009 Excellent Skills

The thief and his accomplice were both brought to justice—one was handcuffed, the other bound with a leather strap, leaving them utterly immobile. The stolen bag was returned to its rightful owner, and the woman who had lost it expressed her gratitude repeatedly, thanking everyone profusely. The onlookers showered praise upon the female special agent and the food delivery guy, with some immediately pulling out their phones to record the scene, eager to break a big story on their social networks or short video apps.

Lin Qi deliberately shielded his face and even considered slipping away unnoticed, but Sun Xiaoyun approached him before he could leave.

“Thank you, sir,” Sun Xiaoyun said with a smile. “Where do you work? I’ll have the bureau send a letter of commendation.”

Lin Qi was about to politely decline when Luo Feifei rushed forward. “This is my brother-in-law, Lin Qi. He works at the delivery station on Construction Street! You must write that commendation letter, and it would be best if he could get a ‘Heroic Deed’ medal as well…”

Luo Feifei clung proudly to Lin Qi’s arm.

Luo Feifei was Lin Qi’s sister-in-law, a university student currently preparing for her internship.

Sun Xiaoyun’s mind automatically retrieved the girl’s information. Because of Lu Hao, she had investigated everyone connected to him extensively. So, the relationship between the two was this close.

Sun Xiaoyun concealed her thoughts and smiled, “Absolutely.”

“There’s really no need, it was just a small effort…” Lin Qi tried to decline a couple more times, then hurriedly pulled away the still-chatting Luo Feifei and left in haste.

Noticing Lin Qi’s unusual behavior, Sun Xiaoyun grew even more suspicious. She had originally intended to follow Tang Long, but with so many people around him, it was difficult to get close. Now, she shifted her focus to Lin Qi—perhaps she could uncover something different.

“Brother-in-law, why don’t you want the recognition?”

“Heh, better to keep a low profile.”

They chatted as they went along. Guided by Luo Feifei’s directions, Lin Qi rode his electric scooter to a house in an urban village. The roads were muddy and flooded with wastewater due to ongoing repairs on the sewage system.

Seeing the poor living conditions, Lin Qi felt a pang of sympathy and wanted to invite her back to his place, but in the end, he refrained. “You should get some rest. I’ll head off now.”

“Brother-in-law, or maybe…” Luo Feifei wanted to say more, but Lin Qi had already turned and sped away.

Watching Lin Qi’s departing figure, Luo Feifei sighed and entered the house, looking somewhat dejected.

It was still early, so Lin Qi took a few more delivery orders. He returned home after ten, showered as usual, then lay in bed watching TV, drifting off to sleep without realizing it.

The television was still on, and the window left open. Suddenly, a shadow silently slipped inside, searching and fumbling around the room.

With a click, the light flicked on.

Lin Qi sat up with a start and, in one swift motion, pinned the intruder to the floor.

“Who are you?!” Lin Qi demanded fiercely, his hand gripping the intruder’s throat in a deadly hold.

“You’ve got some impressive moves for a delivery guy…” came a cold, elegant voice.

Lin Qi frowned slightly and stepped back.

The shadow stood up, revealing a delicate face and a crisp uniform.

“Officer, why have you come to my place?” Lin Qi grinned awkwardly, trying to appear harmless.

Sun Xiaoyun touched her neck, which had narrowly escaped harm, feeling increasingly certain that this man possessed deadly skills. She asked coldly, “Do you know Lu Hao?”

Lin Qi realized she was suspicious of him but replied calmly, “I know him. He was my ex-wife’s lover. Didn’t he commit suicide?”

“Ex-wife?”

“Yes, we divorced—just today.”

Sun Xiaoyun paused, not entirely surprised, then asked abruptly, “Why did you kill Lu Hao?”

Lin Qi shook his head. “I didn’t kill Lu Hao.”

Sun Xiaoyun fell silent, her eyes boring into Lin Qi’s as if trying to see straight through him.

Lin Qi frowned slightly. “You suspect I killed Lu Hao?”

Still silent, Sun Xiaoyun’s hand drifted toward her belt, as if preparing to arrest him.

Suddenly, the television interrupted with a breaking news alert: “This afternoon, Golden Fortune Jewelry Store was robbed. Four suspects are still at large. Citizens with any information are urged…” Photos of four middle-aged men flashed across the screen, some shifty-eyed, others with menacing expressions.

Lin Qi gestured toward the TV. “Officer, wouldn’t your time be better spent catching real criminals?”

“As if I needed you to say that,” Sun Xiaoyun retorted with a cold laugh. “We’ll catch the robbers, but we’ll catch the murderer, too! Lin Qi, don’t let me find anything on you!”

With that, Sun Xiaoyun moved like lightning toward the window.

“Hey, you’re leaving by the window?” Lin Qi shouted.

“None of your business,” Sun Xiaoyun’s figure vanished instantly.

Lin Qi shook his head, closed the doors and windows, and went back to bed.

The next morning, Lin Qi reported in at the delivery station, then rode his scooter around town delivering orders as usual.

He hadn’t even completed a few deliveries before he sensed someone tailing him. Glancing back, he caught a glimpse of Sun Xiaoyun’s shadow, trailing at a distance.

“Still not giving up,” Lin Qi sighed, pulling out his phone to call Tang Long.