My online dating circle has millions of followers, why would she put a collar on me?

Chapter 78 Uncle Zhao, take me to see Grandpa.

Even before dawn, the streets of Kyoto were already bustling with traffic during the morning rush hour.

The Audi A8L was parked on the shoulder of the VIP exit at the airport, the low idling sound of the engine like the soft breathing of a lurking beast.

Zhao Zhiguo sat in the driver's seat, his hands gripping the steering wheel.

His phone was resting on top of the dial, the screen still lit up. The last call in the call log was to "Zhao Jianmin," and the call lasted four minutes and twelve seconds.

In those four minutes and twelve seconds, he poured out almost all the swear words he had accumulated over his thirty-plus years as a police officer.

Zhao Jianmin didn't utter a single word of rebuttal on the other end of the phone, only saying at the very end, in a voice that sounded like he was about to cry:

"Director Zhao, I really didn't know his girlfriend was..."

"You fucking don't know? You don't know what kind of case you've been handling haphazardly?!"

"Fuck you, you idiot, how could I have such a moron in my life?"

Zhao Zhiguo yelled back like that, and after yelling, he hung up the phone and threw it on the passenger seat.

He covered his face with his hands and sat in the driver's seat for a full two minutes.

For two minutes, only one thought raced through his mind: It's over.

Forced confessions are not permitted.

What's more, this is the capital city!

Who gave him the guts?

Besides, who is that? That boy's girlfriend is Xia Anmian.

Xia Anmian had a falling out with her father because of this person.

She disguised herself as an ordinary college student just to prevent him from feeling inferior.

Then his subordinates arrested the man, got him to sign the confession, and made the case airtight.

As for Zhao Zhiguo, the director of the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau, he only found out after everything had settled down.

He suddenly pushed open the car door, and a blast of cold air rushed in, making him shiver.

He stood outside the car, lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and the spiciness of nicotine exploded in his lungs, barely suppressing the surging restlessness.

In the distance, a military aircraft is landing.

Zhao Zhiguo watched as the plane drew closer and closer, its tires scraping a wisp of smoke on the runway before it smoothly glided away.

His heart sank little by little as the plane landed.

He knew who was on that plane.

They also knew what they were about to face.

He stubbed out his cigarette, flicked the butt into a roadside trash can, straightened his collar, and got back into the driver's seat.

In the rearview mirror, his face looked ten years older than he actually was.

With puffy eyes, furrowed brows, and drooping corners of his mouth, he looked like an old cat soaked in the rain, unable to find its home.

When Xia Anmian came out of the arrival gate, Zhao Zhiguo almost didn't recognize her at first glance.

It wasn't because she had changed, but because she seemed too calm.

It was abnormally calm.

She was wearing a black trench coat over a dark gray turtleneck sweater, her hair was tied in a low ponytail, she wasn't wearing makeup, and there was a light layer of dark circles under her eyes.

She walked quickly but not hastily, each step steady and deliberate.

The suitcase rolled behind her with a gurgling sound, its wheels scraping against the asphalt.

She walked over, opened the passenger door, got in, and fastened her seatbelt.

The whole process was smooth and seamless, without any unnecessary words, polite greetings, or even a glance at him.

"Uncle Zhao, where is Jiang Yi?"

Her voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear.

Zhao Zhiguo's fingers tightened slightly around the steering wheel.

After cursing Zhao Jianmin a hundred times in his heart, he then cursed himself a hundred times.

Then he took a deep breath, picked up his phone from above the dial, scrolled to the message Zhao Jianmin had sent, and handed the phone to Xia Anmian.

"Take a look at this first."

Xia Anmian took the phone and glanced down at the screen.

The message was very short, only a few lines:

Director Zhao, the case has been closed.

The suspect, Jiang Yi, has confessed to the crime and signed a plea agreement.

The amount involved in the case is 2.9 million yuan, and a sentence of more than ten years is recommended.

Xia Anmian stared at those few lines of text, motionless.

The carriage was so quiet that you could hear the roar of airplane engines on the distant airport runway and the ticking of the clock on the dial.

one second.

two seconds.

three seconds.

Xia Anmian's eyelashes finally twitched.

She looked up at Zhao Zhiguo.

Those eyes were extremely empty.

Like two wells that have been drained dry, with even the silt at the bottom scooped out, leaving only a layer of dry, cracked soil.

"What does this mean?"

Her voice was still not loud, but Zhao Zhiguo knew that the calm was even more terrifying.

He had seen it before in Xia Anmian's father's portrait; the father and daughter looked exactly alike.

Of course, her father was also very devoted.

Zhao Zhiguo took the phone back from her and placed it on the dial.

He leaned back in his chair, looked at the hazy sky outside the windshield, remained silent for a moment, and then spoke.

His voice was hoarser and more tired than he had expected.

"Anmian, this was my fault."

Xia Anmian didn't reply or look at him; her gaze was fixed on a distant point outside the windshield.

Zhao Zhiguo's lips moved a few times, as if he was carefully choosing his words.

"Zhao Jianmin from the Zhongshan branch took Jiang Yi away from the Chaoyang branch last night."

He said the cases would be handled together, along with Jiang Miaomiao's.

I was busy with something else at the time and didn't notice.

That's a lie.

He knew that Zhao Jianmin from the Zhongshan branch and Lao Liu from the Chaoyang branch had a conflict.

He probably guessed what was going on right away.

But he couldn't say it.

At least speak out before the matter is thoroughly investigated.

What is the content of the confession?

Xia Anmian's voice interrupted his thoughts.

Zhao Zhiguo paused for a moment, then lowered his head.

"He admitted that he manipulated Jiang Miaomiao to commit fraud, that he made Jiang Miaomiao register an account using his photo, and that he instructed Jiang Miaomiao to chat with the victims, collect money, and transfer funds."

"He admitted to everything."

Xia Anmian remained silent for a moment.

He can't possibly admit it.

Zhao Zhiguo opened his mouth as if to say something, but Xia Anmian did not give him the chance.

"Given his personality, he'll admit to what he did, but he'll never admit to what he didn't do, even if it kills him."

Her voice remained calm, as calm as if she were analyzing a math problem.

"What methods did you use?"

Zhao Zhiguo's fingers tightened suddenly.

"Anmian, the interrogation process was conducted in a standardized manner."

"Director Zhao."

Xia Anmian interrupted him, her voice still not loud, but the way she addressed him changed from "Uncle Zhao" to "Director Zhao," and the temperature in her tone dropped by more than one degree.

"Look me in the eye and tell me the interrogation process was conducted according to procedure."

Zhao Zhiguo raised his head and looked into Xia Anmian's eyes.

Those eyes were calm, as calm as a lake without wind.

Zhao Zhiguo did not answer the question.

Because he couldn't answer.

He can lie, but Xia Anmian is no ordinary person.

Her father is the current head of the Xia family, and her grandfather is the root of the Xia family's great tree.

From the time she could walk, she has been dealing with the smartest, most cunning, and most deceptive people in the world.

Lying to her is like hiding a stone in front of an X-ray machine.

"That confession..."

Zhao Zhiguo spoke with difficulty, his voice hoarse as if sandpaper were rubbing against glass.

"It's already been added to the case file."

Xia Anmian's eyelashes trembled slightly. The movement was so subtle that Zhao Zhiguo would have completely missed it if he hadn't been watching her intently.

Xia An turned her head and looked out the car window.

This was the first time she panicked.

This is completely out of my control.

Although the Xia family's power is enormous, even comparable to that of the imperial relatives in ancient times.

But this is not ancient times after all.

In this era, everything must be done in accordance with rules and regulations.

No one is above the rules.

Moreover, there are several other families of similar stature to the Xia family, so the Xia family cannot achieve a monopoly.

"Is there any way to save them?"

After a fierce internal struggle, she still asked.

Zhao Zhiguo remained silent for a moment, and after a fierce internal struggle, he finally spoke:

"According to procedure, Jiang Yi's confession will be transferred to the procuratorate. We can hold onto the confession, but Jiang Yi will never be out of the running as a suspect. There's only one way to truly overturn the case..."

After saying that, Zhao Zhiguo fell silent.

Xia Anmian understood the meaning behind Zhao Zhiguo's words.

The program is correct.

Unless the evidence, specifically the confession, is problematic.

But he still signed the confession.

They want to overturn the verdict.

Then the police would have to admit that Jiang Yi signed the document "illegally".

This is Kyoto, after all.

Surprisingly, a confession was obtained through torture.

As the superior, Zhao Zhiguo certainly cannot escape responsibility.

Even if he knew his subordinates were at fault, as their superior, he would still help cover it up because he simply couldn't accept the outcome.

He reminded himself that he had done everything he could to reach this point.