Lin Yu sat in the small, dim office, his brow furrowed, his eyes bloodshot, staring intently at the mountain of bewildering documents on his computer screen. The surrounding air felt frozen, heavy enough to suffocate a person. Ever since he took over the investigation of this corruption case, he had felt like he was trapped in a bottomless quagmire, every step forward exceptionally difficult.
Over the past few months, Lin Yu had rushed about everywhere gathering various pieces of evidence, but those corrupt individuals seemed to have been prepared long ago. Every seemingly valuable lead, upon deeper investigation, vanished without a trace like a kite with a broken string. The sarcastic remarks of his colleagues and the skeptical glances of his superiors pierced his heart like sharp knives. He began to doubt his own abilities, and even questioned whether he could truly find a glimmer of light in this dark and complicated investigative work.
On this day, as usual, Lin Yu dragged his exhausted body to the archives room, preparing to review once more the documents he had already read countless times, hoping to discover some overlooked detail. The archives room was filled with a stale scent, and tall rows of bookshelves were crammed with various papers and files, as if recounting the vicissitudes of time.
Chapter 16