Early in the morning, before the Zhannan District police station opened, a taxi pulled up in front of the criminal office building.
Wu's father slammed the car door open, grumbling as he stepped out with his wife. "Damn it! I told you this kid was bound to get into trouble. Look at him now! It's just as I said, this fool doesn't even know he's been sold out!"
"What happened? How did our son end up involved in a murder?" Wu's mother, concerned, trailed behind him.
"Who the hell knows?" Wu's father was fuming, his eyes bloodshot as he strode into the building, hands behind his back.
Inside the lobby, two officers who had just finished changing clothes were preparing to head home.
"I'm looking for Officer Yang, where's his office?" Wu's father's voice echoed across the lobby.
As soon as the words left his mouth, Officer Yang, who had been chatting with someone near the entrance, smiled and walked over. "You must be Wu Shixiong's father, right?"
"Yes," Wu's father replied, shaking Yang's hand. "What happened to my son?"
"He's fine, don't worry," Yang paused briefly before speaking again. "We'll need to take him back to the station for a bit. Come on, let's step outside and talk."
"Talk?" Wu's father asked, surprised.
"Yeah, just outside," Yang smiled, motioning toward the door.
Although both Wu's parents were confused, they followed Yang out of the building.
Once outside, Yang offered Wu's father a cigarette. "There's another person involved in this case," he said quietly. "The parents of the deceased want to speak with you."
"What do I need to talk to them about? My son committed a crime?" Wu's father asked cautiously.
"They're part of the same case. It'll be helpful if you talk to them first," Yang answered vaguely, gesturing toward a figure nearby. "Go talk with them first, then you can come back to me."
Wu's father was about to question him further, but Yang smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "I'll be right here. Just talk to them, and we'll handle the case afterward. Don't worry, your son's not in any major trouble."
As they spoke, a car pulled up—Tang's father's vehicle—stopping at the curb and opening its door.
Wu's father hesitated but, sensing no alternative, followed Yang's advice and got into the car with his wife.
Inside the car, only Tang's father and the driver were present; the others had already left.
"Drive a little further," Tang's father said from the middle row of seats. "I need to talk to this guy."
"Okay," the driver replied, nodding and pulling the car away.
Five minutes later, the car parked in a large supermarket parking lot. The driver, understanding the situation, stepped out for a smoke.
"What's this all about?" Wu's father asked directly.
Tang's father turned to look at him. "You have three children, living on Tufang Street, right?"
Wu's father was taken aback. "What's that got to do with this?"
"My son works for the Sea Police. He's in his early thirties. If nothing changes, he should be promoted to squad leader by the time he's 35, and by 40, he'll likely be at a deputy division chief level," Tang's father said, his expression serious as he handed Wu's father a cigarette. "You see, your son… he's in a different situation. He's just a worker, doing manual labor. He may spend his whole life working at sea and still not earn ten thousand. But if you change things, things could be more profitable for you, don't you think?"
Wu's father froze. "What the hell are you suggesting? Sell my son?"
Tang's father looked at him calmly. "Can we talk?"
Wu's father was taken aback and, angry, reached for the car door handle. "I'm not having this conversation with you."
"Five thousand for one year," Tang's father called out.
Wu's father's hand froze on the door handle. He turned his head and, with cold sarcasm, replied, "I give you five thousand, will you sell your son for that?"
"I don't need five thousand, but you do," Tang's father said, lighting a cigarette.
Wu's father stood silent for a moment before wrenching open the car door.
"Bang!"
Tang's father quickly grabbed his arm, holding him back.
"Let go of me!" Wu's father shouted, his temper flaring.
Tang's father's eyes narrowed as he held on, keeping Wu's father's gaze as he turned to lift a white cloth from the rear seat.
With a flick, the cloth was removed, revealing a black plastic bag filled with cash, shimmering in the dim light of the car.
"Ten thousand for one year. You take the money, and I'll make sure your son has a future. Deal?" Tang's father asked, his tone blunt.
Wu's father's eyes twitched as he stared at the money.
"Your son has a cognitive disability," Tang's father continued, his voice gruff. "He spends his life helping people move goods at sea. He might never earn more than ten thousand in his entire life. So tell me, doesn't this sound like a better deal for you?"
About ten minutes later, the car returned to the office building, and Wu's father and mother stepped out, their faces a mix of confusion and reluctance.
Officer Yang was waiting for them. "So, how did it go?"
Wu's father looked at him, still silent, as he stepped toward the building.
Inside the police station, Su Tianyu bent down and asked a police officer, "Can we speak to Wu Shixiong?"
"No, not yet," the officer replied.
"...He's not connected to the case, is he?" Su Tianyu asked, puzzled.
"No, but you still can't see him. Wait outside," the officer replied curtly.
Su Tianyu gave him a quick glance but didn't press further. He turned to Bai Hongbo. "Let's go, we'll wait outside."
"It's ridiculous," Bai Hongbo grumbled. "What's the deal with a witness being off-limits?" He muttered further under his breath, "Dammit, this is how things are at the bottom level of the police force—using a feather as if it's a sword."
They didn't dwell on the issue any longer and headed back outside to wait in the car.
Inside the interrogation room on the third floor, Da Xiong yawned, bored, picking his nose idly.
"Bang!"
The door swung open, and Officer Yang entered, accompanied by Wu's father and mother.
"Talk to him," Yang said briefly before turning and walking out.
In the surveillance room, an officer switched off all the cameras in the interrogation room, writing in his log: "Morning shift, camera maintenance."
Inside the room, Da Xiong stared at his parents in shock. "What?" What are you two doing here?
Wu's father looked at him with dazed eyes, momentarily speechless. Wu's mother, her eyes red, quickly turned her head away.
"… Son..." Wu's father sank into a chair, rubbing his face with his hands. His voice trembled as he said, "... Can you take the fall for this?"
For the first time in his life, Wu Shixiong heard his father call him "son." Previously, he had only ever been called "fool" or "little one."