The North District, as its name suggests, is located at the northernmost part of Yanjing. The terrain is low and humid, and sunshine is scarce all year round.

It's not that this area is living underground; rather, the towering buildings surrounding it block out the abundant sunshine. Unlike those skyscrapers, the tallest buildings here are only six or seven stories high. There's no proper business circle, nor any so-called Financial Street or upscale clubs. Most of this area is a cheap rental zone.

As the saying "cheap goods are not good" goes, the rent is cheap, and the rooms are small, barely enough for a bed. Of course, there are also larger rooms, but the price rises considerably.

Wu Shuang drove to the North District as the sun set over West Mountain, with a red glow painting the sky. She hurried as much as she could, but still took nearly two hours.

Xiao Sun was the first to get out after the car stopped, found a spot, and started vomiting. She had heard about her superior's reckless driving but never imagined it to be like this. Poor thing held onto a corner of the wall, nearly emptying her day's meals.

Wu Shuang walked forward with complicated thoughts. Her car was quite large, and trying to pass through those narrow alleys was unrealistic. Parking at the perimeter of the North District and walking in would take considerable time, so she didn't want to delay too long.

Xiao Liu was the only male on the mission today. Watching Wu Shuang walk away, he said to Xiao Sun, who was still vomiting, "Are you okay? Captain Wu has already walked far."

Xiao Sun squatted on the ground, waved her hand, coughed a few times, and then stood up. The North District could be considered Yanjing's slum, the gathering place for the poor. As timid as she was, she also didn't wish to stay here for long.

The person they needed to find was nicknamed 'Ah San', a small-time thug of this generation here. They didn't have more information; finding someone in this area is as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack.

Wu Shuang went straight to the local police station, showed her credentials, and explained her purpose. The person who received them was an older policeman, whose greying buzz cut suggested some toughness. The simple office had only a few desks, and some people stood by the window, some even arguing loudly.

Civil disputes occur in every region, coming a few times each day is not unusual. Wu Shuang, along with Xiao Sun and Xiao Liu, patiently sat in the office, waiting for Director Zhao to handle those disputes, observing the various certificates and trophies hanging on the wall.

Unexpectedly, this director had won quite a few first-place awards. From his back view, adjectives like dejected and slick fit him well. Listening to his remarks to those people, he really was as slippery as an eel.

"Pay attention and learn," Wu Shuang advised the two college students beside her. "Such handling experience can't be learned even if you pay." As she spoke, Director Zhao strode in, apologizing repeatedly. The noise outside had quieted, seemingly settled.

"It's okay, we can wait." Wu Shuang respected capable individuals, so even though she was anxious inside, she still showed deference to this director, not to mention needing his cooperation in the investigation.

"Why say that? It's surprising you guys from the City Police Department came over. A phone call would suffice, but you personally made the trip from afar; why not stay for a meal before leaving?"

Director Zhao opened his collar and sat in his worn chair, picked up the cup on the table to drink, assuming it was tea. Xiao Sun, closest to him, smelled a whiff of alcohol when he opened the cup, wanted to comment but was halted by Wu Shuang's gaze.

"It's necessary! Our main purpose this time is hoping the North District can cooperate with us in finding someone named Ah San. He's the mastermind behind a traffic accident."

Wu Shuang also smelled the alcohol. She frowned, then explained their intention hoping Director Zhao could help or provide more clues.

"You mean this person named Ah San?" Director Zhao put down his cup, picked up another. Looking at the dark brown liquid and the floating leaves above, Wu Shuang thought it must be tea now.

"Yes, do you have any impression of him? According to our captured suspects, he's a somewhat notorious thug here."

"I think you might be mistaken." Director Zhao pulled out a pack of cigarettes, tossed one to Xiao Liu, who glanced at Wu Shuang before picking it up from the ground and placing it aside. Director Zhao, sharp-eyed, glanced at Wu Shuang sitting beside him, chuckled twice. "Everyone says people from the City Police Department have high standards; today, a small place like ours gets to broaden its horizons unexpectedly. I didn't expect your young age, this authority is pretty big."

Wu Shuang accompanied him with a chuckle, exchanged a few light-hearted words, then returned to the main topic. "Director Zhao, what did you mean by that?"

"The Ah San you're looking for, we do have such a person here, but he hardly seems like the kind to plot something like you mentioned." Smelling the pungent cigarette smell, Wu Shuang suddenly realized Xiao Lin also smoked, but the scent was much more pleasant. "Come, I'll take you to see." Before Wu Shuang and the others could react, Director Zhao had already walked outside by himself.

Xiao Sun reluctantly followed Wu Shuang, muttering, "You guys can wait in the car if you want."

Xiao Sun was about to agree, but Xiao Liu quickly blocked her. "We came out together, of course, we work together. How can we leave Captain Wu alone?" Saying this, he took the lead, followed closely behind Director Zhao, engaging in conversation with him without caring about the two girls behind.

Who knows how many turns they took or streets they crossed when Director Zhao finally stopped.

Their current location seemed like a red-light district; low buildings divided into small shops around thirty square meters each. Scarlet light shone outward, inside all sorts of women displaying their bodies while sitting on sofas. Some were applying makeup, some snacking on seeds, and some simply hugging their chests, staring out blankly.

Xiao Sun softly exclaimed and hid behind Wu Shuang. She immediately understood what kind of place this was. "Director Zhao, why did you bring us here?"

"Aren't you looking for Ah San? At this time, he's usually holed up here." With that, he chuckled twice again and opened a door to walk inside.

"Well, isn't that Director Zhao? How come you have time to come over today?" As soon as Director Zhao entered, a woman came forward, hooked his arm, and led him to a single sofa. (To be continued. If you like this work, you're welcome to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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