The familiar surroundings settled the middle-aged man's nerves somewhat.
He breathed in a controlled manner.
"How did you—"
The old woman swallowed the rest of her words.
She understood.
They were going to open Xiao Li's door.
Could it be... She thought of the sudden flash of inspiration she'd had earlier.
Had something really happened to Xiao Li?
She'd only said it offhand at the time.
She hadn't expected the police to think the same way she did.
They'd even gone to get a locksmith.
A sense of unease stirred in the old woman's heart.
No way...
"Sir, could you open this door for us?"
The veteran officer smiled at the middle-aged man.
"Ah, sure."
The middle-aged man nodded.
The White-collar Woman, holding the child's hand, and the young man both stepped aside.
For a moment, the only sound in the stairwell was the middle-aged man working on the lock.
Nobody said a word.
"Click."
The lock opening sounded clear and distinct.
The middle-aged man stood up and moved away from the doorway.
He turned to the veteran officer. "It's open."
"Thank you."
The veteran officer nodded with a smile.
"Don't mention it, don't mention it."
The middle-aged man wiped his forehead.
His hand was covered in sweat.
He wasn't sure if it was because of the hot weather... or because he was nervous...
He felt that he'd never been as tormented by opening a lock as he had been by this one.
Doing work for the police wasn't easy either.
He let out a quiet breath.
At least he'd finally completed his task.
The veteran officer placed his hand on the doorknob.
He turned around, and the female officer was right behind him.
He looked at the others. "Wait outside for a moment."
Everyone nodded.