Chapter Sixty-Five: Words Left Unspoken

Having learned the truth about the “Truth or Dare Club” from Zhang Jiawen, and having essentially confirmed the source of the residual substances found in Wang Yuluo’s blood, as well as obtained the address of the club, Ning Shuyi and Huo Yan considered their task completed. The rest of the matter would naturally be handed over to other departments, those tasked with catching bigger fish.

With the address in hand, the two went directly to Captain Dong’s office and informed him of the situation. Although Zhang Jiawen was a small fry, quietly bringing her to the police station for questioning wouldn’t alarm any major players, but the situation at the “Truth or Dare Club” was another matter entirely.

Captain Dong approached the matter with caution. He listened carefully as the two repeated the key information they had gathered, then asked, “How much do you know about this unusual toad?”

Huo Yan shook his head, indicating he knew little about it.

Ning Shuyi didn’t know much either. “I came across it once in some foreign news. Apparently, it’s a rare species found only in certain parts of North America. The secretions on its back contain a special substance that can cause hallucinatory effects in humans. Some people with ulterior motives catch them and use them as a substitute for soft drugs.

At the time, I thought it was absurd, utterly preposterous. It was hard to imagine how anyone could bring themselves to use it. I never expected we’d encounter it so soon. But since it’s already appeared, it means there must be an illegal channel importing them, and it’s unlikely to be supplying just this one group.

This isn’t within our jurisdiction, but we must be careful not to let this lead slip away. We can’t just ignore them and allow them to keep harming people. None of us have ever dealt with this before, so we don’t even know the extent of its harm to the human body.”

Huo Yan added, “From what Zhang Jiawen said, she frequents the club quite often. Now that we’ve detained her, if she’s absent for too long, those people at the club might grow suspicious.”

Dong Weifeng nodded; he had thought of this issue as well.

Those who engage in shady dealings for years know their money comes from less than honorable sources, so their vigilance is usually much higher than ordinary people’s.

After some deliberation, he made a decision. Since the matter involved multiple aspects, he sought approval from his superiors before finalizing the next steps.

“We’ll take a team over later, but you two must go separately,” Dong Weifeng cautioned Ning Shuyi and Huo Yan. “If too many people rush in at once, it will definitely raise their alarm.

We’re not as familiar with the layout of that building as they are. If we startle them, it’ll give them time to destroy evidence, and they might even warn others.

So the key now is to act discreetly. We have to quietly control the suspects, ensure we seize the evidence, and bring it back to the station. That way, cooperation between departments can proceed smoothly, including confirming the cause of Wang Yuluo’s death.

Once you arrive, you two should go ahead and reconnoiter—get a sense of the environment and the number of people inside. Then, find the right moment to let the rest of the team move in.

You’ll have to adapt to the situation and act flexibly.”

Ning Shuyi and Huo Yan readily agreed. After completing the necessary paperwork with Dong Weifeng, they notified their colleagues and set out for the business district.

On the drive over, Ning Shuyi sensed that Huo Yan wanted to say something to her, but he kept holding back.

She wasn’t particularly impatient, but she couldn’t stand someone hesitating like that, so she took the initiative to ask, “Is there something you want to tell me?”

Huo Yan’s expression turned a little awkward, but he nodded, “I do have a question.”

“Just say it. We’re colleagues—no need to be so hesitant,” Ning Shuyi said, amused and curious. She wondered what he could possibly want to ask that made him so uneasy. Surely he wasn’t going to ask to borrow money? That was her first guess.

After all, anyone willing to endure living long-term in the uncomfortable dorms provided by the department probably had some financial constraints.

Ning Shuyi didn’t know much about her new colleague’s personal situation, so she could only speculate based on common sense and experience. As for why he’d choose to approach her, it was simple: Huo Yan was new, hadn’t received his first month’s salary yet, and she was likely the person he’d interacted with most in the team. Maybe he really did have some difficulty and didn’t know whom else to turn to, hence his awkwardness.

Her mother had always told her, “Save at home, spend on the road.” At home, one could get by no matter what, but outside, every step cost money, and being short even a little could mean getting stuck.

Ning Shuyi even calculated her savings in her mind. She lived at home, didn’t spend much day to day—so even if Huo Yan needed to borrow all her money, she wouldn’t mind.

Huo Yan was focused on driving, so he didn’t notice Ning Shuyi’s probing or speculation. Having started, he simply voiced his question.

“When you were questioning Zhang Jiawen earlier, you said that after Wang Yuluo withdrew cash from the ATM and Zhang Jiawen deposited it into her own account, the cash’s serial numbers could be used to track its whereabouts. Was that true, or were you bluffing her?” he asked Ning Shuyi.

Ning Shuyi, who had been ready to nod and agree to be his creditor, was surprised. After all that hesitation, he was only asking about this, and although it related to money, it was entirely different from what she expected. She was momentarily stunned.

But she quickly recovered and smiled, replying, “It’s half true, half false. Technically, it is possible to trace the flow of funds using the serial numbers on the bills, but such methods are usually only employed in cases involving large sums.

With cash exchanges of a few thousand yuan between Wang Yuluo and Zhang Jiawen, the amount is too small. It can be traced, but there’s no need—it’s like using a cannon to shoot a mosquito.

But when bluffing someone, mixing truth and fiction is more convincing.”

Huo Yan nodded, satisfied, and said no more.

After a while, Ning Shuyi, seeing he had nothing further to say, asked, “You spent so long agonizing over this just to ask me that? Why not just ask? Why were you so hesitant?”

Huo Yan pursed his lips, looking a little embarrassed. “I was afraid you’d think I don’t know anything.”