Attention Sir, I Have Your Heart Handcuffed!-Chapter 555 - 403. Just because you’re no longer here ().
The chief inspector could understand both Tang Yanqing’s situation and his feelings.
Shi Nian had disappeared. It had been 17 months since early summer last year—invisible, neither alive nor dead.
This young subordinate initially managed to remain calm, using his usual composure and reasoning to search for clues. But then everything veered in an unimaginable direction, and he began to grow anxious and uneasy, plagued by the heart demon common to all detectives, eventually losing his sense of direction.
The more they worked on the case, the more complex it became, entangling them in a web of distractions, making it increasingly difficult to filter out crucial leads.
As this young man’s superior and senior, I once drank with Tang Yanqing in private, hoping that he would loosen up, even if it meant getting thoroughly drunk.
Just as I wished, that night, this young man was truly drunk. But he didn’t release his emotions; he just clutched his glass, laughing foolishly, muttering, "I know, retribution is inevitable. Taishan, what you experienced years ago, I face today in the same way. I brought this upon myself... Taishan, here’s to you."
He raised his glass to the empty air, smiling foolishly into the void.
The chief inspector was startled. Although the events of Shi Nian’s time were shrouded in secrecy, after this case emerged, the police revisited past incidents, and the chief inspector learned that Shi Nian was indeed Shi Haoran’s daughter. So now, when Tang Yanqing acted this way, he realized that Tang Yanqing was speaking to Shi Haoran.
A dialogue across life and death.
The chief inspector quickly helped him up, saying with concern, "You’re drunk, stop talking nonsense."
Still smiling, both childlike and aged simultaneously, he waved drunkenly at the chief inspector, "Not nonsense, it’s true."
Being an old hand in the police, the chief inspector had worked his way up from being a regular patrolman. In their careers, any dedicated police officer, himself, his partners, and colleagues inevitably faced severe setbacks at some point.
With the passage of time and technological advancements, these high-tech investigative methods seemingly make solving crimes much easier. Back then, many cold cases could be resolved today with just one DNA match. But in reality, it isn’t so simple.
As investigative techniques evolve, so do criminals’ knowledge and methods. As the Chinese saying goes: "The road is an inch higher, but the devil is a foot higher." In police stations worldwide, there are always unsolved cases, and every officer has records of failures—without exception.
Therefore, the chief inspector knew too well that Tang Yanqing was facing the inevitable trial in his policing career.
However, this young man was indeed too young, and the chief inspector hadn’t expected his ordeal to arrive so early.
As a result, he tried to stall for time, thinking that perhaps, over time, this young man would become numb or slow in his perception of that incident, and he could get through this. After all, in this world, no hurdle truly cannot be overcome; people merely get stuck on their own heart demons.
But after that, things deteriorated further for him. Gradually, he became unkempt and reverted to his previous defiant ways in the police station, critiquing every case, even arguing, regardless of whether it was a case from his own team or whether his comments were valid.
The colleagues in the station all knew it was because of Shi Nian’s disappearance that he became like this, so they tried their best to tolerate him. But later, as he became increasingly excessive, some of his opinions were truly unconstructive and seemed to be deliberately disruptive.
Discontent rose in the station, gradually directing its focus toward his identity as a member of the Tang Family.
The chief inspector felt only heartache watching this.
Police officers should join forces to combat crime, rather than engage in internal strife.
Yet this was perhaps a sign. Even though he didn’t want to see this young man simply remove his badge, hand over his gun, and walk away. The situation was slipping out of his control.
If they forced him to stay, he would only dig deeper into his obstinate point, never to emerge. This exceptionally gifted young man might wither away.
The chief inspector clenched his hands tightly, looked at Tang Yanqing and asked, "Have you really decided? I could give you time off, and you could come back when you’re rested."
Tang Yanqing smiled sadly, "No, I can no longer be a competent detective. I know what trouble I’ve caused in the station."
The chief inspector could only sigh with regret, taking the resignation letter and signing it.
Seeing the signature lines, blank for the seventh time, finally filled with his handwriting, Tang Yanqing took a deep breath, his eyes still reddening.
He gave a hearty smile, stood, clicking the heels of his leather shoes together with a resounding "bang," and solemnly saluted the chief inspector. Then, he carefully removed the badge over his heart and unbuckled his sidearm, handing them over to the chief inspector with both hands.
The chief inspector took them, his eyes stinging. He sighed, saying, "Ah, child, I can let you leave the police force, but your life ahead is long. You need to resolve the knots in your heart by yourself."
Seventeen months had passed, and Shi Nian remained missing. The world is so small, but in truth, it is vast. What’s more, with billions of people in the world, if hidden well, Shi Nian might truly have vanished from this world.
However, this young man before him simply couldn’t spend his entire life only living for the search of Shi Nian, could he?
.
Upon resigning, Tang Yanqing walked out of the chief inspector’s office, only to be stunned by the sight of all his colleagues lined up solemnly in the hallway. Even old rivals like Old Qiao and colleagues he had almost come to blows with were included.
They all gazed at him silently.
No explanation needed; just seeing his police badge gone from the left side of his chest, they already understood his resignation had been accepted.
He was leaving.
Tang Yanqing wanted to manage a smile for everyone, to at least show he wasn’t bothered, but the grimace looked unsightly, so he gave up.
As Tang Yanqing’s partner, Jia Tianzi was the first to take a deep breath and step forward, without saying a word, pounding his shoulder and then embraced him deeply. Everything was understood without words, yet his eyes were wet.
Then it was Guan Liang and Gao Cheng.
Tang Yan Yi was the last to step forward, keeping a stern face originally, but as she approached, finally giving in as a woman, tears uncontrollably streamed down.
She stepped forward and punched Tang Yanqing hard, unable to hold back scolding, "You became a police officer for her; now that she’s gone, you even quit being one too. What does the identity of a police officer mean to you, Tang Yanqing?! Are you still a Tang Family member? I’m embarrassed for you!"
He shamelessly spread his hands with a smile, and Tang Yan Yi, annoyed, wanted to kick him, but seeing his forced smile, it was like her own heart was being cut out. These days she watched helplessly as he went from confident to losing composure, and in the end, so unkempt he didn’t even bother to shave... She knew he was hurting, but was he aware that she was suffering even more?
He joined the police for Shi Nian; didn’t she do it all for him too?! During the FBI honors, some training subjects were practically inhuman; she was tired, she hurt, and she even thought of quitting. But then she thought of him, wanted to see his approval in his eyes, so she risked everything, becoming the top female trainee that year!
Yet today, he’s leaving, so where should her heart find peace?
Under everyone’s gaze, Tang Yan Yi stomped her foot and turned to run out.
Guan Liang instantly panicked but couldn’t chase after her amidst everyone’s attention. Tang Yanqing looked back at him and gestured with his chin, prompting Guan Liang to blush and chase after her.
Tang Yanqing then moved on to shaking hands and hugging Old Qiao and other group colleagues one by one, trying hard to smile. He intended to crack a joke to make everyone laugh before leaving. However, he found himself unable to recall a single funny story at that moment. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂
He then put away the mirth, stood at attention with a bang, and gave a solemn bow to all the comrades he had once fought alongside.
Farewell.
.
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Tang Yanqing almost fled, hurriedly pushing the door open and leaving.
If he stayed any longer, he feared tears would fall in front of everyone.
Born a member of the Tang Family, he was always resistant to entering the legal field, even though he had a natural talent for reasoning. He didn’t want a life prearranged by his elders. At that time, he even vowed never to become a police officer; but today, leaving this way, he was utterly reluctant.
Having driven far away and turned the street corner, with no sight of his colleagues in the rearview mirror, he stopped the car, gazing back at the police building’s spire, and slowly lit a cigarette for himself.
The smoke rose, blurring his vision, and all the moments from the past 17 months floated back to the surface.
Seventeen months ago.
That night, he personally took Shi Nian home, sitting in the car, watching her brightly lit window. Through the glass, he saw Rosa, Ye He, and Xiao Mai staying with her, allowing him to feel at ease, then walked across half the city’s night scene to retrieve his car from Du Songlin’s clinic entrance.
That night he was exhausted, both physically and mentally. Therefore, he didn’t foresee the night’s forthcoming incident.
