Chapter 8: Refusing to Back Down

Liu Yixiong was startled by the report and hurried out. What was that woman Lu Xiujuan trying to do?

“Are you sure she printed the postmortem examination report?”

“There’s a record on the computer. She definitely printed it.”

“Damn it! Didn’t you tell me she hadn’t done anything? How did this happen?”

“We didn’t know. Lu Xiujuan hardly ever says a word. Who would’ve thought she’d secretly print the report?”

“Find her immediately. Make her hand it over. Hurry!” If he failed to settle this, Ma Guoliang would never let him off.

Liu hurried back to his office, shut the door and paced. Was Lu Xiujuan trying to get herself killed? Gao Lan’s body had already been cremated; nothing remained, and no one could discover she had been sexually assaulted before her death. But if the postmortem examination report appeared in court, even Ma Guoliang would be in serious trouble, let alone Liu.

Realizing how serious it was, he made another call. “Find Lu Xiujuan. Make her hand it over, then find somewhere to make her… disappear. Quickly!”

The person on the other end shook so hard he nearly dropped his phone. “Y-yes, Director Liu.”

“Be quick and leave no mess. I’ll take care of your promotion to section chief next year.”

“Really? Good, good! You can count on me. I’ll do it right away.” A section chief at thirty! Just the thought made him giddy.

Liu let out a long breath. Once Lu was dead and the report destroyed, no one would ever learn what had happened.

Someone knocked on his office door: one knock, then two in quick succession.

“Come in.”

Li Jianmin, head of the criminal investigation unit, walked in. “Director Liu, we’ve caught Sun Ping.”

Liu’s eyes lit up. “Good. Where is he?”

“At the bureau. We caught him last night. I didn’t want to disturb your rest, so I waited to tell you.”

Liu nodded, studying Li thoughtfully. “Interrogate him immediately. Make him talk and get solid evidence.”

Li’s heart jumped. He nodded firmly. “Don’t worry. I’ll get it done.” He turned and left.

The desk phone rang. Liu picked up, his expression changing slightly as a firm voice came over the line. “Deputy Director Liu? This is Lin Ying.”

“Lin Ying? You…” He came to his senses and stood instinctively. Lin Ying was the new police chief. “Hello, Director Lin!”

“Director Liu, I have business to attend to outside, so I won’t be coming to the bureau today. Have someone prepare a staff list with everyone’s specific position and send it to my work email.”

The call ended. Liu stared at the phone in silence. She hadn’t even arrived and was already giving orders?

He spat inwardly. A mere woman wanted to become his superior? She could dream on. Sooner or later he would make her pay.

His cell phone rang again. Irritated, he answered. “What is it?”

“Director, Lu Xiujuan got away.”

“What?” Liu jolted. “Notify traffic control immediately. Set up roadblocks. I don’t believe she can fly out of here. Where’s her family? Find them now and see where she can run.”

“Her mother is in the hospital. We’re on our way there.”

“Take control of her mother and call Lu Xiujuan. If she doesn’t cooperate, send the two of them on their way together.”

The man on the other end was shaken. He hurriedly agreed and hung up.

Liu exhaled. That Li Jianmin couldn’t get anything done, yet wanted a promotion. How was Liu supposed to help him? Still, things had reached this point; he could only try whatever might work. If Lu escaped, they would be in trouble.

At the railway station, a woman disguised as a beggar was heading for the ticket gate when several plainclothes officers ran toward her. Frightened, she darted back into the crowd and vanished among the travelers.

“There! I see her! Quickly, over there!” an officer shouted.

“Lu Xiujuan, don’t resist! You’re in public security too. You know the policy: leniency for confession, severity for resistance.”

Crouching in a corner, Lu nearly jumped out and cursed them. The monsters were twisting right and wrong, fabricating evidence, and still expected her to hand over the report. They could dream on.

The postmortem examination report concerned former county chief Gao Lan’s death. Few would imagine that a county chief had been sexually assaulted before she died, and by more than one person. Lu had to preserve the evidence. Gao had been a good chief who had done real things for ordinary people. She had also been a good leader to Lu’s older cousin; he had worked under her. Whatever happened, Lu had to help her.

She slipped into a group of people emerging from the station and headed outside. She couldn’t catch the train now. She would have to go home; the most dangerous place might be the safest.

Keeping a close watch, she reached the exit with the crowd and followed several people out. Only when no one followed did she breathe easier. She needed to warn her mother. Would those people go after her family?

Liu Yixiong was probably behind the pursuit; otherwise there wouldn’t be so many plainclothes officers. Something was definitely wrong with Chief Gao’s death.

Her phone rang urgently just outside the station. “Hello?”

“Lu Xiujuan? We have your mother.”

“You…” Lu’s head buzzed. She shook so hard she nearly dropped the phone, too frightened to speak.

“Don’t touch my mother! Come after me if you dare.”

“Fine. Hand over what you have, and we can pretend nothing happened. You know what we’re capable of. Running to the ends of the earth won’t help. We’re at the hospital. You know the room. Get here within an hour, and bring the report, or don’t blame us for what happens.”

“Wait. Release my mother now, or I’ll take the report straight to the city disciplinary commission. If I don’t see her in an hour, I’ll email it to them.” Lu refused to back down. Weakness would get her nowhere with these people.

“You…” The man laughed in anger.