C19 Wash Your Suspicions

"Speak up. Without you telling me what happened, there's no way I'm letting you leave."

He fixed his gaze on Yuh Wenming and placed a glass of water before him, hoping he would come clean.

Yuh Wenming shook his head slightly. "Surely you don't suspect me of being the antique trafficker?"

It was clear from his build that Yuh Wenming wasn't the type to do physical labor.

"Don't flaunt your erudition with me. I need to know where this item came from, and you seem to know something about it, don't you?"

He gestured to the shard on the table, intent on having Yuh Wenming explain its provenance.

Yuh Wenming glanced at the object on the table and confessed, "I found it at that spot."

He picked up the phone from the table to summon the staff from downstairs.

Shortly after, the office door swung open, and two individuals burst in. "What's the situation?"

Zhang Xinyue, as the office leader, had the authority to direct their actions.

"Retrieve the surveillance footage from the night market he mentioned. I need to verify if someone was actually there at the time."

They had been idle during the day, not anticipating that Yuh Wenming would give them a task.

"We'll head over and check it out immediately."

They moved towards their destination, hoping to quickly access the surveillance footage.

Lacking the necessary skills, they needed to reach out to other departments for assistance with the investigation.

"I hope you haven't deceived us. If you're not on that surveillance footage, we can wrap up this case."

She said nothing more to Yuh Wenming, folding her arms across her chest, waiting to see if he had more to disclose.

"The items on the table, I bought them. Can I have them back?"

She had paid 10,000 yuan for the piece, which had barely warmed in her pocket before ending up here—a truly ridiculous situation.

Zhang Xinyue circled Yuh Wenming, suspecting he was just a university student, doubting his ability to conceal the whole truth.

"That metal fragment is from a jade burial suit. I can't just give it back to you without cause. I'm sorry."

Whether Yuh Wenming had spent money or not, there was no way the item could simply reappear out of thin air.

Upon learning that the metal piece had been confiscated, Yuh Wenming was at his wit's end, feeling an urge to weep without tears. He was completely out of options.

"Are you absolutely certain you've told me everything?"

Yuh Wenming couldn't fathom why Zhang Xinyue was suspicious of him, so all he could do was clench his teeth and insist, "I truly haven't done anything. You'll get the same answer no matter how many times you ask."

He exited the office and, on his way out, locked the door behind him, leaving Yuh Wenming with no means of escape.

Yuh Wenming tugged at the office door only to find it immovable. His eyes shot open in shock.

"What's happening here?"

Standing by the door, Zhang Xinyue offered a sly smile. "Whenever you're ready to talk to me, I'll unlock the door for you."

Without another word to Yuh Wenming, she departed from the second-floor office area.

Glancing at his phone, he noted it was mealtime.

Missing school for the morning was one thing, but being cooped up here was downright suffocating.

In the language of their profession, Zhang Xinyue had effectively put him under house arrest in the office.

As long as he kept silent about any forbidden activities, Zhang Xinyue could only keep him confined for a maximum of twenty-four hours.

Settling into the sofa, Yuh Wenming refused to believe Zhang Xinyue would keep him there indefinitely and decided to catch some shut-eye.

All the while, Zhang Xinyue was stealthily observing from outside the door, peering through the window's crack at the resting Yuh Wenming, unable to guess at his thoughts.

"Did I perhaps misjudge him?"

She was puzzled about where the problem lay and remained silent for a long stretch.

Pulling out her phone, she called their team, eager to check on the staff's support progress.

Soon enough, a message came from the staff: "We definitely spotted him on the video."

Since the only camera was outside, they couldn't discern Yuh Wenming's actions within.

The mystery persisted: why would Yuh Wenming visit such a place? After all, a college student wouldn't have much money to spare.

He crossed his arms over his chest, a faint smile on his face. "See, I haven't said a word. Did you catch sight of me in there?"

She gave a slight nod. "Our intelligence did confirm your presence inside. We're just unclear about what you were actually doing there."

Zhang Xinyue didn't withhold any information from Yuh Wenming. To her, speaking up or staying silent made no difference.

The staff had retrieved the video and could head back to their office at any moment.

With her arms crossed, she stood her ground, seeing no point in discussing trivial matters.

"You can't keep me confined in there. Sure, the items are yours, which means you have certain rights, but that doesn't give you the authority to detain me."

Zhang Xinyue crossed her arms again. "You seem eager to leave. Are you trying to get in touch with your accomplice to make a quick getaway?"

When he heard Zhang Xinyue's insinuation, he quickly defended himself. "Accomplice? Since when do I have one?"

To dodge further probing from Zhang Xinyue, he averted his gaze, wondering what other astonishing questions she might throw at him.

He kept his arms crossed, resolved not to respond to any inquiries.

Shortly after, the staff returned, silently placing the video on the table. It showed the segment where Yuh Wenming had entered.

The timestamp indicated that Yuh Wenming had entered in the evening and didn't emerge until nearly dawn, spending a total of seven to eight hours inside.

"Could you explain what you were doing inside for seven to eight hours?"

He rolled his eyes instinctively, his voice taking on an unusual edge. "Come on, can't you recognize what that place is?"

Mostly, it's a hub for antique trading. Without taking a proper look, how could anyone discern the genuine from the counterfeit?

The testimony matched the video's content, and the items were indeed brought out from there, leaving him no choice but to acknowledge it.

"It looks like we've misjudged you. Feel free to reach out to us if you find yourself with some free time."

He had no intention of engaging with Zhang Xinyue, let alone seeking them out for retribution.

Upon leaving the Bureau of Administration, he noticed a man in black at the entrance, who extended a key toward him.

Holding the key in his hand, he gazed in awe at the luxury supercar before him, never having imagined that he might one day own such a vehicle.

Bursting into laughter, he exclaimed, "Haha, I never expected something like this to actually exist. Well, I won't hold back then!"

He settled into the driver's seat, twisted the ignition with determination, and the car gradually pulled away.