Chapter 38: The Weight of Responsibility

Wang Jian settled into the car and switched on the heater. The engine rumbled to life. Just as he was about to pull away, a thought suddenly struck him. He lowered the passenger-side window slightly for Hao Yang and began driving much slower and more carefully than usual.

Although Hao Yang still felt a touch of motion sickness, Wang Jian’s thoughtful consideration had significantly improved her condition. Her head was only slightly dizzy, and she experienced no urge to vomit.

The car crossed the river bridge once more, then spent some time navigating to the police station located in the old residential district.

As they drove past the front entrance, Wang Jian deliberately glanced to see if anyone was still waiting. While most had dispersed, a tenacious reporter or two remained, stubbornly hunkering down for him. Wang Jian felt a surge of speechlessness. Were these people truly so dedicated to securing an interview? On such a frigid day, they must have endured the cold for at least an entire morning.

Their legs must have been trembling from the chill.

After driving the car back into the police station through the rear entrance and parking it, Wang Jian led Hao Yang by her small hand back into the public security bureau.

Once inside the public security bureau, Hao Yang found the heating quite strong. Feeling a little warm, she pulled down her hood.

It was then that she noticed the peculiar glances from the surrounding police officers. A colleague, quite familiar with Wang Jian, rushed over and spoke.

“Well, well, Little Wang, where did you abduct such a cute child?” the officer joked, simultaneously reaching out to pat Hao Yang’s head.

Hao Yang, disliking strangers touching her head, instinctively hid behind Wang Jian. Seeing this, the officer awkwardly retracted his hand.

“Stop teasing her,” Wang Jian said. “She’s the child who was sitting on the chair by the main entrance earlier.”

“Seriously? You’re not pulling my leg, are you?” The officer’s face was etched with disbelief, given the stark difference in Hao Yang’s appearance from before.

“Believe what you want,” Wang Jian replied dismissively, then continued walking towards his office, still holding Hao Yang’s hand.

Just as they were about to reach the office, Hao Yang released her small hand, darted towards the iron chair by the main entrance, and settled onto it. Then, she spoke.

“Brother Wang, I’ll wait for you here. Don’t forget me when you get off work.”

When Wang Jian heard this, he was utterly speechless. Yesterday, he had told Hao Yang to sit there because he wanted to deter people. Today, his intention had been for her to wait on the office sofa while he dealt with some minor tasks, after which he would begin to figure out her situation.

‘Forget it,’ he thought suddenly. ‘If she wants to sit there, let her sit there. Why should I worry so much?’ With that, he entered his office and closed the door behind him.

Hao Yang quietly sat on the iron chair by the entrance, waiting for Wang Jian to finish work. However, people kept staring at her from time to time. Eventually, unable to bear the constant gazes, Hao Yang pulled her hood back up.

****

Just then, Captain Yan walked in through the main entrance. He spotted Hao Yang, his brows immediately furrowing in a deep frown. With a clear edge of anger, he marched straight to Wang Jian’s office, pushed open the door, and called out.

“Little Wang, come to my office for a moment. I have something to discuss with you.” His tone lacked its usual gentleness; instead, it was laced with palpable anger, significantly sterner than usual.

Wang Jian’s heart sank. Captain Yan had never once shown anger towards him before. Today, he had uncharacteristically shouted his name, and the anger in his voice was unmistakable.

Sensing trouble, Wang Jian followed Captain Yan into the office. Hao Yang, observing the scene, found it rather strange. ‘What mistake did Officer Wang make?’ she wondered. ‘It looks like he’s about to be scolded.’

Once inside the office, Captain Yan carefully closed the door, even drawing the curtains. Only after ensuring the room was completely private did he slowly begin to speak.

“Didn’t I tell you to make arrangements for that child? Why did you bring her back?” Captain Yan asked, his tone clearly displeased.

“At the moment, I really don’t know how to arrange for her,” Wang Jian replied, a hint of helplessness in his voice. “Didn’t you say I couldn’t just abandon her? So I brought her back.”

“Sigh,” Captain Yan began, a note of exasperation in his voice. “The higher-ups will be here in two days. You absolutely must make proper arrangements for that child right away. Whether it’s sending her to an orphanage or finding her a new family, you need to sort it out.”

“In a few days, reporters will be coming to interview you,” Captain Yan continued with utmost seriousness. “Those reporters love digging up dirt on people. If this child’s situation gets exposed, it will have a huge impact on your future career and development. This is your responsibility. If you don’t handle it properly, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”

“But our local orphanages are unwilling to take this child,” Wang Jian explained, feeling utterly helpless. “Finding a new family for her is incredibly difficult; it won’t happen overnight, and I’m really at a loss.”

“Even if there seems to be no way, you still have to find one,” Captain Yan retorted. “How about I offer you a suggestion?”

“Captain Yan, do you have a good solution? Please tell me quickly!” Hearing that Captain Yan had a plan, Wang Jian instantly brightened with excitement.

“I think you should just adopt the child yourself,” Captain Yan offered. It was a suggestion, but for Wang Jian, it sounded like an utterly terrible idea.

“I can’t,” Wang Jian protested, immediately trying to justify himself and find excuses. “I simply don’t have the financial means, and I have a girlfriend. We’re both… planning to get married after a few more years of hard work. So I can’t adopt that child…”

“Regardless, the higher-ups will be here in a few days. You just need to ensure that child is properly taken care of. There absolutely cannot be any mistakes during this inspection.” Captain Yan said no more after that, and a heavy silence descended upon the room, enveloping both men.

“I’ll give you a couple of days off,” Captain Yan finally broke the silence. “You won’t need to go on patrol or come to the office. Just use these days to figure out how to arrange for that child.”

“Alright, I’ll think of something,” Wang Jian said, his voice heavy with dejection, as he walked out of the office and made his way to the back door. His mood was incredibly sour; it felt as though a massive stone was pressing down on his heart, leaving him unable to relax.

While the child was indeed pitiable, if he failed to make arrangements for her in a few days, he might even lose his job. Suddenly, he no longer found Hao Yang quite so pitiful; instead, a faint flicker of annoyance towards her surfaced within him.

However, he couldn’t think of any viable solutions at the moment, and his spirits were low. He decided to take the patrol car out for a drive. If he used the police car for personal reasons, he would have to pay for the gas himself. Yet, he didn’t mind the small expense; while not wealthy, he could certainly afford that much fuel.

He then got into the parked car, turned on the heater, and put on some music. Soon after, he drove out of the police station and began aimlessly cruising through the old district.