Chapter 175 — Wei Zhao's Way of Searching

"Your sister-in-law? Who's your brother? Captain Yang's sister-in-law? And who's Captain Yang's brother?" Qiu Lingshan was thoroughly tangled up by Wei Zhao's words.

"I call Yang Huaijun 'Brother Jun,'" Wei Zhao said with a smile.

"You call him Brother Jun..." Qiu Lingshan understood in an instant what Wei Zhao's earlier words had meant. If he called Captain Yang "Brother Jun," then wasn't Captain Yang his brother? Which meant he was Captain Yang's younger brother?

Qiu Lingshan's face flushed scarlet in a heartbeat. "Are you asking for death? Don't you believe I'll kick you right out of this car?"

Since retiring from the special forces, no one had dared to tease her like this; Wei Zhao was the first, and it wasn't even the first time. That infuriated Qiu Lingshan. Was this brat sent by heaven to deliberately cross her?

"Miss Song, I'm only telling it straight. What happened between me and Brother Jun can only be told to one of our own, so if you want to know, pick one of the two. If you don't, then just drive." Wei Zhao had only been joking, hoping to seal Qiu Lingshan's lips for the future; otherwise, with so many questions, he might well slip up. Wei Zhao had no wish to continue on this topic.

"Fine, don't say it then. So many excuses." Qiu Lingshan snorted and kept driving. By now the car had drawn near the woods ahead; at the foot of the mountain, the car would go no farther.

At the base of the mountain, the police had strung up a cordon, and a few officers on duty were crouched in wait at a temporary guard post. Seeing Qiu Lingshan's car approach, they hurried out of the post.

Qiu Lingshan parked at the foot of the mountain, and she and Wei Zhao got out together.

"Captain Song!" A policeman ran over, saluted, and then spoke to Qiu Lingshan.

"Any developments?" Qiu Lingshan asked.

"No," the policeman said with a shake of his head. "No one's gone up the mountain from here, and no one's come down."

"All right, carry on. I'm going up to take a look." Qiu Lingshan held out little hope.

"Captain Song, you're going up alone?" The policeman stared at Wei Zhao in some astonishment... Could this be the legendary boyfriend of Captain Song, the one who couldn't even wait at the hospital?

Hmm, the young man looked decent enough, well built too... But Captain Song going up the mountain with him — what was that about? The robbers were still up there, after all. This was hardly a good place for romance.

"Wei Zhao and I are going up together," Qiu Lingshan said, pointing at Wei Zhao.

Just as expected! The policeman recalled that Qiu Lingshan's legendary boyfriend seemed to be named Wei Zhao. So this really was Captain Song's legendary boyfriend. But what exactly were the two of them going up the mountain to do at a time like this?

"Then... Captain Song, be careful. Shall I send a few of our own men to follow behind?" The policeman was uneasy. Qiu Lingshan might be deputy captain, but she was still a woman.

"No need." Qiu Lingshan would never let anyone follow. Wei Zhao had said the two of them would go up together; if she brought men along now, wouldn't that be showing weakness to him?

Seeing Qiu Lingshan insist, the policeman could only step aside and watch as she and Wei Zhao headed up the mountain.

"The people in your police force certainly care about you," Wei Zhao said, somewhat surprised. "Seems your standing in the force is quite good."

"And what did you think?" Qiu Lingshan rolled her eyes and glared at Wei Zhao. "I'm the provincial police system's number one in the women's free-fighting division."

At this, Qiu Lingshan puffed out her chest with a touch of pride. It was an honor she could well boast of.

"Heh, number one in other departments too," Wei Zhao said with a wicked grin, his eyes on Qiu Lingshan's proud chest.

"Huh? Wei Zhao, do you have a death wish?" Qiu Lingshan had noticed his gaze and that ill-intentioned smile. How could she fail to understand what he meant?

"Just because you're the top woman in combat doesn't mean you can beat a man," Wei Zhao said with a shake of his head. "From what I can see, at least, you'd be no match for Yang Huaijun."

"So what? It's true I'm no match for Captain Yang, but taking you down would be child's play." Qiu Lingshan shot Wei Zhao a look of contempt. "You can look down on me all you like -- as long as you're stronger than I am."

"Heh..." Wei Zhao shrugged. "We'll have to find a chance to compare, then."

"Fine by me. Who's afraid of whom? When the time comes, I'll make you admit it with all your heart." Qiu Lingshan curled her lip. She hardly believed Wei Zhao could be all that formidable -- anyone could talk big.

Once they were up the mountain, Qiu Lingshan watched Wei Zhao wander aimlessly this way and that, and she had no idea what he was up to. At first she trailed along after him, but after circling around for ages she still couldn't tell what he actually meant to do.

Wei Zhao simply walked back and forth with no aim and no method at all, and Qiu Lingshan could barely hold herself back any longer. Sometimes he would come this way, then turn and go back; he walked the same paths over and over again, and she couldn't fathom what was going through his head. Was he just playing her for a fool?

"What on earth are you doing? You keep pacing back and forth, and I don't see you looking for the kidnappers at all. What are you trying to do?" Qiu Lingshan came to a stop.

"I'm looking," Wei Zhao said, his brows knitting slightly. "If you don't understand, don't interrupt. If you want me to find them, then keep your mouth shut and follow me. Otherwise, I'm going back down the mountain."

"You... fine. Go on and look, then. I won't say a word." Qiu Lingshan was beside herself with anger. She had only asked a question, and Wei Zhao had given her a thorough dressing-down. Very well -- she would just see for herself whether searching this way could possibly turn up the kidnappers. And when he failed to find them, she would settle both old scores and new with him at once. Weren't they going to have it out? Fine -- then let it be now.

Wei Zhao had no time to spare for what Qiu Lingshan might be thinking. Instead, he kept constant watch on the changes in his jade pendant. Even he was not absolutely certain that the pendant would give him any warning when he drew near those kidnappers.

After all, the enemies he had tracked down on the battlefield with the pendant's help had all harbored deep grudges against him, hating him enough to want him dead on the spot. These kidnappers, though, had only felt a flicker of ill intent toward him at the very beginning.

Qiu Lingshan swallowed her temper and followed Wei Zhao as he wandered this way and that through the mountain woods, saying little. Whatever -- wherever Wei Zhao went, she would go. For now she would keep her temper in check; when Wei Zhao truly failed to find them, that would be the time to settle accounts.

Qiu Lingshan was even starting to wonder why Captain Yang had introduced her to a man like this. Her investigative skills might not be as sharp as Yang Huaijun's, but she still understood the basic knowledge and methods of investigation.

She had been a special forces instructor for a long time, after all -- true, only an instructor of combat techniques, but she had some grasp of investigative methods as well. Wei Zhao's search was utterly without method or order, as if he were simply trusting to luck and instinct.

Just as she was thinking this, she suddenly saw Wei Zhao stride off toward the direction of the cliff. Qiu Lingshan hurried after him. "What are you doing? That way is a sheer cliff -- there's no path."

Wei Zhao said nothing, still walking briskly toward the cliff.