Chapter Twenty-Seven: Bribing the Police to Reverse the Verdict

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“Thank you.”

Another voice, just as arrogant, rang out: “Piece of cake!” Zhuo Nan curled his lips and dashed toward the public phone booth.

He got in touch with Sun Yan, asking her to wait for him at the criminal police squad, then dug a number out of his pocket—the pager number for Lan Qian. Thinking of this “bargain” older sister, Zhuo Nan felt utterly delighted...

Lan Qian sat alone in her office, sipping tea and reading the newspaper, silently cursing Captain Liu over and over. There was another major case today, but he wouldn’t let her participate, claiming that guard duty was equally important. As if she didn’t know—her father must have instructed him to keep her away from anything dangerous...

“B... B... B...” The pager on her desk beeped. Lan Qian picked it up and saw an unfamiliar number, so she grabbed the phone and dialed back.

“Hello, this is Lan Qian. May I ask who’s calling?” Her voice was sweet and pleasant, inviting.

“Sister Lan, it’s me. Have you missed me these past few days?” Zhuo Nan teased over the line.

Recognizing Zhuo Nan’s voice, Lan Qian’s earlier foul mood instantly evaporated. “You rascal, you’ve been home all this time and only now remembered to call me? Looks like all my care for you was wasted...” She feigned annoyance into the phone, but she was secretly overjoyed; Zhuo Nan’s handsome face surfaced in her mind once more.

“Don’t be angry, sis. I’m calling you on my own initiative today, aren’t I? Are you busy right now?” Zhuo Nan asked.

Hearing this, Lan Qian’s good mood soured again. How could she not be busy? She was busy sipping tea and reading the news. “Zhuo Nan, if you have something to say, just say it. I’m busy.”

“Heh, sis, are you busy with tea and newspapers?” Zhuo Nan laughed, exposing her little lie.

Ugh... How is this kid so sharp? He saw right through her instantly. Lan Qian was just about to retort when Zhuo Nan’s voice echoed through the receiver: “Sis, I’ll be at the criminal police squad soon. I’ve got a big case for you.” With that, he hung up.

Lan Qian held the phone, thinking: “This kid, doesn’t he have school today? He says he has a big case for me—could it be he’s gotten into another fight and wants me to help? No way, when he arrives, I’ll give him a proper lesson.”

By the time Zhuo Nan reached the squad entrance, Sun Yan was already waiting. Clearly, she’d taken a taxi, while Zhuo Nan, despite being a local big shot, still had to make his entrance via public bus...

“Sorry, traffic was a bit heavy. Sorry to keep you waiting,” Zhuo Nan apologized as he saw Sun Yan at the door.

“It’s no trouble, Brother Nan. I just got here myself.” After parting ways with Zhuo Nan at the restaurant—though not in the way most might imagine—Sun Yan had thought a lot. No matter how she looked at him, she couldn’t believe this young man named Zhuo Nan was a gangster or had the ability to clear Du Fanhao’s name. She regretted that the hundred thousand yuan might have been wasted...

It was only when he asked her to wait at the criminal police squad entrance that she sensed maybe he really could help. After all, coming to the squad meant seeking help. And just as she guessed, once inside, Zhuo Nan led her straight to Lan Qian.

“Sis, let me introduce you. This is Miss Sun Yan. This is my sister, Officer Lan Qian of the criminal police squad.” After Zhuo Nan spoke, the two beautiful women shook hands lightly, sizing each other up.

Lan Qian looked at Sun Yan, thinking, This woman is gorgeous—could she be Zhuo Nan’s girlfriend? The thought unsettled her. Wait, what’s wrong with me?

Meanwhile, Sun Yan was even more shocked. The policewoman before her, though in uniform, couldn’t hide her stunning looks and exceptional aura. This beautiful officer was Zhuo Nan’s sister? Judging by the surnames, perhaps a cousin. If they were relatives, things would go much more smoothly. But why was Zhuo Nan locked up last time? She couldn’t figure it out, so she set it aside for now—when in Rome, do as the Romans do...

Lan Qian smiled at Sun Yan. “Please, have a seat.” Then she turned to Zhuo Nan, eyes gleaming with mischief. “You rascal, skipping class to come here—what’s up?”

Zhuo Nan glanced around and, finding no seat, dragged a chair from the next table and sat down. Lan Qian watched his movements, thinking, This kid really makes himself at home.

Settling comfortably, Zhuo Nan finally spoke, “Sis, it’s a matter of life and death.”

At his words, Lan Qian immediately tensed, but quickly realized: what life-or-death issue could Zhuo Nan possibly have?

She glared at him, fierce and intimidating. “Rascal, out with it or I won’t help you. Did you get into another fight?”

Zhuo Nan smiled and waved his hand. “No, I don’t go around fighting anymore. Here’s the situation: the criminal squad investigated a rape case a few days ago, right? And found the suspect’s semen in the victim’s underwear.”

At the mention of semen, both Sun Yan and Lan Qian felt awkward, but Zhuo Nan, the seasoned veteran, spoke with ease.

Both women shared the same thought: This kid’s so young, yet speaks of this as casually as buying vegetables—when he grows up, he’ll either be a hooligan or a rapist.

Though the topic was embarrassing, it was still within acceptable bounds, and Zhuo Nan was being serious, so Lan Qian couldn’t scold him. She replied, “Yes, our squad handled that case. The suspect’s name was Du Fanhao...” At this, she cast a suspicious glance at Sun Yan and grew vigilant. “Zhuo Nan, what are you up to?”

Zhuo Nan grinned and pointed to Sun Yan. “This is Miss Sun Yan, Du Fanhao’s girlfriend. I owe them both a favor, so I want to help overturn the case. That’s why I came to you for help, sis.”

Lan Qian’s eyes blazed with fury. She pointed at Zhuo Nan and cursed, “Zhuo Nan, I’ve misjudged you. I thought your fights were just childish mischief, but now you want to bribe a police officer to help you overturn a case? Get out. Get out now.”

Zhuo Nan was dumbfounded—who said anything about bribing a cop? Sun Yan was disheartened—so Lan Qian wouldn’t agree.

Watching Lan Qian’s rage, Zhuo Nan realized that the champion of justice, the nemesis of evil, Officer Lan Qian, was about to explode... He watched her storm around in frustration, and only when she calmed down did he speak again. “Sis, I surrender. Who said I wanted to bribe a police officer? Please, don’t let your imagination run wild.”

Lan Qian stared at him in confusion. Sun Yan stared, too. Both had the same thought: If you’re not bribing a cop, how do you overturn a case?

Zhuo Nan leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, and spoke leisurely, “I’ve already found the key point in Du Fanhao’s case... Whether the verdict can be overturned depends entirely on it.”

Both women asked in unison, “What is it?”

“Semen...”

“You little pervert...” The only one who could utter such a rebuke was Lan Qian. This kid’s head was full of nonsense. Sun Yan could only stand awkwardly by, thinking, “This Brother Nan is truly something else...”

Zhuo Nan hurried to explain, “Sis, it’s too complicated to explain here. Let’s go to the crime scene now—then you’ll understand.”

Lan Qian considered it and realized he was right. She was about to get up when something occurred to her. She said to Zhuo Nan, “Zhuo Nan, without orders from above, I can’t just go to the crime scene.”

Zhuo Nan froze. “What the heck is that?” But then an idea popped into his head. “Sis, are you planning to sit here drinking tea and reading newspapers for the rest of your life? Don’t forget your dreams—think about those great detectives, those super cops, those nemeses of evil. If they all waited for orders, justice would be delayed forever...”

Lan Qian was moved. Though the famous phrase “Impulse is the devil” hadn’t yet been uttered, Zhuo Nan felt compelled to remind everyone: impulsiveness is dangerous^^^

“Let’s go—get in the car, we’re heading to the crime scene now!” At this moment, Lan Qian was already picturing herself adorned with medals, standing on stage to receive awards—a super cop, nemesis of evil, champion of justice. Ha ha, here I come...

Before getting in, Zhuo Nan, thrilled with his success, winked at Sun Yan. Sun Yan thought, These siblings are really something...

Halfway there, Lan Qian suddenly remembered something and slammed on the brakes. Zhuo Nan and Sun Yan, seated in the back, banged into the front seats with a loud thud. Rubbing his sore head, Zhuo Nan complained, “Sis, what are you doing? Trying to kill us?”

Lan Qian replied sheepishly, “Zhuo Nan, I just remembered—I don’t have the key to the crime scene. We can’t get in.”

Zhuo Nan looked defeated. “Sis, just focus on driving. I’ve got it all arranged. You’ll see when we get there...”