After saying this, he turned and left.

Lin Jianyi was helpless and embarrassed as he saw the people’s furious faces and could only appease them. “Leave this matter to me. Brother Zhou is actually… well, he’s not such a bad guy…”

“Xiao Lin, we’re all counting on you now.”

Mrs. Leung knew perfectly well about these old-timers like Zhou. These officers claimed to be the law, but in truth, they were just working a job, reluctant to put in real effort to help citizens.

“Don’t worry, don’t worry,” Lin Jianyi reassured her a few more times, glancing at Gu Xicao with a hint of confusion in his eyes.

Beep-boop, beep-boop—

The sound of a police car echoed through the street.

Inspector Zhou rubbed his hands together as they approached a nightclub and grinned. “Lin, drop me off up ahead.”

“Brother Zhou, you’re not going home?” Lin Jianyi casually asked as he turned the wheel.

“Home? What’s there to do at home? It’s way more fun at the nightclub.”

Zhou dangled a cigarette from his lips, his grin lascivious and smug.

Lin Jianyi frowned slightly but said nothing. He was still a rookie, freshly assigned to the station—he couldn’t afford to offend anyone.

Bang! The door slammed shut.

Zhou leaned into the open window and said, “Lin, don’t take this the wrong way, but as an officer, you shouldn’t get too close to those locals. Look at them, pestering us over trivial matters, always expecting favors.”

He rubbed his fingers together meaningfully. “If they don’t show their gratitude, how do they expect us to work? Don’t you agree?”

Lin Jianyi nodded absentmindedly, clearly uninterested. As soon as Zhou left, he rolled the windows down to air out the car and turned off the police lights.

Blending silently into the traffic, Lin Jianyi had no intention of returning to the station. Instead, he decided to drive back to Hongfu Street to check if any shop owners might have seen something or remembered useful details.

On the way, he passed Nathan Road. Looking at the row of elegant houses, Gu Xicao’s earlier words echoed in his mind: “9 Nathan Road, license plate 8920…”

He chuckled at himself, hands gripping the wheel. Am I going crazy? Why am I even thinking of checking this out?

Fifteen minutes later.

A police car stopped at the entrance of Nathan Road. Lin Jianyi grabbed his radio and stepped out of the car.

I’m not here to verify that little girl’s so-called fortune-telling.

But since I’m already here… might as well take a look.

“This is it—9 Nathan Road.”

Lin Jianyi rang the doorbell. After a while, a middle-aged man with graying hair and a cigarette in his mouth opened the door. He looked Lin Jianyi up and down. “Officer, what’s this about?”

“Just a routine household check.”

Lin Jianyi offered a quick excuse and pulled out his notebook. Peering past the man’s frame, he casually asked, “How many people live here? How many cars do you own?”

The man frowned. “There are three of us—my wife, my son, and me. But my wife and son are vacationing in England. I don’t have a car at home?”

“You don’t have a car?”

Lin Jianyi was surprised. He looked up and pressed further, “You live in such a fancy house. How do you get around without a car?”

“Simple. A driver picks us up and drops us off.”

The man took a long drag on his cigarette. “Are we done here? You police have nothing better to do than bother honest folks at night.”

Unfazed, Lin Jianyi smile. “I’m almost done, but would you mind if I take a look inside?”

“Take a look? Officer, what’s wrong with you? Do you think we’re criminals? Do you even have a search warrant?”

The man’s tone turned hostile. He jabbed a finger at Lin Jianyi’s chest repeatedly, forcing him to step back.

Fire flashed in Lin Jianyi’s eyes, but he knew he couldn’t start trouble with wealthy folks. Besides, without a warrant, he had no legal reason to enter. Swallowing his frustration, he said, “Fine, forget I said anything.”

As he turned to leave, the man sneered, “What a fool.”

Lin Jianyi clenched his fists, furious. Under the streetlights, he felt like a clown—ridiculous for believing that girl’s nonsense and coming all the way here.

Just then, a man wearing a shirt and sunglasses strolled past him. A bandage covered the left side of his face. Lin Jianyi glanced at him briefly and kept walking.

The man—Cai Sicheng—hummed a tune and casually swung his car keys as he walked toward the house. Seeing the door ajar, he called out, “Dad! I parked the car at Uncle Xu’s place. When are you taking me to the airport?”

“8920?!”

A furious shout came from behind. Cai Sicheng instinctively turned around, only to be tackled to the ground. His head smacked against the pavement with a thud. “What—what are you doing? Are you robbing me?!”

“Police! You’re under arrest!”

Lin Jianyi snapped handcuffs onto Cai Sicheng’s wrists, pressing him down by the shoulders. He tore off the bandage on Cai Sicheng’s face, revealing a fresh wound on his left cheek. The injury was unmistakably from earlier that day.

“This afternoon at 5 p.m., you hit someone with your car on Hongfu Street—license plate 8920. After the accident, you fled the scene and conspired with your father to hide the car and plan your escape overseas. Is that right?!”

“How… how do you know?”

Cai Sicheng’s face turned deathly pale.

Lin Jianyi grinned as he watched Cai Sicheng’s panicked father run outside in a frenzy. His lips curled mockingly.

“Now… who’s the fool?”