Chapter 25
Stakeout

As soon as they got into the car, Tan Yi picked up the mobile phone.

“Hello, I’m looking for Captain Li.”

“This is Captain Li speaking. Go ahead, Captain Tan.”

“Captain Li, please send a team to the Miao family to closely monitor their every move.”

“Do you have any leads?”

“Yes, we’ll discuss it in detail later. Remember to send more people; the suspect has strong counter-surveillance skills.”

“Got it, don’t worry.”

Tan Yi hung up the phone and glanced down the alley. Miao Xiaohong and Lei Guang hadn’t entered the courtyard yet; they seemed to be saying goodbye to the neighbors.

Fu Da asked, “Captain Tan, have you locked onto the Miao family?”

Li Ke reminded, “Miao Dachun is at least 1.85 meters tall.”

“Yes.” Tan Yi started the car, drove out of the alley, and stopped after two more alleys. “Old Liu, Brother Fu, please keep an eye on Miao Xiaohong and see if she does anything.”

Fu Da was a bit confused, “Huh?”

“Alright.” Liu Feng pulled Fu Da out of the car and quickly slipped into the alley.

Li Ke perked up, “Captain Tan, what should I do?”

Tan Yi said, “You come with me to Lei Guang’s house.”

Li Ke was puzzled, “Lei Guang isn’t home.”

Tan Yi explained, “But the Lei family’s money might be at home.”

Li Ke thought for a moment, “Oh… Captain Tan deliberately gave Lei Guang a hint. If they are guilty, they might try to move the stolen money. Wait, Lei Guang has an injured leg, so it couldn’t be him! The Lei family’s main gate showed no signs of forced entry, and a pair of shoes was missing. So, Captain Tan suspects Miao Xiaohong took the Lei family’s key and gave it to Miao Dachun, who deliberately wore Lei Yan’s shoes to leave misleading footprints.”

As expected of someone studying criminal investigation, she quickly pieced together the case with a few clues.

“I understand.” Li Ke turned to Xie Qing proudly, “What about Qing Qing? Is she coming with us?”

Xie Qing said, “Since it’s a stakeout, we don’t need the police car. I’ll drive it back to the station.”

Tan Yi smiled. What a smart girl, not competing for credit, clear and straightforward.

Li Ke was surprised, “You’re already confident enough to drive?”

After Xie Qing confirmed, Li Ke added, “I was fine in school, but I get nervous outside.”

Xie Qing leaned back in her seat, “It’s okay. You have a solid foundation. Just practice a few more times.”

Tan Yi brought the conversation back, “Did Lei Miao add anything this time?”

“No, the poor girl was too busy crying,” Li Ke said. “I don’t think it’s because she’s not strong. She really only focused on studying and knew nothing about the family. The less she knew, the more guilty she felt, and the harder it was to pull herself out of it.”

Tan Yi asked, “Did the Lei family’s neighbor add anything?”

Li Ke replied, “She said Lei Miao’s mother had a good relationship with her in-laws and rarely spoke ill of them. She knew little about the Lei family’s private matters, only that Lei Guang’s family visited more frequently after learning about the demolition compensation.”

Tan Yi glanced at her, “Did she say this in front of Miao Xiaohong?”

Li Ke said, “No, she said, ‘Oh, sister-in-law, haven’t you been visiting often lately? Didn’t you notice anything unusual? Didn’t they tell you anything?’ And Miao Xiaohong replied, ‘Big sister, don’t you know? My sister-in-law is tight-lipped. If it weren’t for the incident, we wouldn’t have known about the demolition compensation.'”

She mimicked the two women’s voices, both cute and amusing.

Xie Qing said, “Nice, I can picture it. Li Ke’s middle-aged image is vivid.”

Li Ke retorted, “Get lost. I won’t be like that when I’m old.”

Tan Yi laughed again.

With the case showing progress, everyone was in a lighter mood. Discussing the case, they soon arrived near Lei Guang’s neighborhood.

Tan Yi got out of the car but didn’t leave immediately. He cautiously observed the back of the police car.

Li Ke asked curiously, “Captain Tan, what are you waiting for?”

Tan Yi said, “I remember you mentioned Xiao Xie hasn’t driven much.”

“Oh…” Li Ke stuck out her tongue, “It’s okay. She’s driving steadily, right?”

Xie Qing saw them standing still through the rearview mirror and found it strange at first. But considering Xie Xun’s reaction, she understood.

Back at the station, they were busy all afternoon. When Xie Qing went to the cafeteria for dinner, she didn’t see Li Ke and the others return.

Du Zhun muttered at a nearby table, “Hey, what did they say about our guy in Feng’an District?”

Wang Zheng said, “Brother Du, don’t listen to their nonsense. It’s only been a few hours. They talk too much.”

Du Zhun said, “That’s true! You can’t call it a stakeout unless you’ve been there for three days and nights.”

Xie Qing shook her head helplessly. That was Du Zhun for you.

They staked out for half the night. It was only around midnight when Xie Qing saw Li Ke return.

The girl looked dejected as she entered the office, pouting, “I never want to go on a mission with Captain Tan again.”

Xie Qing poured her a cup of hot water and handed her a bag of milk biscuits, “What happened?”

Li Ke tore open the bag and took a bite, “Boring, bookish, loves to criticize.”

Xie Qing: “…”

Li Ke continued, “I just said a few more words, and he told me to pay attention to discipline during a stakeout. He even asked how my university teacher taught me. Hmph, none of his business. My teacher taught me well.”

Xie Qing: “…”

Li Ke took a big gulp of water, “So what if he’s a bit handsome? What’s the big deal? We staked out all day and found nothing.”

Xie Qing: “…”

Xie Qing had heard of Tan Yi’s reputation at the provincial department. Nicknamed “Sherlock Tan,” he had never left a case unsolved in his seven years of work.

She agreed with Tan Yi’s approach and the “startle the snake” tactic to make the killer reveal themselves.

However, she felt Li Ke’s pride was hurt. She wasn’t genuinely angry or cursing; she just needed to vent. Indeed, after finishing her water and biscuits, the girl was sleepy.

Li Ke yawned, “I feel better after talking. Do you need me to stay with you? If you do, I’ll make do here for the night.”

Xie Qing said, “No need. The second and first teams have people on duty. I’m not afraid. You go to sleep.”

Li Ke left, and Xie Qing lay down on the camp bed.

The night was peaceful.

The next morning, Xie Qing met Tan Yi in the cafeteria.

Tan Yi unusually sat across from her. His tray had two eggs, a glass of milk, four slices of fried bread, and a serving of boiled wontons.

Xie Qing greeted him politely, “Good morning, Captain Tan.”

“Good morning.” Tan Yi got straight to the point, “So far, there’s been no movement on either side. I suspect we missed something.”

Xie Qing nodded, “I agree with Captain Tan. Let’s think it over?”

Tan Yi said, “That’s my intention.”

They exchanged concise opinions and then ate quietly, leaving without further conversation.

Xie Qing washed the “manly” bedsheet from the camp bed, tidied the dormitory, and went home.

No one was home, so after a shower, Xie Qing slept until the laughter downstairs woke her. She stretched and grabbed her watch—it was already 3 PM.

Xie Qing lazed around for a while until the urge to use the bathroom got her out of bed.

The sound of flushing seemed to alert those downstairs. After a moment of silence downstairs, heavy footsteps sounded on the stairs. “Who’s there?”

Xie Qing opened the door and said, “Brother, I’m home. I was on duty last night and just woke up. When did you get back?”

Xie Chen apologized, “Did we wake you? I didn’t know you were home.”

Xie Qing replied, “It’s fine. I’ve slept for six or seven hours. It’s time to wake up.”

Xie Chen sighed in relief, “That’s good. Come downstairs. We brought you gifts—food, drinks, clothes, and accessories.”

Xie Qing quickly tidied her hair into a small ponytail and followed Xie Chen downstairs. She greeted everyone politely.

Chen Yuehua, in a rare good mood, smiled, “Your sister and I picked out two outfits for you, and your brother bought you some jewelry. Try them on.”

Xie Yun added, “You’ve changed a lot recently, so we didn’t know what you’d like. We bought two items based on Mom’s and my taste.” As she spoke, she found a bag and a box from the pile and handed them to Xie Qing.

“Thank you, Mom. Thank you, Yun Yun,” Xie Qing said, accepting the gifts. “You both have great taste. I’m sure they’ll suit me.”

Chen Yuehua said, “Mind your manners. Call her ‘sister.'”

Xie Yun said, “Mom, calling her by name is fine. We were born on the same day. I don’t like being called ‘sister.'”

Chen Yuehua glared at her, “Even if it’s just a second older, being the elder sister is important.”

Xie Chen said, “I have a say in this. As the older brother, I must take care of my younger sister. I’ve heard this since I was little, and my ears are calloused. Yun Yun and Qing Qing are the same age. Why make a fuss over a few minutes? It’s not like we have a throne to inherit.”

Chen Yuehua threw an empty bag at him, “You brat, you can’t go a day without annoying me, can you?”

Xie Chen caught it with a grin.

Xie Qing understood. Xie Chen had mediated between them. Although Chen Yuehua didn’t like her being a forensic doctor, she didn’t want to stay at odds forever, so she compromised to some extent.

Mother and daughter considered her job and bought casual clothes—a beige trench coat and a set of American denim, both simple and not flashy. To show her appreciation, Xie Qing tried them on immediately.

Xie Chen said, “Not bad. This trench coat is clean and neat, perfect for Qing Qing.”

Xie Qing agreed, “It looks great. I love it.”

Chen Yuehua smiled, “See? I have a keen eye. It suits you perfectly. But don’t wear it to work… Never mind, I’m going to take a shower and rest.”

Mentioning work darkened her expression, and she went to the bedroom.

Xie Yun opened her mouth but closed it again, “I’m going to shower too.” She took several bags upstairs.

Xie Chen said, “You didn’t go, so we didn’t buy you many clothes. But don’t worry, the jewelry I got you is the most expensive.”

Xie Qing understood. Xie Chen not only mediated but also balanced things materially.

“Thank you, Brother.” Xie Qing opened the jewelry box to reveal a large, thick gold bracelet with a dragon and phoenix design.

Was this vintage jewelry really for her?

Xie Qing looked at Xie Chen in confusion.

Xie Chen explained, “You’re a forensic doctor and can’t wear jewelry, so I bought something heavy for investment. We’ll keep it for its value.”

Xie Qing smiled and nodded, “Thank you, Brother. It’s perfect.”