Pity, heartache, guilt… raw emotion poured from his eyes. Wong Sui Ho chattered on endlessly, shaking his head and sighing.
“Thankfully, in the end, she didn’t hurt that child—”
He had been carrying the conversation alone for a long time, but the two officers across from him remained silent.
After a moment’s hesitation, he finally ventured: “I heard that Mong Suet grew up abroad — is that true?”
At that, Shen Zhicheng — who had been quiet the whole time — finally spoke.
“Your information is very accurate,” he said flatly. “Yeung Mong Suet emigrated at the age of ten. She lived well — prestigious school, high education, and everything she wore was designer.”
At that, Wong Sui Ho’s eyes went wide. The corners of his mouth twitched upward, though he tried to suppress the grin.
“I knew it — I went to the children’s home back then to ask, but they had no news of her. I was so worried, as her uncle. Mong Suet was already ten — if she’d been adopted by someone with bad intentions, she’d have suffered. I’m glad my worries were unfounded. My niece might have had a rough start in life, but at least she’s had some good fortune.”
Shen Zhicheng watched him coldly.
The children’s home records showed clearly that, in the ten years after Yeung Mong Suet arrived, not a single relative had ever come to visit.
“So she’s been doing well all these years.” Wong Sui Ho shifted gears, putting a hand to his forehead. “But now she’s gotten herself into this mess — throwing away her life like that. I don’t know what she was thinking. What a shame.”
“Sir — I’ve heard people saying Mong Suet’s sentence won’t be short. Maybe — just like my brother-in-law back then — she’ll get life in prison? I mean, she did kill people — it’s murder…”
“During yesterday’s interrogation, Yeung Mong Suet said she inherited a large fortune,” Shen Zhicheng said, leaning back in his chair, his tone calm. “But in her current situation, no amount of money can be used.” He paused. “She did remember she still has a few relatives.”
Wong Sui Ho leaned forward slightly, listening intently: “Her uncle and aunt on the other side never cared about her — they never helped when things went wrong. Only me — I had Mong Suet stay at my place for half a month back then.”
“Yeung Mong Suet said the same thing,” Shen Zhicheng nodded slightly. “She said her uncle was the closest to her. Unfortunately, back then he took her mother’s compensation money — and he never showed his face in all these years. Naturally, she has no reason to entrust her inheritance to him.”
Li Heng neither interrupted nor interjected — she just listened to Shen Zhicheng’s words.
She hadn’t known he had this skill — he’d never even sat in an interrogation room, yet here he was, spinning a story off the top of his head.
“That’s not true — Madam, Sir — Mong Suet has misunderstood me.”
“When my sister’s family fell apart, it’s not that I didn’t want to help. But I was barely in my twenties back then — practically a kid myself. I had so many kids to raise, expenses everywhere — I could barely keep my head above water.”
“Mong Suet’s grandmother… yes, her grandmother on my side — she was in poor health. That compensation money was meant to pay for her medical bills.”
“Mong Suet is my niece — of course I wanted to help her back then — but reality wouldn’t allow it.” Wong Sui Ho grew more agitated, his face full of helplessness. “I really know I was wrong. The moment I heard about this — I dropped everything — work, family — and rushed over. Mong Suet needs family by her side right now. I’m begging you — please, can you arrange for me to see her?”
“Yeung Mong Suet is currently in custody during the investigation phase — family visits are not permitted.” Li Heng looked at him. “You can wait until the final verdict and apply through proper procedures. However, since you’re not a direct relative, the process is lengthy — approval isn’t guaranteed.”
“I remember,” Shen Zhicheng recalled from his training, adding, “Even if the application is approved, Yeung Mong Suet herself has the right to refuse the visit. If I were her, I wouldn’t want to see you.”
Li Heng’s lips curved slightly: “Yeung Mong Suet is alone in the world. She inherited a huge fortune she can’t even use. If not to her own uncle, who else would she leave it to? But since you can’t see her, nothing can be done.”
Wong Sui Ho’s heart sank.
He hadn’t expected that even this Inspector, who seemed all business, would share the same thought.
His face flushed and paled with regret as he silently replayed the past.
If he had shown more care and affection to his young niece back then — if he hadn’t made such an ugly scene when she was taken away, letting his wife handle everything — would things have been different? Or if he’d bothered to visit her during the months she was at the children’s home — maybe they’d still have a bond. Then, this vast fortune would only be a matter of notarizing a letter — easily within his grasp.
“I never thought… I never thought…” Wong Sui Ho said.
That year’s compensation from his sister was nothing compared to his niece’s current wealth.
He could no longer fake his guilt — he just repeated the same words over and over.
“Officers — please, just make an exception — I’m her uncle!”
“Can you at least give me a hint — how much does she actually have? I don’t mean anything by it — I just want to know the figure.”
“Mong Suet is my niece — I watched her grow up. Please — just let me see her once.”
“Or how about this — I’ll write a letter, and you can take it in for her, let her have a look…”
His greedy pleas echoed behind them in the reception room.
Li Heng and Shen Zhicheng got up and left — without once looking back.
Just like the day Yeung Mong Suet was taken away by the social worker ten years ago — her uncle had turned his back and walked away without a second glance.
…
Team A settled back into their usual relaxed rhythm, eyes fixed on the clock in the CID room, waiting for quittin’ time.
Before long, Pan Liqin returned from recording Police Report. They all gathered to finalize plans for the weekend’s case-closing celebration banquet.
“No matter what, Sir Pan’s celebration feast is inevitable.”
“Where should we go? A proper seafood banquet, or a BBQ at Sir Pan’s place?”
“Do we have to pick one? Can’t we have both?”
Laughter and chatter filled the office, while inside the Inspector’s office, Li Heng was keeping herself busy.
She was used to being busy — just half a day off had already left her feeling restless. She casually pulled out a stack of case files and flipped through them slowly to pass the time.
Knock, knock, knock—
A crisp knock sounded at the door.
Li Heng looked up and saw Tong Yi Wei push the door open.
“What brings you here?”
Tong Yi Wei closed the door behind him. In one hand he held a psychological assessment report, in the other a paper bag.
He placed the report in front of Li Heng and said: “This is Tung Hoi Ying’s full psychological evaluation report. The preliminary conclusions are all here — follow-up care will be transferred to the Youth Services Department for long-term management.”
Li Heng flipped through the report.
Nannán was still young — children recovered better than adults. With early intervention, she would gradually heal.
She filed the document and glanced at the paper bag: “What’s in there?”
“Picked them up on the way past Wong Chuk Hang — cream horns, cocktail buns, and two cups of iced kumquat honey.”
He remembered clearly.
Back then, at the entrance of the Wong Chuk Hang Police Academy, Li Heng — always alone — would walk to a roadside stall after every grueling training session to buy her dinner.
She’d stand quietly by the roadside.
Slowly nibbling the crispy, sweet cream horn, finishing the soft cocktail bun, then sipping the refreshing kumquat honey. She wasn’t just grabbing a meal — she clearly enjoyed it.
“That stall’s still there?” Li Heng’s eyes brightened. “I went looking for it before, but I never found it.”
“The owner rented a shop and opened an old-school ice café — it’s just behind Ocean Park. It’s so busy now you have to queue for the cocktail buns.” Tong Yi Wei handed her the paper bag. “Try it — see if it tastes the same.”
Police academy training was brutal — back then, those three items were what she looked forward to most.
Li Heng thanked him softly, took the bag, and pulled out a cream horn.
It was the same familiar taste — sweet and rich, spreading across her tongue.
“Same as always — the pastry a little crispier on the outside,” Tong Yi Wei said.
“And not too much cream,” Li Heng finished, taking another bite, then reaching for the cocktail bun.
Soft and fluffy, with a hint of milky fragrance — the coconut filling was just as smooth as she remembered.
“Oh, right.” Tong Yi Wei remembered something. “Last time you said you needed help with something — what was it?”
Li Heng’s hand paused over the bag. She asked: “If an officer has mild psychological issues that don’t affect daily duties — can the force’s psychological support unit provide counseling?”
“Formal psychological support is generally for trauma triggered by major cases,” Tong Yi Wei explained honestly. “Once it’s officially reported, it goes on your file.”
A flicker of disappointment crossed Li Heng’s eyes: “I’ll think of another way.”
“Or I could follow up with them privately, on my own time.” Tong Yi Wei’s tone was gentle. “Is it your new colleague?”
Just then, the office door clicked open.
Shen Zhicheng never knocked when entering Li Heng’s office. He strolled in — and noticed Tong Yi Wei was there too.
His gaze swept across the desk and locked onto the paper bag.
He sat down naturally, picked up a golden, glossy cocktail bun, and casually took a cup of kumquat honey.
The young master was as brazen as ever, speaking as if it were only natural: “I like this.”
Li Heng immediately guarded the only remaining cup of kumquat honey left by her side.
“I didn’t think ahead,” Tong Yi Wei said, his tone calm and composed. “I’ll bring more next time.”
Shen Zhicheng sized him up quietly.
From that flashy black shirt on the first day, to showing up at their table in the station canteen — this guy was suspicious from the start.
A moment later, Dr. Tong stood up and left.
Shen Zhicheng stared after him, watching until that steady figure had disappeared.
He’d come over specifically to remind Li Heng of two things.
First — the family dinner at Repulse Bay in a few days would be her first formal meeting with their uncle’s family. She might not feel comfortable. If she didn’t want to go, she didn’t have to listen to Grandfather — she could find an excuse to bow out.
The other thing was that Pan Liqin had just specifically told him to bring Shen Yong Xuan to the celebration banquet.
Did Sir Pan and their aunt know each other?
But right now, all his thoughts were thrown off by Tong Yi Wei.
Why was this guy so eager?
“Did he bring this?” Shen Zhicheng held up the cocktail bun, sneering. “Then I don’t like it.”
He raised his hand to throw it away.
But Li Heng was quicker — she pressed his hand down and shoved the bun straight into his mouth: “Shen Zhicheng — don’t waste food!”
She wiped the crumbs off her fingers on him, then picked up the kumquat honey and took a sip.
The sweet, refreshing fruitiness was smooth on the tongue, with a lingering hint of sweetness.
Shen Zhicheng, mouth stuffed with half a bun, glared toward the door.
This Dr. Tong — what was his angle? Showing up with gifts for no reason!
“Something’s fishy — I’m sure of it!” He dropped his usual carefree attitude and leaned in seriously. “Sis — trust me.”
Li Heng nearly choked on her drink: “Huh?”
This Shen Zhicheng — suddenly playing nice and calling her “Sis.”
What was he plotting!
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