Trembling At A High Altitude

"It has nothing to do with you, but I'm afraid Classmate Sun can't escape involvement, can she? You'd better persuade Classmate Sun to tell the truth, or else we'll have no choice but to invite your wife and Classmate Sun's parents for a good talk." Li Teng whispered a few words into Wang Wen's ear.

"Don't... please don't tell my wife…" Wang Wen panicked.

"Then you should persuade Classmate Sun to stop pretending, or else your affair with her will be exposed, and I'm afraid it won't end well for either of you," Li Teng continued to threaten.

"She... she... alright, I'll talk to her," Wang Wen had no other choice.

"Arrange for her to meet us alone at a place tomorrow. We need to talk to her in private."

"Okay."

To prevent Wang Wen from fleeing and creating more complications, Li Teng and Gao Feng decided to stay in Wang Wen's dormitory, taking turns keeping watch over him.

Yang Peishan and Liu Yanni went to find another place to sleep.

...

The next morning, Li Teng went down to buy breakfast and brought it back to Wang Wen's dormitory.

After breakfast, Wang Wen got through to Classmate Sun's mobile phone.

After a conversation, Wang Wen told Gao Feng and Li Teng that Classmate Sun was reluctant to meet, but agreed to answer their questions over the phone.

"Tell us, what exactly happened that night?" Gao Feng turned on the speakerphone and demanded answers from Classmate Sun.

"I really don't know! That night in the dormitory, it was just Yang Li and me. We chatted and browsed our phones as usual, and around eleven o'clock, we went to bed.

"I had no idea when she jumped. In the morning, when someone came to our room and asked me to go down to identify the body, that's when I found out something happened to Yang Li. I was truly frightened..."

Classmate Sun started to sob quietly while speaking.

"I know you're hiding something from us, and I've also found evidence. If you're still unwilling to be honest now, then we'll have to arrange a meeting between Wang Wen's wife, you, and your parents to have a proper discussion," Li Teng threatened Classmate Sun.

"Please don't…" Classmate Sun was genuinely scared upon hearing what Li Teng said.

"Then just answer our questions honestly," Li Teng kept intimidating.

"I... I... I really can't be blamed for it… although… I don't think it's my responsibility..." Classmate Sun continued crying in broken sobs.

"Whether it's your responsibility or not isn't for you to decide; we will judge that. Right now, we want to know the truth! If you don't come clean, you'll be responsible for all the consequences!" Gao Feng also threatened Classmate Sun.

"We had a fight that night..." Classmate Sun finally began to reveal the truth.

From Classmate Sun's account, everyone got a rough idea of what happened that night.

Classmate Sun and Yang Li were classmates and dorm mates, with similar personalities and were best friends.

That Sunday, many students chose to go home since the university primarily recruited students from the city.

However, Classmate Sun had made plans with Wang Wen, so she lied to her family, saying she couldn't come home because of school matters.

Yang Li's parents were working out of town, and she normally lived with her grandparents. After fighting with her grandmother, who then said some harsh words to her, like she couldn't handle her anymore and didn't want her to come back, etc.

Classmate Sun noticed Yang Li was in a sour mood, so she tried to console her.

Later, Yang Li's mood improved.

But just before they were about to sleep, Yang Li saw a piece of news that her favorite idol had been arrested for assault charges, which shocked her greatly.

Classmate Sun and Yang Li were fans of this person before, but when rumors started circulating about their idol, Classmate Sun decisively left the fan group, while Yang Li insisted her idol was being wronged.

The two had argued over this several times.

After the news was confirmed, Classmate Sun believed her judgement to be more accurate and felt somewhat smug in front of Yang Li.

Unexpectedly, Yang Li suddenly became very angry and had a heated argument with Classmate Sun.

Classmate Sun questioned Yang Li's values, and her words were filled with mockery. The argument became quite fierce, and afterward, they stopped talking to each other.

"I think she might have been overwhelmed by that incident. If I had known she would jump off a building because of it, I would never have said those words that provoked her..."

"It's all my fault, I wanted to avoid taking responsibility, so I never revealed the truth, I was afraid her parents would think she died because of me..."

Having finished her story, Classmate Sun burst into tears.

Li Teng and Gao Feng exchanged a glance.

After hanging up the phone, Gao Feng asked Li Teng what he thought about the matter.

"She doesn't seem to be lying. Yang Li had a fight with her grandma and didn't go home. Just when her idol happened to be involved in a scandal, she was mocked by her best friend, which she couldn't handle..." Li Teng analyzed.

"Hmm, judging by her tone and based on my years of criminal investigation experience, she likely isn't lying. That's also probably the fundamental reason she doesn't want to face all this. But do you think we can submit this as our conclusion?" Gao Feng asked quietly.

"We still have two days, let's be cautious and see if any new clues emerge. We'll submit our conclusion when the deadline is near." Although the process was convoluted and taxing, Li Teng still didn't believe this was the final answer.

Could they really solve the case in just one day?

…

Considering this wasn't a real-world investigation, Li Teng and Gao Feng decided to temporarily keep the matter between Wang Wen and Classmate Sun private. Holding onto this leverage, if there were any new developments, they could coerce Wang Wen into cooperating fully with the investigation.

Once they went public, the leverage would disappear.

Of course, when it came time for everyone to conclude the case and leave, they would not be polite with him.

…

With the remaining time, the four of them continued collecting various clues on the campus during the day, and at night they all went back to their respective homes to be with their families.

Anna didn't like staying at school much, so when Li Teng went home in the evening, he took her with him in the car.

His daughter, who was just four years old during their last assignment, had suddenly grown to eighteen and even transformed into someone he once knew. This was indeed a strange feeling.

Moreover, she didn't have Anna's memories, only the similar appearance.

Li Teng felt that when the director designed this segment, he must have peered into his memories with full malice.

…

"Nana loves Daddy the most!" After getting in the car, Anna affectionately said to Li Teng.

"Mhm, Daddy loves Nana the most too," Li Teng chuckled.

"Daddy, I have to tell you something, don't get mad, okay..." Nana continued.

"Tell me."

"You have to promise not to get mad first, otherwise I won't say it," Nana negotiated with Li Teng.

"Alright, I promise you." Li Teng's way of handling things never involves agreeing or promising anything before he understands the situation, but for his daughter, he had no choice but to agree unconditionally.

"I was playing a game, and that game costs a lot of money. I was reluctant to spend money, so when I heard classmates say that you could buy a high-level V account online very cheaply, I spent eight hundred yuan on what seemed like a very valuable account."

"But just half a month after playing, the seller reclaimed the account. I went to the platform that sold the account to seek arbitration, but the platform kept dodging responsibility. I had to deal with countless customer service reps, each time repeating the same story over and over again..."

"The arbitration lasted a month, and in the end, the platform's customer service only gave me the seller's contact information and ID number, telling me to handle it with the seller myself."

"I added the seller on WeChat, but the seller denied taking back the account. Later, they even insulted me, saying I got scammed because I was stupid!"

"I was thinking of just letting it go, as it was only eight hundred yuan, but after being insulted, I got very angry. It was clearly their fault, and yet they cursed at me like that..." Anna's face showed an expression of grievance.

"Sweetheart, you should have told Daddy about this sooner! How could Daddy scold you? Give me his contact details and ID, and let Daddy handle it! I'll make sure to get your game account back." Li Teng smiled at Anna.

"But you said I shouldn't play games..." Anna smiled sheepishly.

"Getting addicted to games is definitely wrong, but that's a separate issue. Someone bullying my daughter is absolutely intolerable." Li Teng snorted coldly.

"Yes, we must make the scammer pay! We can't let him scam more people!" Anna clenched her fist.

After dinner at home, Li Teng took Anna's phone and made a video call to the seller.

It was rejected.

"I am a police officer from He City, and I have opened a case against you for fraud. Please return the scammed money immediately."

Li Teng sent a message.

"Haha, coming to scare me? Who do you think you're fooling? You're an idiot, what evidence do you have to prove I reclaimed the account? And eight hundred yuan doesn't even meet the threshold for opening a case. Don't try to scare me; I wasn't born yesterday!"

The seller replied with arrogance.

"If you don't return the money, I will appear before you very soon. Then it won't just be about returning the money, you'll also face legal responsibility." Li Teng continued messaging.

"Screw you!"

The seller cursed and then blocked Anna.

"I'm so angry!" Anna stomped her feet in frustration.

"Don't worry, rest assured, I will make sure to get your money back tomorrow." Li Teng comforted Anna.

"It's not about the money, this person is driving me insane!" Anna pouted.

The arbitration with the platform dragged on for a month, then came the seller's insults; by now, she was no longer preoccupied with the money, it was the principle that she couldn't let go of.

"Heh, this grievance, I guarantee I will take care of it for you, and the outcome will definitely clear the air for you." Li Teng wore a calm and collected expression.

Someone dared to mess with Uncle Li?

It just so happened that Uncle Li was free tomorrow, so why not have some fun?

...

The third day.

After dropping Anna off at school, Li Teng went to his department.

He reached out to the technical department, gathered the login information of the account, and confirmed that the game account was indeed reclaimed by the seller.

The seller's name was Li Ming. The technical department also found out that this was not the first time Li Ming had committed fraud using game accounts; he had similar records on several platforms.

Clearly a habitual criminal, he had gotten away with it multiple times without being caught, which made him increasingly bold. He became more and more arrogant when faced with buyers' complaints.

Based on the identity card, mobile phone number, platform login IP, WeChat login location, and other information, it was quickly determined and confirmed the other party's current occupation, identity, potential whereabouts, and so on.

In another province, it takes about two and a half hours by high-speed train.

After supplementing the relevant case-filing information, Li Teng drove to the high-speed train station and took the high-speed train to the seller Li Ming's location.

"Li Ming?"

At noon, Li Teng found Li Ming in an arcade.

He worked as a clerk in this arcade, and it was his working hours.

Upon hearing his name called, Li Ming instinctively turned his head.

"I am a police officer from He City." Li Teng showed his police ID.

"Are you serious?" Li Ming's eyes widened.

"Let's talk about your fraud. If you don't want it to affect your job, we can find a quiet place to talk," Li Teng suggested to Li Ming.

"I didn't! It wasn't me who retrieved that account! It has nothing to do with me!" Li Ming instinctively tried to deny it.

"This is the login information for your various platforms, not just the sum of money I mentioned to you yesterday. We found you have committed nine instances of fraud in total, amounting to more than six thousand yuan. Shall I help you ask for a day off from your boss? Explain the situation and then we go back to He City to talk it over?" Li Teng showed Li Ming a piece of printed evidence.

"Let's talk somewhere else." Li Ming caved in instantly.

Li Ming led Li Teng to the stairs, up to the rooftop, and to the railing.

While walking, Li Teng observed the surroundings and confirmed there were no cameras on the rooftop.

"Can you turn off the body-worn camera?" Li Ming glanced at the body-worn camera on Li Teng's shoulder.

"Eight hundred yuan, I will transfer it back to the buyer from yesterday right now. It's my first offense, and my family is struggling. I honestly did this wrong thing because I was short of money. Can you please not pursue it any further and let me off this once?" Li Ming pleaded with Li Teng.

"You scam money and curse the buyer? Do you know how much psychological damage you've caused the buyer?" Li Teng questioned Li Ming.

"Ah, it was just a casual remark, with no malicious intent. The buyer just wants a refund, right? I'll just return the money, and if he's not satisfied, he can just curse me back, I promise I won't respond."

"That's it?" Li Teng was speechless.

"What more do you want? Honestly, even if I don't return the money, what can the buyer do to me? Even if you get me locked up, if I say I have no money, that's that, and you can't confiscate any property for execution. I'm willing to return the money, the buyer should be grateful rather than complaining." Li Ming's attitude suddenly became defiant again.

"I'll give you one more chance, speak properly," Li Teng warned Li Ming.

"It's just eight hundred yuan, and I've already said I will pay it back. What more do you want? Can you actually send me to jail for this? Come on then! Arrest me!" Li Ming stretched out his hand, taunting Li Teng.

"As you wish!"

Li Teng grabbed Li Ming's wrist, exerted tremendous force, and suddenly hoisted him and threw him over the railing!

This was the rooftop of the sixth floor.

"Don't do anything rash and jump! Making a mistake and correcting it still makes you a good kid..." Li Teng turned on the body-worn camera on his shoulder and filmed Li Ming below.

"Help! Don't let go for god's sake!" Li Ming, looking down at the street below, was outright terrified.

"Hey! Stop struggling! I will pull you up!" Li Teng said and suddenly applied a burst of strength to his hand, instantly twisting Li Ming's wrist.

Li Ming screamed in pain and flailed wildly.

And then...losing his grip...he slipped...