang Jian declared, immediately extinguishing his cigarette and tossing it into an ashtray.

“I see you’re here smoking by yourself. Is something bothering you?” Captain Yan asked, as he placed tea leaves into a mug.

“Sigh, it’s just that kid from the other day, she’s so troublesome,” Wang Jian said, clearly exasperated.

“We ask her anything, and she claims she knows nothing. She told us someone was murdered in that condemned apartment complex, but when we checked, it was just a dead dog.”

“Honestly, she left me speechless today. And then I spoke a little too loudly, and the child started crying. I suspect there’s something wrong with her head.”

“Sounds like she might have issues,” Captain Yan chimed in, unable to resist a complaint of his own.

“I wonder whose child she is. For a child to be missing this long without a report, their parents must have nerves of steel.”

“That child is very likely a ‘left-behind child,’ probably raised by her grandparents alone,” Wang Jian mused, sharing his thoughts.

“She doesn’t seem very bright, and she clearly has significant psychological issues. After we contact her relatives, I’d like to speak with her parents and encourage them to spend more time with her.”

“Hmm, it’s good that you’re thinking that way,” Captain Yan said, as he poured hot water into his tea mug. “You should indeed try to talk to her parents.”

“But Captain Yan, I really can’t get any useful information out of that child. I’m at my wit’s end. Can you offer some advice?”

Captain Yan was silent for a moment.

“Alright, I’ll go have a look myself,” he finally said slowly. “I’ll see if I can get any information from her.”

“Great! The child is in the office right now. Let’s go,” Wang Jian said, his voice brimming with excitement.

Captain Yan had been a police officer for over twenty years, a seasoned and highly experienced detective. He had solved numerous major cases and had even received provincial awards.

Wang Jian was confident that such a formidable Captain Yan could easily extract useful information from a child barely in her teens.

“Lead the way then. I’m looking forward to a hot cup of tea,” Captain Yan said, placing his mug on the table and tidying his clothes as he spoke.

Wang Jian led the way, with Captain Yan following slowly behind.

The two soon arrived at the office door. Wang Jian opened it, not expecting to see Tang Xiao crying and making a scene.

Instead, Tang Xiao was no longer crying; she was sitting obediently on the sofa.

“This is the child,” Wang Jian whispered, pointing at Hao Yang.

Hao Yang turned her head curiously. She saw the police officer had brought another policeman with him.

However, this new officer appeared quite old.

He was balding, with sparse black hair heavily streaked with white.

Despite his age, his physique seemed robust. Standing beside Wang Jian, he appeared just as tall and imposing as the younger man.

His cloudy eyes held a sharp, penetrating gaze.

Hao Yang felt a shiver run down her spine under his scrutiny.