Siheyuan came through and sent Jia Zhang to prison

Chapter 637 Fishing

He Feng sat behind his desk, his fingertips lightly tapping the surface, his gaze fixed intently on the view outside the window. The reason he hadn't allowed the police to get involved in the coal mining bureau's affairs was because he harbored a deeper concern—he feared that there might be someone hidden within the bureau who could secretly pass on information, rendering all the previous arrangements futile.

You see, while Zheng Qiang's case led to the arrest of someone, it also served as a wake-up call for him: the police force was far from monolithic; there were definitely other people from the other side lurking within. These people were deeply hidden, like landmines buried in the ground—undetectable most of the time, but capable of exploding unexpectedly at crucial moments. He had conducted several investigations, both overt and covert, going through every file and subtly questioning former colleagues, but he hadn't uncovered a single clue, leaving him with a lingering sense of unease.

"Tap, tap, tap," the wind outside whistled fallen leaves against the windowpane, as if urging them on. He Feng stood up, walked to the window, and gazed towards the distant coal mining bureau. The chimneys there billowed gray smoke, seemingly calm and undisturbed, but who knew what shady dealings lurked beneath? He clenched his fist, a silent resolve forming in his mind: he had to personally investigate this quagmire of the coal mining bureau. No matter how deep the silt, how many shady dealings it concealed, he had to dig it all out—this case wouldn't be closed until all the treacherous insects lurking in the shadows were eradicated.

A day flies by. The sun outside the window moved from the east to due south, then quietly slanted westward, and before you knew it, it was afternoon. He Feng stretched lazily, his joints cracking several times. He rubbed his sore shoulders and looked at Ma Xin at the desk opposite him: "Nothing much this afternoon? Are the case files almost done?"

Ma Xin looked up, sunlight streaming through the blinds and falling on her face, casting a soft glow. She still held the newly organized case file in her hand, her fingertips tapping lightly on the cover. "It's nothing, I finished all the urgent cases this morning. What's up? Did you need something?"

He Feng rubbed his tight temples, his voice tinged with unconcealed weariness: "There have been so many cases lately, murders, thefts, neighborhood disputes... Staring at the files all day, my brain is practically rusting. Staying in this office for too long is getting suffocating. I want to go out for a walk and get some fresh air."

Ma Xin was amused by his dejected appearance. She tapped her pen on the paper, leaving a small ink mark: "I never thought that a crime-solving expert like you would be stumped by a case? Relax, with your skills, you'll be able to solve those cases sooner or later. Don't put too much pressure on yourself, believe in yourself."

He Feng was indeed exhausted, not just from the physical fatigue of pulling several all-nighters in a row, but more so from the mental tension that had been constantly on edge. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, as if he had remembered a great idea, and he slapped his thigh: "That's it! I just bought two fishing rods a while ago and was thinking of learning to fish. How about we go fishing? I don't have any urgent cases on my hands these days, so I can take a break and try it out by the river?"

Ma Xin's eyes lit up, and she slammed her pen on the table: "Great! Don't let my quiet demeanor fool you, I do know a thing or two about fishing—my grandfather was a fishing enthusiast, and I've picked up some tricks from a young age. Let's have a competition and see who catches more!"

He Feng smiled, the weariness in his eyes mostly gone: "What a coincidence, I happen to have two new fishing rods on hand, carbon fiber, very lightweight, and they haven't been blessed yet. How about we go this afternoon? We can have a competition to see who's better, and the loser buys a soda."

Ma Xin stood up readily, picked up her coat draped over the back of the chair, and said, "Let's go! Who's afraid of who?"

The two, carrying their fishing gear bags, rode their bicycles to the small river on the outskirts of the city. Old willow trees along the bank drooped their lush green branches; when the wind blew, the branches swayed like a girl's hair, their shadows gently shimmering on the water's surface, creating ripples. The river water was clear, revealing smooth pebbles on the bottom; occasionally, small fish darted past, stirring up a string of bubbles.

He Feng took out a small tin box from his bag, opened it and saw that it contained lively red earthworms, still covered in damp soil: "I just prepared some of these as bait. Keep it simple, it's all about participation. It doesn't matter whether we catch anything or not."

Ma Xin watched him clumsily pick up the earthworm, his fingertips jerking at the slippery worm. She couldn't help but lean in and offer pointers: "You have to thread the earthworm through the head, slowly pulling it onto the hook, leaving a bit of the head and tail sticking out. That way, the live bait wriggles in the water, making it easier for fish to bite. And your rod grip is too stiff, like you're holding a gun. Relax, your wrist needs to be more flexible, otherwise you won't even be able to react when the fish bites..."

She talked a good game, but when it came to casting, Ma Xin showed her fear—she mostly knew the tricks from her grandfather, and had only practiced a handful of times. She raised the rod, jerked it back sharply, then flung it forward; with a "whoosh," the hook went into the water, but instead flung the bait into the grass behind her, kicking up a few dry leaves. He Feng, watching closely, couldn't help but chuckle.

"What are you laughing at? Aren't you the same?" Ma Xin glared at him, her cheeks burning. She quickly pinched another earthworm, hooked it up, adjusted her posture, and with a gentle flick of her arm, finally managed to cast the hook into the water, splashing a small circle of water.

He Feng wasn't much better off. It was his first time holding a fishing rod, and his palms were sweaty. He gripped the rod so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He stared intently at the float on the water, his eyes more tense than when he was reviewing case files. His pupils were practically glued to the small plastic float, afraid of missing the slightest movement. The two sat side by side on the rocks by the river. One stared intently at the float, motionless, like a statue; the other tugged at the fishing line every few seconds to see if a fish had taken the bait. They were two typical fishing novices, exuding an awkward earnestness.

After a while, just when Ma Xin thought he was going to come up empty-handed, He Feng's float suddenly sank down, then bounced up, and was suddenly pulled into the water! He felt a chill and frantically pulled up the rod. With a "splash," a small crucian carp the size of his palm was pulled out of the water. Its silvery body thrashed about on the hook, splashing water all over his face.

"It's on the hook! It's on the hook!" He Feng was both surprised and delighted, his hands trembling slightly. He quickly called to Ma Xin, "Look, look, it's really caught!"

Ma Xin was anxiously looking for a different spot when she heard the commotion and rushed over to see what was going on. Just as she was about to say "lucky you," her own float suddenly jerked, bobbing up and down several times. She quickly gripped her fishing rod and pulled it up, catching a small fish, slightly smaller than He Feng's. It looked like a minnow, with a round belly.