After all, if this group were to investigate his background, they would know he was telling the truth. He turned his head to look at the little old man beside him.

The old man was as amiable and kind as ever, just chuckling as he watched the young man and woman argue. Even without checking the old man's details, Xia Liang knew he had to be an important figure. After all, Xia Liang had also seen his credentials earlier, and they hadn't seemed fake.

「Conference Room」

Jiang Wei had urgently convened a meeting. Such a serious and vile incident had to be handled quickly and cautiously.

"Have those cars been pulled up yet?"

"They've been pulled up, but there weren't any useful clues inside. The people have fled."

Jiang Wei nodded. That's to be expected. Anyone who dares to have a gunfight on the street is a madman; of course they'd have the means to cover their tracks.

"Notify the entire province and ask other regions to help hunt for the suspects. Any new developments from the interrogation side?"

"No progress for the moment, but we've lifted some fingerprints. We're running them through the internal database for a match and believe we'll have results soon."

Just then, his phone rang. Jiang Wei pulled it out, and upon seeing the caller ID, he immediately sat up straight to answer. Before he could even speak, a voice came through, grinding with anger.

"Release them!"

"But—"

"Release them! This Master doesn't want to be dragged into this mess by you! Release them! Release them! Release them!"

By the end, the voice on the phone was practically a roar, showing just how furious the caller was.

At that moment, a clerk came running over in a panic. Interrupting a meeting was a major taboo, especially according to the traditions of Dragon Country.

Jiang Wei, already in a terrible mood after hanging up, scowled. "What are you panicking about? Young people these days really can't keep their composure."

"C-Captain, the fingerprint results for that woman are out..."

"Speak."

"Top Secret!"

???

Gasps echoed throughout the room. Although those present weren't privy to certain state secrets, they were all perfectly clear on what a "Top Secret" file classification meant.

In the information age, efficiency was everything. The fingerprints of all citizens were stored in the internal database, allowing a simple search to uncover a person's entire history. To aid in tracking down major criminals, traffic departments in every region had high-level access. But in all these years, this was the first time any of them had encountered a "Top Secret" file. It contained nothing but those two words.

"Are you sure there's no mistake?"

The clerk felt his scalp tingle. "Absolutely. We verified it several times. It's always red letters: TOP SECRET, ACCESS DENIED. We even got a call from Shangjing, sternly demanding to know why we dared to repeatedly access a top-secret file."

His superior's furious phone call, coupled with the woman's earlier words at the entrance of East City Hospital, made Jiang Wei realize that things were starting to spiral out of his control. A sense of foreboding quickly grew inside him.

"What's the situation with that Didi driver?"

"What he said was also true. He really holds the title of Crime Consultant for the Qingyun City Defense Bureau. I heard... it was requested by Yun Long and specially approved from above."

Jiang Wei's expression turned even uglier. Well, I'll be damned! Forget the woman, but even the man was specially approved? Are they pretending to be weak to prey on the strong? He naturally knew who Yun Long was.

But… Yun Long's people… A cold glint flashed in Jiang Wei's eyes as he contemplated. So... the woman must be released. As for the man, even if he is one of Yun Long's people, he has to stay behind as the scapegoat. The old man doesn't matter. What's important is letting the public know this incident has been resolved and someone has been punished.

"Captain, a call came from East City Hospital. They said the woman was delivering a vial of serum to the old man who was locked up with them."

"Serum?"

Jiang Wei froze. How is it that the more I investigate, the more complicated this gets? But none of that mattered anymore. The public urgently needed an explanation.

"Captain, where are you going?"

"Where else? To release that woman and man, of course."

Jiang Wei strode away purposefully.

"But the orders from above..."

Jiang Wei spun around, his eyes blazing with anger. "Here, I'm the one in charge!"

The call said to release them, but it didn't specify how many. This incident is huge. If I can resolve it well, I could definitely get a promotion. Then I wouldn't have to answer to anyone.

「Detention Room」

Jiang Wei personally unlocked the iron bars, offering an apologetic smile and a bow. "My apologies, my apologies. This was all due to my own carelessness. I hope a person of your stature can forgive a lowly one's mistake. You are now free to leave."

Big Wave glanced at him indifferently before standing up. She helped the old man to his feet and started walking out. Xia Liang, of course, was not about to be left behind, fully intending to bum a ride.

"You can't leave."

Jiang Wei stretched out an arm to block Xia Liang. His expression was the complete opposite of how he had been with Big Wave, as if Xia Liang had just thrown his kid down a well.

"Why can't I leave?"

"Because you haven't been cleared of suspicion. Furthermore, our investigation shows that you and this young lady aren't together."

From the captain's expression, Xia Liang knew the man was up to no good. Does he really think I'm so easily fooled? He must have investigated Big Wave's background, realized she's untouchable, and now wants to keep me as a scapegoat to pacify the public. Heh.

"Who says we aren't together? Besides, you should have completed your investigation by now, right? I wasn't lying. I really am from the Defense Bureau."

Big Wave was about to speak, but she knew that arguing was pointless right now. Leaving was the priority.

"He is leaving with me," she said, her tone cold and disdainful. "You can't keep him."

Jiang Wei forced himself to remain calm and plastered on a smile again. "He's facing multiple charges. No matter how extensive your authority is, you cannot interfere with local officials carrying out their duties, correct?"

Just as neither side was willing to back down, the little old man spoke up, his cheerful grin still in place.

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