Was It an Inside Job

"What possibility?" Everyone looked at Xu Mo with confusion.

Xu Mo patted the holster at his waist and presented another possibility.

"The person who stole the gun isn’t an ordinary thief. He must be very familiar with the structure of the holster and the firearm. He knows how to quickly open the holster and draw the gun without the officer carrying it noticing."

Xu Mo’s words provided everyone with a new perspective.

It wasn’t necessarily Hao Qi orchestrating this himself.

Another possibility was that the person who stole the gun was highly familiar with the holster and firearm structure, which made his identity obvious…

As Xu Mo said, the thief wasn’t an ordinary petty criminal. At the very least, he had handled a gun and used a police holster before, which explained his familiarity.

He was also a police officer!

At this realization, the police station fell into complete silence.

The thief was actually a police officer? In other words, this criminal might be among them!?

At first, they found it hard to believe.

But the more they thought about it, the more they realized Xu Mo’s theory was plausible.

An ordinary person couldn’t possibly stealthily draw a gun from an officer’s holster and take it away. Only someone who had handled a holster and firearm before could pull it off—because they were familiar with how these worked, while ordinary people had no such exposure.

Moreover, Hao Qi had lost his gun while on duty. During a mission, he would naturally be vigilant about anyone approaching him—a basic instinct for any officer. In other words, a stranger wouldn’t be able to get close to him without raising suspicion, and anyone acting suspiciously would likely be subdued on the spot.

The only people who could get close to him during a mission were those he knew…

Only a familiar face could approach an officer on duty without raising suspicion.

This indirectly supported Xu Mo’s theory: the thief was also a police officer.

Only this identity would allow him to approach Hao Qi without suspicion and skillfully take the gun from his holster.

The more they thought about it, the more chilling it became. After all their investigation, the thief might very well be one of their own. Some of them began to question everything.

In fact, some officers started glancing unconsciously at their colleagues, the very people they worked alongside every day.

Director Gao also came to this conclusion.

Although he was reluctant to believe it, Xu Mo’s reasoning was sound, and he had no choice but to accept it.

Every officer in the station had the opportunity to commit the crime, meaning any of them could be a suspect. Naturally, they couldn’t continue working on the case.

"Captain Han, Captain Xu, I wonder if the two of you would still be willing to help investigate this case…" Director Gao paused before speaking. "If you continue, the case will have to be handled by you. According to protocol, all officers in our branch must recuse themselves. Of course, I’m not forcing you to help, and I’ll understand if you decline."

Given the current reasoning, they indeed couldn’t be involved in the case anymore. Apart from Han Fei, Xu Mo, and the few officers they had brought with them, all personnel from the Qinghe Bay Police Branch had to step aside. This was standard procedure in police investigations.

This meant the entire burden of the investigation now fell on the shoulders of Han Fei and his team of seven. Even if they chose to decline at this point, Director Gao would understand.

With the Qinghe Bay officers unable to participate in the case, the investigation would indeed rely solely on them, as they were the only ones without any suspicion.

Of course, the two could choose to decline. After all, this wasn’t their jurisdiction, and if they found it too troublesome to investigate, Director Gao couldn’t say much. He would have to seek help from other branches.

But the two had no intention of refusing.

First, they were all colleagues, and helping each other was the right thing to do. Besides, they didn’t have any ongoing cases at the moment, so it wouldn’t interfere with their work.

Second, their jurisdictions were adjacent. If the lost firearm wasn’t recovered quickly, the repercussions could soon spill over into their own area.

Rather than being forced to deal with the fallout later, it was better to handle it now.

The two exchanged a glance. Their long history of working together had given them a tacit understanding, and they instantly knew what the other was thinking.

"Director Gao, since we’re here, we’ll do our best to help investigate the case," Han Fei conveyed their decision to Director Gao.

Hearing this, Director Gao’s eyes filled with gratitude.

"Then I’ll leave it to you."

At the same time, he looked at his officers.

"From now on, no one is to leave the station. Everyone must cooperate fully with Captain Han and Captain Xu until the case is resolved. During the investigation, no private conversations are allowed, and everyone must monitor each other."

After a pause, he added, "Including myself."

If the suspect could be one of them, then recusal and restricted movement were necessary.

Under Director Gao’s orders, all officers returned to their desks and sat quietly, no longer discussing the case. Until the truth was uncovered, no one would leave the station.

To facilitate the investigation, Director Gao also prepared an empty office for Han Fei and Xu Mo.

In the office.

"What’s your take on this?" Han Fei looked at Xu Mo.

"Let’s start by questioning Hao Qi," Xu Mo replied.

Speculation alone wouldn’t move the case forward. To get to the bottom of this quickly, they needed to ask Hao Qi, the officer involved, about the details.

"I was thinking the same thing."

The two were in perfect agreement and decided to question Hao Qi about the incident.

Hao Qi was the officer who had lost his gun.

Due to the need for recusal, he hadn’t been involved in the case at all. After returning to the station and discovering the loss, he had reported it immediately. To assist in the investigation, he had handed over his phone and provided a detailed account of his mission in the interrogation room.

Interrogation room.

"You’re Hao Qi, right?" Han Fei entered and looked at the man sitting in the interrogation chair. "We’re here to help investigate the case. My name is…"

"I know who you are—Captain Han and Captain Xu, right? I’ve seen you on TV and heard about your cases," Hao Qi interjected before Han Fei could finish. Naturally, he recognized Han Fei and Xu Mo.

Learning that Han Fei and Xu Mo were handling the case, Hao Qi was visibly relieved. With these two on the case, he felt confident!

Losing a police-issued firearm was a serious matter.

If no serious consequences resulted, the worst outcome would be dismissal. But if the lost weapon posed a threat to society… the officer responsible could face jail time.

As the one who had accidentally lost his firearm, Hao Qi naturally hoped the gun could be recovered as quickly as possible, preferably before any harm was done. That way, even if he lost his job, he could at least avoid prison.