Chapter 13 - 9: He Definitely Has a Trick

An extortion case... for three million!?

Li Xiang’s head snapped up. He stared at Wu Kang in astonishment, then a flicker of understanding dawned on him.

Li Erniu was dead, and Li Youcai and Liu Cui certainly weren’t going to let it go. They were dying for a chance to squeeze Li Xiang for all he was worth.

Giving him this new assignment... was probably a way to let him lay low for a while.

He might even score a major achievement in the process!

But...

"Zhang Hu?"

Li Xiang’s expression turned a little strange. He stroked his chin.

"The guy whose wife is named Bai Jie? The one who called the police a while ago to report his wife was cheating?"

"Wasn’t he preparing to go to court for a divorce?"

"How did it suddenly turn into him reporting his wife’s lover for extorting three million from him!?"

’This is all a bit odd,’ Li Xiang thought.

After all, the contrast between the two situations was too jarring. Cheating was just a moral issue; there was nothing the police could do.

But extortion was a different story.

Especially a completed crime of extortion for three million!

’But... the guy was already getting a divorce, and he still got extorted for three million by his wife’s lover? Is this some kind of joke!?’

"Who knows,"

Wu Kang shook his head and handed the case file to him.

"But the person who filed the report is in the station lobby right now."

"Go verify the information, then make the arrest."

Hearing this, although Li Xiang was still confused, he accepted the assignment.

"I’ll get right on it then."

Wu Kang nodded and waved a hand. "Go on."

With that, Li Xiang turned and walked toward the lobby. A moment later, he disappeared from Wu Kang’s sight.

Wu Kang’s expression sobered. He turned to look at the detention room, at the lonely figure of Wang Qiang, and let out a deep sigh.

"Tsk."

"People..."

...

...

「In the station lobby.」

The victim of the extortion case was none other than Zhang Hu, the client who had consulted Xu De after being cheated on by his wife!

He was currently sitting on a public bench, muttering and cursing.

’Son of a bitch, Lawyer Xu actually predicted this...’

Of course, despite his words, there was no sadness on his face. On the contrary, he was extremely excited.

’Three million...’

’I dared to give it, and you actually dared to take it!’

At this thought, a smile spread across Zhang Hu’s face. It had been a long time since he’d smiled with such pure, unadulterated relief!

After he’d gone home, he had tried Xu De’s method and discovered... that damn adulterer really did dare to take his money, and in the millions, no less!

Having been ’enlightened’ by Xu De, Zhang Hu wasn’t about to let this opportunity slide. He immediately arranged the whole shebang: transfer the money, save the evidence, and call the police!

Just thinking about what was going to happen next...

Zhang Hu couldn’t suppress the grin spreading across his face.

He was startled back to his senses by a voice beside him.

"You’re Zhang Hu?"

Li Xiang had returned to the lobby. He looked at Zhang Hu, a peculiar expression on his face.

’According to Wu Kang, this man was indeed the victim, but... why is this victim smiling so happily?’

"Yes, that’s me, that’s me."

Zhang Hu composed his expression, realizing this officer was here to handle his case.

He then took out the full set of evidence he had prepared in advance.

"Officer, look, this is the call that adulterer made to me last night."

"And the extortion texts. He sent all of these."

Zhang Hu handed the printouts to Li Xiang.

Li Xiang took them and looked them over, his expression growing even more peculiar.

The text messages were simple: the other party used a video to blackmail him for money, and Zhang Hu paid up. The problem was...

"You knew he was the other man, and that your wife cheated on you willingly, yet you still gave him the money!?" Li Xiang asked, astonished.

Zhang Hu’s expression flickered. Xu De’s words echoed in his mind, and he immediately said:

"Sigh, I was terrified at the time. And besides, even though my wife cheated on me... I still love her."

"Naturally, I didn’t want that adulterer to spread the video around, so..."

"The things he said back then... I was so scared! So terrified! So sad! So horrified!"

"I had no choice. I was forced to transfer him the money."

Li Xiang: ?

"And now?"

Zhang Hu said, "Oh, now I’ve come to my senses and realized I was tricked and that he was extorting me."

’Did he really only just realize that now...?’

Li Xiang looked the man up and down suspiciously, seeming to want to say something but holding back. After a moment, he spoke slowly:

"This evidence... did you have a lawyer prepare it?"

He glanced down at the documents in his hand.

The evidence he provided was logically consistent, and the chain of evidence was complete. Everything from the perpetrator initiating contact to the money transfer was perfectly documented. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell it was the work of a professional.

At that thought, Li Xiang suddenly paused.

’If only Wang Qiang had this kind of evidence... his sentence could probably be much lighter.’

"Officer, are you... in need of a lawyer?"

Zhang Hu asked tentatively.

He had high emotional intelligence and could naturally read the officer’s true feelings.

"Hm?"

Li Xiang snapped out of it and shook his head.

"It’s nothing. There’s just a case I really hope a reliable lawyer will take on."

Zhang Hu immediately perked up and said hurriedly:

"Do you want an introduction? Let me tell you, there’s an incredibly capable lawyer hidden right here in Lusen City!"

Li Xiang was taken aback and shook his head.

"No need, the client has their own ideas."

"In a couple of days, the Lawyers Association will be going to Jinmao Law Firm..."

’Jinmao Law Firm?’

Hearing the familiar name, Zhang Hu froze for a second. Then his eyes lit up, and he raised an eyebrow.

"Are they going to see a young lawyer?"

Li Xiang paused.

Seeing his reaction, Zhang Hu continued:

"Is his surname Xu? Name’s Xu De!?"

Li Xiang was surprised and looked the man up and down.

"How did you know?"

Zhang Hu sucked in a breath, slightly astonished himself.

"What a coincidence! It really is Lawyer Xu!"

He had just been probing, but who would’ve thought it was actually him...

Thinking of this, Zhang Hu put on the air of an ’experienced man’ and chuckled, "Haha, well then, that’s settled. Officer, you don’t need to worry. If Lawyer Xu is willing to take the case... I can’t guarantee a win... but you’ll definitely get a satisfactory result!"

But Li Xiang was still a bit puzzled. He thought back to Xu De and asked doubtfully:

"What did that lawyer do to deserve such high praise from you...?"

Zhang Hu didn’t answer, his smile only growing wider.

’What did he do?’

’Xu De had him give himself a pay cut! Had his dad start charging him rent! And had him ’love his wife’!’

’And today, he’d even set him up to send that adulterer to prison.’

’That lawyer... he’s got all the tricks, and he’s not afraid to use them!’

’To be honest, if it weren’t frowned upon, he would have kowtowed to Xu De.’

’As for criminal cases, whether he could come up with some unorthodox tricks... Zhang Hu had no idea.’

’But he chose to trust him blindly!’

"Officer, you don’t need to worry about that. In short..."

Zhang Hu said with a grin, "Lawyer Xu definitely has a way!"

Li Xiang felt even more perplexed.

He glanced the man up and down one last time before finally shaking his head.

"I hope so."

"Alright... you’ve been extorted for three million and your wife cheated on you, yet you’re not the least bit anxious."

Li Xiang looked at the man before him, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, then put away the evidence.

"Let’s go get our man and proceed with the case."

With that said, Li Xiang led a group of officers out.

Before long, an effeminate-looking man with a face full of shock was brought back to the station.

The lover hadn’t run after getting the money. He couldn’t for the life of him figure out how Zhang Hu, who had been scared to death last night, could have decisively called the police this morning...

Watching this scene unfold, Zhang Hu laughed with immense satisfaction, almost to the point of...

Gloating!

As for Li Xiang, after making the arrest, he turned his head, looked in the direction of Wang Qiang’s detention room, and sighed.

"Sigh."

’This world we live in...’

’Good people get guns pointed at them.’