1 During a critical sting operation, my mom wouldn't stop blowing up my phone. I was hidden in a van near the suspect's house, and I'd been on a stakeout for six hours. Suddenly, my phone screen lit up, and the ringtone shattered the silence. I scrambled to hit the mute button but accidentally bumped the horn, letting out a short honk. I wanted the ground to swallow me whole. If I spooked the suspect, tonight's entire operation would be a bust. Captain Miller spared me a glance amidst his busy schedule. Seeing "Mom" on the caller ID, he lowered his voice: "Don't panic. Go take the call. Jones and I will keep watch." Jones frowned and whispered, "Careful not to blow our cover." Grateful, I slipped out of the van and hid in a corner, whispering with a hint of annoyance: "Mom, I told you I have an important mission today. Why are you calling?" My mom rambled on the other end: "Your cousin Sarah is getting married next month. What gift should I get her? I can't decide." "Huh? Mom, I don't have the bandwidth for this right now. I'm catching a suspect!" "Just give me some advice. I have no one else to ask. How about a gold bracelet? Or a big red envelope?" I took a deep breath, suppressing my frustration: "Mom, catching a suspect is a big deal. We've been here for six hours. Can we talk about the gift later?" "But I'm anxious. I want to settle it now. It's your cousin's wedding; we can't look cheap." "Mom! I really can't discuss this with you right now. Just pick something practical, like a kitchen appliance or something." I was burning with anxiety, my eyes constantly darting towards the suspect's house. "An appliance? That's not presentable enough. They're not renovating. Should I dump two big fridges in their house? Don't brush me off. Think harder." My mom was relentless. "Mom, pick a few options, and we'll decide when I get back, okay?" I tried to be patient. "Fine. Don't forget. Call me back as soon as your mission is over." Mom finally relented. I hung up, hovered my finger over the power button, paused, and then just switched it to vibrate. As a cop, I could get new orders anytime. The chief demanded phones never be off or silent, only vibrate. I composed myself, hunched over, and got back in the van, refocusing on the suspect's house. About five minutes later, my phone vibrated violently again. My heart skipped a beat. I cursed myself for forgetting my mom is the type to call until someone picks up. I should have turned it off! Captain Miller looked at me, waved his hand helplessly, signaling me to deal with it. I hid in the corner again, answering the call, suppressing my rage: "Mom, what now?!" "I thought about it. Jewelry sounds good. Should I get a bracelet or a necklace?" Mom was oblivious to my urgency. "Mom! I'm catching a serial killer gang! Lives are at stake! Please, can we talk later?" I raised my voice, then quickly covered my mouth, afraid passersby might hear. "Alright, we'll discuss it properly when you're done." Mom finally hung up. The world felt quiet again. Seeing signs of the suspect leaving, to avoid another interruption from Mom, I decided to turn off my phone. Back in the car, Captain Miller looked at me and sighed: "Zhou, you're the backbone of our team. There's a female suspect tonight. We need you to lead." "If it's just us guys, and she pulls some trick, tonight will be wasted again." I nodded repeatedly, apologizing sincerely, and refocused on the stakeout. But a few minutes later, a ringtone pierced the air again. I looked at the phone in horror. In that moment, my life flashed before my eyes. I deeply regretted answering my mom's first call and bringing my phone on the mission. The ringtone wrapped around me like a curse. "It's mine." Captain Miller pulled out his phone. "Unknown number. It's fine. Let's continue." We were watching a gang of three suspects. Teams One and Two were responsible for the two men. Our Team Three was responsible for the woman. When arresting a female suspect, a female officer must be present. Last month, two male colleagues tried to arrest a female suspect. She stripped off her top and screamed sexual assault. They proceeded to restrain her, but bystanders filmed it, claiming they violated her rights. It went viral. The two exemplary officers were transferred to desk jobs due to public pressure. Just thinking about it made me shudder. Then the phone rang again, and my mom's face popped into my head. 2 "Dammit. Who is it?" Captain Miller spat, ready to curse, but then handed the phone to me: "Your mom." My mom? Why was my mom calling Captain Miller? I put the phone to my ear, and that familiar voice assaulted my eardrums. "Why is your phone off? Do you hate talking to me that much?" "Your Aunt May said she's giving $800. We can't be outdone, right?" I closed my eyes in despair, taking a moment to accept this wasn't a hallucination. "Mom, I'm catching a criminal. A murderer! Can you stop calling? And don't call my boss, okay?" "But you have time to answer, don't you? Just grab the suspect when they come out. It takes a few seconds. Does answering a call delay you?" I took a deep breath, forcing myself not to curse: "Mom, for the last time..." Just then, Captain Miller slapped his thigh and ordered sternly: "Suspect is moving! Go! Go! Go!" Jones was ready and shot out of the van like an arrow, following the Captain. My sentence died in my throat. Anger and frustration overwhelmed me. I stood there frozen for a few seconds before remembering I needed to move. I threw the phone away, tensed my muscles, and followed. Panting, I reached the suspect's stairwell. I heard the sound of bodies colliding on the third floor. A shrill female voice screamed: "Police brutality! Sexual assault!" Seconds later, a topless woman brushed past me. Ignoring the shock, I reached out and grabbed her, pinning her briefly against the railing. I reached for my handcuffs. But my waist was empty! In that second, rage and regret filled my head. I was going crazy. Because of that call! I forgot my gear when I got out of the car! The woman wriggled, slipped through my legs like an eel, and vanished into the night. Captain Miller and Jones came running down, witnessing the whole thing. Jones's temples throbbed with anger, fire in his eyes: "Zhou Xiangwei! We moved out! Where were you?" "If you were here, she wouldn't have escaped!" "That's a murderer! If she kills again, can you take that responsibility?" He rushed up, shaking my shoulders, gripping my clothes, spitting in my face. I felt like my soul had left my body, the ringtone still echoing in my head. "Zhou, I have to say this." "This is on you. What was so urgent you had to take a call during a mission?" Right! What was so urgent? My cousin is getting married next month, and my mom is asking about a gift! Just that! Was it really an emergency? Did she have to call again and again and again! I screamed internally. But I didn't say it. I just lowered my head and clenched my fists: "I'm sorry, Captain Miller. I'll talk to my mom when I get back." Captain Miller sighed: "Luckily, we got the two men. You better think about how to explain this to Chief Wu." 3 Back in the van, Captain Miller's phone screen was still lit, showing a call duration of 19 minutes and 3 seconds. Blood rushed to my head. I nearly blacked out. So while I left the phone in the car for almost twenty minutes, she was just rambling on? My mom's voice pierced through the speaker: "...Do you think I'm old and annoying? Why aren't you talking?" "If you find me annoying, just hang up! Are you giving me the silent treatment to spite me?" I took a deep breath, composing myself: "Mom, have you been talking for twenty minutes?" Mom sounded annoyed, raising her voice: "If I don't talk, why would I call you? Let me tell you, if I don't decide on this gift tonight, I can't sleep!" "If you don't help me figure this out..." She rattled on like a machine gun. My mind was a mess. I held the phone away from my ear, massaging my temples. "Get her earrings." I had no energy left to fight her. I just wanted it to end. I still had to attend the debriefing and "atone" to Chief Wu. "Earrings? What material? Gold? Diamond?" "Diamond." "Diamonds don't hold value! They lose half their worth once you leave the store." "Then gold." "Gold? Gold earrings are small. Will she think it's too little?" "Your cousin's family helped us a lot. We can't be stingy!" I slumped in the back seat. The streetlights flickered past the window, the flashing light making me nauseous. Mom kept asking: "So, gold or diamond?" I don't know how much time passed before Jones drove us back to the precinct. The conference room was brightly lit. The other two teams stared at us as we walked in. Chief Wu stopped pacing, his expression grim, signaling us to sit. "Tonight's operation. Teams One and Two completed their mission. The female suspect escaped. Miller, report." Captain Miller stood up abruptly, giving me a complicated look. I shrank in my seat. The Chief saw right through him and signaled him to sit: "Zhou, you speak." I swallowed. The damn ringtone echoed in my mind again, along with my mom's question: "Gold or diamond? Gold or diamond? Gold or..." I blurted out: "Diamond earrings." The atmosphere in the room froze instantly. Colleagues looked at me in confusion. Miller and Jones stared, jaws dropped in shock. Miller coughed lightly: "Zhou means... during the struggle, the female suspect dropped a diamond earring. She might come back for it. We have a chance to catch her again." Chief Wu pushed his glasses up, giving me a look that said he knew everything: "Zhou, come to my office." He walked past me without another glance, leaving me stiff as a board. Miller patted my shoulder, sighing: "Zhou, just tell the truth. We still have a chance. Don't beat yourself up." "But you must talk to your mom. I don't know how she got my number. And I hope she won't call during missions unless it's an absolute emergency." I nodded furiously. Mom probably went through my phone and wrote down Miller's number. Thanking Miller, I walked heavily towards the Chief's office, bitterness filling my heart. If not for that call, she would be in custody. If she acted alone... Panic set in. I gripped my shirt, knuckles white. Before I knew it, I was at the Chief's door. Just as my knuckle rapped on the wood, my pocket vibrated. 4 I stumbled back in fright, finger hovering over the "decline" button. I really didn't want to answer, but I knew if I didn't, she'd keep calling. I retreated five meters from the office and answered. "Honey, your Aunt May's dog went missing in the middle of the night. Ask your colleagues if they can check the surveillance cameras?" "Surveillance isn't something we check on a whim. Even if we could, you want us to check cameras in the middle of the night for a dog?" I clenched my fist, thumping my chest twice to keep from suffocating. "Where's your compassion? Aunt May is worried sick! The puppy is only a month old. How will it survive out there?" "Where can a one-month-old puppy go? If police looked for cats and dogs all day, who would respond to emergencies?" "I am working right now! Text me if you need something! Stop calling, okay? Do you understand?" "What kind of job works in the middle of the night? You're my daughter. Can't I call you? Does the police department control that too?" ... Mom was winding up again. I felt like I'd pass out from lack of oxygen. I hung up, closed my eyes, took a deep breath, gathered my courage, and knocked on the office door again. Chief Wu stopped what he was doing and looked at me gravely: "Zhou, you need to handle your personal matters." "If this happens again, I'm transferring you out of Criminal Investigations." "Understood, Chief," I answered meekly, head down. "Go on. Continue the stakeout for the next few days. I hope you don't make the same mistake." Two days later, we found traces near the suspect's home again. This time, the arrest point was an alley in an old residential area. Three teams again. Just in case, the Chief even dragged a soon-to-retire female officer along, fearing my mom's death calls would sabotage me again. After four hours, we finally got the go-ahead. As the three teams crept towards the suspect, a familiar figure in a floral shirt burst into view. It was my mom. I cursed internally! She ran towards me with a bag of groceries, took a deep breath, and screamed at the top of her lungs: "Daughter! The killer is right there! Catch her!" 5 As soon as the words left her mouth, the woman dropped her fan and bolted. People in the alley scattered. Heads popped out of windows everywhere to watch the show. "F*ck!" Three teams jumped in fright, cursed in unison, and gave chase. I almost cried. I lunged to cover her mouth. But her mouth was faster than a train. By the time I got to her, she was done screaming! Ignoring my breakdown, the moment the gag failed, I sprinted after the suspect. Maybe it was the adrenaline, but my feet felt like they were on fire. I was flying. Gritting my teeth until they hurt, I leaped over the fruit stand she overturned, the bicycles she pushed down, the bottles rolling everywhere. I actually outran all my colleagues and tackled her to the ground! Only when I felt the cold, solid steel of the handcuffs at my waist did I feel alive again. My handcuffs. Thank god you were there this time. I cuffed her to a pipe, let out a long breath, and collapsed beside her, soul gone, waiting for backup. "Zhou, your mom's scream... that was something!" Colleague Chen panted, forcing a smile. I knew he was mocking me. Before I could recover from the lion's roar, my mom arrived with her groceries. Rage consumed me. My face turned red: "Mom! Why did you yell? Were you afraid she wouldn't run? What if I didn't catch her?" Mom smiled sheepishly: "But you caught her. And I was worried. I was afraid you didn't see her." I was speechless. "Didn't see her? We squatted here for hours! You think we were playing?" "Mom, can you please listen to me? Don't disturb me when I'm working. I'm begging you!" Mom slammed the groceries on the ground, hands on hips, volume up eight notches: "I was worried about you! Was I wrong to remind you the killer was there? Do you even consider me your mother?" "You shouldn't have reminded me!" I shot back. Jones rushed up to pull me away, saying: "Forget it, forget it. At least we caught her. Auntie meant well. Don't fight on the street." Hearing this, Mom exploded like a firecracker: "Meant well but did wrong? What did I do wrong? Didn't you catch her?" "If you didn't catch her, would you blame me? Would I be the murderer then?" Her voice trembled. She sat on the ground, kicking her legs, wailing loudly. "I gave birth to you, raised you for thirty years, gave you my heart and soul, and this is how you see me? Why is my life so bitter?" Jones turned pale, scrambling to help her up, voice trembling: "Auntie, I didn't mean that!" "What did you mean? You just think I'm old, useless, and in the way!" Jones was terrified: "No! I'm just bad with words! Please get up, the ground is cold!" Mom glanced at him amidst her sobs and cried even louder. After half an hour of coaxing on the street, she finally sniffled and laid out her condition: "I'll go home, but you must go on a blind date." I stopped dead, swallowing my soft words, face dark: "Then you can sleep here tonight."
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "387087", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel