Siheyuan came through and sent Jia Zhang to prison

When the door to the private room was pushed open, Jiang Hu was slumped in a chair, clutching a wine glass in his hand, some of the wine spilling out. His face was ashen, and his forehead was covered in cold sweat. When he saw He Feng push the door open, he was so frightened that he jumped up abruptly, the chair legs scraping against the floor with a screeching sound. His legs were trembling, and he almost lost his balance.

"Boss Jiang, the matter is settled." He Feng's tone was calm, but his eyes were scrutinizing like searchlights, making Jiang Hu feel uncomfortable. "Come back to the station with me. There are some things I need to talk to you about."

Jiang Hu hurriedly waved his hand, his voice weak and trembling like a leaky bellows: "Director He, what are you saying... I... I didn't do anything! I just sincerely invited you to dinner to strengthen our relationship, I don't know anything else!"

"Is that so?" He Feng sneered, pulling a stack of photos from his briefcase and slamming them onto the table. The photos scattered across the greasy tablecloth, looking particularly jarring. "Then take a look for yourself, what is this?"

The photos showed Jiang Hu meeting Zhang Jie in the alley a few days prior—there were shots of him furtively slipping money to Zhang Jie, the two huddled together talking in hushed tones, their expressions tense, and the moment Zhang Jie received a manila envelope. The angle of the photos was odd, yet they captured their faces clearly, even showing Jiang Hu's instinctive clenching of his clothes. "These aren't things I made up out of thin air, are they?"

Jiang Hu's face instantly drained of color, as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over his head. His lips trembled, and he opened his mouth for a long time, but couldn't utter a single word. Those sleight of hand he thought he had done flawlessly, those transactions he thought no one had seen, had actually been watched all along. He was like a clown, putting on a good show right under someone else's nose.

"You really think we police officers are so idle that we let you trick me into coming here as a cover?" He Feng looked at his panicked appearance, his tone full of sarcasm. "We let you out to contact Zhang Jie just to see what tricks you're up to and whether there's anyone else behind you. If we were really stupid, what kind of police officers would we be?"

Jiang Hu's legs buckled, and he knelt on the ground with a thud, his knees hitting the hard concrete with a dull thud. Cold sweat streamed down his forehead, soaking the greasy collar of his shirt. He muttered repeatedly, "I was wrong... Director He, I was really wrong... I was out of my mind... Please forgive me this time, I'll never dare to do it again..."

He Feng didn't look at him again, and shouted outside, "Come in." Two police officers immediately responded and came in, one on each side, supporting the limp Jiang Hu and carrying him out. Jiang Hu was still crying and begging for mercy, his voice growing fainter and fainter until it disappeared at the end of the corridor.

The private room was left with only leftovers—a half-eaten pork knuckle, spilled liquor, a high pile of empty bottles, and the still-lit chandelier, its pale light illuminating the mess, much like the end of this farce.

Jiang Hu stared blankly for a long time, his initial sense of relief at being released instantly extinguished by cold water. The foolishness on his face faded, leaving only a look of sudden realization and regret. He looked at He Feng, his voice trembling: "You...you deliberately let me go so that I would lure Zhang Jie out?" So, from the moment he left the detention center, he hadn't escaped their scheme, and his every move had been under surveillance.

He Feng leaned against the table, toying with a file in his hand. He glanced at him, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Looks like you're not completely naive." He paused, then slammed the file on the table. "You think you can just walk out of here with a few empty words? I have all the evidence against you—the ledger of embezzled funds, records of bribery, and recordings of your conspiracy with Zhang Jie. Every single one of these is enough to put you in jail for half your life. You still want to get out?"

Jiang Hu's face turned deathly pale, and his legs nearly gave way, causing him to collapse to the ground. He knew he had completely fallen into a trap. He had been hoping to reunite with Zhang Jie and fight one last time, but now it seemed like nothing more than wishful thinking. Two officers stepped forward and grabbed him from either side. He didn't struggle, and was pushed back like a deflated balloon, muttering, "It's over, all over..."

He Feng turned to Zhao Lei, who was standing to the side, and took out an evidence bag from his pocket. Inside was a small, round pearl, which had been found at the scene where Zhang Jie was unconscious. "Take this and check it out," he said, handing the evidence bag to Zhao Lei. "See if anyone in our department is missing a pearl from their jewelry."

Zhao Lei took the evidence bag and examined it against the light. The pearl was bright white and lustrous, with slight wear on the edges, indicating it had been worn for many years. "Chief, do you mean... this pearl belongs to someone in our bureau?" He was startled. Could there be a mole within the bureau?

He Feng nodded, his eyes darkening: "Remember, investigate this quietly, don't make a fuss. Once you find out, don't alert the other party. Report back to me directly."

"Understood." Zhao Lei quickly put away the evidence bag, already having some guesses in his mind—there weren't many female comrades in the bureau who wore pearl jewelry, so it shouldn't be difficult to narrow down the possibilities.

He Feng gazed at the gradually brightening sky outside the window, his brow furrowed. The appearance of that pearl was like a stone thrown into a calm lake. He already had a vague suspicion in his mind, but the name lingered on his tongue for a few moments before he swallowed it back—he simply dared not think that way; that was his old subordinate who had followed him for many years, how could he…

Meanwhile, Ma Xin returned home, locked the door behind her, and the first thing she did was take off her black hoodie, revealing her police uniform underneath. She walked to the mirror, tidied her slightly disheveled hair, and was about to breathe a sigh of relief when her fingers accidentally brushed against her wrist, only to suddenly stop—the bracelet was empty, missing a pearl!

Her heart skipped a beat, and she instantly recalled the struggle with Zhang Jie in the warehouse last night, when he had grabbed her at the last moment—that must have been when the pearl fell. But Ma Xin showed little panic; instead, she remained unusually calm. She turned and opened a drawer, taking out a small jewelry box. Inside lay several identical pearls, the spare beads she had prepared long ago—since deciding to get involved, she had anticipated unforeseen circumstances and had made ample preparations.

She picked out a pearl of similar size, carefully threaded it back onto the bracelet, and put it on in front of the mirror. With a slight movement of her wrist, the pearl made a soft tinkling sound as it clattered, and it looked no different from before.

Meanwhile, the surprise interrogations in the interrogation room continued. Jiang Hu and Zhang Jie's several henchmen were questioned separately. Faced with overwhelming evidence—transfer records, phone recordings, and copies of account books found in Jiang Hu's home—none of them could withstand the pressure.