When Wang Xiaopeng mentioned the case files, I finally noticed the piles of file bags and folders stacked in this brand-new office.
A thought stirred in my mind. "Are you the only ones left in the Special Case Unit?"
"It's not that bad," Wang Xiaopeng said, shaking his head. "Not that many people have gone missing. Everyone else has been sent out to conduct interviews and investigations. We take turns staying here to go through the case files. A lot of cases here haven't been entered into the database, and there aren't nearly enough surveillance cameras."
In other words, plenty of officers were still out doing the hard, old-fashioned work of combing through the area.
Footsteps pounded outside. The officer who had just left rushed back in, looking panicked. "The evidence is gone!"
Lü Qiaolan, who had been fidgeting anxiously, jumped up again. This time, she knocked her cup over completely.
I felt dazed, unsure whether I should be relieved or worried.
"Those bears are gone?" Wang Xiaopeng asked, looking at Lü Qiaolan and me.
The officers all turned to look at us.
"Yeah, the bears are gone. The person in charge of the evidence..." He began, then stopped.
"How could they have disappeared? Where did they go?" Lü Qiaolan was frantic.
The officer hesitated, as if he wanted to speak but couldn't bring himself to.
"Just say it!" the tall officer snapped through gritted teeth. "Did they spout some more nonsense?"
The officer grimaced. "They said those bears were evil. It's normal for them to disappear, and we shouldn't go looking for them, or we'll get dragged into trouble."
The tall officer was furious.
Anyone would be angry hearing that.
An important lead had been dismissed with a few words, and the person doing the dismissing had acted as