It wasn't long before Captain Liao arrived. I had already briefed him on the situation over the phone. With a stern expression, he asked, "Song Yang, are you absolutely sure about this? This isn't something to joke about. Is Bai Yidao really assisting the culprit?"
"Don't worry," I replied. "He's inside the hotel right now. We'll find out soon enough."
We approached the front desk and confirmed which room Bai Yidao was in. Captain Liao divided the dozen officers he brought into several teams to surround the room via the stairwells. We followed him in the elevator.
When we reached the floor, officers positioned themselves at both ends of the corridor, encircling Bai Yidao's room. Liao instructed a hotel attendant to knock on the door.
"Sir, this is room service," the attendant called.
"No need," Bai Yidao responded curtly from inside.
The attendant glanced at Liao, who whispered some instructions. The attendant then continued, "Sir, the identity information you provided at the front desk is incorrect. The manager asked me to verify it. Please open the door."
"Oh, one moment!" Moments later, the door opened—and more than a dozen guns were instantly aimed at Bai Yidao.
Stunned by the overwhelming presence, Bai Yidao instinctively reached toward his holster. Liao shouted, "Bai Yidao, don't move! Hands on your head!"
"This is ridiculous, Captain Liao," Bai Yidao said, raising his hands. Then his gaze landed on the four of us, and his eyes darkened. "I get it. It's those so-called consultants stirring trouble and trying to pin this on me."
"Cut the nonsense," I sneered. "You know exactly what you've done."
"What have I done? I was just tired from work and booked a room to rest. Is that a crime?" Bai Yidao protested.
Liao motioned to the officers to cuff him. The cops, who usually got along well with Bai Yidao, looked regretful as they reluctantly snapped the handcuffs on.
"Bai, sorry about this," one muttered.
"What are you doing? I'm calling my dad! Let me go!" Bai Yidao struggled fiercely but was subdued.
We stormed inside to search the room but found no trace of the 'Wealth-Stealing Spirit Cat.' I lifted the mattress and spotted shoe prints on the bed frame. Looking up, I noticed an air vent.
I stood on the bed, removed the vent cover, and reached inside. My hand brushed against a bag. Pulling it out and opening it revealed a cat statue.
Everyone gasped. I carefully took the statue out. It was heavy—probably tens of pounds—made of ceramic. The entire piece was a golden yellow, exquisitely carved with fine details down to the whiskers. Two jade-green gemstones were set as eyes, so lifelike it felt as if the cat was watching you. No matter the angle, the gaze seemed real.
"What is this?" Captain Liao asked Bai Yidao.
"Just a craft piece, a gift from a buddy. Nothing antique," Bai Yidao scoffed.
"Then why hide it in the vent?"
"I was afraid it'd get stolen. What's wrong with that?"
Liao shot him a cold glare. "Take his gun and police badge."
Bai Yidao struggled violently as they cuffed his hands behind his back. He shouted, "This is abuse of power! Captain Liao, tell me—what law did I break? Let me call my dad!"
I said, "Don't you know what this thing is?"
Bai Yidao stared blankly at me, deflating like a punctured balloon. He let the officers take his gun and badge without resistance.
Once calm, Liao poured him a glass of water and asked about his connection to Yu Jun. Bai Yidao sighed, "I'm just an acquaintance."
Turns out, three months ago, after the previous case, Bai Yidao was assigned to question Yu Jun. Yu Jun asked for a favor—he claimed the police took a craft piece from the victim's home, something the victim had borrowed from him. Yu Jun said it was important to him but had no proof. Now that the whole victim's family was dead, the evidence would be handled by the court after a deadline.
Bai Yidao had seen the cat during the investigation. Every detail Yu Jun described matched perfectly, so Bai Yidao agreed to help.
Yu Jun prepared a fake statue and asked Bai Yidao to swap it out in the evidence room. Bai Yidao didn't think much of it at the time.
But then I told him that the statue was actually a cursed murder weapon. Terrified, Bai Yidao called Yu Jun to confront him—only to learn Yu Jun had already been questioned by us and knew he was under suspicion.
Yu Jun said they were in it together: either Bai Yidao helped him or they both went down.
Afraid of losing his job and going to jail, Bai Yidao reluctantly agreed. Yu Jun told him to wait at the apartment building. They met in the hallway, and Bai Yidao hid the 'Wealth-Stealing Spirit Cat' at a hotel.
Unexpectedly, Captain Liao showed up with backup.
Throughout Bai Yidao's explanation, I watched him closely. His story largely checked out. It seemed he was unwittingly dragged into this, not deliberately aiding the criminal.
But one thing didn't add up. I asked, "Why did you help Yu Jun steal evidence?"
Bai Yidao shrugged nonchalantly, "Why not? I'm a loyal guy—I help my friends."
I said, "Do you know what crime stealing or destroying evidence is, as a cop?"
Bai Yidao looked genuinely surprised. "That's a crime? You're making it up!"
Liao shook his head with a sigh. "Xiao Bai, you're really clueless. Destroying or fabricating evidence carries three years minimum, up to seven years in serious cases. You're ruining your future. Why not tell the truth?"
Under that pressure, Bai Yidao bit his lip and finally confessed, "Yu Jun is Weiwei's uncle-in-law. After I marry Weiwei, we'll see each other all the time. How could I not help?"
Everyone was shocked. Watching his expression, I believed he was telling the truth.
Suddenly, a sharp slap cracked through the room. Huang Xiaotao struck Bai Yidao across the face, startling everyone.
She grabbed him roughly, glaring fiercely. "If you hadn't helped him, this family of three wouldn't be dead. You not only swapped evidence and kept silent but continued enabling him. Don't you have a conscience?"
Tears welled up in Bai Yidao's eyes as he wailed, "Big sister, I didn't know it was this serious. I only studied at police academy for half a year. My dad pulled some strings to get me in. Once I knew it was a murder weapon, I was scared out of my mind. What else could I do but dig myself deeper?"
He lowered his head and sobbed, the usual swagger completely gone.
I couldn't help but feel some pity for him. From start to finish, he was just a pawn used by Yu Jun, dragged step by step to this point.