Chapter 70

After all, someone had died, even though Zhang Qiu didn't kill them, it was still indirectly related to him. If he could get He Qing involved, Zhang Qiu would become a hero for assisting in solving the case, or a热心市民 (热心市民 means "enthusiastic citizen" in Chinese, but it's often used to describe someone who helps the police or does good deeds without expecting anything in return, so I'll translate it as "concerned citizen" here).

If he just left, Zhang Qiu might even become a murder suspect. Moreover, with the situation getting so big, if these people weren't sent to jail, they could cause trouble in the future.

So Zhang Qiu had his own considerations. The first step was to get He Qing involved, then secure the crime scene to prevent any damage, and have He Qing call her police colleagues to surround the place and catch everyone in one go.

Xiang Yufei, on the other hand, didn't think so much. In a place filled with blood and various bodies lying around, she felt more fear from her heart. But since Zhang Qiu had made his decision, she had to comply; without him, she would be even more afraid.

So she suddenly hugged Zhang Qiu, burying her head in his chest, so she wouldn't have to see the disgusting and terrifying scenes. The scent of Zhang Qiu also made her feel much more at ease.

They had hugged a few times before, so this time, she had no psychological barrier, especially in such an environment where she desperately needed comfort.

He Qing stood at the door, called Zhang Qiu, and said she was at the entrance, asking him to come and open the door. Zhang Qiu then patted Xiang Yufei's back, signaling her to let go. Xiang Yufei suddenly blushed, released Zhang Qiu, and turned her head to look at a place where no one was lying.

Zhang Qiu then walked to the door and opened it halfway to let He Qing in.

As soon as He Qing came in, she was immediately stunned.

Everyone was lying down, and almost everyone had injuries on their wrists. Some had already fainted, while others were still struggling.

"What did you do just now?" He Qing asked in surprise.

"Exactly what you see," Zhang Qiu said. "Sis Qing, I helped you solve a big case. You have to clear my name!"

"Who is she?" He Qing didn't answer but asked about Xiang Yufei.

"My friend, the one I told you about before," Zhang Qiu said.

"Your friend is really beautiful," He Qing said. "So you were motivated by saving a beauty. I thought you were so righteous!"

As she said this, He Qing suddenly remembered the feeling of Zhang Qiu's intimate embrace from last time. Now, seeing him risk his life for another woman, she felt a bit uncomfortable.

He Qing certainly didn't like Zhang Qiu, but she suddenly felt a sense of loss, as if something good had been taken away from her. After all, Zhang Qiu had hugged and held her, and just for that, she couldn't ignore him.

"Not at all! This time, I had no ulterior motives. It was purely out of a sense of justice," Zhang Qiu said. Indeed, this time, without the drive of a mission or the pressure of the system, his motives were much less selfish.

He Qing, however, seized on Zhang Qiu's words: "So you did have ulterior motives before!"

"Never," Zhang Qiu quickly shook his head. In matters like this, especially in front of two women, even if he had ulterior motives, he had to say he was sincere. Just like many people who date to deceive girls, they would say it's because of love.

"How long has this been going on?" After a few more words, He Qing got to the point.

"Less than ten minutes," Zhang Qiu said.

Actually, beating people, taking the gun, and disabling their hands didn't take much time. They waited for Xiang Yufei's father for a few minutes, but the total time was only about ten minutes.

"Ten minutes is not short. It won't be long before this is discovered, and we might be in danger," He Qing said. "I've notified many people, but they've all finished work. It will take at least fifteen minutes for them to get here. And this isn't our Yuxi branch's jurisdiction, which makes it more complicated."

"What should we do?" Xiang Yufei asked worriedly.

"Don't be afraid! As long as they don't bring machine guns, I'll take them one by one. But from what that bald guy said, it seems they have some backing," Zhang Qiu said.

"Places like this usually have backing. But this time, using guns and causing deaths is a serious mistake. No matter how powerful their backing, they can't protect them!" He Qing said with a serious face.

"That's good. I'm afraid they might be bailed out, which would be even more infuriating," Zhang Qiu said.

The three of them chatted while waiting, and during this time, they made sure all the people on the ground were unconscious.

Sure enough, not long after, people came from outside. Zhang Qiu listened through the door for a while, confirmed there was only one person, and then opened the door halfway again.

The person was caught off guard and immediately knocked out by Zhang Qiu. The door was closed again, and they endured for another ten minutes. Finally, He Qing received a call from her colleague, and the entire nightclub was sealed off.

Zhang Qiu suddenly felt relieved, thinking the process was so long. Guarding such a place, facing such an environment, even he felt a bit depressed after a while.

And he was always worried about being discovered by the nightclub people, who might send more people and more guns to surround and eliminate them.

"Your colleagues are here, so I'm relieved. I'll leave first, so I don't interfere with your investigation. My friend was severely shocked today and needs to rest early," Zhang Qiu said. "I won't take credit here!"

"These credits are yours!" He Qing said. "You should stay and help with the handling!"

How could Zhang Qiu stay? He still had a gun in his pocket. Although it was small and barely noticeable, with more police around, someone would eventually notice.

"No. Even if I took credit, it wouldn't help. It's better to say you went undercover in the nightclub to gather evidence, were forced by the boss because of your beauty, and in anger, you destroyed and beat the boss and his men, then called the police to dismantle the place," Zhang Qiu said with a smile.

"Do you think you're writing a novel? You talk so smoothly!" He Qing said. "I'm not that capable. It sounds like a lie. I can't say that."

At this moment, Xiang Yufei walked to Zhang Qiu's side, pulled his sleeve, and said, "Let's go back! If we stay here any longer, I'll go crazy."

So Zhang Qiu nodded and went over to pick up the unconscious scumbag father, saying to He Qing, "This is my friend's father. I'll take him away. If you need to assist with the investigation later, come find me. But do it secretly, I'm afraid these dark elements will take revenge on me, or their backers will!"

Zhang Qiu expressed his concerns, and He Qing also realized the issue, so she said, "I'll try not to involve you."

Suddenly, He Qing's phone rang again. It turned out the police had arrived at the scene.

Although he used the act of carrying the person to cover his pocket, facing so many police, Zhang Qiu was still a bit nervous. But when He Qing opened the door, Zhang Qiu had already prepared mentally and calmed down.

The first person to come in was none other than Director Wang, Wang Xiangdong, a familiar face to Zhang Qiu.

"Director Wang, why are you here?" He Qing asked in surprise. She hadn't even notified the director, and she never expected him to come in person.

"You naughty girl! Do you know how dangerous this is? Can you come to a place like this alone? Such a big case, and you didn't even consult me!" Director Wang scolded.

"But without taking risks, how can we solve cases? If I consulted you, you definitely wouldn't allow it," He Qing countered.

"I'm here, aren't I? This is a cross-jurisdictional case during non-working hours, which is quite complicated. Someone was unsure and consulted me. It's a good thing they did, or who knows how this would have ended," Wang Xiangdong said, pausing for a moment. Then he recognized Zhang Qiu.

"Arresting criminals is the duty of the police! I don't care about jurisdictions!" He Qing pouted, her tone and manner suggesting she was very familiar with Director Wang, as if she were talking to an elder at home.

"How is it you again, Comrade Zhang Qiu?" Wang Xiangdong ignored He Qing and smiled at Zhang Qiu.

They had just met in the morning, and now they met again in the evening. This was the how many times he had seen Zhang Qiu this month? And every time he saw Zhang Qiu, there was a big situation.

He suddenly felt a bit amused and exasperated. How could every incident involve Zhang Qiu? Was his fate already intertwined with Zhang Qiu's?

"His friend is the victim. They came to seek justice, so they called me. The one Zhang Qiu is carrying is his friend's father, who was lured into gambling, owed gambling debts, and borrowed a large amount of high-interest loans," He Qing explained briefly, and Wang Xiangdong, who was familiar with the underworld, immediately understood the situation.

"Director Wang, I want to go back with my friend. Do you think it's okay? She suffered such a misfortune today and isn't suitable to stay here. If we need to assist with the investigation, can we do it another day? Of course, I believe under Director Wang's wise leadership, the case will be solved immediately, and we won't need to help," Zhang Qiu said to Wang Xiangdong.

Wang Xiangdong's mind raced, thinking that Zhang Qiu must have played a significant role. Although he often caused trouble, he also brought a big credit to the police. And by not taking credit and stepping back, it was even better.

So Wang Xiangdong smiled and said, "He Qing, take Comrade Zhang Qiu back."

He Qing didn't answer immediately but looked at Wang Xiangdong with a worried gaze. Wang Xiangdong added, "Don't worry, I'm here to handle the case. Not a single criminal will escape."

Earlier, when Wang Xiangdong said he didn't know how to handle the situation, she thought he might let them off. Now, with this assurance, she felt relieved.

He Qing nodded and said, "Then I'll leave first! Director Wang, you must keep your word."

So He Qing took Zhang Qiu and Xiang Yufei and left. As soon as they got into a police car, many reporters surrounded them.

He Qing felt a sense of relief and stepped on the gas to leave. The reporters then went to interview other police officers: "Hello, I'm a reporter from Suxian Daily. What happened here?"

"We are handling the case and cannot give interviews at the moment!" Without a leader present, the junior police officers naturally didn't dare to speak casually and had to decline the interview.

"Then, when can you give interviews?" the reporter asked.

"After all the criminals are arrested."

...

"Where are we going?" He Qing asked.

Zhang Qiu thought for a moment and said, "Just find a hotel or motel and stop there!"

After Zhang Qiu said this, the two women in the front seat turned to glare at him.

Zhang Qiu quickly explained, "We need to find a place to settle him!" He pointed to the unconscious Xiang Yufei's father.

Xiang Yufei lowered her head and pursed her lips. He Qing didn't say anything and continued driving. A minute later, she stopped at a hotel entrance.

After getting out of the car, Zhang Qiu said, "You go back to handle the case, Sis Qing. We'll go back on our own, no need to send us."

"Okay. I'll go, be careful. You might need to assist with the investigation tomorrow, so be prepared," He Qing agreed without refusal. Her heart was still at the nightclub. She had been undercover for so long, taking such a big risk, and waiting in that room for so long, all to dismantle this criminal den in one go.

She