Chapter 55

Xiao Yan was receiving an IV drip, holding a bottle of Yingyangkuai drink as she fell asleep. The question of who would stay to take care of her became a problem.

"I'll do it, I'm the one who brought her here," Song Shuang said.

"I'll stay with you," Ling Zijie said.

"I'll stay too," Pengpeng said, not to be outdone.

Liu Haneast said, "Forget it, there's no need for you guys. Go, I'll stay."

Song Shuang insisted, "You're injured, you need to rest."

A doctor walked over, "None of you need to stay. There are nurses here. The child is very tired and needs rest. You should all go and rest too."

Everyone finally dispersed. Liu Haneast drove away, and the three of them returned to their respective hospital rooms to rest.

Half an hour later, Song Shuang came downstairs and sat by Xiao Yan's bed.

...

On Fenglin Road, the tree shadows swayed, and under the streetlights stood a tall and imposing armed police guard. This was the residential and office area for the leaders of Jiangdong Province. Except for No. 10 Fenglin Road, which had been converted into a memorial for Chen Zikun, the other small villas nestled in the dense shade were home to current high-ranking officials.

Villa No. 1 was the home of the provincial party secretary, Zheng Jiefu. In the 1950s, Zheng Jiefu was born here. His father, Zheng Zheru, was an old proletarian revolutionary, who had served as the provincial party secretary and minister of agriculture and animal husbandry. During the Cultural Revolution, he was persecuted and committed suicide. After many years, Villa No. 1 welcomed its old master again, as Zheng Jiefu and his mother moved back into this small villa.

In the study on the second floor, Song Jianfeng was reporting the case to Zheng Jiefu. The incident involving his daughter's assault had inadvertently uncovered a major case with wide-ranging implications, involving high-ranking officials. At Song Jianfeng's level, he could no longer control the situation and needed to consult with his superiors.

Zheng Jiefu read the report himself, took out a box of specially supplied cigarettes, threw one to Song Jianfeng, lit one for himself, and after a puff, said, "The case is very complex, and the situation is very serious. The evidence we currently have is not sufficient. We shouldn't make a big move yet. Jianfeng, let the case simmer for now, don't alert the suspects."

Song Jianfeng replied, "Secretary Zheng, I understand."

After leaving Fenglin Road, Song Jianfeng did not go home but asked the driver to take him to the hospital. Today, his daughter had almost been in trouble. Although Jiao Shihong had not directly hired someone to kill her, the high-speed chase on the highway could have easily resulted in death or serious injury. It was a stroke of luck that his daughter was unharmed.

With so many people involved in the case, the main culprit, Jiao Shihong, must be completely ruined. A charge of hiring someone to cause injury was far from enough. They needed to find other angles to ensure he would never recover, and in the process, deal a blow to the opposing group.

The management of Shuidu Grand Hotel had tipped off, leading to his daughter's danger. They could not be let off. They would be detained first, and then other charges would be found to put them away. Although Shuidu Grand Hotel had strong backing, this time they would have to learn a lesson. Drug involvement, prostitution, and fire safety violations—first, they would be shut down for rectification.

As for the grassroots leaders of the Wenquan Town police station, who colluded with criminals and accepted bribes, they would be stripped of their positions and expelled.

By the time the car arrived at the hospital, it was already midnight. Two plainclothes officers responsible for security were smoking outside the emergency room. Seeing the Audi pull up, they hurried forward to greet it. Song Jianfeng got out of the car and nodded slightly, "Thank you for your hard work."

"Director Song, your daughter is in the observation room. She brought a child back," the plainclothes officer said.

Song Jianfeng was puzzled and walked into the observation room. His daughter was sitting by the bed, where a three- or four-year-old girl was lying, still receiving an IV drip, the medicine almost finished.

Secretary Shen, who was very observant, went to call a nurse to change the IV. Song Jianfeng draped his windbreaker over his daughter, gently. But Song Shuang opened her eyes.

"Dad, you're here."

"What happened?" Song Jianfeng looked at the child on the bed.

"Oh, she's the daughter of a prostitute. Her mother was arrested by the police, leaving her alone at home. If we hadn't found her in time, she would have either starved to death or died of illness."

Song Jianfeng frowned and said to Shen Hongyi, who had come in with the nurse, "Hongyi, look into this. The responsible parties must be dealt with seriously. This is too irresponsible!"

Secretary Shen nodded slightly, "I'll follow up tomorrow."

Song Shuang added, "Also, a few days ago, there was a drunk driving accident. The perpetrator was Xia Baishi's son, who altered his age to evade legal punishment. This is outrageous."

Song Jianfeng said, "Hongyi, look into this too. I want to see a report by tomorrow morning."

Secretary Shen replied, "Xia Baishi's household registration is in Wenquan Town. The alteration of his age was likely done by the Wenquan Town police station. They are currently under investigation by the Jinjiang Municipal Public Security Bureau. I'll call them right away to get this clarified."

Song Jianfeng said, "Not only must it be clarified, but responsibility must be pursued. Those who should be prosecuted must not be spared. Drunk driving causing death should be what charge?"

"Endangering public safety," Secretary Shen said.

Song Jianfeng nodded. These specific cases didn't need his personal attention, but since his daughter had mentioned them, he would give her an answer.

The nurse changed the IV bottle and advised Song Shuang to go to a ward to rest. Song Jianfeng also said there were nurses here, and it was pointless for her to stay.

"I just feel so sorry for this child. She has no parents and was left alone in a dark courtyard for so long. I'm afraid she might have psychological issues," Song Shuang, a kind person, was deeply moved by Xiao Yan's situation, which strengthened her resolve to help Ling Zijie with the report on the survival of sex workers.

Song Jianfeng said, "Hongyi, tomorrow you and Shuangshuang will go to the detention center to release this child's mother. The grassroots law enforcement is inhumane. Fortunately, nothing happened. If the child had an accident, how would we explain it to society? This is something to reflect on."

"Thank you, Dad," Song Shuang said happily.

...

The next morning, Liu Haneast bought a steamed bun on the street and drove to the medical university's affiliated hospital. He saw Song Shuang feeding Xiao Yan with a KFC breakfast.

"Xiao Yan, is it good?"

"It's good," Xiao Yan, who had probably never eaten KFC before, had oil all over her hands and face. Her fever had broken, and she was lively and energetic, a testament to the resilience of a child raised in a hair salon.

"If you like it, I'll buy you more."

"Okay."

"Let's go find your mom after you're full."

"Okay!"

At that moment, Liu Haneast suddenly found Song Shuang very beautiful.

Song Shuang noticed Liu Haneast standing at the door and smiled, "You're here."

"I brought breakfast," Liu Haneast lifted the plastic bag in his hand.

"Is it for me? Thank you," Song Shuang said with a smile.

"It's for Xiao Yan," Liu Haneast said bluntly.

Song Shuang pouted.

Liu Haneast still placed the breakfast in front of Song Shuang.

After a while, Ling Zijie and Zhu Pengpeng also came down. Song Shuang said, "We'll wait for Secretary Shen, then go to the detention center to release Xiao Yan's mother. Then, Ling Zijie, you can do your investigation."

Everyone agreed, and Liu Haneast was also pleased. Song Shuang had kept her word and resolved the matter overnight. Having a father who was a director certainly had its advantages.

By seven in the morning, the entrance to the medical university's affiliated hospital was already crowded with cars, all there to see patients. The parking lot was full, and the entrance was blocked with cars. Every few minutes, only one car could enter, causing a long queue on the road.

An unremarkable minivan drove up, entering the emergency lane in reverse from the parking lot exit. The security guard not only did not stop it but also saluted.

The minivan had a Jiang O license plate, and a pass from the provincial public security bureau was visible under the windshield. Secretary Shen only brought a driver. He carried a bag into the emergency room, greeted everyone, and took out a set of Snoopy children's clothes, the right size for Xiao Yan.

"Thank you, Secretary Shen," Song Shuang happily helped Xiao Yan change.

"You're welcome," Secretary Shen, always polite and refined, had learned about Xiao Yan's situation late last night and managed to get the right-sized clothes by the next morning, showing his efficiency.

Everyone took Xiao Yan into the minivan, and Liu Haneast got into his own Fukan. The two cars drove one after the other toward the suburban detention center.

During the morning rush hour, traffic was congested, but the minivan did not use its privileges to run red lights or have a police escort. Instead, it moved slowly with the other vehicles.

After an hour, they arrived at the detention center. The Jinjiang Municipal Public Security Bureau's detention center and detention house were in the same compound, a separate building. With Secretary Shen leading the way, the detention center's leadership personally accompanied them, showing great hospitality.

Secretary Shen, standing at 1.8 meters tall, wore a neatly pressed police uniform with two bars and two stars on his shoulders. At just 29 years old, he was already a deputy division-level official with an impressive background: a bachelor's degree in criminal investigation from the Police University, a master's degree in criminology from the Political and Legal University, a year as a squad commander in the West Kowloon Police District during a Sino-Hong Kong police exchange, and a six-month exchange with the famous New York Police Department (NYPD). This talent was someone Song Jianfeng was grooming with great effort. Being a secretary was just to temper his character; eventually, he would be appointed as a police chief, with a bright future ahead.

Secretary Shen, surrounded by the detention center's leadership, was like a star among the crowd, but he showed no arrogance. Instead, he was very humble and smiled warmly.

The detention center director introduced Mei Ruohua, a prostitute sent by the Huohuo Police Station three days ago. After her arrest, she had been emotionally unstable, banging her head against the wall and acting crazy. She was now confined to a solitary cell, while others were in regular cells and behaved well.

Secretary Shen said, "Mei Ruohua has a three-year-old daughter left at home. Her emotional instability is related to this. Didn't you know about this situation?"

The leaders blushed. Although Secretary Shen's words were not harsh, he represented Director Song. His every word and action would leave an impression on the leadership. If he was seen as inefficient, it would affect his future promotions.

Soon, Mei Ruohua, wearing an orange vest, was brought out of the solitary cell by a police officer. She walked and cried, muttering to herself. Suddenly, she saw Xiao Yan in the visiting room.

Xiao Yan, wearing new clothes, looked a bit flushed but healthy, and opened her arms, calling out in a baby voice, "Mom, hug me."

Tears welled up in Mei's eyes. She had been worried about her daughter's life and had even injured herself to draw attention, but no one had cared. Prostitutes had a low status, and any of their actions were seen as attempts to evade punishment or deceive the government. Since her arrest, she had been in constant torment. The hair salon had little food, and the door had a pin tumbler lock. Her daughter was too young to open it, and her cries were too weak to be heard outside. She would have starved to death!

Fortunately, her daughter had been saved. Mei's tears flowed, and she opened her arms, hugging her daughter tightly and sobbing. Xiao Yan, understanding, helped wipe her mother's tears, saying, "Mom, don't cry."

Song Shuang and Pengpeng turned away, their noses tingling. The detention center's leadership remained indifferent, awkwardly smiling. This scene meant nothing to them.

Secretary Shen said, "These people are involved in a major case and need to be questioned. I'll take them back."

The detention center had no objections to the provincial bureau taking the detainees.

Taking advantage of the opportunity to transfer the detainees, Shen Hongyi said to Liu Haneast, "Xiao Liu, I've checked your file. You're a veteran, right? Are you interested in a career in the police force?"