Chapter 32: A Group Photo to Commemorate

Yan Xue and Kang Ge did not intervene, and surprisingly, Lin Zhen did not struggle either. Although she appeared shaken and clearly disliked being held by a stranger who was weeping uncontrollably, she merely stood there stiffly, motionless.

About five or six minutes passed—time that usually flies by in a blink now felt unbearably long. When Bai Yueni’s mother finally exhausted herself from crying and released Lin Zhen, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Yan Xue had already stepped forward to support Bai Yueni’s mother just as she sagged, nearly collapsing.

Bai Yueni’s father also approached, taking his nearly faint wife from Yan Xue’s arms and helping her sit back down at the table. He handed her the water that Yan Xue had thoughtfully prepared earlier.

Lin Zhen finally relaxed. Quietly, she touched her chest and leaned toward Yan Xue’s ear, her voice trembling with lingering fear. “Are those two really Bai Yueni’s parents? They look kind of alike… That was terrifying. When that woman rushed straight at me, I thought she was coming to hit me!”

Hearing her guilty tone, Yan Xue glanced back at her with a mix of exasperation and amusement but said nothing.

“Um… should I avoid them or something?” Lin Zhen asked nervously, still uncertain.

“Avoid what?” Yan Xue retorted sharply. “Bai Yueni’s parents know full well about you two swapping identities. The moment you walked in, they already recognized you by your face. Isn’t it a bit late now to start feeling guilty and scared? You should have thought about the consequences before even suggesting the swap.”

Yan Xue’s words were blunt. Under normal circumstances, the spoiled Lin Zhen might have been offended, but now, burdened with anxiety both from fearing the mysterious forces behind “Square Head” and guilt toward Bai Yueni and her family, she dared not show any temper. She simply pursed her lips and endured the rebuke.

After a brief respite, Bai Yueni’s mother regained some composure. She and her husband exchanged a few hushed words before she looked toward Lin Zhen, her gaze unnervingly intense.

“May we have a request?” Bai Yueni’s father, slightly steadier in emotion, spoke, looking at Lin Zhen imploringly.

“Huh? Me?” Lin Zhen, already on edge, thought he was addressing Yan Xue and Kang Ge at first. When she glanced up and saw the father’s gaze fixed on her, she jumped.

“Yes, we… could we take a photo with you?” Bai Yueni’s father seemed to summon great courage. “Just one. If you’re unwilling, it’s okay, no pressure. Please… we’re begging you.”

“What… what does that mean?” Lin Zhen was puzzled, unsure of their intention, hesitant to agree.

Tears slipped down Bai Yueni’s father’s face. “Don’t laugh at us. The last time we took a photo with our daughter was when we sent her off to college, right at the school gate. After that, we never took another. It’s been years. We never imagined she would suddenly be gone like this, without even a chance to keep one more photo as a memento… Now, there’ll never be another chance…”

His voice broke, choked by grief, and he could only wipe away his tears helplessly.

Lin Zhen quickly nodded. “Okay, okay! Let’s take it! Don’t cry! Not just one, even ten thousand photos are fine! Or… or… maybe I could compensate you with some money, would that work…?”

“We don’t want money. We just want a photo because you look so much like our daughter. We only want a keepsake, nothing else! We’re not trying to extort you!” Bai Yueni’s father misunderstood her offer and hastened to explain their true intentions.

“I didn’t say you wanted to extort me! I just thought maybe you… you might blame me… after all… after all…” Lin Zhen stammered, struggling to clarify what she meant by compensation, but the more she tried, the less clear she became. Some things she simply lacked the courage to say aloud.

“We don’t blame you,” Bai Yueni’s mother rasped, her voice hoarse. “It was our daughter’s own decision to switch identities. She’s an adult and chose it herself. No one forced her. What right do we have to blame anyone? In the end, it’s just that our child was terribly unlucky…”

Her sobs returned, nearly silencing her voice.

Lin Zhen hurriedly waved her hands. “Alright, alright! I get it! Come over and take the photos, okay? A few shots, whatever you want, just as long as it makes you feel better and you stop crying!”

Bai Yueni’s parents thanked her profusely. Flustered, Lin Zhen tried to be polite. Eventually, they composed themselves, sandwiching Lin Zhen between them for a photo. Unfortunately, the mood cast a shadow over the image; rather than a joyful family portrait, the three appeared shrouded in sorrow.

After the photo, Bai Yueni’s parents thanked Lin Zhen again and declined to take any more pictures.

“That’s it? Just the one photo? If you want more, I really don’t mind at all! We can try different poses, however you like!” Lin Zhen was surprised they insisted on just one.

“Child, thank you! That’s enough,” Bai Yueni’s father forced a faint, pitiful smile. “Having one photo that lets us deceive ourselves into thinking it’s with our daughter is enough. Taking more wouldn’t mean much. You’re not really our daughter; from a distance you look alike, but up close, the resemblance fades.”

Lin Zhen was at a loss for words, unsure whether she felt more guilt toward Bai Yueni or more unease herself.

Later, Bai Yueni’s parents were accommodated at the police station’s guesthouse to save costs. They wished to stay there while awaiting investigation results and handling their daughter’s affairs, but with limited finances, this was the best assistance available.

As for Lin Zhen, after consulting Captain Dong, Kang Ge and Yan Xue handed her over to Ning Shuyi and Huo Yan, a pair still adjusting to working together. The choice was simple: Ning Shuyi’s easygoing personality made her easier to get along with, while Huo Yan’s excellent physical skills, precise marksmanship, and top-tier professionalism meant he could handle any sudden trouble and hold the situation until backup arrived.

Once these arrangements were settled, Yan Xue finally had time to ask Kang Ge why Lin Zhen had been brought back so quickly.

“This is where it gets interesting,” Kang Ge said, though his expression betrayed no amusement—only helplessness as he shrugged. “When Lin Zhen was recounting the story, I had a question. That ‘Square Head’—he’s not unimportant, but in a gang like that, he’s at the very bottom of the food chain, a tiny shrimp among shrimps, a little grasshopper among grasshoppers.

“Usually, such small players wouldn’t be targeted so urgently. On one hand, their backers would retaliate; on the other, it would alert the bigger fish, giving them a chance to escape. Killing a small fish indiscriminately would just break the line and waste the opportunity.”

“That makes sense. Didn’t they joke before about how their work sometimes resembles ‘raising gu’—they knowingly turn a blind eye when small players are exposed, pretending not to notice, then trace the clues step by step, gathering enough evidence to launch a comprehensive strike?” Yan Xue had heard something similar despite their different police branches. Indeed, it was rare to hear of a small-time player worth breaking the whole chain over.

“Exactly. So when I brought Lin Zhen to handle this, after she finished sketching a portrait of ‘Square Head,’ their colleagues were exasperated. They had hoped for a major lead, but after verifying the location and reviewing Lin Zhen’s composite sketch, they concluded—very confidently—that the entire force behind ‘Square Head’ had already been wiped out.”

“Wiped out? Completely?”

“Yes. I confirmed multiple times. All the key players in the chain have been arrested. No significant fish escaped. This small gang crumbled along with its core backers. That operation was even covered extensively in the news, stayed trending on popular websites for a long time, and many media outlets used it to promote legal awareness and anti-drug campaigns. You remember, right?”

“Oh! You mean that operation called the ‘comprehensive disinfection’ in the news?” Yan Xue recalled instantly. That event had caused quite a stir, with a very positive social impact. She’d seen reports on her phone during commutes and on evening news.

“If it’s that operation, then it’s unlikely any fish got away. ‘Square Head’ was such a minor player he didn’t even warrant a name in the reports. If he was caught then, any missing persons wouldn’t lead to such risky murders or retaliation.

“Besides, the evidence collection and planning for that sweep began long before Lin Zhen blurted anything out. So no one would want to target her for revenge now.

“So then… what motive could there be for trying to kill Lin Zhen? Her ex-boyfriend Zhang Dong is suspicious too. Since ‘Square Head’ and his gang weren’t arrested because of Lin Zhen, what about the anxiety he stirred up and the threatening calls she received later?”

“Yeah, Zhang Dong definitely needs further investigation,” Kang Ge agreed.

While they discussed this, Luo Wei and Qi Tianhua returned from their assignment. Seeing Kang Ge and Yan Xue back from their trip, they greeted each other and exchanged updates on their investigations.

While Kang Ge and Yan Xue searched for Lin Zhen in Z City, Luo Wei and Qi Tianhua probed the suspicious tenant from Lin Zhen’s previous short-term rental—the man named Chen Ziliang.

After some preliminary background checks, they confronted Chen Ziliang. Initially, he denied everything, but under the duo’s coordinated questioning, he quickly spilled his true thoughts.

Chen Ziliang was twenty-eight, a man who neither strived for progress nor committed to hard work, yet believed himself a misunderstood talent, unfairly treated by fate.

His lack of effort meant poor income and financial strain, making him stingy and calculating with money. Naturally, this affected his romantic relationships negatively.

After several girlfriends left him for being unambitious and miserly, Chen Ziliang refused to self-reflect. Instead, he blamed the growing number of girls as ignorant and materialistic, unable to appreciate a fine young man like himself.

Booking Lin Zhen’s short-term rental was a sheer coincidence. After breaking up with his previous girlfriend, who kicked him out with only his belongings, he had nowhere to stay. He randomly opened a rental app, found Lin Zhen’s place, and was impressed by the good reviews. Seeing that Lin Zhen lived alone, he immediately jumped to a conclusion fitting his character—that she was likely a “canary in a cage.”