Zhou Hongying personally carried the tea over to Wu Mulan with great respect. The slightest neglect of Wu Mulan could be a death sentence; a single word from her could spell your doom, so offending her was out of the question.
"And these n in sunglasses?" Wu Mulan took a sip of tea as a young woman beside her raised an eyebrow.
"Oh..." Zhou Hongying was so furious she almost cursed. With a broad wave of her hand, she ordered them to leave.
Although Han Tao was imnsely arrogant, he was well aware of the enormous power Wu Mulan wielded. He gestured for his guards to wait outside, and the room imdiately felt far more spacious.
Wu Mulan lowered her head as Jiang Haijing personally moved a stool for her.
"Thank you, Jiang," she said, looking at Jiang Haijing with a satisfied smile.
"Director Wu, you are too kind," Jiang Haijing replied with a quick bow.
Wu Mulan gestured for her to sit. "Alright, Director Zhou, let Director Jiang and observe your interrogation techniques. We’ll just watch. You may continue," she said with a detached expression and a faint smile, as if she were rely passing by.
But her smile, which commanded respect without a hint of anger, sent a chill down Zhou Hongying’s spine and made her break out in a cold sweat. Everyone sat bolt upright, and the interrogation officers stood rigidly at attention. Only Qin Long remained impassive, showing no sign of fear.
"As you command," Zhou Hongying agreed hastily, her gaze snapping back to Qin Long. Her palms were now slick with sweat, her heart hamring in her chest.
What on earth does Director Wu want? How can I possibly win her favor? Should I follow standard procedure, or should I just throw Qin Long to the wolves?
At this mont, Zhou Hongying was restless, her mind a tangled ss. After a mont’s deliberation, she decided to act on her assumption. Wu Mulan is here for Han Tao!
"Qin Long, are you not going to confess?" she demanded. "You left the Icy Moon Bar around ten o’clock last night, precisely when Han Bing was brutally murdered there. If it wasn’t you, who was it? Moreover, the female guards inside all identified you as the killer. You are the villain who murdered Han Bing!"
As she spoke, Zhou Hongying discreetly watched everyone’s reactions, especially Wu Mulan’s. Seeing her looking serene as she sipped her tea, Zhou Hongying felt a weight lift from her shoulders. It’s just as I thought!
A cold, arrogant scoff escaped Han Tao. Although he didn’t personally know the powerhouse Wu Mulan, that didn’t an his daughter Han Bing hadn’t. Therefore, Wu Mulan must have co because of his daughter’s death. And as for this crippled dog, Qin Long... how could he possibly know soone as influential as Wu Mulan? Nobody would believe it.
"It wasn’t ," Qin Long stated, steadfastly denying the accusation.
He was the War Dragon, commander of the million-strong Heavenly Dragon Army. Snuffing out a cancer like Han Bing was nothing to him. But here, in the mortal world, he had to abide by its laws. Besides, he hadn’t yet reconnected with his Heavenly Dragon guards; he had to be cautious and maintain a low profile.
"And who else had a motive to commit the cri at that ti?" Zhou Hongying slamd her hand on the table, her eyes locking coldly on Qin Long. This was one of her common interrogation tactics, but Qin Long remained completely unperturbed.
"You’re framing ," he said calmly. "The innocent have nothing to hide." His gaze t Zhou Hongying’s as he added coolly, "Perhaps she offended soone and was killed by one of her own people. Or perhaps soone close to her was bribed to conspire in her murder."
Qin Long’s retort made Zhou Hongying’s expression turn sour.
"Exactly!" a sanitation worker who had been brought in as a witness chid in. "Before this Mr. Qin Long ca out, I saw several n in black walk nacingly toward the Icy Moon Bar."
"What?!" Zhou Hongying glared at the uniford man beside her. "How was I not inford of this? Zhang Xiaojun, why didn’t I hear about this? What are you paid for?"
The uniford man froze, then pointed a trembling finger at the woman and gritted his teeth. "Director Zhou, don’t listen to her nonsense!"
The woman imdiately retorted, "I already told you! Weren’t you listening?"
"Shut up!" Zhou Hongying glared fiercely at the woman, who gulped and lowered her head, not daring to say another word.
At the side, Wu Mulan set down her teacup, her eyes flashing with displeasure. This subtle change in her expression made Zhou Hongying so frightened her heart nearly stopped.
"Director Wu, I... I truly didn’t know..." Zhou Hongying stamred, waving her hands frantically as panic filled her face.
"Director Zhou’s interrogation techniques are certainly... unique. Wouldn’t you agree, Director Jiang?" Wu Mulan said, looking at Jiang Haijing. She set down her teacup, her face instantly turning grim. The next second, with the help of the young woman beside her, she slowly rose to her feet.
"What a joke!" Wu Mulan scoffed.
"A joke..." Zhou Hongying stood as if struck by lightning, frozen in stunned disbelief. What in the world is happening? Isn’t Director Wu here for Han Tao? Why did she get angry when I was deliberately targeting Qin Long?
"A man who needs a crutch to walk," Wu Mulan began, her voice dripping with scorn, "killed the infamous Han Bing? Is that not the greatest joke of all?"
With that, she turned and walked away.
Zhou Hongying stood trembling, her forehead drenched in sweat. There was an unspoken aning. Big shots like Wu Mulan rarely spoke plainly; they communicated through hints and subtlety. If you couldn’t decipher their true intentions, your career was as good as over.
The phrase "the greatest joke of all" snapped Zhou Hongying out of her daze. She suddenly understood, her eyes wide with shock. Wu Mulan ca to back up Qin Long?
"Director Wu, I’ve already arranged for so fine river sturgeon!" Zhou Hongying reacted instantly, scrambling after her.
"Zhou, let’s skip the fish," Wu Mulan said, glancing coolly at Zhou Hongying before getting into her car. "Just handle the case properly. That’s more important than anything."
The car drove off, leaving Zhou Hongying standing with her mouth agape, her eyes filled with utter shock. This Qin Long... is no ordinary man!
"Haha, Qin Long, just you wait! You’re dead at now!" Han Tao jeered, smugly patting his own thigh. "Director Zhou, just lock him up and give him a good beating." He had yet to realize the gravity of the situation.
Zhou Hongying shot him a sideways glance and smirked. "Han Tao, this is not your place to be giving orders!"
Hearing this, Han Tao was completely stupefied. This wasn’t what she said when I gave her the gift! Why the sudden change of heart?
Having navigated the official circles for so many years, Jiang Haijing understood perfectly. What Wu Mulan said at the end might have sounded casual, but upon reflection, it was a clear ssage for Zhou Hongying: she was here to support Qin Long. Jiang Haijing never dread that Qin Long would actually know Wu Mulan, let alone have such an influential woman co personally on his behalf. Qin Long was definitely no ordinary person. The power behind him had to be terrifying. She had originally planned to give up on Qin Long, but now it seed essential to stay on his good side. As things stood, she was no match for him. His network of connections was absurdly powerful!
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