Chapter 132: The Key Incident
"Ugh..."
Cheng Yuan felt a headache coming on. He could use a Mystical Technique from his Celestial Witch Inheritance to find Zhu Wenhu, but he needed an object Zhu Wenhu frequently used as a catalyst.
But the old director had found the man’s things to be bad luck and thrown them all away!
This was awkward.
Seeing Cheng Yuan frown, the old director suddenly remembered something. "There is still one thing of Zhu Wenhu’s left. But, Xiaoyuan, I hope you won’t mind it!"
Cheng Yuan was overjoyed. "I don’t mind! Of course I don’t mind! What is it? Where is it?"
The old director looked slightly embarrassed as she said, "A few of Zhu Wenhu’s clothes. I cut them up, made them into a mop, and put it in the bathroom for mopping the floor."
Pfft.
Cheng Yuan and Wu Mengyao couldn’t help but chuckle.
’The old director really knows how to hold a grudge,’ Cheng Yuan thought. ’She wants Zhu Wenhu to be steeped in filth, forever unable to make a comeback at the Hope Welfare Institute!’
"Grandma, your decision was brilliant! A man like Zhu Wenhu deserves to be infamous for all time! Can I take this mop?"
"Of course you can."
The old director led Cheng Yuan into the bathroom. Three mops stood in the corner.
Two of the mops looked very old but were washed clean. One mop looked very new but was filthy, clearly having not been washed much.
Cheng Yuan smiled and pointed at the dirty mop. "It should be this one."
The old director was a bit embarrassed. "Xiaoyuan, this mop is a little dirty. Let Grandma wash it out for you."
Cheng Yuan quickly stopped her. "Grandma, don’t wash it! Whatever you do, don’t wash it. That would ruin everything!"
"Huh?"
Without explaining, Cheng Yuan picked up the mop. "Grandma, we’re heading out. We’ll bring the mop back when we’re done."
"No need. Just throw it away when you’re finished. I was just letting off steam back then. Now that I’ve calmed down and think about it, it was a bit childish."
Wu Mengyao smiled. "That wasn’t childish of you, that was your youthful heart showing."
"You sweet-talker! Good! Very good!"
The old director smiled, holding Wu Mengyao’s hand. The more she looked at Wu Mengyao, the more pleased she was. She wished Wu Mengyao and Cheng Yuan could get married that very day.
The two said their goodbyes and quickly walked out of the welfare institute.
Wu Mengyao was clearly disgusted by the mop, but for the sake of the case, she could only suppress her revulsion and put it in the trunk.
After getting in the car, Wu Mengyao asked, "Cheng Yuan, can this filthy thing really solve the case?"
"Really. It’s as true as the fact that I’m a man."
"Alright then, I believe you. What’s next?"
"To the Patrol Office. The detention cell where Zhu Wenhu was held."
"Okay."
「...」
Wu Mengyao drove, and they arrived at the Patrol Office a dozen or so minutes later.
Upon entering the Patrol Office, Wu Mengyao felt the atmosphere was a bit off.
Before, everyone would greet her with a smile. But now, everyone was avoiding her. Even a few members of her own team averted their gaze, not daring to meet her eyes.
Two young members from Team One wanted to greet her, but their friends pulled them away.
For the first time, Wu Mengyao truly understood how cold and fickle people could be. If Cheng Yuan wasn’t by her side, her spirits would have surely plummeted.
Wu Mengyao shot a cold glance at her colleagues and strode toward the detention cells with Cheng Yuan.
Only after Wu Mengyao’s figure disappeared around the corner did her colleagues begin to whisper.
"What’s Wu Mengyao acting so high and mighty for? She’s a grasshopper after autumn—won’t be hopping for much longer!"
"Sigh, what bad luck. I kissed up to Wu Mengyao for two years! And in the end, I got nothing out of it."
"Xiaozhou, you should find a way to transfer to Team Two! There’s no future staying in Team One."
「...」
The door to the detention block’s duty office was open. The on-duty Patrol Officer, Pan Dong, was leisurely reading a newspaper.
Pan Dong was Pan Guang’s cousin. He had originally been just an auxiliary officer, but after Pan Guang pulled some strings, he became a full Patrol Officer and even landed the cushy job of guarding the detention cells.
Wu Mengyao didn’t mince words, ordering, "Pan Dong, give me the key to Detention Cell Nine!"
Previously, although Wu Mengyao and Pan Guang didn’t get along, Pan Dong wouldn’t have dared to openly defy her. But now, Pan Dong didn’t give her the slightest bit of respect.
"Sorry, Detention Cell Nine is the scene of the suspect’s escape. It’s currently sealed. It will only be unsealed after the technical department has completed its investigation."
"Pan Dong! I am now in charge of the Zhu Wenhu case! I need to investigate the traces of his escape! I am ordering you to open Detention Cell Nine immediately!"
The corners of Pan Dong’s mouth curled up slightly into a smirk.
"Wu Mengyao, you have no authority to order me around! By this time tomorrow, you’ll no longer be the captain of Constable Xing’s Team One, and it’s hard to say if you’ll even be a Constable Xing at all! Even if you are still a Constable Xing, you’ll just be my equal. You have no authority to order me around!"
Wu Mengyao’s anger surged.
’So they think they have me cornered? I’ll be damned if I let them get what they want!’
"Pan Dong, don’t think I don’t know that there were some irregularities with the procedures that made you a full Patrol Officer. When I crack this case, you’ll be the first person I deal with!"
"Tch!"
Pan Dong turned his back, not even bothering to look at Wu Mengyao.
Wu Mengyao was furious. "You have no shame!"
With that, Wu Mengyao prepared to make her move.
Pan Dong stood up defiantly, looking as if he was ready to have a go with Wu Mengyao!
Cheng Yuan quickly rushed forward, getting between the two. "Mengyao, don’t be impulsive!"
As he spoke, Cheng Yuan, from an angle invisible to the cameras, discreetly tapped Pan Dong, using a hidden technique.
Then, Cheng Yuan grabbed Wu Mengyao and forcibly pulled her out of the duty office.
Wu Mengyao looked at Cheng Yuan, extremely annoyed. "Why did you stop me? I was going to beat him so badly he wouldn’t know what hit him!"
Cheng Yuan said gently, "Mengyao, didn’t you realize he was deliberately trying to provoke you? There are at least four cameras in that duty office pointed at you! If you had laid a hand on him, you would have been immediately suspended pending an investigation!"
Wu Mengyao’s expression turned serious. In her rage, she hadn’t noticed.
’There used to be only one camera in the duty office. Why are there suddenly four today?’
’They’re setting a trap for me!’
"Thank you for stopping me. Otherwise, I definitely would have made a huge mistake!"
After a pause, Wu Mengyao frowned. "But we can’t do anything if we can’t get the key!"
Cheng Yuan smiled faintly. "Soon, he’ll bring the key out himself."
"Huh?"
As they were talking, Pan Dong suddenly felt his body turn ice-cold, his hands and feet beginning to tremble slightly.
Pan Dong was terrified. ’What’s happening to me?’
Pan Dong quickly stood up and staggered toward the door. Just as he stepped outside, he suddenly collapsed to the ground!
He waved frantically at the two of them. "Help, help me!!"
Wu Mengyao was startled and quickly took a step back. "Pan Dong, don’t you try to frame me! There are plenty of cameras in the duty office. I never touched you!"
Cheng Yuan, however, wasn’t the least bit flustered. He took a step forward and squatted down in front of Pan Dong. "I can save you. Give me the key to Detention Cell Nine."