Free Web NovelChapter 77: Chapter 77: Jealousy
Su Li only ever smiled at Little Tang Mo; she never had a smile for Tang Yuanxiao.
Especially after Tang Yuanxiao had proposed their half-year arrangement, Su Li’s gaze toward him had been constantly chilly. A smile from her was a luxury.
He had just gotten used to her indifferent expression, but he never expected...
Watching Su Li smile as radiantly as a blooming flower at Police Fang, Tang Yuanxiao felt a particularly sour taste in his heart.
Su Li, however, was neither aware of nor in the mood to care about Tang Yuanxiao’s feelings. She was genuinely happy to see Fang Luo.
Fang Luo had helped her twice. The successful rescue of Little Tang Mo back then was also thanks to his assistance.
Therefore, Su Li was truly grateful for and fond of Fang Luo.
"Su Li, thank you for your trouble. I’m sorry to make you come all this way. I originally wanted to pick you up myself, but I was too busy and couldn’t get away."
Fang Luo also held Su Li in high regard and was incredibly enthusiastic.
"It’s such a long way. It would have been too much trouble for you to pick me up. It was more convenient for me to come on my own," Su Li said, shaking her head.
"Well, anyway, thank you so much. It’s been a lot of trouble for you..." Fang Luo said before his eyes landed on Tang Yuanxiao. "And this is?"
Tang Yuanxiao’s imposing aura was already exceptionally conspicuous, not to mention his intense gaze, which was impossible to ignore. ƒгeewebnovёl.com
Meeting Tang Yuanxiao’s sharp and not-so-friendly gaze, Fang Luo didn’t feel at ease. He wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but he felt a slight chill run down his spine.
Su Li glanced at Tang Yuanxiao from the corner of her eye. Just as she was about to speak, Tang Yuanxiao stepped forward and spoke first.
He nodded at Fang Luo and extended his hand. "Hello, Fang Luo. My name is Tang Yuanxiao. I am Su Li’s husband."
He emphasized the final word, "husband," with particular force.
Su Li felt it was odd and furrowed her brow at Tang Yuanxiao.
Fang Luo was taken aback for a moment. "Hello, hello."
He enthusiastically reached out and shook Tang Yuanxiao’s hand. "I’d heard Su Li’s husband was in the city, but I’m only now having the pleasure of meeting you. Thank you for making the trip."
After they shook hands, Fang Luo’s expression stiffened for a moment because Tang Yuanxiao’s grip was too strong.
Fortunately, Tang Yuanxiao quickly released his grip.
Fang Luo inconspicuously shook his hand. "Haha, you’ve got quite a grip... Here, please, come in, come in."
Fang Luo led them into a small reception room. "You can put your luggage and things over there... I’ll go get you some tea."
"Fang Luo, there’s no need to be so formal. Please don’t go to any trouble. Let’s just sit down and get to business," Su Li said hurriedly, seeing how eager he was to play host.
"Right, right." Fang Luo nodded. "The court will pass judgment on those four human traffickers this afternoon. We need you to be a witness, Su Li."
He hesitated for a moment. "Ordinarily, you wouldn’t have had to come, but the situation is a bit special. They’re insisting that you were the one who sold them your Little Tang Mo."
Su Li froze. "What?"
"It’s just..." Fang Luo scratched his head, but just as he was about to explain, he heard someone call his name.
"Little Fang, Little Fang, where are you? Get back here, quick..." The person shouting had an incredibly loud voice.
"Hey, I’m over here!" Fang Luo called back as he stood up. "Su Li, Brother Tang, please wait for me for a moment."
No sooner had Fang Luo stepped out than the loud voice continued.
"We’re in the middle of a meeting, how could you just disappear? Hurry up, we absolutely have to catch those damn human traffickers today."
Upon hearing this, both Su Li and Tang Yuanxiao immediately furrowed their brows.
’More human traffickers?’ She glanced at Tang Yuanxiao, then left the small reception room and walked toward the office next door. freewebnøvel.com
She had been inside Fang Luo’s office before.
Tang Yuanxiao followed behind Su Li. The two of them stood outside the office, peering in through the window. Including Fang Luo, there were eight or nine people with their backs to them, holding a meeting.
A crude map of the county was laid out in front of them, and they were discussing how to make the arrests.
Su Li listened for a moment and quickly got the gist of the situation.
The traffickers they were trying to catch this time weren’t from Fengcheng County. They were from a neighboring county, where a new trafficking case had emerged, and the suspects had fled here.
Human traffickers were a danger no matter where they appeared. Three officers had come from the neighboring county to continue the pursuit, requesting assistance from the Phoenix City Public Security Bureau.
This was why Fang Luo had been run off his feet for the past two days. The traffickers had been pursued for several days and were now cornered and desperate. Fearing they might harm the local residents, Fang Luo and his colleagues were under immense pressure.
"...All the exits to the county seat are blocked. They can’t escape even if they had wings. But the town is only so big, and we’ve searched everywhere without finding them."
"Here... here... We’ve searched all the easy hiding spots, but we just can’t find them."
"We have to find them even if it means digging three feet into the ground. We’ve been trying to catch them for three days with no success. If this goes on, it’s going to cause a public panic..."
Su Li, frowning, was about to step back, but she saw Tang Yuanxiao take a step forward instead of retreating.
Su Li reached out to stop him, whispering, "What are you doing? Get back, don’t disturb them."
"We should help them," Tang Yuanxiao said, holding Su Li’s hand down. "Wait for me a second."
After speaking, he took two steps and knocked directly on the door. "May I come in?"
"Hey..." Su Li was too late to pull him back; Tang Yuanxiao had already walked straight into the office.
He stood before the map and pointed directly to a spot that Fang Luo and the others hadn’t considered. "Have you checked here?"
"Here? That’s impossible..." The officers, who had been wondering about Tang Yuanxiao’s identity just a moment ago, completely forgot their curiosity and immediately refuted his suggestion.
"Why is it impossible?" Tang Yuanxiao retorted, quickly pointing to several spots. "This area connects to several county exits. It’s the best place to hide."
"The moment they sense trouble, they can flee in any direction... Based on my experience and intuition, they... should be hiding right here."
Tang Yuanxiao firmly tapped the spot everyone had deemed impossible.
A few of the officers below him looked thoughtful, but the loud-voiced one frowned and looked directly at Tang Yuanxiao, asking pointedly,
"Who do you think you are?" The tone of his question was not friendly.
"My name is Tang Yuanxiao, and..." Tang Yuanxiao gave a simple introduction. "One of the children who went missing in the county recently was mine. I want to do my part in catching these traffickers."
With that introduction, the officers’ expressions softened.
"Thanks, but you should leave the arresting to us..." the loud-voiced officer said. Catching criminals was their job, after all.
"Wait a minute." Fang Luo had been staring at the map. "I think what Brother Tang said seems to make sense..."
Tang Yuanxiao pointed to the map and added a few more simple points. The officers all fell silent, their faces pensive.
Tang Yuanxiao glanced at Su Li, who was frowning outside the window, and tapped the table. "I have to leave this evening, so my time is limited. If you trust me, then follow my advice and go make the arrest. If you don’t trust me..."
He paused. "...Then I’ll go myself. It’s only three people... it won’t be difficult."
’A few traffickers like that... are nothing to worry about.’
In that moment, Tang Yuanxiao seemed like a complete stranger.
He was like a blade drawn from its sheath, his sharp edge fully exposed, possessing an authority that was inexplicably convincing.
