You went on a blind date and presented an A-level wanted criminal as a meeting gift?

trial room.

Zhao Deshun was handcuffed to a chair, and the expression on his face had returned to calm.

It wasn't a feigned calm; it was genuine resignation.

A person who has been hiding in the shadows for thirty-two years is actually more vulnerable than anyone else once they are brought into the sunlight.

He hadn't faced his true self for so long that when the mask was torn off, there was nothing inside.

Su Qingge sat opposite her, her voice recorder turned on.

Lin Chen did not enter the interrogation room.

He stood behind the one-way glass next door, leaning against the wall, looking at Zhao Deshun on the other side of the glass.

Su Qingge's interrogation was concise and efficient, without any unnecessary words, and went straight to the point.

Zhao Deshun's confession was also very straightforward.

Thirty-two years ago, when he was a rookie patrolman, he had accumulated a large debt due to gambling.

With nowhere else to turn, they were targeted by an organization outside the court.

The other party helped him pay off his debts, but the price was that he became a mole embedded in the public security system.

For 32 years, he used his position to pass on intelligence, destroy evidence, and protect key moments for the court.

He never actively committed evil deeds, nor did he directly participate in violent crimes. His only role was to allow the court personnel to escape before they were investigated.

In the fireworks case, he received orders from above to silence him permanently before the fireworks could even open.

So he used the paper cup method.

"List."

Su Qingge's voice lowered.

"How much information do you have about the locations of the courts in Jiangcheng?"

Zhao Deshun remained silent for a while.

"I'm just a pawn; the opponent won't let a single pawn know the entire game's situation. But there are some things I've figured out on my own over these thirty-two years."

He began to speak.

Su Qingge's pen moved swiftly.

Lin Chen stood behind the glass, his expression unchanged.

The amount of information Zhao Deshun revealed wasn't large, but each piece was a solid clue that could connect the evidence and witnesses who had "coincidentally" disappeared in several unresolved cases in Jiangcheng over the past few years.

The interrogation lasted four hours.

As dawn broke, Su Qingge emerged from the interrogation room, clutching a thick stack of transcripts. Her face was grim, not from fatigue, but from anger.

Thirty-two years.

A mole had been hiding in her team for thirty-two years.

Before she became the head of the serious crimes unit, and before she entered the police academy, this person was already a hidden nail driven into the heart of the public security system.

"Qingge."

Lin Chen's voice came from the end of the corridor.

He leaned against the windowsill, the morning light shining on his face, his expression indifferent.

Su Qingge walked up to him, looked at him, and pursed her lips for two seconds.

"When did you start to suspect him?"

"That day, coffee."

"Then why didn't you just tell me?"

"Can you tell me you can keep everything under control without showing it on your face?"

Su Qingge was momentarily speechless.

She stared at Lin Chen for a few seconds, then looked away.

"Next time, let me know in advance."

"good."

Lin Chen did not argue.

He knew that Su Qingge wasn't angry with him; she was angry with herself.

She felt she should have discovered it sooner.

But it's not her fault.

Zhao Deshun has lived in this building for thirty-two years, which is older than most on-duty police officers.

His disguise wasn't based on acting skills, but on time.

Time is the best camouflage.

For 32 years, he has maintained a kind, low-key, unassuming, and error-free demeanor, and no one could find any flaws in his daily behavior.

If Lin Chen hadn't possessed the two cheat codes of truth serum and micro-expression analysis, the outcome would have been the same for anyone else.

That afternoon, at the Municipal Public Security Bureau compound.

The news spread internally.

Zhao Deshun, the deputy captain of the serious crimes unit, is the mole.

The atmosphere in the entire building became subtle.

The police officers, who were usually all smiles, put away their grins and simply nodded to each other as they passed each other in the corridor.

There was something new in everyone's eyes—not suspicion, but lingering fear.

Your long-time colleague of 32 years may never have been one of your own from day one.

This feeling is worse than having a knife to your throat.

Su Jianguo arrived at the scene immediately.

After his plane landed, he went straight to the Municipal Bureau by car without even going back to his hotel.

Lin Chen met him in the director's office.

Su Jianguo's hair had turned a few more white strands than when they last met, but his imposing presence remained undiminished.

He was wearing a dark gray Zhongshan suit, standing by the window, and read through all of Zhao Deshun's interrogation records.

There were only the two of them in the office.

Su Jianguo closed the file and turned around.

He looked at Lin Chen with a mixture of scrutiny, admiration, and a complex emotion that was hard to describe.

"This is the deepest nail that the court has planted in East China."

Su Jianguo's voice was deep.

"The 'ghost' mole, codenamed 'Insider,' which had been on the radar of the Ministry of Public Security for six years, had never been touched by anyone. You did it in less than seventy-two hours."

Lin Chen didn't say anything.

Su Jianguo walked over, raised his hand, and patted Lin Chen on the shoulder.

The force in his hand was very strong; it wasn't just politeness, but a direct way for a father to acknowledge his children.

"Lin Chen, Jiangcheng is too small a pond."

His voice lowered by an octave.

"Your abilities shouldn't be confined to a single municipal-level position."

Lin Chen looked at him.

Su Jianguo's gaze was very direct.

"I will wait for you in the capital. The doors of the Su family are always open for you."

These words carry more weight than any medal or commendation.

The Su family.

One of the most powerful and influential families in East China.

Su Jianguo's personal statement that "the door is wide open" is not only an acknowledgment of Lin Chen's personal abilities, but also a form of political support.

From today onwards, Lin Chen has a powerful backer in this system.

A powerful backer, stronger than any other force in the world.

Lin Chen neither fawned over nor was flattered.

He nodded.

"Thank you, Uncle Su."

Five words: clean and concise.

Su Jianguo glanced at him, a rare smile appearing on his lips.

He picked up his briefcase from the table and walked towards the door.

When he opened the door, he paused at the door frame without turning around.

"Qingge has been stubborn since she was little; she never listens to anyone."

His voice was very soft.

"But I've noticed that she listens to you."

The door closed.

Lin Chen stood there, staring at the door, and remained silent for two seconds.

Then he took his phone out of his pocket and saw a message flashing on the system notification panel.