Chapter 40: No Right to Say No

As for the performance and pros and cons of the firearms, the System knows it all.

Qing Tianfeng stood up and took the document from her hand.

He couldn't understand it, but he was certain it was in English, since he had studied English vocabulary.

"Your English is quite good?"

Qing Tianfeng spoke casually while holding the document.

He was certain these things weren't found in domestic English textbooks.

"So-so. Third in the country."

Jiang Xiaoya flashed a grin.

Qing Tianfeng: "..."

After what seemed like a long pause, he squeezed out a single question: "Do you know how to disengage a safety?"

"No, I don't."

Qing Tianfeng had just witnessed her attempting to disengage a safety as if she were on the news, so he smiled. "Is that so?"

"Mm."

Jiang Xiaoya grew somewhat excited when speaking of this. "I saw them all doing it, so I wanted to try. Holy crap, it was so smooth."

She had an expression of pure satisfaction, mixed with a hint of regret that she hadn't managed to fire that shot.

One had to say that Dragon Country was truly a nation of warriors; everyone had a love for firearms etched into their genes.

Qing Tianfeng fell silent again.

How was he supposed to investigate this?

"Does Captain Qing have any more questions?"

Seeing him remain silent for so long, Jiang Xiaoya let out a weary yawn.

"No."

Having said that, Qing Tianfeng stood up, preparing to leave.

"Wait!"

Jiang Xiaoya called out just in time.

Qing Tianfeng continued walking with large, purposeful strides.

"Hey, Captain Qing, I still have something to tell you."

Qing Tianfeng turned a deaf ear and twisted the handle of the interrogation room door.

"If Captain Qing burns his bridges now, then what happens next might..."

Qing Tianfeng's footsteps halted. He turned back to look at her.

The girl wore an innocent face, her brows slightly raised, with a look of determination in her eyes as she gave him a slight smile.

"..."

Qing Tianfeng stared at her for a few seconds before finally sitting back down.

Resting her chin on her hand, Jiang Xiaoya's eyes sparkled. "Captain Qing, how much bonus money can I get this time?"

Qing Tianfeng: "That depends on the leadership's decision."

Jiang Xiaoya nodded. "Fine, pretend I didn't say anything."

Qing Tianfeng: "..."

This woman was truly obsessed with money.

Qing Tianfeng took a deep breath and said expressionlessly, "I can help you apply for it!"

"Hehehe, Captain, you should have said so earlier."

Satisfied, she stopped hiding her intentions and spoke with great enthusiasm.

"The firearms the tomb robbers in the ancient tomb used are exactly the same model as one of the ones seized today. I suspect they are working together."

Qing Tianfeng: "..."

Was suspicion even necessary?

Anyone with eyes could guess there was a connection.

However, Jiang Xiaoya's certain tone caused him to fall into thought.

"How are you sure the tomb-robbing gang didn't just buy guns on the black market, rather than being part of a weapons smuggling ring?"

Qing Tianfeng looked at the girl across from him. In everyone's eyes, she wasn't a smart person.

Everything seemed like a mere coincidence.

Was it really so?

He wasn't sure anymore.

Jiang Xiaoya was very serious. "Let me ask you a few questions first."

"Are those tomb robbers from Dragon Country? Have the backgrounds been investigated? Are they all from ordinary families?"

She fired off three questions in one breath.

Qing Tianfeng nodded without hesitation. "Dragon Country citizens, ordinary backgrounds, some even impoverished."

Otherwise, they wouldn't have taken this path.

"Exactly. Where would such a poor team get the money to buy firearms?"

Seeing no reaction from him, Jiang Xiaoya tapped the document and pointed to one of the models. "A model with this level of precision requires tens of thousands of yuan. The total value of the firearms in their hands is at least several hundred thousand."

"How does a team from impoverished backgrounds scrape together that much money for weapons? Even if we take a step back and assume they sold everything and scrounged up their parents' hard-earned money just to take such a massive risk robbing tombs—how would they even know the locations of unexcavated ancient tombs?"

Dragon Country was not lacking professional tomb robbers; some had done this for generations. If they were professionals, it would be one thing, but while this group looked professional, the weapons they carried clearly did not match the resources or behavior of ordinary tomb robbers.

"So, what you mean is..."

Qing Tianfeng was clearly listening.

"What I mean is... tsk, Captain Qing should help me apply for the bonus first. I need to get some good rest tonight."

After saying this, Jiang Xiaoya rubbed her temples and closed her eyes in exhaustion.

Qing Tianfeng: "..."

He finally understood why, whether it was the tomb robbers or the arms smugglers, the way they looked at her wasn't with romantic interest, but with the helpless realization that she was a complete lunatic.

She was the kind of crazy that simply didn't care about anyone else's well-being.

Qing Tianfeng went out and headed to the leader's office.

The leader had been staying at the police station for the past two days. Since things had gone well today, he was just about to pack up and go home for a good sleep when he saw Qing Tianfeng enter. He put his bag back down.

He walked to his desk and spoke with an air of authority.

"What's wrong? The interrogation didn't go well?"

"It went well."

Qing Tianfeng pulled out a chair opposite him and then got to the point. "I'm here to apply for a bonus for you."

The leader looked at him with a confused gaze, remaining silent.

Qing Tianfeng felt helpless; it wasn't that he was in a hurry, but someone else was.

"Jiang Xiaoya has made a contribution this time. I'm here to apply for her bonus."

He stood up, pulled a form from the desk, filled in the information, signed his name with a flourish, and pushed it in front of the Chief for a signature.

The leader: "..."

"Wait, don't I currently lack the authority to say anything?"

He found it truly absurd.

"For other things, perhaps. But for Jiang Xiaoya, no."

Qing Tianfeng didn't beat around the bush; his reply was blunt.

"You!"

"I don't have any [authority] either."

Qing Tianfeng nodded in admission.

The leader: "..."

"The case isn't even closed yet..." The leader frowned deeply.

"If you don't approve the application, it won't be closed."

Qing Tianfeng tapped his finger on the document, signaling him to sign it quickly.

The leader understood and began grumbling.

"Dammit, I didn't realize Jiang Xiaoya was this kind of person..."

"Make the amount a bit larger." Qing Tianfeng's voice sounded from above.

"Why?" The leader paused, his pen hovering, looking up in confusion.

"After all, she is your benefactor!"

He emphasized the word "benefactor."

He thought the leader would fly into a rage, but instead, the leader just clicked his tongue. "Even if she's my benefactor, I can't break the regulations."

"Besides, if you make it too large, will it even get approved?"

Qing Tianfeng: "..."

Muttering under his breath, the leader eventually filled in an appropriate figure, signed, stamped, and made two copies, telling him to give the other copy to the auditing department.

Qing Tianfeng took the documents and left.

He soon returned to the interrogation room and pushed the door open.

It was very quiet inside.

As Qing Tianfeng approached, he realized she had fallen asleep slumped over her chair.

He looked at the paperwork he had gone through so much trouble to secure, then at the woman snoring away on the table, appearing to have lost all her strength and cunning.

...

Jiang Xiaoya didn't sleep for long. She woke up feeling a chill, only to realize her arm had gone numb.