Chapter 23: The Unregistered Child

However, the police officer’s sharp gaze quickly softened, transforming into an expression of profound gentleness and benevolence.

“Yes, that’s fine,” Hao Yang said slowly.

“Do you have any relatives in your family?” Captain Yan inquired, his voice still remarkably kind.

“I still have my grandfather,” Hao Yang replied after a brief hesitation.

“Is your grandfather well now? How is he doing?” Captain Yan pressed on.

Hao Yang remained silent for a long moment before finally, with a visible effort, she uttered, “My grandfather passed away not long ago.”

The air in the office seemed to freeze. Not a sound escaped Zhou Wen, and even the rhythmic click of keyboards had ceased.

Hao Yang lifted her gaze slightly, scanning the room. All the police officers in their uniforms were focused on her, their eyes reflecting varying degrees of pity.

It was the first time so many people had looked at her with such sympathy, and a faint unease stirred within Hao Yang.

“Oh, I see. That’s truly a pity. What was your grandfather’s name? Could you tell me? Of course, you don’t have to if you don’t want to; I respect your choice,” Captain Yan said, his tone still remarkably gentle.

“My grandfather’s name was Tang Shan,” Hao Yang then revealed.

“Tang Shan? Are you certain?” Captain Yan asked, a strange note entering his voice.

“Yes, the Tang Shan who collected scrap in the West District,” Hao Yang affirmed.

“Ah?! So you’re the child who used to collect scrap with Tang Shan?”

“Mm-hm.”

“Well, this complicates things,” Captain Yan muttered, scratching his head with a troubled expression.

“Police officer, I have a photo here. It’s of my mother. Could you help me find her?” Hao Yang suddenly spoke, producing the photograph from a hidden compartment in her backpack.

Captain Yan took the slightly yellowed, vintage photograph. As he gazed at the person depicted within, a look of surprise crossed his face.

Finally, Captain Yan took a picture of the photograph before returning it to Hao Yang, adding,

“The police will help you search. If we find her, we’ll let you know. Keep this photograph safe, alright?” With these words, Captain Yan stood and departed, with Wang Jian promptly following suit.

****

“Captain Yan, can this child’s parents be contacted?” Wang Jian asked as they walked.

“This matter is quite troublesome. Come to the lounge; we can discuss it there,” Captain Yan replied.

Upon reaching the lounge, Captain Yan took a slow sip of the tea he had brewed earlier before finally beginning to speak.

“In our West District, there’s an old bachelor who collects trash, named Tang Shan.”

“But wasn’t Tang Shan the child’s grandfather? How could he be an old bachelor?” Wang Jian asked, perplexed.

“Exactly. Where would an old bachelor get descendants? Back then, no one knew where he found that child, yet he raised them to be so grown,” Captain Yan continued.

“A found child? Was that child adopted?” Wang Jian inquired.

“Yes, and the crucial part is that when the old bachelor took the child in, he never registered them. Now they’re grown, and it’s incredibly difficult to get them registered, leaving them without official household registration. After her grandfather passed away, I tried my best to look after her, even thinking of sending her to an orphanage. But precisely because she’s unregistered, they refused to take her,” Captain Yan explained, rubbing his head in exasperation.

“And what about that photograph? The child claimed the woman in it was her mother.”

“Most likely, the old bachelor just grabbed some random old photo and made up a story, perhaps to give the child something to remember him by,” Captain Yan offered as a plausible theory.

“So what should we do with the child? How should we arrange for her?” Wang Jian pressed on.

“That’s precisely why I’m getting a headache. Orphanages won’t take her. Unless someone is willing to adopt the child and also register her household at the same time. But which family would willingly take in an unrelated child out of nowhere, don’t you agree?”

“Indeed, handling this child is quite problematic.” Wang Jian, too, felt a headache brewing. As police officers, they were obligated to help the child overcome her current predicament. However, finding a new family for her was an immense challenge. Who would willingly take on the responsibility of raising an additional child without any prior connection?

“This matter has been assigned to you, so you need to figure out how to handle it. Don’t come to me about it again,” Captain Yan stated bluntly.

“But this isn’t some stray cat or dog we’re dealing with; it’s a living, breathing child. I truly don’t know how to handle this,” Wang Jian admitted with profound helplessness. He was utterly at a loss. If orphanages wouldn’t accept her, where else could she possibly go?

“Sigh, you know what? I was in charge of this child last time too. I tried to send her to an orphanage, but they wouldn’t take her. So I had to let her stay at the police station temporarily. Unexpectedly, the child just left on her own. I didn’t bother to intervene much; she seems to be doing quite well on her own.” Captain Yan paused, then crooked a finger, gesturing for Wang Jian to lean closer.

Wang Jian, a little puzzled, leaned his head closer, then heard Captain Yan speaking in a very low whisper.

“I think you shouldn’t bother with this child. You can’t control her, and you can’t truly help. If you leave her be, she’ll probably get bored and wander off in a few days. She’s been living on her own outside, and she seems perfectly fine. To put it bluntly, even if she were to die out there, we wouldn’t be held responsible. She’s unregistered, after all; if she dies, hardly anyone would even know.”

Captain Yan’s tone remained as calm and benevolent as ever, yet the words he spoke were chillingly cold.

“Ah? But…” Wang Jian stammered, utterly taken aback. He had never imagined that Captain Yan, typically such an upright and principled man, could voice such callous words.

“I’m saying this for your own good. Don’t think my words are too cold-blooded; everything I’ve said is simply the truth. If you truly feel pity for that child, you can help her find an adoptive family. Or, you could adopt her yourself; I can get the paperwork done for you within a few days.” Captain Yan finished, then took a sip of his tea.