Names: Uncle Zhao Mengsheng, Father-in-law Pei Yihong

Based on just a few words, Qi Tongwei didn't believe that the person making the call was Chen Shan.

If it were Chen Shan himself making the call, why would he need to use a voice changer?

Isn't that like scratching an itch with six fingers, adding an extra step?

"Okay, even if you are Chen Shan," Qi Tongwei immediately followed up, "Where are you?"

The main strategy is to stall for time.

"Hehe!" The mechanical voice on the receiver paused for a moment. There were indeed car sounds and wind noises in the background. "I'm in the car. Governor Qi, don't worry."

Qi Tongwei and Gao Yuliang both felt it was a bit outrageous.

"I want to turn myself in." The mechanical voice on the other end suddenly changed tone, as if deliberately dragging out the last syllable, "I don't trust anyone else, I only trust Hou Liangping."

That's even stranger.

Call Qi Tongwei and ask for Hou Liangping.

Not right.

Gao Yuliang took off his glasses, wiped the lenses, and put them back on, without glancing at Qi Tongwei once throughout the entire process.

He kept staring at Qi Tongwei's phone.

Qi Tongwei asked Chen Yang his birthday, but Chen Yang couldn't answer.

It was obvious that Qi Tongwei concluded that the person making the call was not Chen Shan.

If it really is Chen Shan, how could he not know Chen Yang's phone number?

Qi Tongwei sneered, "Then call Hou Liangping. Why are you calling my cell phone when you're looking for a monkey? You're just bored."

"Hou Liangping's phone is busy," the caller said.

It's getting more and more interesting.

Gao Yuliang suddenly spoke up, "Oh, you're Chen Shan?"

I am Gao Yuliang. I don't care where you are, turn yourself in as soon as possible.

Gao Yuliang thought that since it wasn't Chen Shan himself, he would play around with him and see who the caller really was.

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone.

The mechanical sound disappeared.

Instead, a voice, tinged with sobs and sounding somewhat weary, was heard.

My throat felt like it had been sanded with sandpaper—dry, hoarse, and filled with despair.

"Secretary Gao, Teacher Gao, I can't go back."

I've turned myself in, can you let me go?

You are all liars.

Little Jinzi came, and our deputy minister is gone. Now we have nothing.

The sounds grew increasingly urgent, like a drowning person struggling.

"Your father is Chen Yanshi, and you also have parents and Chen Hai." Gao Yuliang was also certain that the person on the phone was not Chen Shan.

"Even if I get out in the future, will the Chen family acknowledge me? Will my father acknowledge me? He's been the most aloof person his whole life. I'm finished, Teacher Gao."

Gao Yuliang laughed, "Go to the nearest public security bureau and turn yourself in."

"Turn yourself in? Heh? Let Hou Liangping come find me." The voice on the other end suddenly fell silent, unusually calm.

Then came the sound of champagne being popped. "I'm only giving the monkey fifteen minutes."

"After these fifteen minutes, you'll never find me, Chen Shan, in your lifetime."

"Wait a minute," Qi Tongwei interrupted. "Since you're Chen Shan, and you have Hou Liangping's phone number, why don't you contact Hou Liangping yourself? Why do you need us to relay your message?"

"Governor Qi, as I said, Hou Liangping's phone is busy. Let him answer my call. You only have fifteen minutes." The call ended.

Qi Tongwei and Gao Yuliang exchanged a glance, but neither of them spoke.

Outside the car window, the light from the streetlights swept by, casting flickering shadows on the two people's faces.

Gao Yuliang looked at the call duration displayed on the screen—four minutes and thirty-seven seconds.

"Tongwei, what do you think?"

Qi Tongwei's fingers tapped rapidly on his knees as his mind raced through various possibilities.

"Teacher, let me call Hou Liangping first."

"Alright! Tongwei, hurry up and call!" Gao Yuliang urged.

Make the call.

Sure enough, Hou Liangping's phone was busy.

Qi Tongwei hung up and dialed again.

Still busy.

the third time.

Still busy.

Qi Tongwei threw his phone on the seat and cursed, "Who the hell is that monkey calling? And the line's busy!"

Gao Yuliang adjusted his glasses. "Are you sure that's Chen Shan?"

"I'm not sure," Qi Tongwei shook his head. "But he knows about Chen Yang. He knows Chen Yang bought me sneakers back then. But he doesn't know Chen Yang's birthday."

"It's also possible that Chen Shan told someone else." Gao Yuliang's voice was calm. "Tongwei, we can't gamble now. What if he is Chen Shan? What if he has something we don't know about? What if he really wants to turn himself in to Monkey?"

It's unlikely, but what if it is?

Qi Tongwei took a deep breath. "Teacher, you're right."

Then, Qi Tongwei dialed a number and said, "Contact Handong Mobile to verify this number. Yes, it's the number that called me."

It took less than two minutes.

The other party called back, "Governor Qi confirmed it; it was indeed a call from a Southeast Asian country. It wasn't a caller ID spoofing software."

"Okay, thank you. Monitor Hou Liangping's number for me. Cut off Hou Liangping's cell phone signal after one minute, for ten seconds, and tell me the activity trajectory of Hou Liangping's cell phone number." Qi Tongwei felt that this arrangement was more reasonable.

Gao Yuliang didn't speak, but tapped his knee lightly with his fingers twice.

"Teacher," Qi Tongwei lowered his voice, "I have an idea."

"Speak," Gao Yuliang said, finding the idea somewhat interesting.

"Someone is impersonating Chen Shan. We'll play along." Qi Tongwei felt that the caller might be covering something up. "No matter who he is, he says he only trusts Hou Liangping, so let's get him to contact Hou Liangping."

"The problem is that the line is busy right now," Gao Yuliang shook his head.

"Teacher, let's witness a miracle together." Qi Tongwei's lips curled into a smile. "Ten seconds is enough. You can call the monkey in a bit."

Gao Yuliang took off his glasses. "Tongwei, okay."

Gao Yuliang took out his phone and contacted Hou Liangping.

This time, the phone was answered after one ring.

"Hello! Hello! Can you hear me?"

Gao Yuliang sighed, "Monkey, I'm not deaf, I can hear you! Why is your phone always busy?"

"I'm chatting with Xiao Ai, telling her stories." Hou Liangping's voice sounded a little tired. "What is it?"

"You just received a call from overseas, and they'll call again in a bit," Gao Yuliang said calmly. "There might be clues about Chen Shan, so you must keep a close eye on him. Don't let anything slip."

"Okay, teacher." Hou Liangping felt that the credit was already his.

I'm inexplicably a little excited.

Telling stories to Zhong Xiaoai to lull her to sleep is so boring!

"Use job titles when you're at work." A high-ranking position instantly comes to mind.

"Okay, Secretary Yuliang." Hou Liangping felt that the form of address wasn't that important.

They thought Gao Yuliang was too pretentious.

Hou Liangping leaned back in the passenger seat, his brows furrowed.

Lin Huahua, sitting in the back row, leaned forward. "Director Hou, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing. Secretary Gao said I received a call from overseas, which might be related to Chen Shan." Hou Liangping texted Zhong Xiaoai, saying he had an important arrest mission, and added a big smiley face.

Zhong Xiaoai replied with a crying face and a message: "Monkey, I'm going to Handong in a few days. Hold me and tell me stories then."