Captured By The Cold Detective (BL)-Chapter 37: Deng Shi

This sudden development was truly cliché. He Juan asked in surprise, "You’re Mr. Deng Shi? Why didn’t you say so earlier?" Leading him around and around, even initiating a fight, it turned out the target had always been right under his nose!

Deng Shi had an unresigned look on his face. If he came out early on, then wouldn’t he be buried three feet underground by now?! Alas, his pig teammate had already exposed him. Now he could not even hide anymore even if he wanted to! He clutched his broken wrist to his chest while eyeing He Juan warily. "W–Who are you? Why are you looking for me?"

He Juan looked at Mr. Deng’s thug-like appearance and sank into self-doubt. This... was an ex-police officer? Due to the case he was implicated with, He Juan had had the chance to come into contact with many officers in the Municipal Bureau yet he could not see any resemblance between them with the man in front of him right now.

More than a decade ago, on a freezing and desolate winter night, Miss Zhao encountered this person in the police station after she was kicked out of her house...

Why was he feeling so uneasy about this?

He Juan asked, suppressing the wave of discomfort in his chest at the thought of a young junior high schooler who was missing for two full years. "Do you know Miss Zhao Xinya?"

"Who?" Deng Shi had an equally dumbfounded look on his face as the other four.

He Juan pressed his palm on his forehead and sighed. Of course, there was no way Deng Shi could have remembered her after all this time. He had sent Mu Yuze away so quickly and forgot to ask for a copy of Miss Zhao’s photograph. Seriously, how could he be such a klutz?! Helpless, He Juan requested politely, "Pardon me, can you please follow me somewhere?"

The caution in Deng Shi’s eyes sharpened. He loudly refused, "No! I won’t budge from this place! You can drag my corpse out if you want me to follow you!"

He was gambling now. He Juan did not seem intent on killing him so he would not be able to do anything to Deng Shi even if he refused! Who knew what kind of fate he would end up in if he were to step out of this place today?!

"You don’t want to follow me?" A helpless smile curled on the corner of He Juan’s lips.

A bad premonition suddenly emerged in Deng Shi’s heart. Just a moment ago, this person had also smiled like this before he proceeded to beat the shit out of them. When he recalled the agony of being beaten up to pulp, he still got shivers. Alas, this time He Juan had no intention of beating anyone up. Instead he did something worse! Deng Shi watched as the man pulled something out of his jeans pocket and flashed it in front of them.

Deng Shi’s eyes became as wide as saucers and his whole person felt like being submerged in icy cold water. Strength suddenly seeped out of him and his calves trembled like a newborn fawn. That badge could not be more familiar to him...

It... It was a certified police badge!!

He cried out in shock, his teeth chattering in fright. "Y–You’re a cop?!"

"Goddamnit it!" The other men cursed. "So you’re from the police!"

Since when did a police officer become so rough nowadays?! He did not even say anything before brandishing his fists like a street tyrant!The four men had a complex look on their faces. Should they be thankful that they had not injured the police officer? But that also meant that they had to swallow today’s grievance and even call the other party daddy! How hateful!

He Juan maintained a smile on his face. "That’s right. So, Mr. Deng Shi, may I ask you to come with me?"

Deng Shi’s face abruptly turned green. At this point, did he have another choice? He could only curse the other party for being shameless. Why didn’t he take the civil path and expose his identity from the start? If he had done it, then the subsequent fight would not have happened!

He begrudgingly trailed after He Juan out of the alleys to where a black sedan had been waiting for them.

"Officer Mu!" He Juan waved brightly when he caught sight of Mu Yuze standing by the car. "I apologize for making you wait. Here, I have brought Mr. Deng Shi for you and this..." he handed the police badge back to Mu Yuze with a sheepish look. "...I have to borrow this just in case. My bad."

Deng Shi almost had a whiplash from how fast he was turning his head. His jaw dropped so wide it could fit a goose egg. Fucking hell, so you’re a counterfeit?!!

Mu Yuze looked at the familiar badge with a numb expression. He patted his back pocket only to realize belatedly that the badge was missing from God-knows-when. He then raised his head to look at He Juan who had a refreshed look on his face and Deng Shi whose wrist was swollen hideously and face bruised in multiple places. Expressionlessly, he retrieved the badge from He Juan’s sneaky paw.

Forget it, he’d better not ask...

"Mr. Deng Shi, I am Mu Yuze from the Violent Crime Investigation Unit. I have a few questions I’d like to ask you." Mu Yuze assumed a professional air and focused on the matter at hand. "Twenty two years ago, on 25th November, you were the police officer on duty at the sub-bureau station. A junior high female student was kicked out of her house and you were the one who processed the report."

He opened his phone to show Zhao Xinya’s fourteen years old photograph which Kang Guanyu had retrieved from her middle school. In that white and black photo, Zhao Xinya had bright eyes and a sweet smile on her face, totally different from the gaunt look He Juan had seen on her a few days ago.

"Her name is Zhao Xinya, do you still remember?"

Deng Shi stared at the picture with a blank look on his face. Something flashed through his eyes before it swiftly disappeared in the next second. "Zhao Xinya... Zhao Xinya..." he murmured under his breath. "Yes, that’s right, now that you said it, I seem to recall something. It’s been so long but this girl left quite an impression on me. I remembered thinking how cruel her family was to chase her out in the middle of a winter night. Is there something wrong?"

Mu Yuze did not answer and instead continued saying, "Please try to recall again and describe the event that happened that night. After the incident, Miss Zhao was missing for two full years. Do you have any idea about that, Mr. Deng?"

Deng Shi revealed a puzzled look. "Missing for two years? How can it be? Back then... I told her to stay in the police station for a while." He rubbed his balding head, trying hard to recall an event from more than twenty years ago. "You know, we had a sleeping lounge in case we had to stay over for the night — is it still there now? I asked her to stay in the lounge if she didn’t have anywhere to go and she accepted. After that, I got off the shift and handed the matter over to my colleague. As for what happened after that..." he shrugged before hissing due to the pain all over his body. "...I have no idea either."

Mu Yuze frowned. "The name of your colleague?"

Deng Shi knocked on his head and stammered out a name after a while. "If I am not wrong... his surname is Zhang. Is it Zhang Yanbo or Zhang Renbo? Aiyah, Officer Mu, it’s been too long and I can no longer remember..."

Mu Yuze simply noted it in his mind and did not scribble in his notebook like his captain nor did he record it in his phone. He Juan had gotten accustomed to it and hence did not react whatsoever but Deng Shi could not help but give a few more glances. He had never seen such a casual officer before.

After a few more questions, Mu Yuze concluded the investigation. "Thank you so much, Mr. Deng. I will come here again if there’s something. In the meantime, please make sure not to move anywhere else." It was a subtle threat and warning for him not to come up with anything funny. Otherwise, he would immediately be taken as a potential suspect.

Of course, Deng Shi realized the underlying meaning behind that sentence. He merely let out a dry laugh. "Then... can I go back?"

Mu Yuze gave a gesture of ’go ahead’.

Deng Shi had just let out a sigh of relief when the big devil piped in with an apologetic grimace, "The hospital bill..." He Juan had not even finished his sentence before Deng Shi turned tail and ran.

He did not want this fucking money!!

For someone who had rolled on the ground for a few rounds, he was surprisingly quick and agile. In a blink of an eye, he vanished into the narrow alley.

He Juan scratched his cheek awkwardly. He sincerely wanted to apologize but why did the other party look like he had seen a ghost?

He stared in the direction where Deng Shi disappeared into and his usually smiling eyes gained a cold edge akin to a sheathed sword. "Xiao Ze, I don’t know why but... my instinct tells me that person is really not good."

Mu Yuze hummed lightly. "He’s lying."