Chapter 419 — I've Got a Job for You

With that, Zou Tiandi handed the phone to Qiu Lingshan and said, flat and indifferent, "Take the call, then?"

Qiu Lingshan gave Zou Tiandi a look half smile, half sneer, and took his phone. "Hello, this is Qiu Lingshan. Who's speaking?"

"Captain... Captain Song?" The man on the other end had been about to speak, but the moment he heard Qiu Lingshan's illustrious name, he nearly jumped out of his skin. Who in Songshan City's entire police system did not know of Qiu Lingshan of the Criminal Investigation Unit? Who would dare cross her?

A mere traffic cop like himself could hardly presume to give orders to a captain of the Criminal Investigation Unit, could he? And besides, if Qiu Lingshan had her eye on this Zou Tiandi, there was likely some major case involved — perhaps the fellow was mixed up in some illegal trafficking. Best to draw a clean line between himself and the man, and fast!

At that thought, Officer Wang, the traffic cop, hurried to say, "It's nothing, Captain Song, I won't disturb you any further with your case..."

Qiu Lingshan handed the phone back to Zou Tiandi. He hadn't heard a word of what Wang had said on the other end, only Qiu Lingshan's "This is Qiu Lingshan..." — so he assumed the matter was as good as settled. He was just about to thank Wang when he discovered the man had already hung up.

Zou Tiandi thought nothing of it. The fellow must simply be busy; all that mattered was that the business was done. "Wang told you, didn't he? Well then, young comrade, you may be on your way. And in future, mind your own business!"

"Dad..." Zou Ruoguang, terrified, rushed to pull Zou Tiandi back. Zou Tiandi might not know Qiu Lingshan, but how could Zou Ruoguang fail to recognize her? As a local thug boss of the North District, he'd have been a fool to have made it this far without knowing the captain of the Criminal Investigation Unit. Seeing his father lecturing her with no notion of life or death, he turned white as a sheet.

"What are you doing?" Zou Tiandi glared at his son in annoyance. "If you've got something to say, say it!"

"Dad, she's Captain Song of the Criminal Investigation Unit..." Zou Ruoguang said cautiously.

"Huh?" Zou Tiandi froze on the spot as if struck dumb. "She... she's the captain of the Criminal Investigation Unit?"

"Are you coming or not? I won't have to use force, will I?" Qiu Lingshan pulled out her handcuffs and glared at Zou Tiandi.

"Coming... all right, I'm coming..." Zou Tiandi wore a face of utter wretchedness. He had never imagined he'd end up provoking the captain of the Criminal Investigation Unit. If he didn't go now, she'd likely be drawing her gun next!

"There's nothing on me, is there...? I was just passing by, a bystander..." Zou Ruoguang had no intention of going to the police station.

"You're coming too! You were driving an unlicensed, modified motorcycle, and I suspect you of intent to gather a crowd and stir up trouble." Qiu Lingshan gave Zou Ruoguang no chance to argue. "I know you. A monk may run, but his temple stays put. You're welcome to try running..."

"I won't run. Ha, I'll come along and cooperate with the investigation..." Zou Ruoguang smiled two bitter, tragic smiles, his face a mask of misery.

"Thanks, brain-dead girl." Wei Zhao was genuinely grateful to Qiu Lingshan for showing up and getting him out of the fix. Though Zou Ruoguang's arrival had at once reminded him just who Zou Tiandi was — and getting rid of the pair would have been easy enough — Qiu Lingshan's speed impressed him; he had to admit she wasn't half bad.

"No! You're coming with me too!" Qiu Lingshan was furious. Calling me brain-dead girl — couldn't you do that in private? Calling me that in front of all these people, how am I supposed to save face? Her temper flared, and she gave Wei Zhao no quarter.

"Me too...?" Wei Zhao pointed at his own nose, speechless. He was about to say something, but Tang Zhi spoke first.

"Let's go along, shall we? We have to cooperate with the investigation — it's our duty..." Tang Zhi was a good girl, and she would never refuse to go to the station and cooperate. "Besides, it's not our fault. It's theirs. Once we're at the station, we can explain everything clearly..."

"Heh... all right." Wei Zhao nodded with a wry smile. Tang Zhi truly was a good girl. In Wei Zhao's mind, Qiu Lingshan could say whatever she liked — he'd simply walk off, and he didn't believe she'd dare come and drag him back.

"Phew..." Qiu Lingshan breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. That last remark had been made in the heat of anger, blurted out with no thought for the consequences, and she'd regretted it the instant it left her lips. When had Wei Zhao ever given her any face? Ordering him about was tantamount to inviting humiliation, wasn't it? If Wei Zhao had turned and walked away, she'd have lost even more face in front of Zou Tiandi and his son. That would have been worse than the "brain-dead girl" remark!

Now Tang Zhi had spoken up, volunteering to go to the station, and Qiu Lingshan, relieved, felt a flicker of gratitude toward Tang Zhi — and at the same time an obscure resentment toward Wei Zhao for his unquestioning obedience to Tang Zhi and his tender protectiveness of her. I'm no worse than Tang Zhi, am I? In looks and in height I'm every bit her equal, and my figure is several times more fiery than hers. This blind Wei Zhao — why is he so crude to me?

The more Qiu Lingshan thought, the angrier she grew. Why was Wei Zhao gentle with Tang Zhi and like this with her? Was she really so repulsive to him? She had to beg his help, and even then only by being his brain-dead girl.

"You follow in your car behind us!" Qiu Lingshan got into the police car and had Wei Zhao and Zou Tiandi and the rest follow behind, and with lights flashing all the way, they drove to the police station.

Zou Tiandi had no idea what the relationship between Wei Zhao and Qiu Lingshan was. Hearing Wei Zhao call her a brain-dead girl, he was instantly delighted. Now this ought to be fun. Wei Zhao would probably get a proper thrashing, wouldn't he?

Still, Zou Tiandi had no intention of letting Wei Zhao off so easily. On the way to the police station, he dialed his younger son, Zou Ruoming.

"Hello, Ruoming, you're at school, aren't you?" Zou Tiandi had always made Zou Ruoming study hard at school and kept him out of brawls and fights. But this time he was truly furious. His elder son, Zou Ruoguang, was far too soft — couldn't even teach a man a lesson! His younger son, though, was a bold and reckless sort, a vicious character. Zou Tiandi had kept telling him to study hard, but he knew exactly what kind of person the boy was.

"Dad, I'm at school, I'm studying..." Zou Ruoming had just finished a meeting with Feng Xiaoxiao, and the call from his father gave him a fright. It wasn't a spot check on him, was it? So he hurried to explain.

"Enough, cut the crap!" Zou Tiandi snapped. "Don't think I don't know what you're like, you little brat! I've got a job for you. Go to your Uncle Yan's villa in the northern suburbs and ask him to come block someone at the police station entrance. I'll send you that person's information in a bit!"

"Huh? You want me to go?" Zou Ruoming was stunned. He hadn't expected his father to give him this task! Wasn't this always handed to his elder brother? And to have him take Uncle Yan along on his very first job — that was just too badass!

Even his elder brother had never gotten that treatment. Uncle Yan was a Yellow-Rank expert! Just thinking about heading out with a Yellow-Rank enforcer at his back made him feel invincible.