Siheyuan came through and sent Jia Zhang to prison

He Feng smiled, tapping his fingertips lightly on the table, and explained in a relaxed tone, "Nothing serious. There's just a little thug named Scar in our jurisdiction. He's been acting unruly lately, hanging around in the alleys in the south of the city, secretly doing something. I asked Zhang Shi and his team to investigate. Mainly because the people in their team are all new and have never dealt with Scar's group. They're unfamiliar with him and won't easily arouse their vigilance, so I sent him in as a training exercise."

Ma Xin nodded and didn't ask any more questions. She knew the rules of the public security system and didn't ask anything she shouldn't. She turned back to the case files in her hand, a faint smile on her face as she said softly, "It seems Captain Zhang Shi is quite busy. He just finished the last case and now he has a new assignment."

He Feng smiled, stood up and closed the folder on the table. "There's nothing we can do. The old guys in our bureau are all familiar with Scar's gang. They're bound to be targeted the moment they show up. We can only send new faces like Zhang Shi to get some real results. Let's not talk about this anymore. It's time for dinner. Let's go to the cafeteria. I heard they have your favorite sweet and sour pork ribs today."

Ma Xin raised his head, his eyes lit up, and nodded: "Okay." Then he followed He Feng out.

The light from the corridor fell on the two of them, casting two long shadows. He Feng walked in front, his heart a little confused - he himself couldn't tell what his attitude towards Ma Xin was.

After all, although the direct killer of Ran Qiuye had been apprehended, the forces behind them remained like ghosts hiding in the shadows, never to be uncovered. This unsolved case had been like a thorn in his heart for years, and he would never be at peace until the mastermind behind the incident was uncovered. This was what concerned him most at the moment.

As for Ma Xin, he admitted that his feelings did indeed fluctuate. She was meticulous and steady, and she displayed an unyielding tenacity when handling cases. Her occasional smile held a childish brightness that, unknowingly, stirred ripples in his frozen heart. But he kept this feeling bottled up deep inside. Firstly, the case was unresolved, leaving him no time to consider anything else; secondly, he felt he had let Qiu Ye down, and the guilt was like an invisible wall, holding him back from moving forward.

When He Feng returned to the dormitory at night, he rarely suffered from insomnia, but had a clear dream.

In the dream, he was standing under the familiar locust tree. Ran Qiuye was wearing the blue dress she often wore back then. She stood in the light and shadow, looking at him. Her smile was still the same as in his memory. She asked softly, "He Feng, how have you been lately?"

He Feng's heart surged with warmth, and he rushed forward, wanting to embrace her. But his steps felt heavy as if they were filled with lead. He desperately reached forward, but a transparent barrier always separated them, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't penetrate it. The barrier was faintly illuminated. He could see her features and hear her voice, but he couldn't feel a trace of warmth, as if they were separated by an entire time and space.

"Qiuye..." His throat tightened with anxiety. He stretched out his hand to try to break through the barrier, but his fingertips only touched a cold void. Ran Qiuye's figure gradually blurred in front of him, leaving only that gentle question, echoing repeatedly in his dream.

Ran Qiuye looked at He Feng, with a hint of alienation in her eyes, and a hint of relief hidden in her eyes. She said softly, "He Feng, I know you have avenged me. From now on, you no longer need me."

As soon as he finished speaking, Ma Xin suddenly walked out from behind the tree next to him, her figure outlined by the moonlight. He Feng was stunned. He didn't expect her to appear at this moment. His heart skipped a beat. Ma Xin looked at him and said in a calm tone like a deep pool of water: "He Feng, what are you doing here?"

He Feng wanted to turn around and explain to Ran Qiuye, but the moment he turned around, he found that she had already disappeared, as if everything just now was just an illusion and had never appeared. He calmed down, suppressed the trance in his heart, looked at Ma Xin, and said with a tone that was difficult to explain. "Ma Xin, between us... it's still not suitable. The real murderer who killed Ran Qiuye has not been found yet. I must investigate and give her an explanation."

Ma Xin just smiled faintly, and He Feng couldn't understand what was hidden in that smile. She didn't say another word, turned around and blended into the twilight behind her. Her figure was light and soon disappeared in the thick night, leaving only a cool evening breeze.

The next morning, when He Feng woke up, his mind was still swirling with the events of the previous night, a tangled mess. He couldn't quite put his finger on what was going on, but he felt as if a place had been reserved for Ma Xin. His concern was much clearer than before, like a stone dropped into a lake, creating ripples.

He didn't rush to the bureau to work, but went straight to the place he had agreed to meet with Zhang Shi. From a distance, he saw Zhang Shi standing under the old locust tree, waiting, his body straight and his hand clutching a bulging document bag, obviously he came prepared.

He Feng quickened his pace and walked over, joking with a smile: "I'm late today, I'm sorry. You said on the phone yesterday that you had something important to tell me. Is there any important discovery you want to tell me?"

Zhang Shi opened the briefcase and laid out the call logs, bank statements, and several secretly taken photos on the stone table. He then laid out his suspicions and the clues he had gathered over the past few days, detailing everything from the time and place of Zheng Qiang and Scar's private meetings to the unusual financial transactions between them. Finally, he looked at He Feng with a firm gaze. "Director He, I seriously suspect collusion between Zheng Qiang and Scar. Their private contact is very frequent and definitely not part of normal work. What do you think? Is it time to formally investigate him?"

He Feng nodded, his expression becoming serious. "This matter really can't be delayed any longer. It's time to investigate in depth. Also, there's one more thing—come with me to meet someone from the weapons investigation team. They might be able to provide us with some new clues. It's a good opportunity to share your findings with them."

Zhang Shi nodded without hesitation: "Okay." After that, he followed He Feng out with brisk steps, obviously full of anticipation for the next development.

The location of this meeting was completely different from the last one. It was a heavily guarded, independent courtyard, with armed guards at the entrance, and the atmosphere was solemn. As soon as the two men reached the door, they were stopped and subjected to a series of meticulous inspections—identity verification, full-body metal detector scans, and a list of belongings. Even the contents of the briefcase were carefully searched. He Feng patted the somewhat embarrassed Zhang Shi. "Captain Zhang, it's okay. It's all routine. For safety reasons. It will be over in a moment."