"Call the police," Ning Xin said coldly, closing her bag.
The man called the police, and within half an hour, they arrived.
Shen Qingqing, Ning Xin, and others were taken away.
However, before leaving, Shen Qingqing looked at the man who came down from the second floor. He had a mole on his chin.
It was very distinctive.
"Officers, if I stole something, then I am guilty. But Ms. Ning led people into my home and had someone sneak into my bedroom. Although I don't know what she wanted, she has caused severe harm to my family and me. May I ask if I can sue?"
The police officer was taken aback. In his thirty years of service, this was the first time he had encountered a "thief" who was accused of a crime, but was now threatening to sue the accuser.
"Yes, you can. But we need to investigate first to confirm your claims..."
"No problem. This phone of mine has the full video recording, and there's also surveillance in my living room to prove that no one invited them in. They broke in themselves and scared our child into crying."
Shen Qingqing accused them with righteous indignation.
The police officer's expression was hard to describe; this was truly the first time he had encountered such a situation.
The person who stole something committed a crime, and the person whose belongings were stolen also committed a crime. It seemed like a muddled account.
He felt a headache coming on; cases like this were the most difficult to judge.
However, regardless of his thoughts, he still brought the people involved to the police station.
But no one expected that as they were leaving the residential area and before they could get into the car, a crowd of reporters suddenly emerged from nowhere.
These reporters ignored the police uniforms and surrounded the group, their faces and voices filling the space with microphones and cameras.
They were completely blocked in.
"Miss Shen, what happened at your home? Why were the police here?"
"There are rumors that you stole something, is that true?"
"Did the police come to investigate this matter?"
"Mrs. Fu, did you ever consider that by doing such things, you would shame the Fu family? Does Mr. Li know about this?"
"Mrs. Fu, please answer us..."
A barrage of questions was fired at them like beans from a sieve, catching them completely off guard, even the police officers looked bewildered.
They had just reported the case, and the reporters were already here, faster than flies.
Everyone's gaze instinctively turned to Shen Qingqing.
After all, she was the protagonist of this incident.
Shen Qingqing said calmly, "The police came to my home today to handle official business. We are cooperating with the police and are going to the police station. I hope you will not obstruct us here. Cooperating with the police is the duty of every citizen, and please do not interfere with their work."
"If you have any questions, we will answer them after we have resolved the matter. But for now, this is our private affair, so please do not inquire or disturb us excessively."
Shen Qingqing's words were ambiguous but reasonable and well-founded. Especially the part about cooperating with the police, which instantly cornered everyone.
They couldn't possibly disrupt police operations.
That could lead to detention.
Ning Xin watched as the reporters, who had been so aggressive and self-righteous, became as quiet as mice. An awkward silence spread in the air, and she was almost amused to the point of anger.
This Shen Qingqing truly had some skill.
With just a few words, she had turned the situation around.
The police officer then stepped forward and said, "Alright, alright. What is this place? Is this where you conduct interviews? This is the entrance to a residential area, and your large group is blocking it, affecting the passage of residents and pedestrians!"
"Also, please do not spread unverified rumors and act like frightened birds. The matter of theft has not yet been concluded, so it's too early for you to come and interview!"
The police officer spoke with righteous indignation, his words completely stunning the reporters.
So, the reporters watched them leave, sputtering for a long time, but not a single one dared to stop them. Only after everyone had gone did they start blaming each other.
"Why didn't you stop them?"
"You're all talk. If you're so brave, go ahead and stop them. They're police officers!"
"Exactly, we're reporters, not superheroes. Besides, we were already in the wrong for obstructing police work. If you want to go to jail, go by yourself, but don't drag us down!"
...
While they were arguing fiercely, the police car carrying Shen Qingqing was remarkably quiet. The officers were observing the two women.
Neither of them seemed flustered at all.
After finally arriving at the police station and taking the two women to the interrogation room, the normal questioning began, starting with Ning Xin.
Her statement was very simple.
"Seven days ago, I attended a friend's party. At the party, I encountered Shen Qingqing, and we had a few arguments. We spoke again in the restroom and parted on bad terms. When I came out, I discovered my necklace was missing."
The police asked, "Why didn't you call the police then?"
"At the time, I couldn't be sure she had stolen it. I didn't want to think so badly of people and thought I might have been careless and left it in the restroom," Ning Xin sighed. "But I had people search the entire restroom, and it wasn't found."
"Since you were sure it was stolen, why didn't you report it?"
It had been seven days; she wouldn't have searched a restroom for seven days, would she?
"I intended to call the police then, but then I thought that perhaps she didn't do it intentionally, but was momentarily misguided. I wanted to give her another chance."
"What chance?"
Ning Xin clasped her hands together and said softly, "I hoped she would repent on her own and return the necklace to me. That way, I wouldn't have to call the police, and I wouldn't pursue the matter. After all, we used to have a decent relationship."
"Do you know why she stole the necklace?"
"The necklace is a memento from her mother. It was originally with a collector, and recently this collector lent it to me to admire. She found out, and then..."
Ning Xin lowered her head, looking dejected.
"If I had known human nature was so unreliable, I would never have told her that the necklace was with me."
The police officer did not comment on this, as they had yet to question the other person.
When they questioned Shen Qingqing, they received a completely different account.
"The necklace is indeed a memento from my mother, and it's true that she obtained it from a collector. However, I didn't know at the time that the necklace was in her bag or that she had taken it to the party. I certainly didn't steal it."
The police were baffled.
How could these two accounts be so diametrically opposed?!
The discrepancy was too great!
"Let's look at the evidence," the captain declared decisively.
Shen Qingqing waited in the interrogation room, looking up at the light above. Her mind, however, was on Chenchen. She wondered if the child had been frightened.
She regretted it a little, not wanting to have used this plan, but at the time, there had been no other choice.
Fortunately, Fu Jingshu and Xixi were not at home, which spared them worry.