Chapter 752: Chapter 403: Late Night Encouragement

Perhaps it’s because this is the first major case he has taken on since becoming the captain of the criminal investigation team.

Jiang An inexplicably felt a heavy burden on his shoulders, as if there was a giant stone pressing on his heart, making even his breathing seem exceptionally heavy.

Under pressure, people often find it hard to sleep; insomnia becomes the most direct outlet.

At this moment, it was already two-thirty in the morning, the world outside was silent, the entire city seemed to have sunk into slumber, yet he still felt no sleepiness.

Every detail, every doubt of the case kept replaying in his mind, each image piercing his nerves like a needle.

Despite the soft texture of the sofa cushion beneath him, he tossed and turned, unable to find a position that allowed him to relax; every inch of his muscle was tense like a bowstring.

Ultimately, Jiang An simply sat up, walked to his desk, and opened the thick stack of files once again.

The yellowed paper glowed faintly under the lamp, and he immersed himself in the case files.

Twenty minutes later, a sudden clear knocking sound broke the silence.

Jiang An glanced at the clock on the desk—it was 2:50 AM.

His heart skipped a beat: Who would be knocking at this hour?

As a policeman, he naturally didn’t believe in tales of ghosts and spirits, but such a midnight visit still made him instinctively vigilant, and his right hand instinctively reached for his waist.

Then he stood up, walked to the door, unlocked it, and saw that it was Deputy Director Li Jian standing outside.

He was carrying a bag of barbecue and two cans of cola, with a tired yet gentle smile on his face.

Li Jian lifted the items in his hand and shook them, and the aroma of grilled meat immediately filled the air.

"I knew you weren’t asleep, I just passed by that barbecue stand and got some to bring back, care for a bite?"

As he spoke, he naturally walked in, placing the items on the table, and said in a steady tone, "We can’t drink alcohol on workdays, let’s make do with cola."

Suddenly, a warmth quietly surged in Jiang An’s heart.

He hadn’t expected that this leader, who had led him for many years, would come at this time, so thoughtfully noticing his state.

That silent care, like a ray of light, penetrated the tension of his emotions over the past few days.

Li Jian sat down opposite him, opened a can of cola, handed it over, and his tone became more serious: "I know this case is giving you a lot of pressure." 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"Just taking on the position of captain of the criminal investigation team, and the first case is such a tough one, it wouldn’t be easy for anyone."

He paused as if falling into some memory, and his voice became low: "Do you also think that solving the case will let you sleep well?"

Jiang An smiled after hearing that.

Then, Li Jian continued: "I used to think so too."

"But the truth is, you’re anxious when the case isn’t solved."

"And when it is solved, you still can’t sleep."

Jiang An picked up a skewer of grilled lamb, took a bite, and the aroma of the fat spread in his mouth.

He asked with slight confusion, "Isn’t solving the case supposed to be a relief?"

"Why is it even harder to sleep?"

Li Jian gave a bitter smile, his eyes showing helplessness: "You haven’t experienced it, so you may not understand."

"When a case isn’t solved, the pressure comes from above."

"Once it is solved, the brothers below are waiting for you to earn them credit."

"We owe it to both the victims and the brothers who fight with us."

"Some people think solving the case is the end, but for us, it’s often just the start of another responsibility."

He took a sip of cola and continued: "I sat at the position of the criminal investigation team captain for fifteen years; there wasn’t a single case after which I could truly sleep peacefully."

"Originally I thought becoming the deputy director would be better, but what happened?"

"You see, I’m sleepless tonight as well, aren’t I?"

He pointed out the window, "My office just happens to see your side, the lights on, then off, I guessed you weren’t asleep either."

Jiang An couldn’t help but laugh, his tone carrying understanding and resonance: "Mr Li, it seems we’re destined for a life of toil."

"Once we’ve donned this police uniform, we must live up to what stands behind it."

Li Jian paused and his tone turned serious: "Speaking of which, any new progress on the case?"

Jiang An rubbed his brow tiredly, shook his head helplessly, and said in a heavy tone, "Mr Li, we’ve been investigating this case for a full 20 hours continuously, but the progress is indeed very limited."

"The two main suspects we focused on have been basically ruled out after multiple checks and interrogations."

Li Jian frowned upon hearing this and immediately asked, "Have those two been released?"

Jiang An shook his head, replied, "They are still temporarily held in the interrogation detention room, but according to procedure, they have to be released within 24 hours."

"All evidence suggests they didn’t have the time to commit the crime, and they are basically not the real culprits."

He paused a bit, adding, "Although we haven’t formed a complete chain of witnesses yet."

"During the interrogation, these two hardly showed any signs of lying."

"So indeed, the investigation is at a standstill."

Hearing this, Li Jian silently picked up a piece of pastry, slowly put it in his mouth.

He chewed very slowly, as if savoring each bite, or using that simple action to organize his thoughts.

The room was silent, save for the faint sound of wind outside and his light chewing.

After a while, he raised his head, looked intently at Jiang An, and said in a deep, slow voice, "It seems this case might have hit a dead end."