Chapter 23: Shifting the Conflict (Please add to your collection, and vote for the monthly ticket!)

“Ah!”
Suddenly, a sharp scream pierced the tranquility of the small alley.
The four men looked up in shock to see, at the entrance of the alley, a young woman dressed in a pale yellow woolen coat, wearing a jaunty eight-cornered leather cap, and tall deerskin boots, staring at them in terror and confusion.
Su Yun!
Why had this woman followed them?
Zhou Sen was stunned. What was happening? The scene of four policemen “committing violence” had been witnessed by a young girl.
“Wu En, get control of that girl, but don’t hurt her!” Zhou Sen decided immediately. If she escaped and started talking, it would surely bring him a great deal of trouble.
He had to act quickly and keep things under control.
Wu En, though slow-witted, was obedient and quick in action. He immediately ran towards the mouth of the alley. Su Yun, perhaps frightened to the point her legs weakened, tried to turn and flee, but after only a couple steps, Wu En grabbed her like a chick and pulled her into the alley.
The man had no concept of gentleness.
Old Six had already squatted down, untied the burlap sack, and checked—the “Tail” was merely knocked out, not dead.
Zhou Sen breathed a sigh of relief and glared fiercely at Wu En, instructing him to stand guard at the mouth of the alley and let no one approach.
Su Yun was deeply frightened. She looked at the unconscious “Tail” lying on the ground, her face pale and fearful as she gazed at Zhou Sen.
She could never have imagined that a man who appeared so refined, so scholarly, could commit such a cruel act.
It completely shattered her worldview.
“Wu En, don’t frighten Miss Su,” Zhou Sen walked over, motioning for Wu En to step back a few paces.
“Miss Su, why are you following me?” Zhou Sen was puzzled; he’d already given her the book, so why was she trailing him?
“I—I wanted to give you the money for the poetry collection…” Su Yun stammered, though she had another question: she had never revealed her identity, so how did Zhou Sen know who she was?
“I already gave you the poetry collection as a gift—you don’t need to pay me, isn’t that clear?” Zhou Sen rubbed his forehead. Was Su Wenqing’s daughter really so naïve?
Su Yun, still shaken, explained, “I can’t accept a gift without reason. How do I know you bought the poetry collection and suddenly gave it to me—do you have some ulterior motive?”
“Fine, I understand. You want to pay, right?” Zhou Sen thought to himself, she’s not entirely foolish—she maintains caution with strangers. Not wanting to waste words, he said, “I paid three yuan and fifty cents for the poetry collection at the bookstore. Just give me that amount, all right?”
Su Yun quickly agreed, reaching into her coat pocket, but after searching for a long time, she found nothing. Her face turned pale with anxiety.
“Did you lose your wallet?”
“Mm, I had it when settling the bill at the café just now…” Su Yun nodded. She realized she might have been targeted by a pickpocket; she’d left the café in a hurry and had lightly bumped into someone.
Zhou Sen, being a patrol officer, immediately understood what had happened to the girl.
Wu En was an honest man; he would never have taken Su Yun’s wallet.
“Could you have left it somewhere?”
“No, I remember very clearly…” Su Yun was nearly in tears. The money was secondary; there was a photo of her and her mother in the wallet, her only memento. If it was lost, she didn’t know what to do.
“Miss Su, this person is a suspect we apprehended. Please don’t misunderstand, and don’t mention it to others. If word gets out, it will hinder our investigation, do you understand?” Zhou Sen pointed to the unconscious “Tail” on the ground and explained, “As for your lost wallet, we can help you look for it, if you wish.”
Su Yun nodded. She wasn’t foolish—if these policemen meant her harm, they wouldn’t be speaking to her so courteously. Besides, her father, Su Wenqing, was a notable figure in Ice City; ordinary policemen wouldn’t dare offend her.
“If you wish to file a report, Miss Su, we’ll process it immediately, but we can’t guarantee we’ll find it,” Zhou Sen said. The busier the street, the more pickpockets there were; Su Yun, clearly wealthy, was an obvious target.
“All right,” Su Yun bit her lip lightly and nodded. Without her wallet, she had no money to pay for a ride home.
“Old Six, who manages this street?”
“Second Brother Qing of the Double Celebration Society,” Old Six replied.
“Tell him to bring Miss Su’s wallet—everything inside, nothing missing—by nightfall, or he can forget about enjoying the New Year,” Zhou Sen ordered. Though he was only a junior patrol chief, he had the backing of the Nangang Police Bureau. Street gangs and thugs wouldn’t dare cross the pseudo-police, unless they didn’t value their lives.
Su Yun was dumbfounded. This didn’t sound like proper police conduct at all; whatever good impression she had begun to form was quickly dissipating.
“Miss Su, if you want your wallet back, come with me to the police station,” Zhou Sen said.
Su Yun nodded. She was now penniless, a young woman with night approaching, too afraid to wander about. Going with Zhou Sen was the safest option; worst-case, she could call her father to send someone for her.
Ye Third called a carriage. The elderly White Russian driver asked no questions. Including the unconscious “Tail,” there were five people. Old Six went off to find Second Brother Qing, while the others headed south to the Nangang District Police Bureau.
“Third, take Miss Su to the Security Division and make an inquiry record. Write down the process of discovering the wallet was lost,” Zhou Sen instructed.
Su Yun was Su Wenqing’s daughter; her lost wallet likely contained money and valuables—enough to constitute a major case.
He wouldn’t take credit for this, but his subordinates should be looked after.
He then had Wu En escort the knocked-out, captured stalker to the detention ward. Zhou Sen himself needed to see Akiyama no Suke.
He wondered if Akiyama had left for the day; if he wasn’t there, Zhou Sen would have to return in the morning.
The man could spend a night locked up without any harm.
The problem was, Zhou Sen had just offended Jin Su Ying. Anyone wanting to see Akiyama no Suke had to go through her, unless Akiyama himself wished it.
Though Jin Su Ying was only a secretary, she had her own small, independent office next to Akiyama’s.
Akiyama had a desk bell; pressing the red button summoned Jin Su Ying, ensuring both privacy and convenience.
But to barge in and knock on Akiyama’s door was to invite Jin Su Ying’s ire. Though young, her temperament was infamously prickly.
Zhou Sen thought, since he’d already offended her, there was no need to be overly cautious. He went upstairs and knocked at Akiyama’s door.
“Come in.” Akiyama’s voice was hoarse.
Zhou Sen entered. Akiyama, in the midst of reviewing documents, looked up in surprise at the visitor. “Zhou Sen, is that you?”
“Mr. Akiyama, I am here to report a situation,” Zhou Sen stepped forward, legs together, bowing seriously.
“What situation?” Akiyama was puzzled. He put down his brush and came over.
“While patrolling today, I discovered someone secretly following me. I don’t know who they are or their intent, so I and my men knocked them out and brought them to the station,” Zhou Sen explained.
“Someone was following you?” Akiyama was surprised.
“Yes, I’ve brought them here—temporarily held in the detention ward,” Zhou Sen nodded.
“No interrogation?”
“We knocked them out and brought them in; no time for questioning yet.”
“Very well, I’ll handle the interrogation and inform you of any findings,” Akiyama considered and instructed.
“Yes, sir. I’ll take my leave,” Zhou Sen understood. If Akiyama handed the interrogation to him, it meant the stalker had no connection to the police department or the Japanese special service. But since Akiyama took over the questioning himself, it spoke volumes.
Either Akiyama didn’t know the stalker’s identity and feared Zhou Sen might uncover something that would spiral out of control, or there were other complications.
...
With the trouble shifted, Zhou Sen breathed a quiet sigh of relief. After all, the stalker’s dress and demeanor hardly looked reputable.
Downstairs, in the Security Division office.
Zhou Sen saw a crowd gathered at the door of the Public Safety Section (fictional, for the novel), each craning their necks to peer inside, as though there were some spectacle to behold.
“What are you all doing here? Don’t you have work to do?” Zhou Sen snorted. He was now, more or less, a middle manager at the station; his shoulder bore an extra gold stripe, above most of the Public Safety Section officers. With the section chief and director absent, he was the highest-ranking official present.
“Brother, you’re finally here. There’s about to be a fight inside,” Ye Third, among the onlookers, squeezed through to greet Zhou Sen.
“A fight? Who would dare brawl in the Security Division office?” Zhou Sen was baffled—so many policemen, yet they all stood at the door?
“It’s Assistant Jin and Miss Su…”
“What?” Zhou Sen was startled, finally realizing why Ye Third and the others were crowding at the door, unwilling to intervene.
These two women—one Akiyama’s secretary, the other the daughter of business magnate Su Wenqing—were no ordinary people. Any trouble involving either was no small matter.
Su Yun had been brought in by himself; Jin Su Ying apparently had some connection to him as well. If it were the old Zhou Sen, he would have avoided the situation; no matter how fiercely the two women fought, it wouldn’t lead to bloodshed.
With so many eyes watching him, if he shirked responsibility today, he’d be the laughingstock of the entire Nangang Police Bureau by morning.
Should he retreat?
Forget it—being a little timid wouldn’t hurt him.
“Zhou Sen, get in here!” Just as Zhou Sen was about to turn and leave, a crisp, cold voice rang out from inside the room.
Since escape was impossible, he could only steel himself and enter.