Chapter 22 Hope

Since Jia Wenjun entered the detention center, she had grown accustomed to being interrogated once or even several times a day.

Except for adamantly maintaining her innocence, she provided absolutely no information.

This was what she and Wu Peng had discussed and decided to do. Before finding any favorable evidence, remaining silent would buy some time, giving Wu Peng a buffer period to implement their plan.

But this period was limited. She knew the real mastermind was still watching her like a hawk. As long as she wasn't sentenced or killed, they would continue to scheme behind her back. She didn't know if her plan could outrun their machinations.

Judging from the series of moves orchestrated by the mastermind, if they deliberately had the police "find" conclusive "evidence," she would not only be wrongly convicted but also receive an additional six months as a penalty for remaining silent.

So, she was gambling now, gambling that her plan would succeed, gambling that Wu Peng would do everything he could to help her, and gambling that Heaven would open its eyes.

If she won the gamble, her silence would lead to her immediate release.

For the first fifteen days, she would be housed in the transition ward. The conditions weren't terrible, but they certainly weren't comfortable.

It was her fifth day here. On her first day, the duty officer had explained the rules: every newcomer had to write a daily summary and memorize the handbook on the rights and obligations of detainees. Arguing was a violation, and fighting was a serious violation that would result in punishment. So, the other women in her cell didn't make things difficult for her; they just did their own thing.

In here, you could write letters, but each letter had a word limit and had to be inspected before being sent. She knew Wu Peng would come every day or two, so she didn't plan to write to her parents. She would have him pass on the messages, so they wouldn't have to see a letter with the words "detention center" on it, which would only add to their grief.

These days, her daily routine consisted of getting up at 6:30 a.m., lining up to use the toilet, lining up for breakfast at 7:30 a.m., morning exercise and shouting slogans at 8:00 a.m., and then returning to the cell to do chores.

From 9:00 a.m. onwards, she could be summoned for interrogation at any time.

In the first two days after she arrived, she was interrogated five or six times a day. After she met with Wu Peng, whether it was because Wu Peng had pulled some strings or because she had remained silent, the number of times she was interrogated decreased. Yesterday, she was only interrogated once.

Today, just after finishing the morning exercises, the warden came to tell her that someone had come to visit.

She knew Wu Peng should be coming today, because she should know the answer today as to whether the plan would succeed.

Jia Wenjun smoothed the corners of her clothes, straightened her back, and followed the warden out.

Wu Peng was already waiting outside when Jia Wenjun came out.

She seemed to have lost more weight in the two days since he last saw her.

"Lawyer Wu," Jia Wenjun nodded at him.

Wu Peng looked at the face that resembled the one in the photo but had become gaunt, and he felt a pang of sympathy.

He shifted his gaze away from her face and took out a pair of slippers from his bag. "Miss Jia, these are your slippers."

"Thank you, you've gone to a lot of trouble." She saw that the slippers were the comfortable kind with thick, soft soles.

"It's my duty." After a pause, he asked, "Do you… need anything else, like food?"

Jia Wenjun hadn't had much of an appetite these days, and she didn't really care. Her mind was only focused on the situation outside.

She looked at Wu Peng and said, "The food here is quite balanced. You don't need to bring me anything. What about the thing I told you about last time?"

Wu Peng knew she was anxious and briefly explained the situation. Qian Ge had been arrested, and the things Anna had hidden were found downstairs. All of this was based on the clues Jia Wenjun had provided. Wu Peng tried to describe the whole process in as much detail as possible, but he omitted the fact that he had participated in the arrest and had several scrapes on his body from the fight.

Jia Wenjun listened with excitement. This result was even better than she had predicted. What surprised her even more was what Teacher Lin had said about hearing the sound of another ship.

If people from another ship had boarded the Seashell, it would explain the person impersonating her in the video. After all, Zhao Di was the only one on the ship who was similar in build to her.

And Zhao Di had been pushed off. Who else could impersonate her?

Teacher Lin's willingness to testify gave Jia Wenjun even more hope. This was truly an unexpected joy.

Jia Wenjun knew that Wu Peng must have put in a lot of effort for things to go so smoothly. She was truly grateful for his help, but at the same time, she was a little confused. Why was he helping her so much? After all, Lawyer Liu had made it clear to her that the odds were not in her favor, so they shouldn't be putting so much energy into it.

Her previous plans were beyond the scope of Wu Peng's job, so she was gambling on whether Wu Peng would help her. Now that he had helped, and even more than she had expected, she was grateful but also uneasy.

She didn't know if her mindset was normal, but having seen too much of the dark side of human nature on the ship, she could only subconsciously assume the worst of people.

She looked at the young man in front of her and wondered: Was he one of the mastermind's people?

Thinking back to everything he had done since she met him, it didn't seem like he was trying to harm her.

She gritted her teeth. There was no one else she could turn to for help. She would trust him. Although she didn't know why he was helping her so much, as long as he was willing to help, she wouldn't give up any opportunity.

After Wu Peng finished speaking, he urged her, "The police may ask you to sign a document extending your detention in a couple of days, because the situation involved in your case is quite complicated. The extension could be anywhere from half a month to a month."

"Do I have to sign it?" Jia Wenjun asked.

"Most likely, yes. Once the extension period is over, the prosecutor will interrogate you. The prosecutor only has seven days, and during this time, the approval department will ask you if you plead guilty. In short, if evidence of your innocence is found within thirty-seven days, you can be released."

If they couldn't find it, she would go to jail.

Wu Peng didn't say the last sentence, but she understood. If they couldn't find any evidence, she would still be convicted even if she didn't plead guilty.

Jia Wenjun clenched her fists, and a flash of panic and bewilderment crossed her eyes. These short thirty-seven days would determine the rest of her life.

But when she looked at Wu Peng outside, the panic turned into hope.

As long as she didn't give up, there was always hope.

She hadn't given up, and the person helping her hadn't given up. Until the last second, no one knew who would win. Now was not the time to be afraid. She had to plan carefully in this short period of time. Even if she failed in the end, she would make the mastermind pay the price!

Wu Peng was afraid that she would be too frustrated, so he continued to comfort her. "Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Our situation is slowly improving, and the police are racing against time to investigate the case. Your chances of winning are much higher than before. Besides, the information you provided earlier was also helpful. I'll try to find a way with Lawyer Liu to see if we can get you released on bail after thirty-seven days."

Jia Wenjun listened carefully and forced a smile. It seemed that Heaven wasn't too unkind to her. At least the lawyer she had chosen was really good.

She looked at him, her eyes filled with determination and gratitude. "Okay, I believe you."

Wu Peng was stunned by her smile. She said she believed him.

Back then, that woman was just like her, clearly in a desperate situation, but still calm and composed, smiling gently and comforting him, who was flustered and helpless, saying that she believed in him, saying that he would definitely become a strong and upright man in the future.

Now, looking at the woman inside, he seemed to have returned to twenty years ago, when he was a small boy who couldn't keep his mother, who was plagued by illness. But now, he had become a man, and he wanted to do everything he could to help the woman in front of him.