Chapter 15

Upon entering the interrogation room, An Xiaohai was taken aback. Instead of Officer Wang Tiejun, he found a young policewoman he’d never seen before waiting for him.

The young policewoman was stunning, with short hair cut to her chin, an oval face, large eyes, and straight, even eyebrows. She exuded a sharp, cool aura, blending elegance and strength. Her figure was both shapely and fit, with a blend of feminine curves and military athleticism, which gave her a unique, captivating charm.

An Xiaohai frowned. *Did I get it wrong?*

After securing An Xiaohai to the interrogation chair, the prison guard left, closing the door behind him. An Xiaohai glanced at the camera behind the young officer; its light was off, indicating it wasn’t recording.

The young officer studied An Xiaohai, yet his expression revealed little information.

“I’m Officer Xia Jing from the Municipal Anti-Drug Brigade. I’ll be your contact from now on. Any information you gather, you can report directly to me,” she finally said, her voice cool and matching her demeanor, with a hint of gentleness.

“Sorry, I don’t understand what you’re talking about,” An Xiaohai feigned ignorance.

*Is she kidding?*

This prison was full of dangers, and some hidden hand controlled everything behind the scenes. Just because of what Xia Jing said, did she think he would trust her? Impossible!

“No need to be so cautious. Captain Wang sent me; he’s here, too, currently interrogating Hu Jianming. I’m here to connect with you to avoid suspicion. Isn’t that what you requested?” she explained.

“Did I? I don’t remember. Sorry, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“…”

Xia Jing was visibly flustered by his act and didn’t know how to proceed.

An Xiaohai’s heart sank. The young policewoman might be beautiful, but she was too inexperienced! If Wang Tiejun had really assigned her as his contact, An Xiaohai would never agree.

The two remained at an impasse, with An Xiaohai refusing to cooperate. No matter what questions Xia Jing asked, he insisted he didn’t know, refusing any form of communication.

Eventually, defeated, Xia Jing got up and left, closing the door behind her.

An Xiaohai let out a long breath. Xia Jing’s beauty was overwhelming; maintaining his calm under her gaze had been a challenge. But he harbored no romantic feelings for her; his heart belonged solely to Lin Xuan’er, without question.

Over half an hour later, the door opened again, and this time Wang Tiejun entered.

“Not impressed with Xia Jing?” Wang asked, removing his cap and placing it on the table.

“It’s not about liking or not liking her; she’s too green. I can’t trust her.”

“Yes, she’s a bit green—just graduated. I brought her to the Narcotics Squad largely because of you. I thought she’d make a good contact.”

“She’s not suitable,” An Xiaohai replied flatly.

“Why?”

“She’s too attractive, too noticeable. People would remember her too easily.”

“You have a point, but I have my reasons for choosing her.”

“Please explain.”

“Xia Jing is your senior; she just graduated from the National Defense University. Outstanding in academics and skills, she dreamed of becoming a police officer and joined through the recruitment exam. Her background makes her ideal for this role.”

Her cover story will be as your girlfriend. You met through school activities, and you both felt a mutual attraction, so after graduation, she came to Shenhai City to find you. Your interactions would seem natural and wouldn’t raise suspicions.”

“She’s older than me.”

“Does that matter? Xia Jing is a beautiful woman, and a beautiful woman’s age is often overlooked. She’s only two years older; you actually look much more mature next to her. In fact, I think you two look quite suitable together.”

“I’ve said, she’s not suitable! Besides being too conspicuous, she’s too inexperienced. Working with her could get me killed! And have you considered what will happen if Xuan’er finds out?”

“What would happen?”

“Xuan’er would tear her apart! Don’t bring this trouble to me.”

“…”

Wang Tiejun fell silent for a long time before he spoke again.

“An Xiaohai, I know why you came to me. You want me to secretly protect you so you can get through these years in prison, and you’re also planning for your future after release, right? You want to earn a record that will erase your criminal past, or at least reduce its impact. Am I correct?

You’re very smart; this is an excellent choice. But I must remind you, our work is dangerous! If you really want to be my informant, you’d better break things off with Lin Xuan’er first. Otherwise, you’re putting her at risk. We have many lessons learned in blood on this subject.”

“Sorry, I can’t do that. Xuan’er is one of my greatest sources of strength to keep going and fighting. I won’t abandon her unless she abandons me.”

“But that makes you vulnerable!”

“Everyone has vulnerabilities. Of course, I do, and not just one. Captain Wang, don’t you have vulnerabilities?”

Wang Tiejun fell silent again.

Indeed, he had vulnerabilities. His family was his weakness. But did that mean he should give them all up for work?

“Let’s table that for now. You don’t accept my proposal, so what’s yours?”

“Pan Zhuangzhuang.”

“The kid who passed me a note that night?”

“Yes, him.”

“But he doesn’t seem particularly sharp.”

“He doesn’t need to be smart—just reliable.”

“You’re sure about dragging him in, too?”

“I have no choice. He’s my best friend, and from the beginning, he was already involved, whether he likes it or not.”

“So… how do you plan to communicate?”

“Pan Zhuangzhuang is working at an electronics company in Nan Guoqiang. They have a phone at reception. I get one call a week to family or friends. I’ll pass messages to him, and you can pick them up from him. If something urgent comes up, he’ll bring it to you.”

“That could work…” Wang tapped his fingers on the table. “Should I meet with him to discuss the message-passing methods?”

“No need. Just give him your pager number, and he’ll send codes to it.”

“Codes?”

“Yes, coded messages. We’ll use a cipher: page, line, word—three numbers per set.”

“You know this stuff?”

“Captain Wang, have you forgotten I attended the National Defense University?”

“Oh, right. You were one of the top ten students in Haidong Province. I admit I underestimated you. What book for the codebook?”

“The 1987 edition of *The Count of Monte Cristo*, published by Shenhai City Press.”

“Is that in the prison library?”

“Yes.”

“That’s fine, but there’s one issue—if something urgent comes up and you can’t access the library, what then?”

“I’ll handle it. You don’t need to worry about that, Captain.”

“All right, for now, that’ll do. If I urgently need to reach you, I’ll still send Xia Jing over. It’s too conspicuous for me to keep coming myself.”

“What identity will she use?” An Xiaohai frowned, sensing Wang was unwilling to give up on Xia Jing.

“Your senior, your secret admirer. Will that work?”

“But she already showed her face here in uniform.”

“Don’t worry. She wore a mask, so no one saw her face. If she comes back in plain clothes and makeup, no one should recognize her.

This is just a precaution in case of emergencies.”

“Got any information to report?” Wang Tiejun asked.

“Yes.”

“Oh? What news?”

“It’s unrelated to drug trafficking. Interested?”

“Of course!” Wang’s expression turned serious. “As a police officer, all criminals are my concern, although narcotics is my main focus. Tell me everything.”

“Well, I heard someone bought weapons and plans to rob Shenhai Precision Instruments Factory.”

“Do you know who? Or when?” Wang immediately began jotting down notes.

“No idea who, but the timing’s likely this month. They plan to act before payroll day.”

“Got it!” Wang recorded the information.

“Anything else?”

“No, that’s all.”

“All right, I have to go. Payroll is in two days, so I need to notify the relevant departments.”

Then, he wrote his pager number on a piece of paper, tore it off, and handed it to An Xiaohai.

An Xiaohai took the paper and, after pretending to memorize the number, returned it.

“You memorized it that fast?” Wang asked, slightly frowning at An Xiaohai’s casual attitude.

“I got it. Rest assured….” An Xiaohai recited Wang’s pager number. “One last thing—try to keep the operation discreet. The fewer people who know, the better.”

“I understand.” Wang nodded, looking slightly grave. “Anything else I can help you with?”

“Yes,” An Xiaohai replied. “I need money. Prison food isn’t great, and I’m still growing. I need protein and money for phone calls.”

Wang paused, then nodded. “Fine, I’ll give the money to Pan Zhuangzhuang for you.”

“Thanks, Captain.”

“It’s nothing,” Wang waved it off. “Stay safe.”

As he watched Wang leave, An Xiaohai shook his head with a smile. This Captain Wang—bringing a beautiful woman as a liaison? Ridiculous.

Thinking a mask would keep people from recognizing her? Too naive. Even if Xia Jing returned with a wig and a change of clothes, An Xiaohai’s instincts said he’d recognize her at a glance.