That morning, Song Hao and Tang Yu were packing their belongings in their room, preparing to go to Kumbum Monastery to bid farewell to Lama Nasang before returning to Tianyi Hall. Just then, they suddenly heard sirens blaring outside, and several police cars pulled up in front of the guesthouse, indicating that something must have happened.
After a burst of noise, a waiter and a policeman knocked on the door and came in.
"I'm sorry, there was a theft here last night. A guest lost 30,000 yuan in cash. As required by the police, all guests are required to remain here today for investigation," the waiter said apologetically.
"Please cooperate and show me your ID cards," the policeman said as he stepped forward.
Song Hao shook his head helplessly at Tang Yu, meaning that he couldn't leave today.
The police collected the two men's ID cards, asked them what they wanted to do there, made a brief note, and then left.
Tang Yu stood at the door of the room and looked around. Many police officers were investigating and questioning guests in each room. The guests were strictly ordered not to go out or leave for the time being, and the atmosphere was somewhat tense.
An hour later, a policeman came in and said, "You two come out here for a moment."
Song Hao and Tang Yu stepped out of their room and found the corridor already filled with guests. They wondered why the police had asked the guests to leave their rooms.
At this moment, a middle-aged man with a dejected expression and two policemen walked over. The man looked each customer up and down, clearly the owner of the lost item looking for a suspect.
When the man walked up to Song Hao, he stopped, looked at Song Hao intently for a few moments, a strange glint in his eyes, and then nodded to the two policemen behind him.
One of the police officers pointed at Song Hao and said sternly, "Come with me for a moment."
"What do you mean?" Song Hao was taken aback.
Tang Yu glanced at the man and frowned.
Song Hao and Tang Yu were interrogated in separate rooms. One police officer glanced at the investigation records and then at Song Hao's ID, asking, "What are you doing here?"
Song Hao had no choice but to repeat himself: "I need to ask Lama Usang of Kumbum Monastery for a favor. I've been asked to pick up some books."
"Profession?"
"doctor!"
"How many days have you been staying here?"
"Nine Heavens!"
Why have you been staying for so long?
“That Lama Usang went out on business and only returned yesterday. We only saw him again yesterday.”
"Did you know that a guest at this guesthouse lost 30,000 yuan last night?"
"I just heard about it!"
"And you and that friend are planning to leave here today."
"Yes, the matter is settled, so naturally I'm leaving. Officers, are you suspecting me?" Song Hao asked in surprise.
"Until the case is solved, everyone here is a suspect," the policeman said coldly.
"The people at the guesthouse said you had a car when you checked in. Where is the car?" the policeman asked again.
"I went to see the scenery in the countryside the day before yesterday, but I didn't stop properly and slipped into the valley," Song Hao said. He didn't say that he was pushed, otherwise it would be a separate case, which would be quite troublesome to investigate and delay his trip.
Why wasn't a police report filed?
“It’s already destroyed, and we don’t think it’s necessary to report it to the police.”
At that moment, a policeman pushed open the door and came in, shaking his head at the other officer and saying, "We've searched, but found nothing. The people who went to Kumbum Monastery to collect evidence have already left."
Song Hao now understood that he had become a prime suspect, especially since the man had acted strangely when he pointed him out earlier.
“You and your friend can’t leave until we’ve investigated. You can go back to your room and rest,” the interrogating police officer said.
"Whatever you want!" Song Hao said helplessly.
Back in the room, Tang Yu was already waiting for Song Hao.
"The police just searched our room; it seems they suspect us. They questioned me for a long time. Don't you think something's off?" Tang Yu said.
"You mean someone is deliberately framing us?" Song Hao asked in surprise.
“Not bad!” Tang Yu nodded.
“The innocent are innocent, why should we be afraid of him!” Song Hao said dismissively.
“Things are a bit strange. The day before yesterday, our car was pushed off a cliff, and today we were framed. I suspect that someone is deliberately trying to stop our trip and prevent us from leaving here. What kind of action is this?” Tang Yu said worriedly.
"That makes sense!" Song Hao nodded. "Let's wait and see!"
Around noon, a policeman came over and softened his tone, saying, "We've investigated, and you do indeed know Lama Usang of Kumbum Monastery. Lama Usang has assured us that you are innocent. However, the owner of the lost item saw you lingering in front of his room several times, so he considers you the prime suspect."
"Nonsense!" Song Hao said angrily, "I don't even know which room that person is staying in, how can he suspect me? He's..."
Tang Yu quickly said, "It's alright, they only suspect you, they didn't specifically name you. The police will investigate thoroughly."
"Don't worry, we'll investigate and find out the truth. We just apologize for the inconvenience and hope you'll cooperate with our work, as we'll have to trouble you to stay for another day or two."
"Alright! We'll wait for your investigation results," Tang Yu said.
"Thank you!" The policeman nodded and turned to leave.
“Things are complicated, so don’t explain too much to the police, otherwise we won’t be able to leave anytime soon. Besides, there are some things that the police can’t help with right now,” Tang Yu said.
"Did they ask about the car?" Song Hao asked.