Police officer Chen Shu.

Evening, interrogation room of the Zhongshan Police Station's case-handling center.

Chen Shu, Zhu Chaoran, and Zhang Yun sat down in their original seats.

Chen Shu's sharp eyes subtly re-examined Zhang Yun, noticing that after an afternoon of detention, Zhang Yun looked tired and strained, his body tense.

"First time being put in the police station's detention room, huh? How's it going, getting used to it?" Chen Shu sneered.

Zhang Yun shook his head and remained silent.

"Consider it an eye-opening experience. Want something to eat?" Chen Shu placed the steaming hot food, fresh from the police station's canteen, on the small square table attached to the armrest of the interrogation chair in front of Zhang Yun.

Zhang Yun shook his head and remained silent.

Chen Shu's heart sank; this guy had probably already decided to keep fighting to the death.

After putting down the food, he didn't return to the interrogation table. Instead, he moved a small chair from the corner and sat down next to Zhang Yun: "Making money isn't easy these days. It's a waste if you don't eat."

Zhang Yun lowered his head slightly and remained silent.

The interrogation returned to where it all began.

The middle-aged man possessed decades of rich life experience. While it was somewhat regrettable that the initial raid hadn't succeeded, he was likely now on his guard. Unless direct evidence emerged, further words would be of little use...

Chen Shu remained unfazed, casually asking, "Only two kids in your family?"

Zhang Yun answered truthfully, "That's right."

The language is simple, with no superfluous words.

Chen Shu didn't seem to care and continued chatting: "I heard from the two guys next door that your two sons are doing very well in school. One is the class monitor, and the other is... what was it again?"

Here's a bait, catch it...

Zhang Yun raised his head slightly, looked ahead, and his eyes lit up: "Squad leader."

Chen Shu clapped his hands loudly and affirmed, "Excellent!"

Zhang Yun straightened his back a little and raised his head slightly.

"Once you get into university and enter society, you'll definitely be respectable people! Unlike you two, who are crammed into a small room and suffering from odd jobs everywhere," Chen Shu continued to flatter.

Zhang Yun clearly benefited from it.

Chen Shu smiled and sighed, "You two are working in another city, who will take care of them? Your parents? It's not easy for them to get such good grades!"

Zhang Yun became more talkative: "Yes, my mom raised them. They've been sensible since they were little, and their teachers often call their mom to praise them."

"It's just a pity their father was a thief." Seeing that the groundwork was almost laid, Chen Shu poured cold water on their enthusiasm without any hesitation.

Confused by the sudden blow, Zhang Yun did not react with the agitation Chen Shu had expected. Instead, she lowered her head, her lips trembling, and murmured softly, "I didn't, I'm not a thief..."

Seeing Zhang Yun's dazed expression, Chen Shu thought for a moment, took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, lit one, took a few puffs, and then turned to ask, "Want one?"

Zhang Yun shook his head and lowered his head even further.

Chen Shuxin felt a pang of pity, so he took out another cigarette and placed it in front of Zhang Yun: "I'll leave it here. Let me know if you want to smoke it."

"Brother Shu, give me one," Zhu Chaoran interjected from the interrogation table.

Chen Shu, who was sitting next to Zhang Yun and had been staring at him, suddenly noticed that while Zhu Chaoran was speaking, Zhang Yun's eyes quickly glanced towards the interrogation table a few times.

"There's potential..." Chen Shu raised an eyebrow and said, "Come and get it yourself."

Zhu Chaoran didn't stand on ceremony. He jumped off the interrogation table, walked quickly to Chen Shu, and grinned as he opened his palm.

Chen Shu first picked up the food from the small square table and placed it in his hands, then took out the pack of cigarettes from his pocket and stuffed it into his police trousers, saying with a smile, "Go outside and eat first. Share the cigarettes, and smoke less yourself. Go on, and remember to close the door behind you."

Zhu Chaoran hurriedly carried the food out, saying, "I know!"

To avoid hurting the fat man's fragile ego, they always had to find a suitable excuse to get rid of him. This time, the fat man would probably keep them occupied for a while. But just in case... watching Zhu Chaoran walk out of the interrogation room, Chen Shu felt a huge weight lifted from his heart.

He stood up, walked to the door of the interrogation room, closed the door, hesitated for a few seconds, and then locked the door from the inside.

"Click-clack".

The mechanical sound of the door locking was incredibly clear and crisp in the small, quiet interrogation room.

Zhang Yun raised her head, her expression one of disbelief and even a hint of fear, and stared straight at Chen Shu.

They probably thought I was going to use torture to extract a confession, and that's exactly the effect I wanted... Chen Shu chuckled to himself, a mischievous thought creeping onto his mind.

He deliberately swayed and strolled over to Zhang Yun.

As he slowly approached, step by step, Zhang Yun's expression...

Suddenly, he kicked the leg of the interrogation chair hard.

"Bang!"

The interrogation chair's four legs were welded to the wooden floor, so Chen Shu's heavy kick did not knock it over or move it even an inch.

However, the loud noise startled Zhang Yun, who had been staring at Chen Shu and following his movements. Zhang Yun's body jolted violently, and he slumped into his chair.

Without stopping, Chen Shu moved an empty chair over and smashed it right in front of Zhang Yun.

"Bang."

Zhang Yun was startled and stared at Chen Shu with terrified eyes, but couldn't utter a word.

After sitting down decisively, Chen Shu stared into Zhang Yun's eyes and said, word by word, "Now that things have come to this, you and I both know that you stole the phone."

Chen Shu spoke with certainty, but it was actually a bluff. His statement, seemingly a natural statement, was in reality a rhetorical question in his mind.

He wouldn't let a bad person get away with it, but he also couldn't wrong an innocent one. Although the truth was pretty much confirmed, it was always better to be cautious... He stared at Zhang Yun, waiting for his reaction, thinking to himself.

Zhang Yun slumped back in the chair, his head drooping helplessly, his chin resting lightly on his chest, his hands loosely resting on his thighs, speechless.

Chen Shu knew in his heart that the person who stole the phone was definitely him.

He knew that Zhang Yun's last line of defense had been breached: "The other policeman has left. Now it's just the two of us. Say what you want to say."

Zhang Yun was silent for a moment, then sat up a little straighter and said softly, "Officer, if I take out my phone, will I be able to avoid going to jail?"

This middle-aged man in his forties, dressed simply, had a sallow, thin face covered with wrinkles like tire tracks, and his sunken eyes revealed a look of sorrow, confusion, and earnestness.

Chen Shu's tone softened, and he leaned forward, patting Zhang Yun's shoulder: "A country has its laws, and a family has its rules. I know your concerns, and I believe you were just confused for a moment. Hand over your phone, and then come back to me to be punished after your two children have finished their summer vacation and gone back to their hometown."

Zhang Yun lowered her head and said softly, "Thank you, officer."