Regardless of whether it was within the police force or in my own separate venture, I would serve the people with the same dedication to safeguarding their safety, warming their hearts, and forging the spirit of the police with love.
Alright, Liang Xiaoxia finally got my legal consulting firm organized, and I could officially open for business. However, I couldn't contact Liu Yuning and the others. The Minister had told me to temporarily follow his arrangements and maintain contact with him covertly.
I agreed.
He gave me a mobile phone, one that only I could use to contact him. Then, my records were temporarily erased. Now, my identity was simply Cao Daming.
I had no idea how He Xin and Liu Yuning would react, but I had to apologize. To deal with Polaris, I had to endure humiliation this time. I believed they wouldn't truly think I had simply vanished into thin air.
I sat in the boss's chair, looking at the small legal consulting firm. It was just enough for the two of us to work. I actually wanted to fire Liang Xiaoxia, but this person adamantly refused to leave, so there was nothing I could do.
However, she had been cooking, washing clothes, and helping me manage the company recently. So, I'll let it slide and consider her as a housekeeper.
I was ready to play this role. Come on! Cang Xuesong! Why did you treat my family like this? Why? Did you do it on purpose? Did you want to show me what "ren zhi" (human彘) truly was?
I was confused and angry at the time, but my reason told me I had to endure and follow the Minister's orders.
This operation wasn't just about us; it was a crucial mission for the entire Chinese Public Security. If we could apprehend Cang Xuesong, we might be able to deeply infiltrate the international criminal organization Polaris.
Similarly, facing the computer, I was now looking at client files, not case documents. Of course, I wouldn't really help investigate cases of infidelity or lost pets. I was just putting on a show, waiting for the Minister's orders.
One day, I saw on the news that my uncle's case was under investigation. However, the autopsy information was superficial. The police definitely hadn't released it. The news only stated that both victims died from excessive blood loss, with no mention of the "ren zhi" incident.
I could only offer them silent condolences, as I couldn't expose myself now.
Smelling the aroma of food from the kitchen, I knew Liang Xiaoxia was cooking. I stood up and walked to the company's lobby, finding it empty. Although there were a few workstations, I didn't know when anyone would show up.
Perhaps no one would ever come, I hadn't posted any job advertisements because I didn't need to. Besides, I was just a fake boss. I used to have a salary of 4,300 yuan, but now even that was gone. However, Liang Xiaoxia seemed to have some money. But after I sold that building, I already had some savings. I didn't know how long this legal consulting firm could last like this.
During dinner, Liang Xiaoxia said to me, "Boss, it's been a month since we opened, and we haven't taken any cases!"
"Don't worry, we'll have some soon. By the way, how good is your criminal investigation skill? This woman is offering 200,000 yuan to find her husband."
"This, alright, I'll try. I've read quite a few criminal investigation books before."
"Be careful!" I said this just to deliberately get rid of her. However, Liang Xiaoxia seemed very interested.
After we finished eating, Liang Xiaoxia left with a camera. As she was leaving, I pulled her back, "Do you think you're a paparazzi? Dressing up so meticulously?"
"Isn't that what detectives do?"
"Heh." I couldn't help but chuckle. "You need to be more natural. If you go out wearing a raincoat like that, people will immediately notice something is wrong with you, and they'll think you're crazy!"
"Uh, alright! Boss! I'll go change!"
Liang Xiaoxia went into her room. I felt a headache coming on. This girl probably only had looks and a good figure; her brain was not up to par. Cao Xiangyang probably only valued those aspects when he hired her.
After she left, I continued to slack off. I had intended to slack off completely, but suddenly there was a commotion outside the company door. I thought Liang Xiaoxia had returned and quickly stood up to open the door. However, the person who appeared was none other than Liu Yuning and Gao Mingqiang!
I was a little taken aback but quickly composed myself.
"Who are you?" I pretended not to know them at all.
"Police officers! Hello, are you Mr. Cao?" Liu Yuning asked.
I nodded. "What's wrong, officers?"
"We need to ask you something regarding the death of the Liang Daye family."
"Oh, so it's He Sheng's uncle."
"Mhm, we heard you were good friends with him. Is that true?" Gao Mingqiang asked with a squint, trying to probe.
I made my tone completely different from before and then replied, "That's right." I tried to say as little as possible, as the more I revealed, the more likely I was to make a mistake.
"When was the last time you saw him?" Gao Mingqiang asked again.
"It's been a while. What's going on?" I pretended not to know that "He Sheng" had gone missing.
Because in my current situation, it was indeed impossible for me to know. If I seemed like I already knew about it, they would definitely become suspicious. I tried my best to control my micro-expressions and micro-movements.
Liu Yuning remained silent, staring at me intently. Gao Mingqiang's tone heightened slightly, and he looked at me with a naturally oppressive aura. After a moment of thought, he said, "It is said that you and He Sheng were close buddies? But why haven't we heard of you?"
"Heh, Officer, your statement is illogical. Firstly, how many people does a person meet in their lifetime? Can you know all of them? Secondly, He Sheng and I were at most friends with common interests, not close buddies. Actually, over the years, we sometimes collaborated. If you investigated me, you would know that I have another identity... Thirdly, what are you trying to do? Are you looking for trouble? If you want to know more about He Sheng, please speak with better manners. Lastly, female officer, your hairpin is crooked. Fix it properly, or your hair will likely fall out in another minute..."
Seeing my expression, Liu Yuning seemed surprised and frowned. Then, she suddenly began to adjust her hairpin. After a moment, she said, "Indeed, you are He Sheng's friend. Your way of speaking is a bit similar. I have investigated your other identity. You are a novelist, right? Have you and He Sheng been writing the 'Forensic Investigator of Strange Cases' series all these years?"
"That's right. He liked collaborating with some authors, saying his own skill wasn't enough but he wanted to share these real cases, so he had to find online writers like us for help. Alright, what else do you want to ask?" I widened my eyes and lied, but Liu Yuning and the others didn't seem to see through it.