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CHAPTER 10
PART 2
Before getting off work in the afternoon, Tan Yong went to a real estate agency and specified his desire to rent a unit in Block Three of Yuehai Bay. The agent quickly found him a well-decorated two-bedroom unit and took Tan Yong to see it.
The apartment, situated on the second floor, had no issues except for slightly dim lighting. After discussing the rent with the agent, Tan Yong paid three months' rent along with the deposit.
Later, Tan Yong visited the property management center of Yuehai Bay and asked the person in charge, "Where in this neighborhood are the surveillance cameras installed?"
Recognizing Tan Yong as a policeman, the person in charge responded, "There are cameras at the community gate, courtyard, elevator area, and parking lot."
"What about the hallways on each floor?"
"We don't have cameras in the hallways."
"Starting today, I want surveillance devices installed in the hallways on each floor."
The person in charge looked troubled. "This will involve a considerable cost... Normally, there are no cameras in the hallways of residential complexes unless the residents choose to install them at their own expense."
Tan Yong said, "You've been collecting money from advertisers for the ads you've placed in the entrance hall and elevators. These areas are part of the shared space paid for by the residents. Logically, a portion of the ad revenue should be distributed among the residents. I'm wondering if you've ever shared this revenue. Do you want me to remind the residents to come to you and demand this money, or would you prefer to compensate them by installing surveillance?"
Realizing his fault, the person in charge didn't dare to haggle with the police officer and promptly agreed, "Okay, Officer Tan, I'll immediately inform the team to procure surveillance devices."
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"How long will it take to install them?"
"After procuring the devices, we'll need to contact the installation team, so it'll take at least around a week."
Tan Yong shook his head. "Too long. Three days."
"Ah... three days?"
In a lowered voice, Tan Yong said, "There has been a recent murder in this neighborhood, and the culprit hasn't been caught. There's a possibility of another incident. Now you understand why I want the surveillance installed quickly, right? If something happens due to your delay, can you bear the responsibility?"
The person in charge was visibly startled and hastily nodded, "I understand, Officer Tan. I'll get it done right away!"
Tan Yong nodded and left the property management center.
Back at home, Tan Yong walked straight into the bedroom and began packing his clothes. Initially, Dou Hui didn't notice, but when she finished preparing dinner and called Tan Yong to eat, she realized he was packing his belongings into a suitcase. Dou Hui asked, "What are you doing? Going on a business trip?"
"No, I'm going to move out for a while."
Dou Hui was stunned, "What do you mean?"
Tan Yong turned back to his wife and said, "I'm going to live in Yuehai Bay for a while."
"Why? Didn't this case stop being your responsibility?"
"Starting today, it's my responsibility again. Director Chen and Captain Jiang asked me to continue handling this case."
Dou Hui asked in confusion, "How did you persuade them? Weren't they asking you to step aside before because you were also one of the heirs?"
After a moment of contemplation, Tan Yong felt it was time to let his wife know about the situation. He knew that once she knew, it would be like a storm, but it was better to get it over with. Holding Dou Hui's hand, he sat down beside her on the bed and said, "I need to tell you something."
Dou Hui could tell from Tan Yong's expression that what he was about to say wasn't good news. Anxiously, she asked, "What is it?"
"When you married me, didn't you promise to support my work and be a good police spouse?"
"I did. What's wrong? What are you going to say?"
"I want to say that now is the time for you to fully support my work."
Dou Hui blinked, "How? By agreeing to you moving to Yuehai Bay?"
"Yes... but there's something else I hope to have your support and understanding for."
Dou Hui's intuition gave her a sense of foreboding. She stared at Tan Yong, her throat feeling dry, "What else?"
Despite being a police officer for decades and having faced numerous challenges, Tan Yong found it difficult to articulate his thoughts at this moment. He looked at his wife, swallowing hard, and after a while, he stuttered, "You know, Director Chen and Captain Jiang... Why do you think they asked me to continue investigating this case?"
"Tan Yong, please stop beating around the bush," Dou Hui said stiffly. "Just tell me, what have you done?"
Taking a deep breath, Tan Yong finally uttered the words, "I renounced my inheritance rights to Gong Yamei's estate."
Dou Hui stared at him. Time passed by in silence, the room unusually quiet.
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After about a minute, Dou Hui remained speechless, her face devoid of any expression. Tan Yong glanced at her and squeezed out, "I'm sorry, Dou Hui... I should have discussed it with you first. But if I did, you definitely wouldn't have agreed, so I made the decision on my own. I hope you can understand..."
"Is it still possible to salvage it now?" Dou Hui asked.
"It's too late, Lawyer Feng has already processed the paperwork for me to renounce the inheritance."
"So, more than 27 million is gone."
Tan Yong opened his mouth but didn't say a word.
Suddenly, Dou Hui smiled. This smile made Tan Yong feel uneasy. Just as he was about to speak, Dou Hui stood up, opened one of the bedroom cabinets, and took out a small doll. She smiled and asked Tan Yong, "Do you think this doll is cute?"
Tan Yong was a bit puzzled, wondering why Dou Hui suddenly showed him a doll. It was palm-sized, with a big head, a smiling face, and wearing delicate ethnic clothing. It did look cute. But was this the right time to discuss this?
"Is the doll cute?" Dou Hui asked again.
"It's cute..."
"I made it. The factory provided the raw materials, I made the clothes and hat for this little doll, drew its eyes, mouth, and nose. It takes about two to three hours to make one like this. Do you know how much this kind of doll sells for on Taobao?"
Suddenly, Tan Yong understood what Dou Hui was trying to say. He stood up, wanting to hug his wife, but Dou Hui dodged, then opened Taobao on her phone and showed Tan Yong, "This doll sells for forty yuan each on Taobao. The factory and I split it, and I can earn twenty yuan."
Tan Yong felt a pang of heartache. He regretted it deeply, feeling sorry for his wife. But it was too late now. All he could do was apologize repeatedly, "I'm sorry, Dou Hui, really sorry."
"Twenty yuan. I can earn twenty yuan by making a little doll. I even think that's quite a lot. Doing two or three of these a day could cover our living expenses. It can buy a few good things, half a pound of meat, two or three vegetables."
"Please stop..."
Dou Hui's tears finally overflowed: "So, just imagine, when you told me about inheriting over twenty-seven million, how do you think I felt? I might have looked happy, right? But that was just on the surface. The joy and excitement inside me were a hundred times more. And now, you tell me you're giving up that inheritance, over twenty-seven million, just like that. Tan Yong, I don't want to know your reasons for doing this, and you don't ever have to explain to me because I'll never understand. You are a great, selfless, noble person, while I'm just an ordinary person. You think about solving cases and ensuring safety, while I think about everyday life. We are not from the same world, and that's fine. But I want to ask you one thing, in your heart, what am I? Am I a pig, a dog, or just a pile of garbage? Am I that insignificant? My life, my happiness, mean nothing to you, do they?"
"Dou Hui! What are you saying?" Tan Yong grabbed his wife's shoulders, speaking in anguish, "I know I've wronged you in this matter, and I regret it now! I thought, that damned killer committing crimes under my nose, it's a disgrace for me. I wouldn't have peace in my life if I didn't catch him myself, that's why I made that decision. And also, I thought, didn't we live pretty well without that money? Our marriage was harmonious, our daughter was understanding. Though we weren't wealthy, we had enough to live comfortably, we were happy! Why did we need to inherit that estate? Please just forget about it, alright?"
"Some things, when you never had them, it's fine; but once you have them and lose them, it's unbearable. That's how people are. When you lack money or love, perhaps you can be content, but once you have everything, you can never go back to how you felt before. Otherwise, why do so many people commit suicide every year? It's not because they can't afford food or because no one loves them anymore, right? It's just they can't bear that feeling of loss. I'm the same. Tan Yong, I'm just an ordinary person. Do you expect me to transcend humanity and become a deity?"
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Dou Hui's words left Tan Yong speechless. He regretted it, truly regretted it. If time could rewind, he would readily go back to two nights ago. After leaving the hospital, he would have gone home, linked arms with his wife, walked out the door together, taken a taxi to the airport, and then gone to the scenic spots in the Jiangnan region to enjoy the beautiful scenery without a care in the world... What relevance did the case or the culprit have to him anyway? Were feelings of shame and discontentment truly that important?
However, these were just thoughts at the moment. If he had made that choice, would he regret it just like now someday in the future? Humans were such contradictory creatures.
As Tan Yong grappled with these conflicted thoughts, Dou Hui felt immensely desolate. The couple remained silent for over ten minutes. Tan Yong, being a man, realized he couldn't dwell in such negativity. Since the decision was made, there was no need for self-blame or regret. He thought of an idea to comfort himself and his wife, saying, "Actually, even though I gave up my inheritance, it doesn't mean we won't benefit from it at all."
"What do you mean?"
"By relinquishing my inheritance, the rest of the 'Big Family' will receive more from the estate. And they all know I gave it up to solve the case, to protect them from further harm. In other words, if I manage to catch the culprit, don't you think they would be grateful?"
"How would they thank you, by giving you a million each?"
"It's not entirely impossible."
"You're daydreaming. Gratitude is entirely up to others' willingness. Can you morally manipulate or force them into thanking you with hefty sums?"
"Of course not, but if there's ever a situation where I need money—like if Yali wants to study abroad or something—I believe they would willingly lend a hand. After all, by then, they'll all be millionaires and owe me a favor or two."
Dou Hui snorted, neither confirming nor denying but her expression lightened a bit from before.
"In fact, thinking about it this way, Tan Yong felt a bit better himself. Seeing his wife's emotions easing, he felt relieved, finally getting this matter resolved. He put his arm around Dou Hui's shoulder, said some kind words, and the two went to the dining room for dinner.
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After dinner, Tan Yong said to Dou Hui, "Anyway, the most important goal now is to catch the murderer and stop him from killing again. For this, I can only…"
Dou Hui interrupted him, "Go ahead, no need to persuade me. You've already rented the house, how can I stop you from going?"
"During this time when you're alone at home, please be careful."
"I know."
"As for giving up the inheritance, don't tell Yali temporarily, to prevent her emotions from being affected and distracting her studies. Rest assured, both you and our daughter, I'll find a way to gather the money for her studies."
Dou Hui nodded, helped Tan Yong pack his things, then escorted him to the doorstep.
"Yuehai Bay is just ten minutes away from our neighborhood by taxi. If anything happens, call me, and I'll come back immediately," Tan Yong said.
"Okay."
"Well, I'm off."
Tan Yong dragged his luggage out, about to close the door, when Dou Hui stopped him, "Tan Yong."
"Is something wrong?"
"You're living alone in Yuehai Bay Community, dealing with a murderer. Be careful with your safety," said Tan Yong's wife.
Tan Yong felt a warmth in his heart, realizing that despite her complaints, his wife truly cared about him. He nodded, saying, "I know, don't worry."
"Also, promise me one thing, okay?"
"What is it?"
"Make sure to catch this heinous murderer."
Tan Yong was stunned. He never expected that this would be Dou Hui's request.
Previously, she never showed concern or interest in his work.
"This is the only way to justify what you've sacrificed," Dou Hui explained, "and to ensure you don't have regrets in your life."
Tan Yong's emotions at that moment were indescribable. His wife's tolerance, support, and understanding deeply moved him. He wanted to hug her but hesitated, thinking they were an old married couple, finding it a bit affected. He considered for a moment, stood up straight with his legs together, saluted Dou Hui, shouted:
"Yes!"
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