Catch a White Knife Alive

After a short while, Liao Leader rushed over. I had already briefly explained the situation to him on the phone earlier. With a stern face, he said, "Song Yang, have you confirmed this properly? This is no joke. Is Bai Yidao really assisting the murderer?"

"Don't worry, he's in the hotel right now. We'll find out when we go up," I said.

We went to the front desk to ask which room Bai Yidao was in. Then Liao Leader divided the dozen or so officers he had brought with him into several small teams. They went upstairs via the stairs while we followed Liao Leader by elevator.

When we reached the floor, the police surrounded the room Bai Yidao was in from both sides of the hallway. Liao Leader had a server come up and knock on the door, "Sir, room service!"

"I don't need anything!" came Bai Yidao's brusque reply from inside.

The server looked at Liao Leader, who whispered some instructions. The server continued, "Sir, there seems to be a mistake with the identification you left at the front desk. The manager asked me to come verify it. Could you open the door for a moment?"

"Oh, just a second!" After a moment, the door opened, and over a dozen guns were instantly trained on Bai Yidao.

Bai Yidao was stunned by the scene outside the door. Acting on survival instinct, he reflexively reached for his gun holster. Liao Leader bellowed, "Bai Yidao, don't move! Put your hands up!"

"Liao Leader, what is this about?" Bai Yidao raised his hands, then saw the four of us and his expression instantly changed. "I see now. It must be these so-called consultants slandering me."

"Cut the crap. You know exactly what you've done," I said coldly.

"What have I done? I was just tired from work and got a room to rest. Is that illegal too?" Bai Yidao said.

Liao Leader waved his hand for someone to take Bai Yidao's gun and badge, and the police reluctantly handcuffed him. They usually had a good relationship with Bai Yidao. "Sorry about this, Brother Bai," they said apologetically.

"What are you doing? I'm calling my dad! Let go of me!" Bai Yidao struggled violently but was eventually cuffed.

We rushed into the room to search it but didn't find the Money Cat figurine. I lifted the mattress and saw shoe prints on the bed frame. Looking up, there was an air vent.

I stood on the bed, removed the vent cover, and reached inside. I immediately felt a bag, pulled it out and opened it to find a cat statue!

Everyone gasped. I took the cat out, which was very heavy, probably weighing a few dozen pounds. It seemed to be made of ceramic and was golden all over, exquisitely carved and extremely lifelike down to the whiskers. Its eyes were inlaid with jadeite gemstones, making it look as if the cat was watching you from every angle.

"What is this?" Liao Leader asked Bai Yidao.

"A crafts piece. A buddy gave it to me. Don't worry, it's definitely not an antique," Bai Yidao said disdainfully.

"Then why did you hide it in the air vent?"

"I was afraid someone would steal it. What's wrong with that?"

Liao Leader gave him an icy stare and ordered, "Take his gun and badge!"

With his hands cuffed behind his back, Bai Yidao struggled violently, yelling, "You guys are abusing your power! Liao Leader, tell me what law I've broken! Let me call my dad!"

I said, "Don't you know exactly what this is?"

Bai Yidao stared at me for a moment, then seemed to deflate like a popped balloon and let his colleagues take his gun and badge.

After Bai Yidao calmed down, Liao Leader poured him a glass of water and asked him to explain how he knew Yu Jun. Dejected, Bai Yidao said, "We were just acquaintances."

It turned out that three months ago after the previous case, Bai Yidao was assigned to question Yu Jun. At the time, Yu Jun had asked him for help with something. Yu Jun said the police had taken a crafts piece from the victim's home that the victim had borrowed from him. It was this cat figurine. Yu Jun said it was quite important to him, but he had no proof it belonged to him. Now the whole victim's family was dead, and according to legal procedures, unclaimed evidence like this would be disposed of by the court after a time limit.

Bai Yidao had seen this cat when he was investigating the case. Every detail Yu Jun described matched it exactly, so it clearly belonged to Yu Jun. Bai Yidao then agreed to help.

Yu Jun prepared a fake cat sculpture and had Bai Yidao switch it with the real one in the evidence locker. At the time, Bai Yidao didn't think much of it.

Later, when Bai Yidao heard from me that the cat was a cursed murder weapon, he was terrified. He called Yu Jun to confront him. By then, Yu Jun had just been questioned by us and knew he was a suspect.

Yu Jun told Bai Yidao they were now grasshoppers tied together on one rope. Either Bai Yidao helped him again, or they would both be finished!

Fearing he would lose his job and go to jail, Bai Yidao agreed. Yu Jun told him to go to the apartment building and wait. They met in the hallway, Bai Yidao took the Money Cat, and then checked into a hotel to hide it. He didn't expect Liao Leader to come with people so soon.

As he recounted this, I observed him the whole time. What Bai Yidao said was basically truthful. It seems he was pulled into this unknowingly, not intentionally assisting the killer.

But there was one thing I felt he hadn't explained clearly, so I asked, "Why did you agree to steal evidence for Yu Jun initially?"

Bai Yidao said casually, "No reason. I'm just the kind of guy who values friendship and brotherhood!"

I said, "You're a cop. Don't you know that theft and destruction of evidence are crimes?"

Bai Yidao looked confused. "There are crimes like that? You made that up!"

Liao Leader shook his head regretfully. "Little Bai, you're really muddled! Destroying and fabricating evidence carries 3 years minimum, up to 7 years maximum. You're sabotaging your own career! Tell the truth."

Intimidated by Liao Leader, Bai Yidao bit his lip and finally said, "Yu Jun is Wei Wei's uncle on her mother's side. After I marry Wei Wei in the future, we'll be seeing each other often. How could I not do him this favor?"

From his expression, I determined he was telling the truth.

Suddenly, there was a crisp slapping sound as Huang Xiaotao fiercely slapped Bai Yidao across the face, scaring everyone. She grabbed Bai Yidao and said viciously, "If you hadn't done him this little favor, this family of three might still be alive now! Not only did you switch the evidence, you didn't report your knowledge, and kept helping the villain. Don't you feel any remorse?"

Tears rolling down his face, Bai Yidao cried out, "Big sister, I really didn't know the crime was so serious. I only went to police academy for half a year. My dad pulled strings to get me in. After I knew this thing was the murder weapon, I was fucking terrified. What else could I do? I could only keep going down the wrong path!"

As he spoke, Bai Yidao hung his head and began sobbing uncontrollably, none of his usual arrogance remaining.

I couldn't help but sympathize with him a little. From beginning to end, he had been used by Yu Jun, then stepped by step to where he was today!