VHBF -Chapter 127 The Bigshot Researcher Daddy (Part 17)

While Lin Ju was implicated, the person caught along with her was also her partner, Mr. Li Jiaxing.

He was apprehended while trying to sneak out of the research institute’s main gate.

He didn’t even bother taking anything with him—he was creeping away in secret. When Lin Ju was caught, he was scared out of his wits. Armed military police completely surrounded the door of Mo Linqing’s office. Li Jiaxing didn’t even dare show his face and hurried straight for the exit.

Coincidentally, the guard responsible for checking the surveillance footage discovered that before the incident, Li Jiaxing had been in close contact with Lin Ju. Right before Lin Ju was arrested, Li Jiaxing had also been lurking suspiciously outside Professor Mo’s office.

What was even stranger was that the surveillance cameras never captured Lin Ju entering Professor Mo’s office. Instead, they recorded Li Jiaxing going in alone—and less than ten seconds later, coming back out.

After that, roughly ten minutes later, Professor Mo entered the office himself and then called the police.

No matter how one looked at it, the situation was bizarre. If Lin Ju never went in, how did she end up inside?

Did she put on an invisibility cloak or something?

Combined with the statement given by the only eyewitness and victim—Professor Mo’s three-year-old daughter—it was easy for people of above-average intelligence to draw unsettling connections.

The institute director made a decisive call on the spot, ordering everyone present to sign confidentiality agreements and then evacuating them.

The expressions of the criminal investigators and armed police shifted instantly. They had initially thought this was just an ordinary case of stealing classified project materials, but now it was entangled with something that carried a distinctly supernatural flavor.

This was far more serious than the former—things that couldn’t be explained by science had always been taboo.

The gazes the director and Director Lin cast at Lin Ju grew colder than when they had first learned she had stolen project secrets.

Director Lin thought to himself that it was fortunate he had acted quickly and expelled Lin Ju from the institute before she committed her crime. Now, whatever she had done had nothing to do with the institute. The institute was the victim here, not her “home base.”

If anyone was to be implicated, it would only be Lin Ju’s university—Peking University—that might be affected.

At this point, even the director could no longer control how things would unfold.

Those who handled cases at the institute were all rather special; they had their own channels and direct superiors. The criminal investigation team captain stepped out to make a phone call. When he returned, his face was stiff as he said, “Director, Director Lin, Professor Mo—we need to take Lin Ju away for investigation. During this period, we may require your cooperation at any time.”

Director Lin smiled and nodded. “Captain Zhang, rest assured. If you have any questions, feel free to come by anytime.”

Captain Zhang nodded, then turned to look at Mo Linqing.

He paused, his gaze falling on the little dumpling in Mo Linqing’s arms, hesitation flickering across his face.

“Professor Mo, we… may need your daughter’s cooperation. She’s the only eyewitness.”

Mo Linqing tightened his hold on his little girl. The faint smile he had been wearing vanished. “You should know—my daughter is only three years old.”

“She lacks the ability to distinguish matters clearly and cannot bear responsibility for any actions.”

His attitude was firm. After hesitating, the criminal investigation captain did not press the matter further. He had only hoped to ask a few more questions to see if he could obtain additional information.

It wasn’t just out of respect for Mo Linqing’s status. The Mo family held a very high position within the military. As a descendant of the Mo family, they didn’t dare act rashly. It was said that Old General Mo adored this little granddaughter the most. Moreover… this child’s parents had only recently sacrificed their lives; she was the daughter of martyrs.

Captain Zhang gave a salute. “Very well. We’ll discuss it again if there’s a need later. As for your daughter being harmed by this woman, you can pursue the matter at any time. Once we’ve clarified everything, we’ll handle it together for you.”

A large group of criminal investigators and armed police dragged Lin Ju out like a dead fish. The little dumpling lay on Daddy’s shoulder, watching.

As she watched, she suddenly remembered something and called out in her baby voice, “Police Uncle, I remember now.”

“After the bad sister disappeared, Yinyin picked up a green stone. It was really pretty. Later, the bad sister jumped out of that stone.”

The dumpling’s big eyes were wide open, her little brows tightly knit as she tried hard to recall. “I asked if she was a fairy and wanted her to teach me how to change. Then the bad—bad sister pinched me…”

As she spoke, her eyes reddened again. She pouted and rubbed her tears onto her father’s collar, burying her little face there and refusing to say another word.

But this information alone was shocking enough.

Jumped out of a stone?

If one dared to speculate—if that so-called pretty green stone could hide a person—then the surveillance footage finally made sense.

Why did Li Jiaxing enter Professor Mo’s office alone and leave again in such a short time? Why was Lin Ju caught red-handed inside when she clearly hadn’t entered?

If Lin Ju had been hiding inside the stone and was brought in by Li Jiaxing, both points had a reasonable explanation.

The only thing beyond imagination was this: how could a small stone hide a person?

Had the world turned fantastical?

The matter involving Lin Ju and Li Jiaxing quickly drew the attention of higher authorities. The interrogations were conducted entirely in secret. If Lin Ju hadn’t already committed a crime, perhaps the higher-ups would have been more polite during questioning. But she was caught in the act of stealing project secrets, and now she was entangled in something supernatural. The authorities had countless reasons to suspect her motives.

Some even raised a reasonable suspicion—was this infiltration by a foreign organization? Did they have some ulterior goal?

Either way, Lin Ju was in serious trouble this time.

Lin Ju and Li Jiaxing were detained and interrogated separately.

When they were taken away, they exchanged a glance—barely even meeting each other’s eyes—before being loaded into two separate vehicles. Their handcuffs were fastened tightly. When they got out of the cars, hoods were pulled over their heads, and they were led into rooms without windows.

Food and water were provided, but sitting alone in an empty room covered with surveillance cameras was a true test of one’s willpower.

When they were first brought in, both Lin Ju and Li Jiaxing steeled themselves, deciding to say nothing. After all, this was a society that valued human rights. If they didn’t speak, what could be done to them?

Rebirth and transmigration—secrets tied directly to their survival—were absolutely not things they could reveal. No matter how foolish they were, they knew what would happen if they did. Would they be sliced up for research?

Such eerie matters were simply too terrifying. Once exposed, whether or not they were dissected, they would never be allowed to leave for the rest of their lives. No one would allow such uncertain factors to roam free.

Would the authorities not guard against them revealing things they shouldn’t?

With the internet so advanced, if they really said something and it reached malicious foreign actors, what consequences would follow?

If they could think of this, how could the people above them not?

But as day after day passed, that resolve gradually crumbled.

On the first day, the two of them expected to be questioned—but no one came. They spent the entire day in sealed rooms with no human contact.

At that point, they were a little panicked, but still relatively composed.

At ten o’clock on the morning of the second day, the door opened. Two people entered—one was a psychological negotiation expert, the other was Captain Zhang.

They went to Lin Ju first. This woman was tight-lipped, stubbornly refusing to say anything. Captain Zhang decided to start with Li Jiaxing instead.

Strictly speaking, Li Jiaxing was only an accomplice at this stage, not the mastermind. His situation was lighter, and judging from his panicked attempt to flee, his psychological resilience was far inferior to that woman’s.

Lin Ju’s spatial jade pendant had been confiscated. She hadn’t even made a fuss. The pendant was now no different from a dead object. She had been utterly screwed—she couldn’t even enter it anymore. What use was holding onto a broken stone like that?

She might as well hand it over obediently, adopt a cooperative attitude, and at least appear aboveboard.

With her “dead pig not afraid of boiling water” demeanor, the psychologist suggested starting with Li Jiaxing. Either the jade pendant Lin Ju handed over was fake and not the one that could hide people, or something had gone wrong with the pendant itself. She was confident they wouldn’t find anything—otherwise she wouldn’t be so calm.

Li Jiaxing lowered his head. No one knew how long passed before he looked up again, his eyes filled with pleading as he looked at the psychologist and Captain Zhang. “I really don’t know anything. Can you let me go?”

“Why did Lin Ju appear in Mo Linqing’s office? What was her objective?” Captain Zhang asked.

Li Jiaxing shook his head. “How would I know about her matters? But…”

“Speak clearly. Don’t hem and haw.”

“Before this, Lin Ju complained to me that it was all because of Professor Mo that we were expelled from the institute. So I thought… maybe she was holding a grudge and wanted to take revenge on Professor Mo.”

At this critical moment, Li Jiaxing’s brain finally worked properly for once. He knew that if he dragged in talk of spatial abilities or rebirth, things would spiral out of control.

If it was framed as revenge-motivated theft, the crime was serious, but still far better—at least there was room to maneuver.

The psychologist smiled faintly. “You should understand that you’re responsible for everything you say here.”

He leaned forward slightly. “Li Jiaxing, how do you explain the fact that Lin Ju didn’t enter Mo Linqing’s office, yet appeared inside? Before that, you were the only one who went in.”

“Li Jiaxing, are you really going to bear all this responsibility for her? Lie on her behalf?”

“These were all her actions. You’re just an accomplice. But your behavior right now makes you look like the mastermind.”

Sentence after sentence struck Li Jiaxing’s heart like blows. Under the table, his hands clenched tightly. His lips were pressed together. He didn’t dare speak—afraid that once he did, nervousness would make him say something he shouldn’t.

Captain Zhang was about to speak when the psychologist pressed down on his hand, shook his head at him, then smiled at Li Jiaxing. “Let’s stop here for today. Think it over carefully. If Lin Ju confesses everything before you do, her charges will be reduced, and you’ll bear even heavier responsibility for your current behavior.”

As the two of them stepped out the door, Li Jiaxing suddenly said, “What about Lin Ju? I want to see her.”

Captain Zhang replied, “Until the truth is clear, you are not allowed to meet.”

“In short, whoever confesses first gets to leave this room first.”

Day after day passed.

The second day. The third. The fourth…

During this period, someone brought that green jade pendant and asked the little dumpling if this was the stone she had seen.

At the time, the dumpling was at the Mo family’s main residence. Mo Guosheng was heartbroken. His precious granddaughter had been with his son for a while and ended up injured? Someone had pinched her neck, and she had even fainted?

Mo Guosheng jumped out of his wheelchair on the spot, grabbed his cane, and made as if to beat his son. But the granddaughter who “turned her elbows outward” hugged Grandpa’s leg tightly and insisted Grandpa couldn’t hit her daddy.

Mo Guosheng: “……”

Mo Guosheng didn’t go out to play chess with his old comrades as usual. He stayed home to keep his granddaughter company, helping a three-year-old put together puzzles despite his advanced age.

It was at this moment that Captain Zhang arrived with his people, pointing at the broken stone and asking.

Mo Guosheng glared, ready to have the guards throw Captain Zhang out. He, Mo Guosheng, wasn’t dead yet—how dare these people come to his house to question his granddaughter?

His granddaughter was so young—and she was the victim!

The dumpling stood up and hugged Grandpa’s leg, soothing him in her baby voice. “Grandpa, don’t be angry.”

Then she looked obediently at Captain Zhang. “Uncle Zhang, hold it lower. Yinyin can’t see.”

The three-year-old dumpling tiptoed hard, craning her neck to look up—adorable and polite. The female officer who had come along couldn’t help smiling like an indulgent aunt. She leaned over and whispered to her superior, “Old General Mo’s granddaughter is really cute.”

Not like the Mo family at all.

Professor Mo Linqing could swagger straight to the heavens—cold, aloof, solitary, and domineering. Old General Mo, even in old age, had the temperament of a mischievous child and was fiercely protective, snapping at people without hesitation.

How could any of them compare to this little dumpling—soft, sweet, and unbearably adorable?