Chapter 40: Dignity must be preserved.

“What can I say, bad luck works in mysterious ways,” Liwu replied with ease as she brushed past him and entered Batian’s hotel room.

Once again, the man was in tears, beyond inconsolable because there was no saving the dead cat. Linlin was patiently waiting to question him, but Liwu did not have similar patience.

She stepped in front of Batian, who was sitting on the bed. Then, she bent forward, leaning in to his face a little. Just a little–to make him uncomfortable.

Before she could start questioning him in her usual bad cop mode, a hand tugged around her waist, forcing her to stand upright.

“Your dress is ripped.” Weijun whispered urgently, tying a coat around her waist with the subtlety of a man trying to patch a pothole in the road with biscuits. The gash was long, stretching from the hip to the area under the armpit.

Liwu swatted his hands away. “I am in the middle of an investigation Wei, nobody is interested in looking at my skin. Everyone here is more interested in the diamonds.” She shook the pouch at Batian.

He lunged at them but a wiry, tall, detective in glasses that were attached to a red string pushed him back down.

Batian’s tears ceased, but the sniffles did not die quickly. “The diamonds are mine, I did not realize that they had been stolen detective. I made a deal with a seller of some imitation swords from my favorite movie. He wanted his payment in diamonds. They are perfectly legal, I assure you.” His shoulders started to shook as he fell into grief once again.

Liwu shot at Batian sternly, “Do you want us to believe that the snake head gang just happened to target your diamonds out of nowhere? Tell me the truth, were they smuggled? Even if you lie to me, I will know.”

Batian shook his head furiously. “No smuggling! I have receipts, emails that were sent between me and the sword seller. We even signed a contract because he was worried I would not pay. The diamonds are legitimate. My mistake was declaring them loudly at the front desk when they asked if I had any precious cargo that required safe keeping. I assumed the hotel was safe. These thieves must have taken advantage of my carelessness, but I don’t know why they killed my cat if all they wanted were diamonds. My Tonfeng was innocent.”

“Because the snake head gang never leaves witnesses.” The detective in the glasses replied.

Batian was astounded, and so was Weijun.

Weijun said, “But it was just a cat. Did they think it could testify against them?”

Liwu slapped Weijun’s hands away again as they righted the coat. The man was truly determined to preserve her dignity! “Are you forgetting that we live in a whole new world and sometimes, a cat is not just a cat.” She sighed and looked at Batian with a little mercy in her eyes. “My condolences for your cat. Unfortunately, we cannot give it to you right now for burial. We must conduct an autopsy and see if any evidence can be retrieved from it.”

Batian started a new round of crying, wailing about the desecration of his Tongfeng.

Liwu gestured at the detective in glasses, “Mu Xuanji, take Mr. Batian to the precinct and get the evidence of the transaction. Find out who the sword seller is and have them picked up for questioning. We should also question everyone that worked at the front desk when Batian checked in and loudly declared to the world that he was a diamond mine and welcome to all thieves.”

Batian was led outside.

Linlin sidled up to Liwu with a question. “What kind of idiot loudly declares that they have diamonds to strangers?”

“And what kind of idiot travels with diamonds worth at least twelve million and no extra security at all?” Liwu asked right back. “There are too many holes here.”

“Agreed,” Chief Abby’s voice boomed from behind them. “Now, allow tech and forensics to examine every inch of the room while you run down other leads. Go and question the janitor that was arrested.”

Liwu and Linlin turned to leave. She had already forgotten all about her husband. But Weijun had not forgotten about her. He pulled her back, scowling deeply as if she had stepped on his toes. “You are not leaving this hotel in a torn dress. It is bad enough that press will soon spin this theft into another case of insecurity in One city. They don’t need to see my half naked wife leaving a hotel as well.”

Sometime, during Batian’s questioning, Mo Xia had arrived with a new dress. Liwu took it reluctantly, went into the bathroom and changed.

“Happy now?” She asked Weijun when she stepped out.

He puffed his chest. “I am not unhappy.” He stepped aside, giving her a path out of the room. “Now, I have to go and see how this situation can be contained. All hotels in the city need to increase their security in light of what has happened.” He looked at Chief Abby and smiled stiffly, “Get your snake heads out of my city.”

Liwu left the hotel before Weijun, in an SOB police car that was driven by Linlin. The two women were discussing possibilities about the case when Linlin suddenly decided to change the subject.

“So, your husband is nice.” She said, with a mysterious smile.

Liwu snorted. “Why, because he tried to cover a rip in my dress with a coat?”

Linlin laughed. “Well, maybe I should use a different word. What about considerate?”

Liwu laughed. “I don’t know, it is still too soon to tell. I will say one thing though, you were a bit spot on with your prediction of my fate. I married a husband with a childhood sweetheart.” She shook her head. “Mmm, maybe not childhood as they did not grow up together.”

Linlin tapped the steering wheel. “Ah, Manman, the plastic beauty.”

Liwu covered her head in her hands, giggling faintly.

Her free laughter amused Linlin. Liwu was one of those women–nice ones that didn’t like to gossip about others or say rude things behind their backs. In the system host community, Manman was one of the hosts that were not taken seriously.

Everyone knew where her beauty had come from, so they did not think she was special. Someone had once called her a plastic beauty and the name kind of just stuck!

Liwu, however, used to frown at people that called Manman by that name. It seemed like that had changed now that she had met Manman in person.

“So, what was it like meeting her?” Linlin asked, curiously.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep