Chapter 209: Initiating the Investigation
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Chen Hao fell silent.
He didn’t actually believe Mei Shu would do something like this; he just found the whole situation highly suspicious.
Normally, such videos should have remained in the hands of a few individuals, watched privately. How did it suddenly become so widely known?
His intuition told him that there was someone behind this whole thing, working in the shadows.
The goal was to drag Mei Shu into the vortex of public condemnation.
Just like what happened to Mei Mu.
Speaking of which, Mei Mu!
Thinking of her, Chen Hao’s eyes lit up. He pursed his lips and sent a text message to Wen Miao, “I suspect that there’s someone like Mei Mu or someone seeking revenge for her behind this.”
“I feel the same way,” Wen Miao replied with certainty, “but I don’t know what role Li Zhen is playing in all of this.”
They could tell that even though other students might not trust Mei Shu, no one dared to claim with absolute certainty that the person in the video was definitely her.
The grade director’s words had left a shadow of doubt in the minds of most students.
However, the majority of students were too concerned about saving face to admit their doubts openly.
But Li Zhen, at this critical moment, provided an almost 100% affirmative response.
This could only mean that Li Zhen was either involved in fueling the situation behind the scenes, or he was also a pawn in the conspiracy!
Regardless of which possibility it was, Li Zhen was far from innocent.
Since both of them had the same suspicions, they had to start investigating.
They had no other means to uncover more information, so they could only discreetly inquire and try to trace the source of the video to narrow down their search.
In the principal’s office:
The police captain had come to No. 1 Middle School for the third time.
He shook hands with the principal, wearing a polite yet somewhat forced smile. “In all my years in the police force, this is the first time I’ve witnessed a school being involved in frequent incidents like this.”
The principal, feeling embarrassed, smiled apologetically. “I’m really sorry for causing you trouble. However, the impact of this matter is extremely detrimental and significant. I needed to call on your assistance to make it more convincing.”
The police captain nodded and said, “Please provide us with a copy of the video, and we will take it to the police station for analysis.”
“Sure.” The principal handed a USB drive to him and said, “Thank you all for your hard work. If this incident can ultimately prove the innocence of our students, I will personally visit the police station to express our gratitude with a commemorative plaque.”
“No need, it’s our duty,” the captain said. Then, seemingly casually, he glanced at Mei Shu and continued, “We also need this student to go with us for the investigation. We’ll need to take relevant statements and testimonies.”
The principal hesitated and looked at Mei Shu, seemingly concerned about her reputation.
Grateful for the principal’s kindness, Mei Shu responded with a smile, “Principal, don’t worry. I’ll cooperate fully with the police officers.”
“That’s good to hear,” the principal warmly escorted the group to the door.
Once the car had driven away, the principal dropped his smile and turned to the grade director with a serious expression. “Are you sure Mei Shu is really innocent this time? As the saying goes, once the arrow is released from the bow, there’s no turning back. We’ve involved the police in this matter, and if Mei Shu turns out to be lying, it won’t end well for us!”
“If it’s really Mei Shu, we can simply expel her and sever ties as soon as possible,” the grade director explained, realizing that the principal was unhappy with his unilateral decision. “Regardless of the truth of this matter, we must report it to the police. Otherwise, the public will judge us even more harshly.”
The principal huffed and walked inside, saying, “Let’s hope Mei Shu isn’t lying.”
In the police station.
The captain leaned against a wall and observed the girl who was sitting with her eyes closed, deep in thought. Unable to contain his curiosity, he asked, “Aren’t you afraid at all?”
“What do 1 have to be afraid of?” Mei Shu asked, puzzled by his question.
The police captain lit a cigarette and put it in his mouth, about to take a puff, but then he realized there was an underage girl sitting next to him. He opened the car window and said, “Given that something like this happened to a young girl like you, shouldn’t you be afraid?”
“Would being afraid help?” Mei Shu replied with a question.
The police captain was momentarily taken aback and then smiled with interest. “You’ve got a point. That’s why someone was willing to go to such lengths to ruin you.”
Mei Shu raised an eyebrow unexpectedly. “Don’t you need to investigate before choosing to believe me?”
The police captain paused, amused, and flicked the ashes from his cigarette out of the window. “I’ve been a detective for over twenty years. I’ve seen all kinds of criminals. There are no signs of filthy desires in your eyes. Even if you were to indulge in forbidden fruit, you’d never choose those street punks. They’re not worthy of you.”
Mei Shu couldn’t help but develop a bit of a liking for this police captain. “Uncle, considering your insight, it’s not surprising you’ve risen to the position of captain.”
The captain burst into hearty laughter due to her amusing remark, and the officers in front couldn’t help but chuckle as well. “You’re quite observant, young lady. Our captain has an illustrious record, having solved numerous difficult cases.. Rest assured, we’ll ensure that the truth comes to light!”