Detective: I, Cao Jianjun, started by arresting my brother-in-law.

Taking Xia Jie to the provincial government? Don't be ridiculous. Putting aside whether it's even feasible, if Xia Jie's mother found out, she'd probably tear herself apart.

"Ahem! Xia Jie..."

Cao Jianjun cleared his throat and turned to sit down next to the hospital bed: "You need to know that what I said last night was only said when I was in a state of emergency for you."

"so what?"

Xia Jie blinked her bright, watery eyes: "So, Brother Cao, you're not going to take me?"

"Yes."

Cao Jianjun nodded without hesitation: "Think about it, how could I, a police officer from the Balihe Police Station, possibly have the power to transfer you to the provincial department?"

"I remember He Yong was from the provincial criminal investigation team, right?"

Xia Jie pouted and scolded Cao Jianjun, "Brother Cao, you saw it last night too, so many corpses, do you think I'm scared?"

"I had a physiological stress response at the time, but I managed to overcome it psychologically, didn't I?"

"Besides, I did exactly what you said. After all that, am I not qualified enough to be a criminal investigator?"

When this topic came up, Cao Jianjun was somewhat speechless.

Objectively speaking, Xia Jie's performance in the cellar last night was indeed brave.

Imagine a young woman in her early twenties, digging through several corpses with her bare hands.

Moreover, the body had been stored for an unknown period of time, and there were traces of Yue Wei's murder on it.

For this reason alone, Xia Jie's mental fortitude is indeed very strong.

101. Closing the net, going home for the New Year [4 chapters, please subscribe]

Yue Wei's case was initially handled by the Balihe Police Station, which detained him on charges of prostitution.

When the case was transferred to the criminal investigation team of the branch bureau, it was only on suspicion of rape, but no case was filed.

Now, with Cao Jianjun and Xia Jie's investigation in Northeast China, and Yue Wei's death, it is imperative to file a case.

After killing Yue Wei, the Hongshan County police were not very willing to transfer their findings to the Quancheng police.

But there was nothing they could do; Yue Wei's numerous rape and murder cases all occurred in Jinan.

Hongshan County in Northeast China was merely the location where the bodies were dumped.

Ultimately, it was the Criminal Investigation Team of the Taihe District Branch of the Quancheng Public Security Bureau that opened the case and included all the investigations related to Yue Wei in the report, and finally closed the case.

Since Xia Jie couldn't leave for the time being, Cao Jianjun, on behalf of the branch's criminal investigation team, came to contact the Hongshan County police.

The twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month.

In northern China, the Little New Year is the Kitchen God Festival.

The Yue Wei case has officially ended, and Xia Jie has been discharged from the hospital.

After lying in the hospital for five or six days, I not only didn't look haggard, but I actually grew plump and healthy.

In northern China, there is a custom that if you cannot return home on the day of the Kitchen God Festival, it is considered as if you are offering sacrifices to the Kitchen God outside.

The elderly always like to say that this is unlucky.

So, Xia Jie's mother had been urging her since early morning, and there really wasn't much else to do in Northeast China.

After completing the final procedures for the case at the Hongshan County Police Station, the two drove straight to Ping'an City.

We arrived in the city at 4:00 AM, which was already 2:00 PM.

Considering that he was in a hurry to go home for the Chinese New Year, he didn't linger when he saw Pan Dapengzi again, and quickly greeted him before entering the airport.

I came to Northeast China on the sixteenth day of the twelfth lunar month and left on the twenty-third day.

It lasted seven days.

Xia Jie stayed in the hospital for five days, and Cao Jianjun also took care of her in the hospital for five days.

When she boarded the plane, Xia Jie was still feeling ashamed, her pretty face looking at Cao Jianjun with embarrassment.

"Brother Cao, this time... I'm really sorry."

"We're destined to clash."

Cao Jianjun leaned back in his chair, trying to make his neck more comfortable: "From now on, since you've never called him 'Master' before, once we get back, we'll quickly ask the director to find someone else to mentor you."

"Master..."

Xia Jie immediately changed her tune, playfully leaning her head closer to Cao Jianjun: "It's because I used to call you Brother Cao when I was with Li Dawei and the others."

"It doesn't matter."

Cao Jianjun closed his eyes slightly: "Although I don't go on many official business trips, this one has really given me a psychological trauma."

"Oh no, Brother Cao, please stop..."

Xia Jie smiled faintly and said, "I was inexperienced, but I learned my lesson this time, and I definitely won't do it again in the future..."

"Sigh, I can't afford to waste time on this anymore. Alright, time for bed."

Cao Jianjun slumped to the side, closed his eyes, and fell into a deep sleep.

Xia Jie opened her mouth, but hesitated, looking at Cao Jianjun's back, and sighed dejectedly.

Having experienced being rescued from the cellar by Cao Jianjun before, Xia Jie herself didn't know why, but the more she looked at Cao Jianjun, the more pleasing he seemed.

Perhaps it was gratitude, or perhaps... I can't quite put my finger on it.

Xia Jie felt her mind was a bit confused. She shook herself, leaned her head against the cabin window, and stared blankly at the blue sky and white clouds outside, lost in thought.

…………

After a two-hour flight, the plane landed at Quancheng Airport at 5:30 pm.

As soon as they came out of the terminal, they saw Li Dawei who had come to greet them. After getting into the car, the first thing they did was to go back to the police station.

Winter nights come quickly; before six o'clock, the streetlights are already on.

As the car entered Balihe Street, the sound of firecrackers crackling could be heard everywhere from the residential buildings.

In the streets and alleys, a group of children could be seen running around excitedly with sparklers and firecrackers in hand.

It's the Little New Year.

The time for the Kitchen God Festival has arrived.

Colorful fireworks rose and fell in the night sky, while an elderly man with a cane stood at the entrance of a street, looking up into the distance.

When Cao Jianjun and Xia Jie returned to the police station, Zhao Jiwei was squatting on the ground lighting a cigarette.

"It's crooked..."

The director stood on the second floor, shouting, "Be careful! Oh... Cao Jianjun? Xia Jie, come up here quickly..."

Throughout the entire Balihe district, during festivals and holidays, the air is always filled with the warmth and vibrancy of everyday life.

Cao Jianjun and Xia Jie exchanged a glance and then went up the stairs to the director's office.

Upon entering, the director squinted and looked the two of them up and down, left and right.

Cao Jianjun and Xia Jie remained silent, standing there stiffly like children who had made a mistake.

"That's impressive."

The director has begun.

Leaning back in his chair, hands resting on the armrests: "Going to the Northeast to investigate a case, oh dear... you two have made such a commotion..."

"Good heavens, another suicide note, and he even entrusted his wife and children to the police station."

"Cao Jianjun, if you go to the provincial department, won't you be able to mobilize the entire ministry?"

I feel quite ashamed.

Cao Jianjun placed his hands folded in front of him and remained silent.

"Director... Director..."

Xia Jie became even more embarrassed: "This time... it was mainly my fault. I really didn't expect there to be a cellar, and then... and then..."

"Are you two filming a movie?"

The director rolled his eyes and said, "What kind of place is that? The snowy forest! You two outsiders, going to follow and investigate, don't you have any idea what you're doing?"

"Cao Jianjun, I won't even mention whether you two will die in the cellar..."

"It's just that Yue Wei didn't find you. If I were Yue Wei, I could have just found a place to hide in the woods."

"Once you two suckers catch up, I'll take you down one by one with a shot."

"Then we'll throw you into the cellar where the bodies are hidden, and then... tell me, where are we supposed to find you?"

Cao Jianjun remained silent.

Regardless of whether the director was speaking in hindsight or not, and regardless of whether he was right or wrong, he accepted it anyway.

Xia Jie was speechless after being rebuked. She secretly glanced at Cao Jianjun, then lowered her head and remained silent.

"Oh? Ha!"

Upon seeing this, the director immediately smiled and said, "Looks like you, Cao Jianjun, have learned your lesson now. What? Are you as timid as a dead pig that's not afraid of boiling water?"