Early the next morning, Zhuang Zi put on her coat, greeted the nurses at the station, and headed straight to the police station.

In the Criminal Investigation Office, Xie Kui was discussing with Officer Xiao Meng who would take responsibility for bringing back a young girl rescued the previous day from domestic violence, as she had no family to claim her.

“Xiao Xie just got married recently; it’s not convenient for him to bring the girl home,” Xie Kui said, his arm around the younger officer’s shoulder, speaking earnestly. “Maybe we can contact the girl’s family today. You’re a good person; just take care of her for a few more days?”

Officer Xiao Meng wore a troubled expression, equally helpless. “Brother, I need to be considerate too. I already sacrificed a precious night last night, and I have a girlfriend too.”

The two men looked at each other in silence.

Before they could reach a conclusion, Xie Kui noticed Zhuang Zi entering and immediately straightened up, and Officer Xiao Meng quickly returned to his desk.

“Officer Xie.”

“You’re here early,” Xie Kui greeted her and led her out. “Here’s the situation: we have certain conditions for filing a case. Currently, we can’t confirm any criminal activity through surveillance, so your statement is crucial for our case assessment.”

Zhuang Zi naturally cooperated.

Halfway through, Xie Kui’s phone rang. It was an important call. He gestured for Zhuang Zi to wait a moment and went to the corridor to answer it.

Zhuang Zi stood in the corridor outside the Major Crimes Office, waiting.

Across from the Major Crimes Office were several reception rooms. At this moment, the door of one of the reception rooms diagonally opposite was open, and there were several young girls inside. They were dressed fashionably with heavy makeup. They were gathered around an office desk, recounting their experience of the day to a handsome man.

It turned out that they had encountered a pickpocket on the bus in the morning. The three of them had dared to confront the thief, but the thief had a weapon and had wounded one of the girls on her arm before escaping.

The man listened with lowered brows, occasionally jotting notes on the documents in his hand, his expression devoid of emotion.

After hearing the lively and vivid account from the three girls, he didn’t even look up as he called out, “Xiao Meng.”

“Here!” Like a gust of wind, Officer Xiao Meng rushed past Zhuang Zi and into the reception room opposite. “What are your orders, boss?”

Si Hang threw down his pen, closed his file, and handed the documents to Xiao Meng. “You’re in charge of investigating this case.”

Covering her injured arm, the girl asked in surprise, “Mr. Policeman, aren’t you going to look after us anymore?”

Si Hang maintained a professional demeanor. “Based on the size of the case, we allocate appropriate resources for handling it. Officer Meng will contact you once we have a result.”

With that, he stood up and prepared to leave.

The three young girls watched him go, disappointment evident on their faces.

Si Hang walked straight out of the reception room. The injured girl gathered her courage and followed, her voice soft and nervous, “That robber had a knife on him. I’m afraid he might come after us for calling the police. Mr. Policeman, could you please take us back?”

He politely and distantly refused, “If you have any issues, you can discuss them with Officer Meng.”

The girl felt rebuffed and sensed his cold attitude, so she reluctantly withdrew.

Xiao Meng and his colleagues were accustomed to these situations and were unfazed by Si Hang’s indifferent and unfeeling demeanor.

Everyone knew that Si Hang’s character matched his appearance—cold and unyielding. Perhaps handsome people tended to be more aloof. But after all, he was dealing with girls; shouldn’t he show a little more compassion?

So the warm-hearted Officer Xiao Meng smiled reassuringly, “Our team is quite busy, and resources at the station are limited. We hope you understand.”

The girls didn’t blame anyone and shook their heads in understanding.

Returning from the reception room to the office hall required passing through the corridor.

Zhuang Zi glanced at the man who brushed past her. Today, he was wearing a military-green mid-length coat, making him look even more tall and angular.

Seeing her standing at the doorway, he glanced over with indifferent eyes, then moved on without stopping, heading into the main office.

Meanwhile, Xiao Meng finished briefing the girls and sent them home to await further information.

After thanking him, the girls left. As they passed through the office hall, they frequently turned their heads, searching for the officer who had just assisted them. They were pleasantly surprised to see the handsome officer sitting on the sofa in the main office, talking on the phone.

The injured girl hesitated for a moment as she approached, took a deep breath to encourage herself, and turned back to walk in.

Si Hang noticed the approaching figure from the corner of his eye, glanced faintly, and continued his phone call as if he hadn’t seen her. He flicked his cigarette ash into the ashtray with his fingertips.

The girl stood obediently by his side without daring to disturb him, waiting until he hung up the phone.

“Um…,” her voice was a bit hesitant and nervous, but she smiled at him with gentle eyes, “Mr. Policeman, could I have your contact information?”

The entire main office suddenly quieted down, like a movie scene paused by the remote control.

Everyone discreetly glanced over, ears pricked to catch the interaction.

Zhuang Zi unconsciously glanced into the room, seeing the man crossing his legs, leaning back casually in the sofa chair, flicking the ash off his cigarette with the back of his hand.