Lin Chuan, with such behavior, was no less than simply looking at a crime scene for one round before pointing at one of the individuals and asserting, "You, are the murderer!"
Ridiculous!
Extremely ridiculous!
Even a godly detective, a famous sleuth, would definitely not be capable of solving a case so quickly.
But Lin Chuan just could.
After taking a look at the Drug Enforcement Team’s office area, he identified the flower shop across the street from the window as the suspect in this wiretapping case.
He Song swallowed and asked, "Brother Lin, how did you come to that conclusion?"
"That street can be seen from the windowsill of your office, the balcony of the narcotics office hall, and the outside corridor. The shops within view happen to be within the range for monitoring signals and receiving radio waves. I looked a few times and saw a car parked next to the flowerbed in front of that flower shop; it didn’t seem like it moved often."
Lin Chuan explained.
If nothing unexpected happened, those potted plants were also bought from the Warm Flower Shop.
It’s also possible they were delivered by the shop.
"I’ll make a call to confirm the source of the potted plants." Now believing Lin Chuan without a doubt, He Song immediately took out his phone and made a call to a subordinate to confirm the source of the potted plants.
Everyone listened by his side.
He Song didn’t shy away.
On the phone, he didn’t mention the issue with the potted plants specifically but merely said he really liked the last batch and wanted to buy more to plant at home for self-improvement purposes while also decorating the house.
His subordinate responded on the phone, "Captain He, that shop is just across the street behind us. Those potted plants from the last time were all sent by them."
"Alright, I know. I’ll drop by when I have time."
He Song hung up the phone, his gaze falling on Lin Chuan as his thumb involuntarily raised in approval.
Incredible!
Hu Daqiang nudged He Song with a grin, "Captain He, you see, the person I recommended to you, not bad, right?"
He Song let out a long sigh of relief.
By now, it was basically certain they had uncovered the reason for the leak from within the team and found the party responsible for the eavesdropping: the Warm Flower Shop. All that was left was to collect the evidence and confirm it.
He Song believed that the results of the verification would likely be not much different from Lin Chuan’s deductions.
For this matter, he had not only received his share of criticism but had also blamed himself considerably.
Now, the stone hanging in his heart was finally about to come to rest.
He looked at Lin Chuan with a smiling face, full of admiration, "Brother Lin, if it hadn’t been for you, I suspect our Drug Enforcement Team would have been searching for another month without necessarily finding the source of the wiretap. I’m so grateful to you."
Lin Chuan waved his hand modestly, "It was just a simple effort."
"Lin, you see the sky nearing evening, it will soon be time for dinner. How about, we have a meal together?" He Song invited enthusiastically.
Lin Chuan’s mouth twitched slightly as he looked up at Shen Qianqian.
Shen Qianqian immediately said, "Captain He, tonight Lin Chuan has plans."
"Quite the busy man."
He chuckled.
Lin Chuan raised an eyebrow, "Captain He, how about tomorrow? I don’t have plans for tomorrow evening’s dinner yet."
The group burst into laughter.
The office suddenly filled with cheerful air.
The gloom that loomed over He Song’s heart also swept away in an instant.
As Lin Chuan left the police station,
it was already evening.
In the southern winter, there were no snowscapes; at sunset, the horizon gradually embraced a tender streak of orange-red. The slanting rays cast warm-colored strokes, falling on mountains, rivers, and the urban area, a thin layer of golden glow, very delicate, adding a touch of gentleness and tranquility.
Winter, with shorter days and longer nights.
It wasn’t long before night enveloped the area, and the curling smoke from the countryside also hid in the dimness.
Shen Qianqian invited Lin Chuan to dinner as a celebration for today’s success.
——Yu Qin was successfully arrested and brought in for questioning.
At the dinner table.
Shen Qianqian ordered all of Lin Chuan’s favorite dishes. He drank quite a bit of tea throughout this busy day and was nearly starving.
Arresting Yu Qin, taking notes, interrogating her, and even helping the Drug Enforcement Team search for listening devices.
Hmm, quite a fulfilling day.
But also, he was ravenously hungry, with a thundering stomach.
As soon as the food was served, Lin Chuan didn’t hold back. He grabbed his chopsticks and started wolfing down the meal, much to Shen Qianqian’s amusement on the side.
"Eat up, don’t just stand there laughing."
Lin Chuan spoke after eating his fill.
Shen Qianqian served Lin Chuan a piece of beef with the public chopsticks and laughed, "Eat, or Xinxin will think I’ve dragged you off to do hard labor."
"Isn’t that what happened?"
Lin Chuan scooped up a mouthful of rice and countered.
"When have I ever treated you like a laborer?" Shen Qianqian hummed softly.
Lin Chuan paused with his chopsticks, then chuckled, "Just answering the slew of questions you had today took up eighty percent of my energy. If that’s not hard labor, what is?"
"I only asked you a few questions from start to finish." Shen Qianqian stopped serving Lin Chuan any more meat, pretending to be angry.
Lin Chuan laughed loudly, "Your questions are all brain-drainers."
Shen Qianqian mixed anger with laughter, chiding, "Then I have all the more reason to ask—after all, who else is an encyclopedia of crime like you?"
"Stop right there!"
Lin Chuan turned his head and took a sip of orange juice.
"What’s up?" Shen Qianqian asked.
"What did you just call me? An encyclopedia of what?" Lin Chuan inquired.
Under the bright lights of the restaurant.
Shen Qianqian lifted her pretty face slightly and enunciated each word, "An encyclopedia of crime, is there a problem?"
"How could there not be?"
Lin Chuan put on a mock-serious face and took another glance at Shen Qianqian. She was currently in casual attire— a light grey sweater paired with jeans, looking very lively, and of course, very beautiful.
"Why are you sizing me up like that?" Shen Qianqian retorted.
"Good thing you’re not in uniform, or if you call me a crime encyclopedia, wouldn’t people start avoiding me?" Lin Chuan laughed.
Shen Qianqian looked around; fortunately, it wasn’t too crowded.
She leaned a little closer to Lin Chuan and whispered with a laugh, "I’m telling the truth. You really are!"
"You better come up with proof, or I’ll sue you for defamation, oh defamation!" Lin Chuan said, utterly serious.
"Just based on your performance today, that’s undeniable proof. Though it’s my subjective guess, it’s not just me who thinks so."
Shen Qianqian’s brows danced with humor.
"There are others who think so too?"
Lin Chuan frowned slightly; this wasn’t a good sign!
With a face full of smiles as if she had Lin Chuan figured out, Shen Qianqian said, "Writer Lin, you might not know, but Captain He and Captain Hu even asked me privately if you had ever done work similar to that of an agent."
————
The winter in the south, though not like that of the north, had a charm of its own. During sunset, it was as if nature’s most delicate brushstrokes gently sketched out a warm canvas on the blue sky.
The sunlight filtered through sparse clouds, falling upon the earth. Lacking the intensity of summer, it added a touch of softness and warmth. The sunset was like the last warm tint on an old painter’s palette, spreading slowly, decorating the southern winter evening with both coziness and romance.
The distant mountains, under the glow of the sunset, became gentle and profound in contour, their peaks gilded, resembling islands in a fairyland, silently looming on the horizon. At the foot of the mountains, perhaps a few plumes of smoke curled up; these were kitchen fires from farmhouses, intertwining with the afterglow of the sunset, creating a moving pastoral scene.
The nearby stream, shimmering under the sunset, looked like countless tiny gems dancing, the playful flicker captivating the eye. The stream flowed gently, carrying a chill, yet, softened by the warmth of the sunset, no longer biting. On both banks, the trees, though sparse, still radiated liveliness under the sunset’s glow, their green infused with hints of gold, a testament to time’s weathering beauty.
At this moment, walking on a path in the southern winter, feeling the last rays of the sunset gently brush one’s face, one couldn’t help but be moved. This sunset didn’t just warm the earth; it warmed the heart, making one forget the chill of winter, wishing only to immerse in this tranquility and goodness, allowing the soul a thorough cleansing and relaxation.

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