pjbooks Chapter 91 Bait
Chapter 91 Bait
Chapter 91 Bait
"What are you two doing here so late?"
Li Mu stood frozen in place, without turning around.
Wu Liang reacted quickly.
As Lao He's voice rang out, he had already reached out and dragged the mouse, directly pulling the progress bar back to 3 a.m.
The screen transformed into an empty corridor.
After doing all this, Wu Liangcai turned around, his face still showing a hint of embarrassment at being caught.
"Officer He, you startled me."
Old He stood at the door.
He didn't go inside, still holding a thermos and wearing the same dark coat. He casually closed the door to the monitoring room, the sound of the lock gently shut sounding heavy in the room.
"It's past midnight." Old He chuckled. "Why are you two in the monitoring room instead of sleeping?"
Li Mu finally turned around.
She looked at Lao He.
That face was so familiar that for a moment she couldn't tell whether the face in front of her was the same person as the one from the past.
Uncle He.
She called out.
Old He looked at her, his smile fading slightly.
"Hey Li, your arm isn't fully healed yet, and you're still working late into the night?"
Wu Liang took over the conversation.
"I've dragged Officer Li down."
Old He slightly raised his eyelids.
"How are you dragging her down?"
"I suspect someone tampered with the files in the archives." Wu Liang seemed to have prepared his answer beforehand. "Officer Li said it was impossible, so we made a bet."
Li Mu's eyes flickered.
Old He took two steps closer, holding his cup.
"The archives?"
"Yes." Wu Liang smiled. "I just finished looking at the third-floor corridor. Officer He went there last night."
Upon hearing this, Li Mu's heart sank; he had never expected Wu Liang to point it out so directly.
Old He's face didn't change much.
"Yes, I've been there."
He admitted it very calmly.
"Didn't Captain Meng ask us to supplement some materials these past two days? So I went over and looked through a few documents."
"At night?"
"It's inconvenient to get a ticket during the day because there are too many people."
"Not registered?"
Old He looked at Wu Liang and smiled.
"Attorney Wu, you're not a police officer, so you don't know how we used to handle cases. Going back to review files in the middle of the night and completing paperwork is not uncommon."
Wu Liang nodded.
"I understand, tradition."
Old He's gaze finally turned slightly colder.
"But it's you."
He looked at Li Mu.
"Xiao Li, did Captain Meng know you brought a lawyer into the archives and accessed the internal surveillance footage?"
Li Mu's right hand, which was under the table, slowly tightened.
She wanted to speak, but Wu Liang spoke first.
"Team Leader Meng doesn't know."
Old He looked at him.
Wu Liang leaned against the control panel, looking calm.
"So if Officer He feels it's not in compliance with regulations, he can talk to Captain Meng tomorrow morning. It would be best if he also mentioned that you didn't register it in the archives last night, so that everyone can be clear about things and avoid mutual suspicion."
There was a moment of silence in the monitoring room.
The smile on Lao He's face finally disappeared.
He looked at Wu Liang, taking a serious look at the young lawyer for the first time.
"You've got a quick tongue."
"It's a professional habit; if I speak too slowly, it's easy for others to find fault with me."
Old He didn't respond to that, and turned to look at Li Mu.
"Xiao Li, some things can't be investigated this way. I understand you're young and ambitious. But a case can't be solved by staying up a few nights in a row."
Li Mu looked at him.
That sentence sounded like advice, but she sensed another meaning behind it.
Stop investigating.
I suddenly remembered when I first joined the team a few years ago, Lao He spoke like that too. Slowly, with the patience of an elder, as if he had shielded me from all danger.
"Uncle He," Li Mu began, "which case files did you go through last night?"
Old He paused for a moment.
"I can't remember."
Who resealed the file folder?
"After I finished reading, I tidied up a bit."
Li Mu felt as if something was pressing down on his chest.
She actually wanted to ask one more question: why?
Why should the file folder be returned to its standard position after you've finished working on it?
Why not register?
Why those specific volumes?
But all these questions remained stuck in my throat.
Because she knew that Lao He wouldn't answer.
Just then, Wu Liang reached out and turned off the surveillance camera.
The screen went black, and the shadows of the three people were reflected on it.
Old He stared at the black screen.
"Not watching anymore?"
"I've finished watching it."
"What did you figure out?"
Wu Liang moved aside and stepped forward, standing between the two.
"It's clear that Officer He is very dedicated."
Old He stared at him.
Wu Liang met his gaze without flinching.
After a moment, Old He chuckled.
"Attorney Wu, outsiders should refrain from interfering in police affairs."
I will try my best.
"Not as much as possible," Old He said, "but the best."
After he finished speaking, he turned around and walked to the door, put his hand on the doorknob, and looked back at Li Mu.
"Xiao Li, when you go to work tomorrow, go and tell Captain Meng."
"There are some things you shouldn't let others say for you."
Old He left with his cup, his footsteps fading into the distance.
The monitoring room fell silent again.
Li Mu stood still for a long time.
Wu Liang didn't urge her; instead, he felt relieved.
Both sides have laid their cards on the table.
"He wasn't like this before," Li Mu suddenly said.
Wu Liang remained silent for a moment.
"Maybe he's always been like this, he just didn't want you to see it before."
Li Mu closed his eyes.
Wu Liang was right; perhaps it was only now that she truly understood this senior.
He opened his eyes again, his voice cold and sharp.
"I'm going to find Captain Meng."
"You can't go now."
Why?
"The evidence isn't enough," Wu Liang said. "You can only prove he entered the archives, not that he leaked secrets. On the contrary, he can prove you took me into the archives and check the internal surveillance footage, which will only put us in a more passive position."
Li Mu stared at him.
"So what do we do now?"
Wu Liang smiled slightly.
"Let him make the first move."
Li Mu frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"He now knows we're investigating him, and he also knows we don't have direct evidence." Wu Liang glanced at the door. "In this situation, he only has two choices."
"Either we go to Captain Meng tomorrow and tell him that you took me to check internal documents without my permission, so we can take the initiative from the outset."
"And the second one?"
"Either you deal with what's really frightening him."
Li Mu stared at Wu Liang, his voice lowering slightly.
Do you think he'll choose the second option?
"He didn't immediately lash out," Wu Liang said, "which means he doesn't want to escalate the situation. At least not right now."
Li Mu calmed down.
Every word Lao He said seemed like a reminder to her, but in retrospect, he had actually been testing her all along.
In other words.
"He was also assessing how much we actually had."
Wu Liang nodded.
"So right now, the most dangerous person isn't you, it's me."
Li Mu's expression changed.
"What do you want to do?"
Wu Liang stretched and walked to the door first.
"I'll come to the Municipal Bureau as usual tomorrow and review Lin Huaishan's case as usual. It would be best if he saw it."
"Are you crazy?"
"I'm not a police officer," Wu Liang said with a helpless expression. "It's easier for him to deal with me first."
"If you're worried about me, could you please protect me these next few days and not let me act alone?"
Li Mu ignored Wu Liang's joke and said after a long while, "Before you use yourself as bait, can you at least ask me if I agree?"
Wu Liang smiled.
"It's too late to disagree."
Why?
"Because in his eyes, I am already the biggest threat."