Captain Lu was aloof again today.

Chapter 156 Siblings
At the tender age of nineteen, she shouldn't have wasted her time at the dinner table.

Families like the Pei family, which are relatively poor and somewhat patriarchal, have always been harsh on girls.

Although Pei Jiacai never showed any outstanding talent in his studies, his parents were willing to sell everything they owned to support his education. On the other hand, the bright and intelligent Pei Dongmei, despite always being among the top students in her school, had to drop out of school early and lost the opportunity to pursue further education.

In the eyes of Pei's parents, girls don't need to study too much. Rather than spending more money to send Pei Dongmei to school, they would rather let her go out to work early and share some of the burden on the family.

Pei Dongmei was a clever and quick-witted girl. She knew that no matter what, she could not change her parents' deep-rooted prejudices, so she simply stopped trying—after all, in the end, it would all be for nothing.

She obeyed her parents' insistence, left school, and came from the countryside to work in the city. In the blink of an eye, a year has passed since she left school.

Fortunately, Pei Jiacai is a kind-hearted, polite, and sensible child. He saw and remembered his sister's sacrifices and compromises, and he and Pei Dongmei were very close.

Although he lacked academic talent, Pei Jiacai made up for it with hard work. He studied very diligently and was always the last student to leave the classroom during evening self-study sessions.

He could lose everything, but he didn't want his sister's efforts to be in vain.

Although Pei Dongmei felt regret and resentment, seeing how sensible Pei Jiacai was brought her some comfort.

If Pei Jia is the one who is spoiled, then Pei Dongmei's compromise would be meaningless.

Undeniably, there are many girls in this world who are far less fortunate than Pei Dongmei. Not only do they have to give up what they deserve, but they also have to face a family of origin that is like a vampire.

Fortunately, Pei Jiacai was not that kind of younger brother. On the contrary, he felt guilty towards his sister and knew how to be grateful.

Despite losing the opportunity to continue her studies and improve herself, Pei Dongmei is intelligent, beautiful, and a dazzling presence wherever she goes.

After leaving school, Pei Dongmei got a job as a receptionist at a high-end hotel through a friend's introduction. Because she was quick-witted and efficient, she was promoted very quickly.

At first, Pei Dongmei was very excited about this. At that time, she did not expect that this was the beginning of her stepping into the abyss.

The person in charge of this hotel is none other than the "good father" that the fat man keeps talking about.

The fat man's name is Hua Hengchen, and his cronies all call him "Brother Chen." His father, Hua Rongchang, is the general manager of Liyang Hotel.

Looking across the vast Tangzhou, Hua Rongchang was not exactly a big shot in the upper echelons of society, but he did have connections with the Yan family and worked for Yan Jiqian.

Even when beating a dog, you have to consider its owner. Even if Hua Rongchang is just a dog by Yan Jiqian's side, he can still stick out his tongue and hiss with his nostrils pointing to the sky.

A title is more useful than anything else; it's absurd, yet true.

Having somehow gotten wind of the situation, before Chen Jin had even gotten any results from his interrogation, Director Wang pushed open the door and walked in with a grave expression.

"Jingming, did you knock on the door of the Liyang Hotel's boss's son? What did he do wrong?"

Lu Jingming was writing something on a piece of paper. Upon hearing this, he paused slightly, raised his eyes calmly, and said ambiguously, "There is such a thing. Originally, it was just because he caused trouble in public, but now, things have become complicated."

"How is it complicated? Explain it clearly!" Director Wang said impatiently.

"I'm afraid I can't explain it clearly right now," Lu Jingming shrugged. "Please sit down, have a cup of tea to calm down, and we can wait until Chen Jin has finished asking him."

Seeing Lu Jingming so calm, Director Wang felt a little relieved and slowly took a sip of the hot tea on the table.

Just then, a policewoman emerged from another room with a brother and sister. Director Wang paused, his brow furrowing slightly, his previously relieved anxiety rising again: "These two are students, right? What's going on?"

"Let's wait until Chen Jin finishes interrogating Hua Hengchen before discussing the specifics," Lu Jingming maintained.

Director Wang paused for a moment, then blankly placed the teacup back on the table: "Jingming, why are you talking so cryptically today? Is there something I can't know?"

Lu Jingming paused for a moment, lowered his eyes slightly, and said calmly, "I just feel that the details of the matter are not yet clear, and there is no need to create more trouble."

Director Wang: “…”

This... they've brought people back for questioning, isn't this just creating more trouble?

Given Lu Jingming's usual composure, it wouldn't be a big deal if this guy didn't go to the execution ground a hundred or two hundred times.

Wei Qingsong peeked out from in front of the computer screen at the opportune moment, raising an eyebrow in a relaxed tone, and said, "Director Wang, you can rest assured that our Captain Lu is handling things properly. Don't you know him? He won't make things up or cause trouble before the facts are confirmed."

Having spent some time at the Municipal Bureau, she has come to know Director Wang somewhat.

Director Wang is undoubtedly a good person with a righteous heart, worthy of his police uniform. However, at his age and in his position, he has more to consider, and at many critical moments, he tends to hesitate and is unable to act decisively.

In Wang Ju's view, it's better to avoid trouble in many things; sometimes, learning to remain silent is also a kind of wisdom.

Such a way of life naturally runs counter to Lu Jingming's views. What Lu Jingming yearns for is true fairness and justice, not ambiguous whitewashing.

Lu Jingming had no right to criticize Director Wang. Director Wang was middle-aged and would retire in a few years. It was understandable that he didn't want to cause trouble.

Therefore, instead of telling Director Wang about these things and causing him more trouble, it would be better to investigate the whole story clearly before making a decision.

"Hey, what's wrong with you all today? If you have something to say, just say it."

Just as Director Wang was wondering what was going on, he glanced up and saw Xiao Song walking in from outside with several documents in his hand. His eyes lit up immediately, and he called out, "Xiao Song, tell me, what's the situation?"

Xiao Song was stunned by this sudden question. He stood there for several seconds before asking blankly, "What's going on?"

"It's that guy you guys caught, Hua Hengchen. Your Captain Lu said his situation is rather complicated, and I'd like to hear exactly how complicated it is."

Lu Jingming frowned slightly, about to say something, when Director Wang raised his hand to stop him: "All of you, don't speak. Xiao Song, you speak."

Xiao Song, an honest kid, looked at Director Wang's serious and stern face and answered without thinking, "Captain Lu said that Hua Hengchen is suspected of acting as an intermediary in a power-for-sex transaction, and the entire Liyang Hotel may also be involved. Brother Chen is interrogating him."

Director Wang's expression visibly froze. He suddenly turned to stare at Lu Jingming, who calmly returned his gaze and nodded almost imperceptibly.

After what seemed like an eternity, Director Wang finally spoke, his voice hoarse: "This is no small accusation, and it probably involves quite a few people. Do you have any evidence?"

Anyone associated with this crime is bound to be a high-ranking official or a powerful figure; the waters here run very deep.

Happy 2022! Wishing everyone all the best and good health in the new year.

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(End of this chapter)