The white rose I picked up cried and said she liked me.

Yuncheng, Municipal Public Security Bureau.

In an office on the second floor, there was a slightly yellowed note posted on the door.

"Border Case 122 Special Task Force"

The office was a scene of bustling activity.

"Zhang Feng! Do you know why I'm looking for you?"

"Yes, Deputy Director Zheng."

"Case 122, a year has passed! Still unsolved. What have you been doing, your task force?"

Zhang Feng frowned deeply, his hand holding the phone clenching silently.

"Deputy Director Zheng, we have made progress in the case. We have identified the suspect as a 20-year-old male named Ye Shengtian."

"In addition, this person is likely connected to a criminal gang case and multiple kidnapping cases."

"However, this person has a very strong counter-surveillance awareness, and we have not yet obtained the key evidence to convict him."

"Please give us some more time. Once we have the evidence, I will immediately apply for an arrest."

"That's enough!"

The voice on the other end of the phone faintly betrayed dissatisfaction and anger.

"Don't suspect anyone without sufficient evidence."

"Your preconceived notions are too strong. Go home and rest. I'll have someone else take your place as head of the task force."

Zhang Feng's expression was serious, and the veins on his arms gradually bulged.

He suppressed his anger and said in a deep voice.

"Deputy Director Zheng, I have been leading the investigation for a year. No one in the Municipal Bureau knows this case better than me."

"Changing the commander at the last minute is probably not a good idea."

He was extremely frustrated.

Watching his best comrade-in-arms, who had just started to have a happy family, sacrifice himself at the hands of smugglers.

He left behind a lonely wife and children, who spent their days in tears.

No one wanted to find the murderer and bring him to justice more than he did.

Solving a case is not a game of impulsive action; it requires evidence.

The other party remained silent for a while.

"I'll give you three more days."

"If this case cannot be resolved within three days, you will have to step down and let someone more capable take over."

He paused, then continued.

"The higher-ups are very concerned about this case. It has been unsolved for a long time, and they are demanding that we give them an explanation as soon as possible."

"You've been on the front lines of law enforcement for so many years, but you've never been able to get a high enough position or a low enough one. As your superior, I'd really like to promote you."

"If you handle this case well and give it a proper explanation, you'll be able to advance to a higher level before you retire."

"You should understand what I mean."

Deputy Director Zheng emphasized the phrase "has been explained" very much.

Zhang Feng hung up the phone in silence.

He lit a cigarette and continued to bury himself in the mountain of case files.

Just then, a young police officer rushed into the office and went straight to his workstation.

"Captain Zhang, there's been a major breakthrough in Case 122!"

Zhang Feng raised his head and rubbed his temples.

"Have they caught Ye Shengtian by the tail?"

The officer nodded, then shook his head.

"Yes is yes, no is no. What do you mean by that?"

Zhang Feng frowned.

"Captain Zhang, we have received evidence from an anonymous informant."

The officer hesitated before placing a document on Zhang Feng's desk.

"Case 122 was not committed by Ye Shengtian."

"Who is that?"

"It's a 20-year-old man named Xu Nian, the same person you and I mistakenly arrested two or three years ago."

"Impossible! What nonsense are you talking about!"

Zhang Feng slammed his fist on the table and stood up, glaring angrily at the young police officer.

"Do you think I don't know who Xu Nian is?"

"I know that everyone in the team has been busy all year and wants to close the case as soon as possible to go home for the New Year."

"But it's not like you can just drag someone out and falsely accuse them, and then call it a day!"

The officer was startled and quickly took a few steps back.

He pointed to the documents that had just been delivered.

"Captain Zhang... Captain Zhang, could you please take a look at this evidence?"

Zhang Feng glared at him, sat down, opened the brown paper bag, took out the contents, and carefully examined each item one by one.

The more he looked, the deeper his brows furrowed.

The time of the crime, eyewitnesses, witnesses... piece after piece of evidence pointed to Xu Nian, whom he believed could never have done anything outrageous.

The most crucial piece of evidence was a bloodstained dagger.

On it were Xu Nian's fingerprints and the blood of his fallen comrades.

"Where did you get this evidence?"

"Deputy Director Zheng asked someone to give it to me."

The police officer stammered through the tunnel.

Zhang Feng stroked his messy beard, frowned, and said in a deep voice.

"No, the evidence is flawed. I know Xu Nian; he's practically never left Yuncheng. How could he possibly go abroad to smuggle goods and even murder a border patrol officer?"

"Captain Zhang... Captain Zhang."

The police officer placed a photo in front of Zhang Feng.

"This is the exit record from the border inspection port an hour ago, along with a screenshot from the surveillance camera."

"Xu Nian has already left our country's border using a false identity."

"What?"

......

......

"Turn yourself in right away? Isn't that crazy, stupid, or mentally ill?"

"What those peasants love to do most is talk about evidence."

"Go abroad and bring back a batch of goods for me. Make sure you're in front of the cameras a bit more often. I'll take care of the rest of the evidence."

"Remember, the people came back, but the goods didn't, and we didn't get a single penny."

"The goods came back, but the people didn't, so we still haven't received a single penny."

"I will only give you what you want once both the people and the goods have returned."

"Don't even think about changing your story or repenting later. I know exactly which hospital room your sick sister is in..."

Ye Long's words lingered in my ears, unable to calm me down for a long time.

Xu Nian sat in a van, bumping along the rugged mountain road.

He gazed out the window at the unfamiliar foreign scenery, his vision gradually blurring.

This journey is one of no return.

The path of life and death is a one-way street with no return; do not look back.

He never thought of turning back.

"How much longer until we arrive?"

He looked at the driver's seat and saw a masked man.

Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask.

The masked man said coldly.

Xu Nian gave a self-deprecating smile and silently tightened her grip on the briefcase in her hand.

Ye Long said that this was the money he had made in a transaction with his contact.

If it gets lost, he won't be able to bring back the goods he needs.

He kept it carefully and never let it out of his sight.

The bread truck bumped along the way and finally stopped outside a small mountain village.

"I'll wait for you here for ten minutes."

The masked man raised his wrist and glanced at the time on his watch.

Xu Nian nodded slightly, opened the car door, and got out.

The damp, muddy road left footprints with every step.

As he trudged up the mountain, a dilapidated and simple village came into view.

Several villagers carrying shotguns had been waiting for him for a long time.

The villager in the lead was dressed much more elegantly than the others.

It seems to be their village chief.

"I'm here to pick up the goods."

Xu Nian walked up to them and said in a deep voice.

The village chief gave him a wary look.

"Where is the money?"

"What?"

Xu Nian frowned, unable to understand what he was saying at all.

As soon as he finished speaking, the other villagers immediately raised their guns and pointed them at Xu Nian.