HPDBC Chapter 997 A Traitor
Chapter 997 A Traitor
Hearing the voice, Qin Xu turned around, surprised to see Zhouzhou there.
"Zhouzhou?" he asked, walking over to her and glancing around. "What are you doing here?"
Zhouzhou replied, "This is my brother's house. I came to stay here with him."
As she spoke, Jing Bai came out of the room. He was a special figure within the Fourth Bureau, and Qin Xu had some understanding of his background. He gave him a small nod, then his gaze returned to Zhouzhou. Seeing the bun in her hand, Qin Xu raised an eyebrow.
They had brought buns over earlier, and based on the filling, it seemed Zhouzhou was eating the ones they had brought. But how did they end up in her hands?
Following Qin Xu's gaze, Zhouzhou looked at the bun in her hand and quickly realized what he was thinking. She smiled and explained, "It was Uncle Chief who gave it to me. He said you two were colleagues before."
Uncle Chief? Colleagues?
Qin Xu's face showed a flash of surprise. "The soul of the former chief is still around?"
Zhouzhou turned to look at the person behind her and nodded. "Yes, he's standing right next to you, Second Uncle."
As she spoke, she handed a Heavenly Eye Talisman to Qin Xu. Almost instantly, he saw the familiar figure before him. His eyes reddened, and he trembled as he murmured, "Sir!"
The former chief had been someone Qin Xu met when he first started working. He had been kind and supportive, almost like a mentor. The two were very close, and it felt like a father-son relationship even though they didn't have a formal master-disciple title.
But several years ago, the former chief had sacrificed himself during a mission to capture criminals. That was one of the most devastating losses the force had experienced in the past two decades.
The former chief looked at him, then at Zhouzhou. His hand holding the apple froze, and he asked in surprise, "You two know each other?"
"Of course, this is my Second Uncle. How could I not know him?" Zhouzhou answered, her eyes shining with innocence.
The former chief raised an eyebrow in confusion. "But wasn't your father Ye Lingfeng?"
Ye Lingfeng didn't have a second brother, though. He had a younger brother, but that man was born to his stepmother and was not someone of good reputation. Besides, one was surnamed Ye and the other Qin—how could they possibly be brothers?
Zhouzhou's face lit up with a smile as she casually explained, "I have two dads."
She went on to recount how she had been adopted by the Qin family after coming down from the mountain and later met Ye Lingfeng, which gave her two fathers.
After hearing this, the former chief couldn't help but ask, "Ye Lingfeng, with his temper, could he really share his daughter with someone else?"
Zhouzhou blinked and cupped her face, proudly saying, "Because I'm so cute!" She added with a little giggle, "It was because of my sharp tongue that my dad finally agreed."
If only one step had been predicted, it would have been easier to explain, but the whole operation had felt wrong from start to finish.
Qin Xu clenched his fist, his face turning pale with anger.
Five years ago, during a mission, the former chief and his team had gone to apprehend a group of smugglers, but it ended in disaster, with everyone being wiped out. It had been one of the most devastating losses in their criminal investigation team's history. He had always thought it was just a simple failure, never suspecting there was something more sinister behind it.
His breath turned icy as he recalled the events.
Zhouzhou watched him silently. She then reached out and held his hand, her small, warm hand offering him comfort. The warmth seeped into his skin, helping to melt the coldness that had enveloped him.
He opened his eyes and looked down at her. For a brief moment, the pain in his eyes was clear to Zhouzhou. She felt a pang of worry in her heart and furrowed her brow in concern.
She gently spoke, "Second Uncle, if someone's bullying you, you tell me. I'll help you get revenge."
Hearing this, Qin Xu suddenly remembered something. He squatted down to Zhouzhou's level, meeting her eyes seriously. "Zhouzhou, you can read faces, right? Can you help me figure out who the traitor is?"
Zhouzhou nodded eagerly. "Of course!" She said, her little head bobbing up and down with determination.
"Will it make you happy if I find the person?" she asked, her voice soft.
Qin Xu shook his head. "No, it won't make me happy. Whoever the traitor is, they've been a part of our team for years. We've all been through life and death together. No matter who it is, I won't be happy, only heartbroken."
Zhouzhou's eyes softened as she looked at him. She reached up, gently brushing away the crease between his brows with her tiny hand. The warmth from her fingers brought him some comfort, and he exhaled slowly, his tension easing just a little.
"Even though it won't make me happy, finding this person will help us avenge the former chief and his team," he said quietly.
Zhouzhou nodded again, understanding.
"Let's go," Qin Xu said, taking her hand and walking toward the cemetery next door. The former chief and his team followed behind, their expressions grim. They were all eager to know who had betrayed them, and more importantly, why.
As they neared, someone noticed them and called out cheerfully, "Zhouzhou!"
The young girl had visited their police station before, helping them capture several wanted criminals. Although she had done it for the money, her efforts had truly helped them, and many of them liked her.
When the others heard the noise, they gathered around, all smiles as they greeted Zhouzhou.
Zhouzhou's gaze swept over them, and just as her eyes landed on one person, she suddenly stopped.
Following her gaze, Qin Xu's heart sank to the bottom. How could it be him...?