Chapter 4: Internal Conflicts

Back in the car, Chen Shi stretched and took out a cigarette, asking, “Officer, can I smoke?”

“Go ahead,” Lin Dongxue replied curtly. “By the way, I’ll pay you back.”

Chen Shi handed her his phone with a QR code displayed. Lin Dongxue was about to scan it when she noticed it was a WeChat profile. She frowned, “Why are you showing me your contact QR code? I don’t want to add you on WeChat!”

Chen Shi lit his cigarette with a smile, “What’s wrong with adding me on WeChat?”

“Who wants to add you? You’re a suspect. Stop trying to get close to me!” She paused and asked, “What exactly are you trying to do?”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t you know what you’ve done? First, you played hard to get, then you acted all nice in front of me, and now you’re trying to bribe me with a pair of shoes. Don’t think I can’t see through you. My colleagues have already dug up everything about you.”

Chen Shi gave a wry smile, “I really don’t know what you’re talking about. Maybe you could remind me?”

“What were you doing on the night of September 10th?”

“Working, had dinner with some friends, then went home, took a shower, and slept.”

Lin Dongxue sneered, “Is that all?”

“What do you expect from a cab driver’s life? If you want, I can try to remember more details.”

“Forget it, you’re just trying to fish for information. I won’t fall for it.”

Chen Shi stubbed out his cigarette, pointing to his face, “Look at this handsome face. Does it look like a criminal’s?”

“Bad guys don’t have it written on their faces!”

“That’s not necessarily true. The signs aren’t in Chinese characters; they need a keen eye to see them. For example, the pickpocket we just caught—I could tell right away he looked suspicious.”

Lin Qiupu sent several messages, “Why aren’t you here yet?”

Lin Dongxue said, “Drive… Wait!” She opened the door and got into the passenger seat, pulling Chen Shi’s hand over. It was a pale, delicate hand, not at all like a cab driver’s. Chen Shi laughed, “What is it? Can you read palms?”

In response, there was a click as she cuffed his wrist and prepared to cuff herself to him. Chen Shi pointed out, “Dummy, how am I supposed to drive like this? Cuff my left hand to the wheel.”

Lin Dongxue glared at him. Chen Shi explained, “I need my right hand for shifting gears and steering. Have you ever driven a car?”

“Shut up!”

Lin Dongxue uncuffed him and leaned over to cuff his left hand to the wheel. Watching her clumsy movements, Chen Shi thought, “I could knock her out and take the keys easily.”

At the same time, he couldn’t help but notice her figure.

Starting the car, Chen Shi smiled, “What’s your name?”

“I’m not telling a suspect my name!”

Chen Shi scratched his cheek, “You keep calling me a suspect. What if I’m innocent?”

Under his intense gaze, Lin Dongxue wavered. He didn’t really seem like a bad guy. But then she remembered his shady background. “Impossible!”

“What if I’m not guilty? Wanna bet?”

“Bet what?”

“If I’m proven innocent, you buy me dinner.”

“No way!”

“Miss, I’m just a cab driver. I don’t know why you brought me in for questioning. It’s a big deal for me, even if it’s a small matter for you. My colleagues and family will wonder what’s happening. I’ve lost several thousand yuan today because of this. Will you compensate me?”

“Several thousand? Do you think your car is made of gold?”

“You never know. Maybe I’d have gotten a big tip from a wealthy woman going into labor.”

“Such a smooth talker!” Lin Dongxue said disdainfully. She hated this kind of man more than the persistent Xu Xiaodong.

Chen Shi, oblivious, nudged her with his elbow, “Come on, it’s a fair bet.”

“Fine!” Lin Dongxue said angrily, “I agree. But it’s not going to happen.”

“Nothing’s impossible,” Chen Shi said, smiling.

Chen Shi behaved for a while. At a red light, he started playing with his phone. Suddenly, Lin Dongxue’s phone pinged. A friend request popped up from someone named “Big Bad Wolf” with a photo of Daniel Wu as the profile picture.

“So your WeChat ID is your phone number!” Chen Shi grinned.

Lin Dongxue glared at him. Chen Shi urged, “Accept it. Otherwise, how will you contact me if you owe me dinner?”

Lin Dongxue had never met anyone so shameless. She accepted the request but set it so he couldn’t see her Moments.

At the criminal investigation team, Lin Qiupu and his colleagues stood outside, practically forming a welcoming committee. They praised Lin Dongxue for her incredible luck in bringing back a suspect on her first try.

Lin Qiupu said solemnly, “Dongxue, if this case is solved, you’ll get a commendation.”

The car door opened, and Chen Shi waved, “Hi, everyone. I’m Chen Shi. It’s almost noon. Are you serving lunch?”

Everyone was stunned. They had never seen such an enthusiastic suspect. Lin Dongxue whispered, “This guy is really slick. Don’t let him trick you!”

Lin Qiupu called two officers, “Xiao Hai, Xiao Wang, take him to the interrogation room.”

Two hours later, the interrogation room door burst open. The two officers rushed out, “I can’t take it anymore. This guy’s twisted logic is flawless. We can’t get anything out of him. Captain, you have to handle this!”

Lin Qiupu slammed his teacup down, “I’ll deal with him!”

Lin Dongxue grabbed her coat, “I’m coming too!” She couldn’t miss seeing her brother get frustrated.

In the interrogation room, Chen Shi complained, “This chair is so uncomfortable. My hemorrhoids are acting up. Can I get a cushion?”

Lin Qiupu put down the files with a snort, “When you chose to commit a crime, you chose this treatment. If you want comfort, stay home and behave!”

Chen Shi said, “I want to make it clear again, I’m not a criminal. I’m just a suspect. Treating suspects like criminals shows a misunderstanding of internal and external conflicts among the people. It’s a matter of work ethics and even stance.”

Lin Qiupu slammed the table, “Stop with the diplomatic jargon. Let’s get to the point. What did you do on the night of September 10th? Tell me everything!”

“Let me answer directly!” Chen Shi started counting on his fingers, “From 6 to 7:30, I had dinner with some friends at a food stall. From 7:30 to 2 AM, I was picking up fares. You can check my records. I got home at 2:30, took a shower, and slept.”

The clerk whispered, “That’s what he said before.”