Chapter 191: Returning to the An Residence (Part Three)

Upon hearing An Feng's words, the Captain still felt a deep ache in his heart, unable to forgive Molan. She had been an officer for several years now; did she really not know how to handle such minor matters? How could something like this have possibly happened?

His emotions were still violently stirred, filled with a blinding rage that made him want to draw his gun and shoot Molan, sending her to keep Xiao Qi and Liu Fei company. His precious niece was just gone like that—how was he supposed to explain this to his sister? Furthermore, he had lost two of his finest officers; who was he supposed to demand justice from?

Though a momentary wave of anger had clouded his judgment, the Captain quickly regained his composure. With reddened eyes, he looked at the surrounding crowd, then at the surrounding officers, and finally rested his gaze upon Molan's face. Seeing her expression of "kill me or torture me as you please," his heart twisted with a matching pain.

"Take her inside," the Captain barked. He walked step by step to Xiao Qi's corpse, gently touching that still-smiling cheek. It felt as though a dull blade was continuously slicing through his heart, a torment defying description. Bending down, he lifted the body in his arms and walked straight into the precinct building.

The other officers immediately carried Liu Fei's body inside as well. An Feng gave a helpless sigh, pulled Molan to her feet, and led her directly inside. In truth, his heart ached for Molan too, but under these circumstances, he dared not show too much favoritism. Minor punishments would be necessary, though major ones could likely be avoided.

The surrounding onlookers dispersed in a hubbub. Their interest in the matter was merely out of curiosity, and none of them dared to pass judgment on the affairs of the police precinct. After all, the precinct stood as their protector and a representative of justice; slandering the force would do them no good.

Upon entering the interior of the precinct, the Captain carried Xiao Qi's body back to his office. Without speaking a single word to Molan, he immediately called his sister, hoping she could claim the body and arrange a proper burial.

Upon receiving the news, the Captain's sister completely broke down and rushed over to claim the body, roughly piecing together the situation along the way. She found this reality utterly impossible to accept, especially upon hearing that Molan was the root cause of it all. The very first thing she did upon arriving at the station was not to go and see her deceased daughter, but to seek out Molan.

When Molan had entered the precinct, she had immediately knelt down right in the central courtyard. She knew there was no way to win everyone's forgiveness, but kneeling here might slightly alleviate the crushing guilt in her heart. She hoped that Xiao Qi and Liu Fei, now far away in the heavens above, could see this penance of hers.

The Captain's sister stormed inside furiously. The moment she spotted the kneeling woman, she knew instantly that this must be the one called Molan. Rushing forward, she slapped Molan fiercely across the face and roared with blazing fury, "You damned woman, you killed my daughter! Why aren't you dead?!"

An Feng, standing nearby, had not anticipated that this woman would rush forward and strike Molan. Seeing her rear back to deliver another blow, he quickly grabbed her wrist and shoved her aside harshly. He stepped forward to help Molan up, but Molan remained rigidly on her knees, refusing to budge an inch, not even flinching or wincing from the blow.

The other officers witnessing the scene felt heavy-hearted as well. One of them, who recognized the distraught woman, stepped forward to address her. "Xiao Qi's mother, please. I know you are grieving, but you should attend to Xiao Qi's remains first, rather than coming here to physically attack others."

Regaining her balance with difficulty, the Captain's sister pointed a trembling finger at Molan like a fierce shrew spoiling for a fight, and shrieked furiously, "I will hit her! This shameless vixen, this cursed, jinxed wretch! Ever since my Xiao Qi met her, she hasn't known a single day of peace. Her boyfriend was stolen, and now her career and status have been stolen too!"

While the rest of the onlookers were listening to the sister's tirade, someone quietly slipped away to fetch the Captain. Hearing the commotion, the Captain felt a renewed throbbing in his head. He hurried out and, seeing his sister still engaged in relentless abuse, rushed forward to pull her back.

Lowering his voice, the Captain muttered to his sister, "Stop making a scene. Let's take care of Xiao Qi's remains first; we can deal with this matter afterward."

Without offering Molan an apology, the Captain dragged his sister toward his office. All the way, she struggled violently, continuing to hurl vicious curses. The Captain forced her inside with stern determination; if this farcical behavior continued any longer, even he might face disciplinary action.

An Feng cast a glance at the red mark on Molan's cheek, reached out to gently graze it with his fingertips, but refrained from forcing her up. He would let her follow her heart. A dull ache persisted in his chest—if only he were strong enough, outsiders wouldn't be able to bully her like this. He blamed himself; lately, his brain felt stuffed with straw, buzzing and sluggish. If he had only been clear-headed enough, none of this would have happened.

The other officers cast sympathetic glances at Molan one by one before dispersing to resume their duties, as the precinct's workload had been piling up lately. Soon, only An Feng remained, standing quietly beside Molan in silent companionship.

Molan had no idea how long she intended to remain kneeling. The best possible outcome would be for the Captain himself to come and lift her up; otherwise, she would not rise. She was not doing this to force everyone's forgiveness, but rather to ensure that this profound lesson was permanently etched into her memory.

Inside the office, the Captain's sister had smashed numerous objects. Looking at the lingering smile on her daughter's face, her heart twisted with a sharp agony. Tears streamed down her face in a continuous torrent as she wailed aloud, "Xiao Qi, how could you bear to leave me alone in this world? How could you bear to leave?"

The Captain looked on helplessly, a suffocating tightness gripping his chest. Blood ties bound them together, drawing them close. Now that Xiao Qi was gone, what was his sister to do all by herself?

"Brother! Brother, you must kill that woman for me right now!" After crying for a long time, the sister snapped out of her breakdown, rushed forward to grip the Captain's hands tightly, and shouted through tear-streaked, hoarse sobs.

The Captain shook his head, pulled his hands free from his sister's grip, and gazed out at Molan, who was still kneeling outside. Molan was scheduled to transfer to the superior precinct very soon, and the official approval had already come through. He no longer had any authority over her, and her future rank would soon surpass his own.

Molan's fate would have to be handled by the commander of the superior precinct. Yet, if things truly unfolded as An Feng predicted, the authorities at the superior precinct would likely acquit Molan entirely.

On one side was his own outstanding officer; on the other was his cherished niece. The Captain found it agonizingly difficult to choose, wishing he could somehow preserve both. He harbored no desire to blame Molan, yet he could not bear the thought that his niece had perished in vain. Though Molan was not the one who had struck the fatal blow against Xiao Qi, she was undoubtedly the indirect cause.

The more the Captain pondered, the more chaotic his mind became, until he finally let out a heavy sigh.

"Sister, this is simply fate... We must cherish the people we still have with us." This statement was a compromise, signaling his tacit forgiveness of Molan. Moreover, the Captain did not wish to lose yet another brilliant officer before Molan even had a chance to transfer to the superior precinct.

"No!" the Captain's sister vehemently protested. In a rage, she scooped up her daughter's remains and stormed out, refusing to spare her brother even a single glance. Since her brother refused to handle this, she would no longer care if her methods as a grieving relative crossed the line into ruthlessness. Unbeknownst to the others, the Captain's sister was already plotting a clandestine operation in the shadows.