146 The New Online Celebrity (1/2)
Eh?
He knew about this too?
Xiang Wan looked at him and nodded her head. ”Yes, I was so scared.”
Little Liu made a shocking expression and then gave her a thumbs up. ”It's fortunate that you're quick-witted… Otherwise, you'll be one of the victims…”
What did he mean? Could it be there were other victims last night?
”You've met a professional crime syndicate,” Little Liu said as he walked along, ”recently, there have been many cases of blackmail where the crime syndicate intercepted user data by exploiting the vulnerabilities in various call-a-cab apps. Captain Bai was busy the whole morning and has solved this case…”
”Ah!”
The case had been solved?
She realized that by just taking a rest, everything was as though changed drastically?
Xiang Wan was a little taken aback. ”So fast? You're joking, right?…”
It was certainly incredible. ”You're not the only one who encountered this,” Little Liu told her affirmatively, ”it was because the monetary amount involved were not big enough and that there were no serious consequences, so, it was not taken as seriously before. This crime syndicate has been very aggressive and it's a source of their main income! This time, they are considered unlucky to have met Captain Bai.”
So there are crime syndicates like that? she thought.
This was too scary.
When she reached her desk, she switched on her laptop and surfed using Baidu.
She was shocked.
It turned out that the things she had encountered for the first time were not new at all.
There were people who shared some cases where people got on the wrong car they booked and were being taken to desolate areas and got blackmailed…
They were already considered very lucky as the swindler only wanted money. What was more horrible was the victim themselves going missing where their organs were removed to sell to the black market and so on.
There were all sorts of incidents in the internet that made Xiang Wan felt frightened.
”Goodness! Are swindlers nowadays this 'capable' now?”
Xiang Wan felt really blessed that she did not get on that black car last night. Looking at these cases alone was enough to get a chilly feeling in her spine.
”Yeah, I didn't know that before,” said Xiang Wan, ”now that I hear them talk about it, I'm scared out of my wits!” Little Liu looked at her, his eyes suddenly lit up. ”But then again, Captain Bai is really concerned about this case. He has been busy with this case and didn't rest at all. He even said that he must bust this crime syndicate for the society…”
As he said so, he gave a chuckle and hesitated before glancing at Xiang Wan.
”Teacher Xiang… Somehow I feel that Captain Bai is very concerned toward you?!”
”…”
Seeing how Little Liu's eyes spell of gossip, Xiang Wan's heart was actually filled with sweetness but her expression was very normal.
”If you're the one who encountered this matter, Captain Bai will also do the same thing. Besides, I'm the female colleague in this team!”
Little Liu chuckled. ”You're right.”
After chit chatting for a little while more, both started to get busy with their own stuff.
About 10 minutes later, Xiang Wan's mobile phone received a message.
”Come to the office for a while!”
Uh! Xiang Wan curled her lips upon the arrogant tone of the message. She lowered her head and took out a small mirror to neaten her hair. After which, she got up from her seat and fixed her attire before walking over.
”Captain Bai, you're looking for me?” She knocked on the door politely while standing at the entrance.
Bai Muchuan met her gaze the moment he looked up at her as the door was wide open.
Xiang Wan saw his red eyes at that instant. She was stunned for a moment and suddenly felt a little heartache for him.
”Captain Bai, why didn't you go rest for a while?”
”Come in and talk!” Bai Muchuan took a casual glance at her and added another sentence after a brief moment. ”Close the door!”
Eh? Why do you want to close the door during the day?
Xiang Wan's heart skipped a beat as she thought so and looked at him a little suspiciously.
Bai Muchuan got amused by her wary look and laughed as he rubbed his temples.
”Teacher Xiang, I don't eat people!”
”…”
Xiang Wan pursed her lips a little shyly and closed the door gently before sitting in front of him. ”I heard that you've been busy solving my case the whole morning?”
”Hm.” Bai Muchuan raised an eyebrow. ”Are you moved?”
Xiang Wan's pupils moved and put on a half-smile. ”A little…”
”Only a little?” Bai Muchuan's face sank.
”How about… a lot,” Xiang Wan replied with a weak smile.
”How much is your 'a lot'?”
”…”
She stared at him as she couldn't answer that.
”You're hateful! Can't you talk about work?”
When a woman talked to a man in a coy tone and manner, it could actually stir a man's heart.
There was a hint of a smile from Bai Muchuan's eyes. ”Alright! I got the surveillance footage from the security in your neighborhood and found the car number plate of that car. From there, we managed to track down the syndicate and hence, solved the case.”
”Detective Bai solved the case in just a few hours time! That's really fast!”
Xiang Wan's eyes lit up as though she had just heard it and looked at him with admiration and surprise.
”You're really great.”
”Is Teacher Xiang complimenting me?”
”Of course.”
”Seems a little fake.”
”…”
This fellow! Xiang Wan did not know what kind of expression she should show.
She smiled helplessly before frowning as she asked him in a low tone, ”Have you interrogated them? What's the result?”
”It's a shame!” Bai Muchuan knew what she was asking about. ”As far as I know, they're just a group of swindlers that has nothing to do with the case.”
If they were not related, that meant Xiang Wan was just unlucky to have met them at this critical juncture?
Her heart sank but she put on a smile. ”You can't say that it's a shame since you've caught the swindlers anyway. Congratulations, Detective Bai, you've solved another case!”
Bai Muchuan did not say anything.
The office suddenly fell into silence.
Xiang Wan's smile did not last for three seconds.
She looked at Bai Muchuan's stern expression and rubbed her own face. ”Why are you looking at me like this? Is there something on my face?”
Bai Muchuan did not show much emotion. ”I can accept congratulations from others! But toward you, I don't want to lie to myself.”
He paused for a brief moment and he started to look gloomy. ”I don't believe such coincidences, yet I have no choice but to accept them. The more it looked like a coincidence, the more I feel that our opponent is really strong.”
That swindler syndicate had made use of vulnerabilities in the software to intercept user data for blackmail and extortion purposes.
Yet that person could cleverly make use of this group of swindlers to do harm through the hands of another without getting found out.
How was this done?
If that person really existed—it was certainly a fearsome existence!
”Actually, I would get a little confused from time to time,” Xiang Wan said seriously after giving it a thought, ”sometimes, I really feel that there's someone behind all of these cases. Yet sometimes, I felt that we might have been overly suspicious. If we follow the logic without the presence of that person, the cases can still seem normal and reasonable enough.”
”You're right!”
Bai Muchuan looked at her approvingly.
”That is why besides you, I've never told anyone about my suspicions.”
This was because every case actually had a reasonable closure.
Even though he had accounted to others about the cases, he could not account to himself.
”I'm a perfectionist to the cases I deal with. As long as there is a tiny doubt that did not make sense, in my heart, the case could not be considered closed.”
”I understand.” Xiang Wan fully admired and was in approval of his attitude and professionalism. Nevertheless, seeing how hard he worked and did not rest after staying up for one whole night, she really felt her heart aching for his man. ”Well, humans are not made of iron. Can't you go rest for a while then talk about work with me later?”
”I can't!” he answered curtly with determination.
Xiang Wan rolled her eyes, speechless. ”Why?”
Bai Muchuan looked at her coldly for a few seconds without replying to her. He extended his hand out to her.
”Come sit here—”
They were separated by a work desk.
There was only a chair over at his side, how was she going to sit over there?
Xiang Wan pondered for a while, got up from her seat, and pushed her chair over as well.
Bai Muchuan: ”…”
Xiang Wan: ”What's up?”
Bai Muchuan wore a half-smile while looking at her perplexed expression. ”Actually you can sit on my thighs.”
”!” Xiang Wan felt shy. ”This is the office, be serious!”
”This woman can't be teased!”
”… You're teasing me?”
”Of course.”
”… Hurhurhurhur!”
Bai Muchuan felt her response amusing and held her hand. His gentle gaze on her was tender and mesmerizing. Xiang Wan was unable to reject that. She could only let him hold her hand in his palms—under that gentle gaze and warmth, she smiled quietly like a silly girl in love.
”Still smiling?” Bai Muchuan almost laughed out of frustration. ”You don't have anything to tell me?”
”What?” Xiang Wan was still in her trance, defeated by his good looks.
Bai Muchuan grunted coldly. ”You're pretending!”
”… I'm not pretending!” She answered honestly, ”I really don't know what you're referring to!”
This woman is so silly that she's really adorable, he thought.
Bai Muchuan puffed a long sigh. ”So you're going to stop updating your novel just like that?”
Oh, he's talking about this.
Xiang Wan paused for a while and looked at him. She found herself suddenly at a loss of words.
”I'm talking to you.” Bai Muchuan pulled a long face. ”You've decided?”
”Hm.” Xiang Wan lowered her eyes to avoid his gaze. ”All of them don't know about the situation, but you should know why I did that… Now that something like that has happened, what else can I do? If I'm being watched, I can't be toying around with other people's lives, right?” At this moment, she looked up to take a glance at him. ”You understand me, right?”
Bai Muchuan looked calm and poised. ”Isn't it your wish to write a popular novel and become a popular or even become a legendary author one day?”
”Of course I want to!” Xiang Wan muttered and sounded a little grieved. ”I don't want to give up but I don't have a choice.”
Bai Muchuan patted her on the head. ”Sigh! What a pitiful idiot!”