C18 My Evidence!

It was clear that Wang Shengdong was on the phone with senior leadership, who were likely very displeased with the handling of the case.

To the public, it seemed like a straightforward case, yet it had been dragging on for days.

"Leader, I realize that our progress has been slow, but we're being cautious. Please, take a moment to cool off and don't be upset..."

After a bit, Wang Shengdong fell silent, and then there was the sharp sound of the phone being hung up.

He appeared to be quite upset himself.

Xiao Chennai glanced at the items in his hand, reflected for a moment, then quietly turned and walked away.

The following morning, the conference room was deathly quiet.

Wang Shengdong was presiding over the meeting, which was focused on the case of Lian Dongshen.

Currently, Wang Shengdong was seated at the head of the table with a grim look on his face. Sunn Limin, sitting next to him, seemed unaffected and in a relatively good mood.

Hua Ning discreetly pulled on Cheng Sheng's sleeve and whispered, "Why hasn't the Leader arrived yet?"

Cheng Sheng shook his head: "Let's wait a bit longer."

No sooner had he spoken than Wang Shengdong asked, "What's the discussion about? Include me in, will you?"

Hua Ning gave an awkward smile. Since he was her uncle, she felt somewhat more comfortable around him.

Cheng Sheng bowed his head, choosing to remain silent.

Wang Shengdong's temper flared as he pointed at Hua Ning and scolded, "Hua Ning, there's a time for work and a time for life. When I'm speaking, I expect you to take things seriously and not to laugh."

"Got it, Captain Wang," Hua Ning responded, purposefully addressing Wang Shengdong by his title to demonstrate her professionalism.

Yet Wang Shengdong's irritation persisted, and he shifted the subject: "Where is Xiao Chennai? Wasn't he informed about the meeting at ten o'clock? Why isn't he here?"

Hua Ning spoke up in his defense: "Leader Xiao is wrapping up some work and will be here shortly."

Wang Shengdong let out a cold snort. "Busy? Are Director Sunn and I not busier than him? Since when is being 'busy' an excuse for missing meetings?"

The room once again descended into silence, with no one daring to utter a word.

Wang Shengdong waved his hand with impatience. "Forget it, if he's not coming, then he's not coming. Let's get started."

Hua Ning and Cheng Sheng bowed their heads, their expressions obscured, while Ding Yu appeared anxious, his gaze repeatedly shifting to the conference room door.

"The Lian Dongshen case has been dragging on for days without any progress. If you can't find evidence to prove it was a murder, then we'll have to close it as a suicide," Wang Shengdong said, flipping through the documents before him, his tone laced with impatience.

The members of Unit 9 exchanged subtle glances upon hearing this.

Sunn Limin, observing from the side, had a clear understanding of the situation.

He cleared his throat, "Wang, try to stay calm. Let's hear what they have to say first."

Wang Shengdong frowned and scanned the room.

Hua Ning spoke up, "This case can't simply be labeled as suicide; there are too many anomalies."

Wang Shengdong had heard this line of reasoning more than once.

"Suspicions aren't evidence. If you have proof that this is a murder, then present it. Without evidence, we can't keep delaying," Wang Shengdong sighed, doing his best to contain his frustration. "I've already bought you plenty of time. If you can't produce evidence, I can't justify it to our superiors."

He turned to Sunn, "Director Sunn, let's conclude this case as a suicide. Please have someone draft the closure report."

Hua Ning seemed poised to speak again, but...

Wang Shengdong was right; they truly lacked conclusive evidence.

"The Lian Dongshen case cannot be closed as a suicide." Just then, Xiao Chennai appeared at the conference room entrance, his voice resolute and his gaze piercing.

At his words, Wang Shengdong's frown deepened.

Xiao Chennai continued, "I have evidence that this was no accident, but rather a deliberate and intricately planned murder. We can't hastily close the case; it would be a disservice to the deceased."

Wang Shengdong's face grew increasingly sour as any semblance of a good impression he once held for Xiao Chennai vanished.

Impatiently, he eyed Xiao Chennai, "Is this your excuse for being late?"

"Captain Wang, I truly apologize for my tardiness to the meeting, but..."

"Xiao Chennai, do you even regard me as your captain anymore? Why must you always act so independently?"

The mood in the conference room plummeted to an icy chill.

Members of Unit 9 looked on with unease, each silently offering up prayers for Xiao Chennai.

In her mind, Hua Ning berated Xiao Chennai, calling him an idiot. How could he be so oblivious to the situation?

Her aunt had mentioned that her uncle had been on the receiving end of harsh criticism from his superiors in recent days, bearing a great deal of stress.

It was clear to her that this case was the source of her uncle's pent-up frustration.

Just moments before, her uncle had proposed closing the case by ruling it a suicide, and then Xiao Chennai, the fool, had marched in, boldly contesting that decision.

Wasn't this just pouring gasoline on the fire? If she were in her uncle's shoes, she'd be livid.

The fact that her uncle hadn't yet risen to slam his fist on the table was a testament to his restraint.

Hua Ning quietly hoped that Xiao Chennai would come to his senses. At the very least, he could soften his tone and not always appear so self-assured in his righteousness.

From her uncle's standpoint, his approach was justified.

While Unit 9's members continued their silent prayers for Xiao Chennai, he finally spoke up, "Captain Wang, I'm sorry, but we really can't close the case like this."

Wang Shengdong, fighting to keep his temper in check, responded, "Investigations aren't dictated by your say-so. If you insist we can't close the case this way, then present your evidence."

He slammed his hand down on the table with force: "Xiao Chennai, make sure you understand this. You need to provide evidence. If not, we'll settle both old and new accounts."

Xiao Chennai extended his hand, pulling out several sheets of paper from his pocket and gently placing them on the table.

He remained silent, simply opening the bag he had been holding.

In front of Wang Shengdong, he squatted down and methodically removed everything from the bag.

Inside were a small bear, a rubber band, and a blade.

Was he attempting to replicate the experiment?

Ding Yu and Cheng Sheng exchanged glances, both filled with concern.

Yesterday, Xiao Chennai had only managed one successful attempt after a hundred trials, which highlighted the low probability of success. What if he failed today in front of Captain Wang?

Yet, Xiao Chennai appeared completely unfazed, his actions steady and assured.

He positioned the small bear upright on the conference table and secured the blade with the rubber band.

With a ruler in hand, he meticulously measured the distances between the bear, the rubber band, and the blade.

Moments later, he stretched the rubber band taut and released it.

The room fell silent as the knife remained firmly embedded in the bear's chest.

"Captain Wang, this is my evidence," Xiao Chennai declared with gravitas.