Chapter 106: A Call for Help

It wasn’t until he had descended two floors that Zhang Can took the elevator from another level. Upon reaching the ground floor, he finally began to calm down a little. Yet, surrounded by so many people, he kept his hand pressed firmly over the teeth marks on his lip—those marks were far too embarrassing!

He hastily got into his car and fled. When he arrived at a pharmacy, he pulled over, got out, and entered the store, still covering his mouth. He bought a pack of band-aids, returned to his car, and in front of the mirror, carefully peeled off one and stuck it over the bite mark on his upper lip. Only after inspecting himself closely and seeing that it was no longer obvious did he feel somewhat more at ease.

Though a band-aid on the lip looked odd, it was far better than showing that unmistakable semicircle of teeth marks.

Driving back and forth along Huanshi Road several times, Zhang Can’s mind was a complete mess. He didn’t know what to do next. He thought again about Su Xue—she was too great a threat. Because of his momentary greed, he had fallen into chaos. Even if he kept the secret hidden, it would always cast a shadow over him. It might be better to confess everything to her: that day, he had been swimming and diving near the shore when he saw a crate thrown into the water. Not knowing what was inside, he had dragged it away after the people left, but had never opened it or touched its contents. If it had been drugs, he would never have gotten involved.

Zhang Can hesitated for a long time. Yet, since Su Xue had investigated him for so long without taking action, it was clear she had no evidence. Without evidence, it meant he was flawless in other respects. What was there to be afraid of in telling the truth?

As long as he had never participated in drug trafficking, he could be honest. Of course, he couldn’t reveal his ability to see through objects or the matter of the water-repellent bead, but everything else could be told truthfully. If what he said was true, he had nothing to fear from Su Xue’s investigation.

At a deserted spot, Zhang Can stopped his car and pondered seriously. Should he reveal everything or keep hiding? After much internal struggle, he slapped his thigh and decided to come clean. There was no point in harming others and himself. As long as he had never touched the contents of the box nor engaged in drug trafficking, he would confess. Otherwise, this would haunt him for the rest of his life.

He drove back to Tianxin Square, parked his car, and slowly took the elevator upstairs. First, he opened the door to his home to check if Zhou Nan had left. Fortunately, Zhou Nan was gone. Sitting in his living room for a while, he calmed his still-tense nerves before heading out. He stopped outside the door of Building B next door, paused quietly for a moment, then reached out and pressed the doorbell.

The door opened, revealing Su Xue’s cold, beautiful face. Seeing Zhang Can with a band-aid on his lip, she smirked sarcastically, “Nice look you’ve got there. Heh, what do you want from me?”

Zhang Can pointed inside the room. “May I come in and talk?”

Su Xue hesitated briefly, then stepped aside without enthusiasm—quite the opposite from when she was investigating him and trying to keep him close.

Zhang Can sat on the sofa and noticed a suitcase in the living room. Clearly, Su Xue was preparing to move out. “You’re leaving?” he asked, surprised.

Su Xue fixed him with a cold glare and scoffed. “I’m moving. Living next to a pervert like you makes me uneasy. It’s not safe!”

Zhang Can felt this was a blunt insult. He gave a dry laugh. “Miss Su, you’re contradicting yourself. Calling me a pervert is fine, but don’t say you’re not safe. Even if I had a thousand guts, I wouldn’t pick a fight with you—unless I was tired of living!”

“Ha!” Su Xue knew exactly what he meant and laughed lightly before asking, “So, are you tired of living now?”

“Officer Su!” Zhang Can paused, then forced the words out, “I have something to tell you.”

“Something?” Su Xue was stunned to hear him call her “Officer Su.” Her expression changed suddenly. She stood up sharply, her face stern as she stared at Zhang Can, sending chills down his spine.

After a moment, she asked in a low voice, “Tell me, how do you know I’m a police officer?”

Zhang Can thought for a moment, then replied, “I just knew. Last time I was on the coastal highway during a traffic jam, I saw you among the armed police crowd by the seaside.”

Su Xue narrowed her beautiful eyes, studying him intently. She wasn’t sure what he meant, but his words put her on alert. Zhang Can’s sudden revelation caught her off guard. She had already planned to withdraw today and move out, ending this case. Zhang Can wasn’t a drug dealer and had nothing to do with her investigation. Yet just as she was about to close the case, things took an unexpected turn. His words both surprised and pleased her, though she kept her composure.

After considering her options, she sat down opposite him and calmly asked, “Since you know I’m a cop, what else do you know?”

Zhang Can sighed. “Miss Su, I’ve thought about this for a long time. There’s something I want to tell you. But first, I want to make it clear that I have nothing to do with that matter. I just happened to come across it. Because you’re a police officer, I’m telling you. The reason I didn’t speak before is because I was afraid. May I ask you—can you promise to completely disregard me in this matter? I don’t want to get involved with you or your team. I just want to live my life. Can you promise me that?”

Su Xue smiled and shrugged. “Go ahead, tell me what it is.”

Seeing her relaxed demeanor, Zhang Can felt she wouldn’t make things difficult for him. After all, he hadn’t trafficked drugs or touched that box.

“Miss Su, while swimming and diving by the sea, I saw three large crates. Out of curiosity, after the people left, I dragged the crates to another spot to hide them. But I didn’t open or touch them. I planned to find someone to help me move them after returning to the city, then inspect them. They were so heavy, it seemed like they were filled with stones. Later, when I returned to the seaside, I saw you with countless armed police. I knew something was wrong and got scared, so I stayed silent. Then you moved in next door. At first, I didn’t recognize you, but when I saw the string of Buddhist beads on your wrist while drinking tea at your place, I realized it was you.”

Su Xue was taken aback. “You recognized me by the beads? How?”

She found it strange. Could there be a mark on her beads? That seemed unlikely.

Zhang Can gave a wry smile. “Did you forget what I do? I have a natural interest in antiques and jade treasures. Your beads are made of red sandalwood; I recognized them at a glance. When I saw you at the seaside, I noticed those beads on your wrist, though I didn’t see your face. Later, when you moved in next door, I recognized the beads immediately in your living room.”

Su Xue responded with a soft “Oh,” then asked, “So you’ve been pretending all along? Playing me?”

“No, no,” Zhang Can hurriedly denied. “I was just worried…” Even while confessing, he remained cautious. Su Xue was quick to act; better to be careful and avoid unnecessary trouble.

Su Xue pondered briefly, then said, “Take me to the seaside right now to see those crates.”

Zhang Can hesitated. “What about my situation…”

“I’ll handle that. Don’t worry!” Su Xue waved him on and urged him out the door.

At the building entrance, Zhang Can pointed to his car. “Drive my car?”

“Sure!” Su Xue nodded and walked straight to the vehicle. Zhang Can opened the door, and she slid into the passenger seat next to him.

The drive to the seaside took just over twenty minutes without traffic. Near the spot where Zhang Can had dived before, he parked the car.

Su Xue remained silent, following quietly behind him.

At this point, Zhang Can had no more to consider; there was no turning back. He followed Su Xue to the spot where the crates were hidden. Using his ability, he first scanned the crates underwater. The three crates were intact, buried in the sand beneath the water, which eased his mind.

The crates lay about five or six meters from the rocky shore. Zhang Can stripped off his shoes and clothes. After some thought, he also took off his pants but turned his back as he entered the water. He dove down to the crates, where the water was only about three meters deep. Even without the water-repellent bead, it posed no difficulty.

Using the buoyancy of the water, Zhang Can dragged the crates to the surface but couldn’t move them further. Su Xue quickly swam over and helped. Together, they hauled all three crates onto the rocks.

Su Xue opened the first crate. Inside, tightly sealed bundles of US dollars lay untouched by the sea water. Opening the second crate, she found white plastic bags filled with powder.

Her eyelids twitched slightly, and her fingers trembled as she fought to steady herself. She carefully tore a small opening in one bag, dipped her finger in, and sniffed. The scent confirmed it—it was drugs.

Su Xue’s face lit up with joy. The case she had been puzzled over, the one she had almost given up investigating Zhang Can on, suddenly cleared up. Zhang Can had unknowingly handed himself over to her. Truly, she was fortunate!

Without further ado, Su Xue swiftly twisted Zhang Can’s hand behind his back. He cried out in pain, “Hey! What are you doing?”

“Arresting you—what else?” Su Xue replied curtly, twisting his arm as she led him toward the road. Zhang Can was in a sorry state—missing his clothes, wearing only shorts. Su Xue’s grip was strong, causing him pain. He pleaded, “Can’t I put on some clothes first? You promised to let me go! You only brought me here because of that!”

Su Xue smiled sweetly. “Pervert, you’re getting your just desserts. Two beautiful, innocent girls ruined by you—I’m avenging them. Enough nonsense! When did I ever promise to let you go?”

Zhang Can was stunned. Thinking carefully, she never had promised him that. Yet still, he protested, “Miss Su, I didn’t traffic drugs or do anything like that. I was just curious about those three crates. That can’t be such a big crime, right?”

Su Xue knocked his head sharply and scolded, “If you didn’t traffic drugs, how did you know there were drugs inside? How do you even know those things are drugs? Heh, not a big crime? Those three big crates alone could get you executed a thousand times!”

Zhang Can shuddered, instantly regretting his words. He had been too flustered to think clearly. If he truly hadn’t touched the crates, how else could he have known? Could he say he had x-ray vision?

Su Xue dragged the half-naked Zhang Can to the roadside and pushed him into the driver’s seat. She handcuffed him to the steering wheel and took the keys. Then she stepped out and began calling for backup on her phone.

Zhang Can heard her clearly—she was summoning reinforcements. He thought grimly, this woman wasn’t trustworthy at all. What was he going to do now?

In desperation, he remembered the phone number Wang Qian had given him before leaving, saying he could call for help if in trouble. He pulled the paper from his wallet, took his mobile from the dashboard, and dialed the number. But the voice that came from the phone was mechanical and cold: “Hello, the number you are trying to reach is currently busy. Please try again later…”