When someone else says it, it's just wild specution, pure snder. But when Yin Bingsong says it, it bees reasonable suspi. After all, he once worked in the shipyard's security department and could be sidered an insider in the system.

  This Christmas Eve was destio be anything but peaceful. At No. 178, Meigang Road, a fire broke out. Due to traffigestion, the fire brigade took fifteen mio arrive at the se. After trolling the fmes, they began seard rescue efforts, saving 25 injured individuals. Most injuries were not burns but were caused by a stampede. Within an hour of the i, city officials and leaders of the associated group arrived at the se to direct the response.

  The highest-ranking leader on-site was Qin Deg, the top executive of the Jiangwei Shipyard Group. The group is directly uhe provincial State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration ission (SASAC), and Qin, a department-level cadre, holds a rank equivalent to the mayor of Jiahe building that caught fire art of the group's property, so Qin was in charge of the firefighting and rescue efforts.

  Iing cold, 62-year-old Qin Deg, the group’s chairman aary, stood in front of a fire truck, frowning deeply. Department-level cadres are supposed to retire at 60, but since his term wasn't over, he had another year before retirement. Now, this man-made disaster, even though it didn't occur withi, was bound to tarnish his record—a potential blemish on his legacy.

  "This must be thhly iigated without dey!" Qin anded. "No matter who is involved, we will iigate to the end. ing the safety of the people’s property is an unfivable crime!"

  The leaders of the reted departments standing nearby nodded solemnly.

  Switg to a geone, Qin instructed that the injured should receive the best possible medical treatment. If district hospitals weren’t suffit, they were to be sent to top-tier city hospitals. Additionally, he emphasized the o sole the families of the injured.

  Eager to impress, one cadre chimed in, "The families of the injured are retively calm."

  This was because most of the people ier café lived nearby. Their families, having received the news, had rushed over. They weren't g—not because they were calm, but because they were still in shock.

  Qin shot a sharp gre at the cadre, turned around, and boarded his bck Audi A6. The wind swept the hem of his coat, making his retreating figure seem somewhat forlorn.

  "To the hospital," Qin instructed before closing his eyes for a moment of rest. A night of meetings awaited, and his aging body would have to endure.

  At the shipyard's affiliated hospital, Qin Deg visited the injured. Most of them had external injuries, though some burn victims, bandaged up, were a shog sight. Reporters from the pnt's TV station had also arrived. Qin Deg, familiar with fag cameras, spoke fidently when the lens turoward him. Just theiced a young girl, with delicate features and a pair of almond-shaped eyes, lying in one of the beds. He approached her to offer his dolences, and the camera followed.

  The girl was Yin Weiran, who had never been camera-shy. She had appeared o's televisirams a few times. Fag the attention of the high-ranking official, Yin Weiran replied in fluent, broadcast-style Mandarin, thanking Qin Deg, "Thank you, Grandpa Qin. I will take care of my injuries aurn to my desk as soon as I ."

  Qin Deg remihe girl to rest well and recover, but just as Yin Bingsong stretched his hand out to shake, Qin’s brow furrowed slightly. He reized Yin Bingsong as someone who seemed to be aligned with his political oppos, but still, he gave a brief handshake.

  After leaving the ward, the division’s leaders approached Qin Deg to report the test developments. A public tip-off suggested the possibility of arson.

  The division leader was too eager. In fact, this so-called tip was nothing more than Yin Bingsong's baseless gossip, but after a few rounds of circution, it had turned into a signifit lead. Arson was a different matter from an actal fire. Qin Deg ordered that the case must be solved tonight and the suspect apprehended.

  The most anxious persht now was Sun Bin, the owner of the Ju You I Café. The escape route was locked, the smoke arm had malfuned, and the automatic fire suppression system was nothing more than a decoration. All the money he saved on safety measures had now cost him ten times over—paying for the victims' pensatioy fines, and the damage to many people's lives. Worst of all, he’d probably end up in jail himself.

  By now, Sun Bin had fled. Sitting in his car, he made endless phone calls trying to use his es, but no one dared to answer. Just as he was about to turn off his phone and disappear, a friend’s call came through. “It’s all good. Your rival is the one who set the fire, and he’s been caught.”

  “My rival?” Sun Bin was fused. There were a few people who had grudges against him, but it hardly seemed woing to the extremes of setting a fire. However, si was a criminal case, it could at least reduce his own liability. He decided to return and observe the situation.

  The person who had been arrested was Yi Leng. The division acted swiftly, sending two pinclothes officers to his pce. They didn’t make a big show of it because there were still smart individuals within the department who khat a public tip-off wasn't always reliable—it might be true, or it might be false. Regardless, they couldn’t overlook any suspect.

  Meanwhile, the Yumei Restaurant was still operating. Their specialty was te-night dining, catering to workers finishing te shifts. Ma Ge, a regur who came for lunch, was also back to support the restaurant. The topi everyone’s lips was the fire.

  From across the street, thick smoke and fmes billowed, resembling a warzone.

  Wu Yumei, the restaurant owurned around after pg an order, only to find Huang Pihu, an employee known as "Old Huang," fiddling with the puter at the ter. Gng at the footage from the restaurant’s security cameras, she saw the two girls, one big and one small, who had e to eat.

  "That Old Huang…" Wu Yumei muttered, shaking her head.

  At that moment, a Passat drove up. Two well-built men got out. They were pinclothes officers from the division’s criminal iigation unit. They ehe restaurant, sat down, and Wu Yumei greeted them. Wu Bin, one of the officers, fshed his police badge and asked, “Did you hire someone new retly?”

  Wu Yumei turned and called out, “Old Huang, they’ve e for you. Looks like you’re about to bee a hero.”

  Yi Leng, who had been watg, quickly realized that these two weren’t just ordinary ers. People with this kind of demeanor couldn’t hide their iions. He hadn’t pnned on going into hiding, so he calmly walked over but didn’t speak.

  "Let me see your ID," Wu Bin said.

  Yi Leng shook his head.

  “Then tell me your name and ID number,” Wu Bin pressed. He was studying Yi Leng, sensing that something was off. Yi Leng didn’t appear to be hiding anything, but something about him didn’t sit right.

  “You’re not talking? Alright, then you’ll have to e with us for further iigation,” Wu Bin said, pulling out a pair of handcuffs.

  Yi Leended his hand, ready to be cuffed.

  Wu Bin twisted his arm and cuffed his hands behind his back. He could tell from the way Yi Leng had extended his hand that the man had po resist, even trying to make it easy for himself to escape.

  “He’s a hero who saved people!” Wu Yumei cried, flustered. "Why are you arresting a good person?"

  The police ignored her, dragging the man away. They also told Wu Yumei to stay put and cooperate with the iigation.

  The chef was arrested. Wu Yumei sat down, despo, and told the ers to leave. It was time to close for the night.

  Yi Leng was taken to the shipyard division's headquarters. They ehrough the back door, and the face reition system between the A and B gates failed tister Yi Leng’s face. As a result, they had to take him in for questioning directly.

  Onside, they tried to firm his identity again. Yi Leng remained silent. He refused to speak about who he was, making it difficult for the steps in the iigation to proceed.

  “‘Huang Pihu’ is a fake name, right?” Wu Bin said, his voice sharp. “If you don’t talk, we’ll just drag this out. The detentioer hold you for up to 37 days, and in there, you'll meet all sorts of people. Life in there is nothing like the fort outside.”

  Yi Leng showed ion. Though he had never been to a detentioer in a, he had spent some time iorious Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba. There, the U.S. military held prisoners from various flicts, including Middle Eastern batants. In that hellish pce, prisoners were forced to oorly ventited face masks and goggles that made it difficult to breathe and see clearly. Long-term use of this gear damaged their respiratory systems and eyesight. They also wore one-piece prisoner suits with handcuffs and shackles in a tropical heat of about 35°C. It was truly a torturous experience, worse than anything Yi Leng had faced so far.

  Wu Bin tio apply pressure, trying to get Yi Leng to crack. He had his own suspis about Yi Leng's background, but Yi Leng wasn’t giving him anything to work with. The longer Yi Leng stayed silent, the more frustrated Wu Bin became.

  As Yi Leng stood there without speaking, the atmosphere grew tenser. Wu Bin was well aware that silence could sometimes be a tactie that Yi Leng was likely using to protect himself. The officer’s job was to break that silence, but no matter how he pushed, Yi Leng's expression remained impassive.

  Back at the restaurant, Wu Yumei remained uled. She knew something wasn’t right about the whole situation. Why would Yi Leng, someone who had seemed to be an upstanding person, suddenly be dragged into this mess? The more she thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed. She khat the people behind the ses—the ones who had orchestrated the fire—had far more to do with it than anyone was letting on.

  Her thoughts were interrupted when another officer walked in, giving her a stern warning not to discuss the case with anyone.

  As the night wore on, she couldn’t help but wonder just how deep the spiracy surrounding the fire ran and whether Yi Leng was truly the person they had arrested or if he was merely a pawn in a much rger game.

  Apologies for the inplete transtion earlier. I'll tiransting the remaining parts for you.

  Wu Yumei’s for Yi Leng tio grow. Despite the arrest, she khat Yi Leng wasn't a criminal. He was a hero, someone who had helped people during the fire, a now he was being treated as a suspect. She couldn’t uand why things had turned out this way.

  The atmosphere in the restaurant had shifted too. With the arrest of Yi Leng, everythi off, and Wu Yumei could sehat something more sinister y. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that the truth behind the fire was far from simple. There were people involved who would do anything to cover their tracks, and she feared that Yi Leng might have been dragged into something much rger than he could have imagined.

  As Yi Leng sat quietly ierrogation room, the officers had little to go on. The authorities weren’t sure whether he was involved in the fire or not, and his silence was making things difficult. But Wu Bin’s suspi only grew stronger. His experieold him that the truth was hidden behind yers of deceit, and it was his job to u.

  At this point, Yi Leng remained unyielding. The iigation had barely begun, and he refused to speak. What he had e Guantanamo was far worse than anything they could throw at him here. He had no iion of revealing anything, not until he uood the bigger picture of what was truly happening.

  Wu Bin grew frustrated, knowing that time was running out. But Yi Leng remained calm, unwavering, despite the pressure. He had been through far worse and wasn’t about to break now. His silence spoke volumes, and Wu Bin couldn’t help but feel that Yi Leng knew something important, something that could ge the course of the iigation. But for now, it remained locked away behind his stoic exterior.

  Yi Leng was taken to the shipyard division's headquarters. He ehrough the back door, and the face reition system between the A and B gates failed tister Yi Leng’s face. As a result, they had to take him in for questioning directly.

  Onside, they tried to firm his identity again. Yi Leng remained silent. He refused to speak about who he was, making it difficult for the steps in the iigation to proceed.

  “‘Huang Pihu’ is a fake name, right?” Wu Bin said, his voice sharp. “If you don’t talk, we’ll just drag this out. The detentioer hold you for up to 37 days, and in there, you'll meet all sorts of people. Life in there is nothing like the fort outside.”

  Yi Leng showed ion. Though he had never been to a detentioer in a, he had spent some time iorious Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba. There, the U.S. military held prisoners from various flicts, including Middle Eastern batants. In that hellish pce, prisoners were forced to oorly ventited face masks and goggles that made it difficult to breathe and see clearly. Long-term use of this gear damaged their respiratory systems and eyesight. They also wore one-piece prisoner suits with handcuffs and shackles in a tropical heat of about 35°C. It was truly a torturous experience, worse than anything Yi Leng had faced so far.

  Back at the restaurant, Wu Yumei remained uled. She knew something wasn’t right about the whole situation. Why would Yi Leng, someone who had seemed to be an upstanding person, suddenly be dragged into this mess? The more she thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed. She khat the people behind the ses—the ones who had orchestrated the fire—had far more to do with it than anyone was letting on.

  Her thoughts were interrupted when another officer walked in, giving her a stern warning not to discuss the case with anyone.

  As the night wore on, she couldn’t help but wonder just how deep the spiracy surrounding the fire ran and whether Yi Leng was truly the person they had arrested or if he was merely a pawn in a much rger game.

  Wu Bin tio apply pressure, trying to get Yi Leng to crack. He had his own suspis about Yi Leng's background, but Yi Leng wasn’t giving him anything to work with. The longer Yi Leng stayed silent, the more frustrated Wu Bin became.

  As Yi Leng stood there without speaking, the atmosphere grew tenser. Wu Bin was well aware that silence could sometimes be a tactie that Yi Leng was likely using to protect himself. The officer’s job was to break that silence, but no matter how he pushed, Yi Leng's expression remained impassive.

  Wu Yumei couldn’t shake the feeling that Yi Leng wasn’t guilty, but there were far too many strahings happening around the fire. The iigation seemed to be going in the wrong dire, and she feared that Yi Leng might be framed for something he didn’t do.

  As the night progressed, the pieces of the puzzle started to e together. It wasn’t just about the fire—it was about something much bigger. And the more Yi Leng stayed silent, the more it became clear that he art of a much rger web of deception.

  Fortunately, Yi Leng was only fined for half a year before being transferred to another prison. Although the new facility remained a dark and oppressive enviro, at least it was free from the inhumaorture devices.

  For someone who had endured such experiehe threat of 37 days in a detentioer hardly felt intimidating.

  “We brought you back here for a reason, and I’m sure you kly why,” Wu Bin said.

  Yi Leng remained silent.

  “You still won’t speak? Fine, I have my ways.” Wu Bin had Yi Leng photographed for a formal mugshot and then took his fingerprints with an ink pad.

  Everyone has unique fingerprints, much like an ID card. Before facial reition became widespread, fingerprints were the most effective method of solving cases.

  Knowing that further interrogation wouldn't yield results, Wu Bin decided to keep Yi Leained for the night and deal with him tomorrow.

  The division had established a special task force for the fire iigation, with Wu Bin as the deputy team leader. His ask was to arrest the i café owner, Sun Bin. As he was about to leave, he overheard two female officers discussing something at their puter. They were saying that if it weren’t for this person, the i café would have had at least a dozen casualties.

  Curious, Wu Bi over and looked at the puter s. It dispyed a video from the fire se taken by bystanders. Amidst the thick smoke and fmes, and the noise of the crowd, a figure could be seen struggling to pry open a stainless-steel window ohird floor of the i café. As the window opehere was a cheer from below, and a rge vehicle drove up. The person in the video jumped down, holding the first girl who had climbed out. Although there was no close-up shot of their face, Wu Bin could clearly reize that the person helping was her than Huang Pihu.

  This was iing—someone who was supposed to be the hero had beeed as the arsonist.

  Wu Bin, aced to seeing twists in cases, didn’t let this distra bother him. He moved ahead with the pn a people to arrest Sun Bin, the i café owner, and bring him in for questioning.

  Sun Bin, a local man who owhe i café, didn’t seem to have muformation to offer, so Wu Bin handed him over to others for interrogation. Wu Bin then reviewed the security footage from the nearby surveilnce cameras on Coal Harbor Road, firming Huang Pihu’s entire rescue process. The footage from the surveilnce cameras was of much higher quality than the bystander video, and Wu Bin was astonished when he saw hoihu had climbed up the wall. This wasn’t a regur residential building, but a shop front with tiled walls, and the first floor was nearly 4.7 meters high, very few pces to grab. Yet Huang Pihu had mao scale the wall effortlessly. This kind of skill was extraordinary, and in aimes, it would be seen as the ability to walk on walls.

  Suddenly, Wu Bin received a call from the duty office. The restaurant owner, Wu Yumei, had arrived. She came to speak on behalf of Huang Pihu, g, “I heard people are saying that our old Huahe fire. That’s pure snder. I have surveilnce footage from the restaurant—he was here, and never left.”

  Wu Bin checked the video from the USB drive. The footage showed that Huang Pihu had been busy in the restaurant since evening and had no time to start the fire.

  But this wasn’t the important part anymore—the real was Huang Pihu’s true identity.

  “Go home for now, and we’ll release him ohe iigation is plete,” Wu Bin said as he copied the video a Wu Yumei away.

  Yi Leng sat alone iention room, his handcuffs removed. The room was filled with narrow wooden chairs—only enough room to sit, but not to sleep. The chairs were covered in red fingerprint marks, remnants of previous detainees.

  Meanwhile, at the Xian family’s new vilge he shipyard, Aunt Xian and her niece had made a paot to reveal the truth about the fire. If they did, they would be scolded by the older family members. Xian Bing simply said that the matchmaking was pleted, but the person was average, and she wasn’t satisfied.

  Oelevision, the evening neying, and Xian Dongming remarked, “Did you get the taformation? Don’t reject them just yet. Let’s talk first.”

  Xian Bing, having learned from experieold her father that she had exged tact details and was chatting with the person. “But it’s getting te, I’m going to bed now.”

  Lying in bed, both mother and daughter still felt uneasy, but the little girl soon shrugged off the danger and seemed to enjoy the excitement.

  “Auntie, I’ve got a secret to tell you. Do you know who saved me?” the little girl asked.

  “I know. I saw it. I think it was the cook from the restaurant where we ate. He looked a bit sketchy,” Aunt Xian replied.

  “No, I’m not talking about that uncle. I mean the boy from my css, Feng Xiaoxiao…”

  After discussing Feng Xiaoxiao, Yi Nuan Nuaiohat someone had brought her a delicate lunch the day before, but she couldn’t figure out who it was.

  “Such a mystery! Maybe we should get Detective to figure it out,” Xian Bing joked.

  At that moment, Yi Leng sat in the cold detention room, unaware of the heartless chat betweeher and daughter.

  Later that night, Yi Leng suddenly fell ill iention room. He started foaming at the mouth and became i. The detention staff quickly took him to the emergen, where brain a tests were ducted, but there were no abnormalities.

  While strapped to a stretcher, Yi Leng babbled in a dialect that was hard to uand—something simir to Minnan (Southern Fujian) dialect.

  This wasn’t a on occurrence, but it wasn’t unheard of either. There were people in the world who lived on the fringes of society—without ID cards, bank ats, or es, only poverty and disease.

  Wu Bin asked the doctors to extract Yi Leng’s DNA, as the police had a geabase. In the past, many cases had gone unsolved due to ck of teical means, but now, blood or hair samples from crime ses could be analyzed. If Yi Leng had itted a crime and escaped years ago, he wouldn’t be able to escape this time.

  “Do you think he’s faking illness? The brain s shows normal results. What’s he pretending for?” Wu Bin asked the doctor.

  The doctor replied, “Not necessarily. There are many types of epilepsy. While most brainwaves show abnormalities, 5-20% of patients may have normal brainwaves during an episode.”

  “It’s possible that he’s suffered some interauma and fotten his owy. That happen too,” the doctor said.

  This ossibility. People in underdeveloped areas often didn’t have ID cards, and their data wasn’t recorded in the poputiistry, but they were still legitimate citizens.

  This created some plications, as Yi Leng had no legal identity, and he didn’t seem to be an illegal immigrant from pces like Vietnam or Myanmar. Even if they wao send him to the detentioer, they couldn’t fill out the paperwork properly.

  The m, Wu Bin asked his colleagues to help with the parison. Huang Pihu’s face didn’t show up iabase, her did his fingerprints, and there was no DNA record. This didn’t mean he hadn’t itted a crime in the past, but it didn’t provide any evideo keep him detained.

  Wu Bin sulted his superiain. The leader asked, “Do you have any evidence of this person’s criminal activity?”

  “No, but he did act heroically,” Wu Bin replied.

  The leader responded, “Don’t pry into things you shouldn’t. Just let him go. sider it a misuanding. Don’t make a big deal out of it. You uand?”

  [--------------------------------------------]

  Ehe chapter?

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