Chi Wan smiled slyly. "Then I’ll just have to force a connection between those people and He Lingfeng. I imagine you wouldn’t refuse some leverage that’s handed to you on a silver platter."

Although she didn’t know the exact priority of the case against the He Family, she could make an educated guess based on Captain Tan’s previous demeanor and Xiahou Yu’s comments about them.

A slight smile broke through the exhaustion on Captain Tan’s face.

She closed her notebook and sighed softly. "You young people are really something else. The first time I met you, I knew you were a girl with a mind of her own. It’s a shame."

Captain Tan had a very good impression of Chi Wan. She was bold yet meticulous, and remained remarkably calm in the face of trouble—and she was only a college sophomore.

"It would have been great if you’d studied criminal investigation or gone to the police academy. We’re in dire need of people like you these days."

Chi Wan hadn’t expected such high praise from Captain Tan. A little overwhelmed, she quickly waved her hands. "I was forced into it. As you know, my family was driven to bankruptcy because of He Lingfeng, but he wasn’t satisfied and has been hounding me ever since.

"What’s more, I’m not the first victim, and I won’t be the last. Since he harms people by relying on his family’s status, he should have to pay the price."

Captain Tan slapped the armrest. "Exactly! Chi Wan, for someone your age to experience such a drastic reversal of fortune and not only refuse to give up the fight, but also to resist He Lingfeng’s tyranny and even actively strike back... it’s truly admirable."

After all, to outsiders, while Chi Wan’s family might not have been a great, powerful clan, she had still been the daughter of a well-to-do household. Now, not only had He Lingfeng driven her family to bankruptcy, but she was also living under his constant threat. The fact that she could maintain her composure through it all made it only natural for Captain Tan to admire her.

But after a few more words of praise, Captain Tan grew serious. "Still, you’re on your own and outmatched. I don’t know what you had to do or what risks you took to get this information, but I need you to understand that the police will always be your strongest support.

"If you run into any trouble from now on, you must contact us immediately. Don’t go putting yourself in danger alone. Your safety is what’s most important, understand?"

For a family like the He Family, which operated in legal gray areas and even dabbled in outright criminal activity, even the police had to plan meticulously and slowly gather evidence piece by piece to get ahold of them, let alone a single person like Chi Wan.

Captain Tan didn’t know the full extent of what had happened before, so she couldn’t comment on it. But now that she knew Chi Wan had become a thorn in He Lingfeng’s side, protecting her was naturally their responsibility.

This was especially true after Chi Wan had provided such valuable information; none of it could be allowed to leak. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

After all, Chi Wan might be able to hold her own against He Lingfeng using her wits, but if the He Family itself decided to step in, she would likely be "disappeared" without a trace.

Chi Wan understood the gravity of the situation and nodded solemnly. "Don’t worry, I know my limits. That’s why I handed all this over to you right away. But I was thinking... maybe the reason He Lingfeng is so ’fixated’ on me is because he’s never been able to have me. Can we use that...?"

Captain Tan’s expression was complex.

On the one hand, she had to admit Chi Wan was right. As the link between the He Family and He Qingyun, He Lingfeng’s actions could very well create a crack in the family’s otherwise impenetrable facade.

On the other hand, it would be incredibly dangerous for Chi Wan.

She raised a hand to cut Chi Wan off, saying softly, "Let’s talk about this later. But Chi Wan, you have to promise me you won’t do anything rash! Don’t play games with your own safety. You have to think about your parents, too. It’s obvious how much you mean to them."

Chi Wan knew that with the Amulet from Li Xingye, and even with Li Xingye’s personal protection, she wouldn’t get hurt easily.

But she couldn’t reveal any of that to Captain Tan right now. Understanding the captain’s concerns, she could only nod obediently before seizing the opportunity to ask, "In that case, can I speak with the people who tried to break into my home?"

Compared to the information Chi Wan had just submitted, this was a trivial request. Besides, there was a chance this incident could also be connected to He Lingfeng, so Captain Tan didn’t object.

When she and Chi Wan came out, Xiahou Yu immediately went to Chi Wan’s side, his eyes filled with worry and questions.

Chi Wan gave him a slight shake of her head, indicating that everything was fine.

’When it came to He Lingfeng, and by extension the entire He Family, Chi Wan didn’t want to drag Xiahou Yu into it. After all, it had nothing to do with him.’

’Even if Xiahou Yu insisted that her Jade Token had helped him immensely, as far as Chi Wan was concerned, it had been a clean transaction. He had already done more than enough for her.’

Perhaps Xiahou Yu vaguely sensed the rejection hidden beneath Chi Wan’s lighthearted remarks, but he simply pretended not to understand and stayed by her side. Chi Wan didn’t know what to do about it.

Meanwhile, Captain Tan personally led the two of them to where the "thugs" were being held.

There were three of them, and they looked like typical street punks. Even in custody, they had a fearless air about them, as if they were certain nothing serious would happen to them.

Chi Wan watched them through the one-way glass as Captain Tan explained in a low voice, "We checked with the local precinct. They’re all repeat offenders, usually into petty theft. They get locked up for a few days and are let go. Who knows what possessed them to attempt a ’home invasion robbery’ this time."

Although both women knew their true purpose and who was behind it, as long as the men stuck to their story—that they saw Chi Wan living alone and just wanted to steal some money, not even managing to get in the door—there was little the police could do besides detain and lecture them for a few days.

Chi Wan said softly, "The security in my complex is top-notch. The elevators open directly into the apartments. How did they get to my floor?"

Xiahou Yu said, "I already contacted the building’s property management. They said the surveillance footage was destroyed. As for the elevator access, they claimed the system might have been hacked, allowing the elevator to ’coincidentally’ stop on your floor."

’Coincidentally?’

Chi Wan wasn’t surprised by this outcome. He Lingfeng was an old hand at this sort of dirty work; he wouldn’t have left any obvious holes in his plan.

"Still, it can’t have been easy for a few punks like them to get into the complex. Have you been able to find anything by tracing their connections?"

As she spoke, she felt for the vial in her pocket. ’Now how am I going to get them to take this?’