Love Assault - Chapter 8

No words could describe Lin Che’s current mood.

It was 343 AM. The night was dark and cold, with snowflakes drifting down from the sky. He drove slowly down the deserted road, his phone buzzing incessantly on the passenger seat. Without looking, he knew it was Yun Xi again.

The rhythmic clack-clack of the windshield wipers grated on his nerves. The car’s heater had barely warmed the interior when the windows began to fog up, adding to his frustration. What bothered him most was why all these absurd incidents had to happen on the same day.

The container truck had gone missing—or rather, been stolen? Strangely, an hour earlier, two reckless thieves had driven the stolen truck into a warehouse in the eastern suburbs, injuring six police officers on duty, demolishing the warehouse, and, most critically, killing a fugitive on the run. After killing the fugitive, the thieves had crashed through the warehouse walls and led pursuing officers on a high-stakes, late-night car chase. They were finally apprehended after being surrounded and cornered.

What made matters worse was that the police found drugs on them.

Were the drugs they had brought themselves, or were they already in the Dingsheng Group’s container truck, which was specifically used for transporting goods?

They must have brought the drugs themselves, Lin Che said, slapping the table as he looked at Yun Xi, who sat across from him, looking exhausted. He nearly burst out laughing at the absurd speculation. You told me to go to the police station. Why did you change course and come back to the company?

The investigation there won’t be over anytime soon. Losing the truck is a minor issue, but drugs are a serious matter. I already called Wu Song and told him to find the truck driver first, Yun Xi said, rubbing his temples vigorously. I had just finished drinking with a client when the police called. I thought I was drunk and dreaming.

Lin Che leaned back in his chair, poured himself a cup of tea, and raised it to his lips but didn’t drink. He looked at Yun Xi and asked, Was Chen Mo involved in tonight’s incident?

Young Miss… Yun Xi said, his face troubled as he reached for the teacup in Lin Che’s hand and took a sip. What time is it? How can you still be pondering this? Seeing Lin Che’s determined gaze, as if she wouldn’t rest until she had an answer, he shrugged helplessly, raised his hands in surrender, and covered his head. Alright, alright… she was there. I saw her at the police station. She seemed injured, but it didn’t look serious.

Lin Che shot to her feet, her eyes widening as she stared at Yun Xi. Injured? Where?

Yun Xi rested his cheek in his palm, watching the storm of emotions flicker across Lin Che’s face. Have you gone mad? Chen Mo doesn’t even know who you are. Why are you so worked up?

Lin Che frowned and sank back into her chair, leaning against the backrest as she opened her mouth to speak again. But Yun Xi’s phone rang. Wu Song?

Yun Xi glanced at the screen, nodded, and answered quickly. After a few grunts and murmurs, he sprang up from his chair, nearly shouting into the phone, Bullshit! You stay put! I’m coming right now! He hung up and glared at Lin Che, his face flushed with anger.

Seeing Yun Xi’s furious state, Lin Che immediately understood the situation. She spread her hands in a gesture of resignation. Great. Looks like we won’t be getting any peace tonight. What did he say?

They found the driver.

Where?

At his house. He’s at the police station now. Yun Xi hurriedly dressed as she spoke. He said someone drove the car away around 10 PM. It was someone General Manager Lin arranged. There’s a signature on the vehicle usage record.

Lin Che raised an eyebrow. My mother? Impossible. She flew to America with Ye Quan this afternoon.

Yun Xi shook her head. Not your aunt. It was you.

Lin Che gave Yun Xi a puzzled look and leisurely poured herself another cup of tea. Which idiot came up with such a clumsy frame-up?

Yun Xi walked over and drained the cup in one gulp. Wait here. This old lady’s going to show those fools what’s what. See who dares mess with Dingsheng and thinks they’ve got nine lives.

Lin Che stood up. How could the star of this thrilling drama miss the show? With that, she grabbed Yun Xi’s arm and headed for the door. But Yun Xi yanked her back. Young Miss, aren’t you worried this stunt will make Officer Chen see you in a ‘different light’?

Ha… Lin Che laughed heartily. If she’s really too dense to see through this, then I won’t bother trying to befriend her anyway.

Lin Che was right. Chen Mo wasn’t that foolish.

Everything had happened too quickly over an hour ago, but it hadn’t yet clouded her mind or distorted her senses. Wrapped in her coat, she sat in her office, unable to understand why the container truck that had suddenly crashed into the warehouse hadn’t taken Pockmark away but had instead chosen to crush him to death. The scene, thick with the stench of gunpowder and bl00d, remained vivid in her mind. The nausea and dizziness from the high-speed chase afterward only compounded her distress, leaving her stomach churning even now.

Li Zhiyong had been thrown from the tree by the force of the impact and was still hospitalized. Ten colleagues had been injured, their injuries ranging from minor to severe. After bandaging her own wounds, she had rushed back to the police station. She had slept less than forty-eight hours in the past two weeks due to this case. Even for someone as resilient as her, such intense pressure was unsustainable. Yet she knew she couldn’t afford to collapse—not now, at least.

Her left hand had suffered a minor fracture during the chaos of the collision and evasive maneuvers, while her right upper arm bore a bullet graze, the wound throbbing rhythmically. Perhaps the bandage was too tight, or perhaps the pain was stimulating her brain, but for her, the pain was a welcome distraction, keeping her sharp and focused. Zhang Lining and Han Zhiwei were currently taking statements from the two captured suspects. The container truck belonged to Dingsheng Transportation, and the on-duty driver had been brought to the police station twenty minutes earlier.

His confession was truly astonishing.

Her fingers trembled slightly from exhaustion and pain as she struggled to pick up a form from the desk, its header clearly stamped with Prosperous International Trading Company. The form stated that due to departmental inventory adjustments, a container truck needed to be driven to B City Airport by a designated driver at 10 PM. In the signature line below, the bold characters Lin Che were prominently written.

Lin Che… Chen Mo set down the form and lightly tapped the desk, a hint of confusion coloring her pale cheeks. Lin Che had just survived a life-or-death ordeal that morning, narrowly escaping death. Chen Mo had even seen her at the police station that afternoon, personally escorting Director Guo back to the station. Moreover, Lin Zhili and Guo Haitao were close friends who had shared lunch together earlier that day. All signs indicated that Lin Che had neither the time nor the motive to sign her name so conspicuously. If there was any suspicious element within the Lin family, it was likely Lin Zhili’s hasty booking of a flight to the United States that afternoon, leaving B City. However, this alone couldn’t prove Dingsheng International’s involvement in drug trafficking or concealment.

Chen Mo propped her head up, closed her aching eyes, and took a deep breath. She needed a cup of coffee or strong tea. The coffee machine was right by the door, less than five steps away, but a wave of overwhelming fatigue crashed over her, and she couldn’t force her eyes open. She heard the door open but lacked the energy to turn her head, simply murmuring, Make me a cup of coffee.

Moments later, the rich aroma of coffee filled the air. Still without opening her eyes, she asked drowsily, Is the statement recorded?

Given your condition, I really don’t recommend coffee right now, Lin Che said, pulling up a chair beside her. He sighed, looking at her pale, exhausted face, the face of someone stubbornly clinging to consciousness. Captain Chen, what you need most right now is rest.