With Chen Yinchu speaking, and everyone being excited, some people rushed to Sun Ling's desk as soon as class ended, before the teacher had even left.
Sun Ling had no choice but to take out the notebook she had recorded earlier and return money to everyone one by one.
"That bitch Chen Lishu is deliberately targeting me."
Thinking of the way everyone looked at her at the time, Sun Ling was so angry she almost gritted her teeth: "Don't let me get my hands on her, or I'll make her pay."
Jiang Yuwei frowned, "I told you this whole thing was unnecessary. You insisted on showing off, and now you haven't shown off, but you've fallen flat on your face, haven't you?"
Sun Ling hadn't expected things to turn out this way. Back in high school, everyone used to revolve around her and Jiang Yuwei. Who knew that this time, Chen Lishu and Zhang Xue would turn out to be such unexpected variables.
"She, Chen Lishu, is organizing 'English Corner' and working on academic atmosphere construction, stealing the spotlight from teachers and department leaders. She's just a bumpkin from the countryside, so why should everyone pay attention to her? I won't be satisfied unless I suppress her."
Jiang Yuwei, however, was somewhat dismissive, "You just said she's from the countryside, so why bother competing with her over these trivial matters? Besides, you need to be strategic when you do things. If you just blindly imitate her, you'll only mess yourself up."
Sun Ling stopped when she heard her words, "Yuwei, do you have a good idea?"
Jiang Yuwei revealed a confident smile, "Ultimately, students are judged by their grades. I'm determined to get the first place scholarship this year."
Upon hearing about academics, Sun Ling's shoulders slumped, and she said with a hint of dejection, "You know what my grades are like. This path is definitely not viable."
"Then strive to study hard! It's a good thing that university courses aren't as numerous as high school subjects, and no one knows how you performed before."
"I think I'll pass. As soon as I see a book, my head starts to hurt." Sun Ling said as she tugged at Jiang Yuwei's sleeve and chuckled, "You can let me copy your papers then."
...
"How is the investigation progressing? Has the suspect confessed any useful information?" At the police station, Director Liu Lijiang sternly inquired of the officers present.
Yang Shuang stood up and reported, "Zhao Xiue is as tight-lipped as a clam. No matter how we question her, she refuses to say anything."
Liu Lijiang slammed the table twice, the veins on his neck bulging, "If she won't talk, can't you think of ways to make her talk? Do you know that if we don't get the child back, we'll all be in trouble?"
"Someone confirmed that it was a man, Zhao Xiue's husband, who took the child. But that man has already fled with the child, leaving only Zhao Xiue. And she's stubbornly refusing to talk. The child who was rescued earlier went to identify her, but Zhao Xiue insisted it had nothing to do with her and refused to confess," another police officer said, frowning, clearly troubled.
They knew that Zhao Xiue's stubborn silence was just to buy time for her husband.
"It's been three days since this happened. The longer it drags on, the harder it is to find the person, especially since this time it's the child of a high-ranking official. If the person isn't found, I'll have to pack my bags," Liu Lijiang said, looking at Yang Shuang, "Didn't you say there was a university student who rescued a child? What about her identifying Zhao Xiue?" The rescued child was too young to testify against Zhao Xiue.
"The school said she took leave to go back to her hometown. I'll go check on the situation again today."
"Alright, you go back there quickly and try to break Zhao Xiue's silence as soon as possible..."
After receiving the order, Yang Shuang did not delay and went to Chen Lishu's school again.
"I'm truly sorry to disturb your class. I came here once before, and your classmate said you took leave to return to your hometown."
Chen Lishu smiled, "There was a family matter, so I took leave. Officer Yang, is there something you need?"
Yang Shuang did not hide his purpose and briefly explained why he had come, then looked at Chen Lishu and said, "So, I'd like to ask for your help in identifying her."
Chen Lishu readily nodded, "This is our duty as citizens."
After asking her teacher for leave, Chen Lishu went to the police station with Yang Shuang.
She still had some impression of Zhao Xiue. With someone identifying her, Zhao Xiue's initial侥幸心理 was finally shattered, and she began to truthfully confess the details of the case.
Chen Lishu was seated on a long bench outside the interrogation room, so she could cooperate if needed.
After a while, the door of the interrogation room opened, and Yang Shuang and another male colleague emerged with grim expressions.
"This woman is really something! Even in this state, she's still refusing to budge and insisting on taking all the blame herself!"
On the way, Yang Shuang had already told her the general situation. Chen Lishu guessed from their expressions that things might not have gone smoothly.
"Officer Yang, can I go now?"
Yang Shuang forced a smile, "Yes, I'll see you out."
As they walked out, Chen Lishu casually asked, "How is little Ruirui now?"
"He's temporarily been sent to a shelter." Thinking of Zhao Xiue's confession, Yang Shuang couldn't help but sigh, "She said she abducted him on the train and doesn't know the exact location. Without finding his biological parents, he'll likely end up in a welfare home."
Chen Lishu fell silent upon hearing her words. As they walked out the main entrance, she couldn't help but say, "If that woman still refuses to confess, I have a way we can try."
Technology was not as advanced as it is now, with surveillance cameras everywhere, and the media was not as developed, so public cooperation could not be fully mobilized. Once a person absconded, it was like a stone sinking into the sea. The longer the time dragged on, the dimmer the hope became.
Yang Shuang couldn't help but ask curiously, "What way?"
"She's determined to protect her husband, isn't she? Why don't you trick her by saying her husband has been caught and that all the blame has been shifted onto her."
Chen Lishu abhorred such people. They were perfectly capable individuals, with hands and feet, yet they resorted to stealing other people's children. They deserved to be punished.
Yang Shuang's eyes lit up after hearing Chen Lishu's suggestion. After a hurried farewell, she turned and went back to the office.
Seeing Yang Shuang leave, Chen Lishu checked the time. It was past ten o'clock, nearing eleven. The school had already finished classes, and the next class wouldn't start until three in the afternoon. Since she wasn't very hungry, she remembered Liang Chunsheng's mention of the underground market. She found a bus stop and took a bus to Yanjiang Road.