Chapter 120: Chapter 56: I Like You, Be My Girlfriend (Please Subscribe and Vote for Monthly Tickets)
"Don’t think just because you’re police, you can suspect people at will. If you make baseless accusations like this, I can sue you." The man glared at Zhang Haiyang with false bravado.
"Mr. Liu, could you please state your ID number?" Zhang Haiyang’s tone grew heavier, his gaze seriously fixed on Liu Shifei.
"Police work isn’t easy, sir, please cooperate and just tell them your ID number," Luo Fei interjected, assuming the role of a helpful citizen.
"Yeah, hurry up, don’t delay the officers’ work, or disrupt everyone else’s meal." Other people in the restaurant also began urging the man to cooperate with the police.
"Enough, Shifei, just tell them your ID number!" The woman beside the man softly urged him after seeing the dissatisfaction among the crowd.
The man’s expression changed from one moment to the next, and then he turned to the woman and said, "Xiaoxi, go wait for me outside. I have something to say to the officers, I’ll come down soon and we can eat elsewhere."
"I’ll stay with you," the woman replied.
"Be good, go on ahead, I’ll be right down." The man pushed the woman gently as he spoke.
Though puzzled as to why the man insisted she leave, the woman’s reluctant demeanor finally gave way when faced with his resolute stance, and she went downstairs.
Zhang Haiyang and Liu Haiquan, seeing the man insistently send the woman away, became even more convinced that he was indeed a fraudster.
Once the woman was downstairs, the man’s expression noticeably relaxed.
"Officers, apologies for earlier. With my girlfriend present, a man likes to save face, I’m really sorry for any offense. Here, have a cigarette." The man’s attitude did a complete 180 as he offered cigarettes to Zhang Haiyang and Liu Haiquan.
This sudden change left everyone at the scene dumbfounded.
Luo Fei was secretly amazed as well. No wonder the guy could pull off scams, with a quick change of face and sharp reactions like that.
"Hurry up and give us your ID number?" Zhang Haiyang had completely run out of patience; had it not been for uncertainty about the man’s identity, he might have been taken in by his behavior.
"Why are you stalling? Hurry up, don’t tell us you forgot your ID number," Liu Haiquan urged impatiently.
At this point, Liu Shifei cursed inwardly. What was supposed to be a simple meal turned into a run-in with the police trying to catch a thief. Being caught in such an unnecessary disaster was extremely annoying, but it’s fortunate he managed to get Yuan Jie outside, otherwise, he would’ve been finished tonight.
"xxxxxxxxx" Seeing that there was no way out, Liu Shifei honestly stated his ID number.
Soon, the police station checked the ID number and informed Zhang Haiyang.
After taking the call, Zhang Haiyang coldly looked at Liu Shifei and asked, "What did you say your name was just now?"
Liu Shifei quickly offered a smile, "My real name is Hu Jian. Liu Shifei is just my online name since people normally call me that. I just instinctively said Liu Shifei earlier. I’m really sorry, officers, I didn’t mean it."
"Was it really a habit or intentional?" Zhang Haiyang looked at Liu Shifei with cold eyes.
"It’s really a habit. I have no reason to lie to you, officers," Liu Shifei said somewhat ingratiatingly.
"You just said you run a business and opened a company, is that right?" Zhang Haiyang continued to ask.
"It’s just a small company writing programs for others. No employees, not registered online, no office. I just contact clients when needed and earn a middleman’s fee." Liu Shifei explained.
"And your girlfriend just said you’re a big boss?"
"I’ve only been with my girlfriend for a short time, so she doesn’t really know me yet."
"So you’ve been lying to your girlfriend to make her think you’re a big boss, right?"
"I’ve actually wanted to explain everything to Xiaoxi, to tell her that I’m not some big boss. But my male ego keeps getting in the way, making me afraid to lose face. If Xiaoxi found out the company is just a facade, she might leave me, so I’ve been delaying saying anything." Liu Shifei’s words sounded deeply earnest.
The surrounding patrons, unaware of the situation, started to understand why the man didn’t want the police to check his ID – it was to save face in front of his girlfriend.
Even Zhang Haiyang was now starting to doubt whether it was merely pride and vanity that led Luo Fei to mistake the man for a scammer.
Now, Zhang Haiyang and Liu Haiquan found themselves in a dilemma because they weren’t sure if the man’s story was true or false. If they made a mistake and the man pursued it, it would be difficult to handle.
The man’s explanation nearly deceived everyone except for Luo Fei.
Luo Fei didn’t expect the guy to react so quickly, practically inventing such a tightly woven story without any apparent flaws.
"Beep"
A screenshot message came in from Zhang Yao, the squad leader of the Cybersecurity Brigade. A lot of pictures.
Just as the man gave his ID number, Luo Fei sent it to Zhang Yao, the squad leader, asking him to check Liu Shifei—no, Hu Jian’s—chat history and online transaction information.