Chapter 109 Returning to Liancheng

Uncle Xiaoshan built his own house, which was guarded by twelve armed men inside and outside.

“I’ve said it many times, I really didn’t know Han Xiaojun before I came. I saw him walking in the opposite direction before the assembly. I saw that he was wearing a police uniform, so I called him over and asked him to come with me to the assembly point.”

Facing Shen Zhenzhu and the rest of the city's major crime squad, Gu Weiyong felt like slapping himself. Why did he have to be so talkative, insisting on introducing the murderer's false identity during the assembly?

This gave him the backing of a police officer, allowing him to slip through the net during more than twenty rounds of mountain search operations.

So close! So close!

He had to look up at Chen Zhenzhu sitting in the middle opposite him. If it weren't for her insistence, the fake Han Xiaojun would have definitely escaped, and there would have been more victims in the future.

Gu Weiyong broke out in a cold sweat. He picked up his teacup to drink water, but his hands trembled uncontrollably.

Lu Ye returned from the Second Hospital, his hair still dripping wet as he opened the door: "The three sisters said that when they killed the headless female corpse that day, they only saw the killer's back and a slight profile in the middle of the night. When they saw the abbot's photo, they subconsciously thought it was him, and never imagined there was another person with a similar height and build. They made me apologize to Section Chief Shen, and also to everyone else."

After returning, Chen Zhenzhu took a battle shower. Although she was exhausted, she was in high spirits, and her eyes shone with the light of victory: "It's no wonder their testimonies were misleading. The real culprit and the abbot are brothers. Although their faces don't look alike, their profiles are six or seven points similar. Under extreme conditions, it's easy for them to make mistakes. It's already quite good that they managed to protect themselves."

Zhao Qiqi sat next to him, somewhat resentful: "It's not just that they misled us, the Flower Monk even said that he had rheumatism in his legs and was taking painkillers. He confessed to the crime from the beginning and wasn't afraid of being shot at all."

As Gu Weiyong listened to their conversation, he felt more and more that the case seemed clear to outsiders, but was actually quite mysterious.

Gu Yanzheng knocked on the door, glanced at Gu Weiyong, and knew that his overly familiar behavior had brought him a lifetime of regret and fear.

"Xiong Tianchao has woken up. Want to chat for a bit?" Gu Yanzheng was referring to the fake Han Xiaojun, who had already confessed to the old monk.

The moment Shen Zhenzhu noticed Xiong Tianchao's limp, she drew her gun. Because there were other departing police officers nearby, to avoid accidental discharge, she simply rushed forward and hooked her legs around the murderer's neck, causing Xiong Tianchao to lose his balance and fall heavily to the ground just two steps away from the exit.

Xiong Tianchao hit her forehead on the railing and passed out. Her elbow was also bruised, but she was at her physical limit and couldn't care less about anything else.

Empty rooms in a self-built house were turned into temporary detention centers. Xiong Tianchao was pale in the next room, his right leg was shaking uncontrollably, and he was curled up in pain.

When Chen Zhenzhu came in, he looked up and said, "Give me the painkillers. I know you have them."

Everyone was unaware of this, but Xiaobai whispered to them from behind, "When Sister Pearl went up to search, she found that the number of painkillers was incorrect, so she simply put them in her pocket. Luckily, she hid them. If Xiong Tianchao had stolen the painkillers, they really wouldn't have been able to catch him if he hadn't been limping."

Shen Zhenzhu didn't rush to give him painkillers. Instead, she calmly sat down in front of Xiong Tianchao and asked, "Where are the shoes? When did you steal them?"

Chen Zhenzhu was asking about the pair of cloth shoes with a worn-out right sole, which had later disappeared.

Xiong Tianchao knew things had reached a point of no return. He desperately needed painkillers and, unable to control his temper, glared at Chen Zhenzhu and said, "The first time I helped out at the temple, I also called that idiot surnamed Gu along. Give me some painkillers!"

Shen Zhenzhu remembered that time they came uninvited, saying they wanted to help.

Where are the shoes?

"I threw him into the river." Xiong Tian was sweating profusely from the pain, and his stubble was visible on his chin. His expression was much more brutal than when they first met.

Why throw it away?

"I've heard that there's new technology that can identify a person just by looking at their fingerprints. My shoes are covered in my fingerprints, and I'm scared."

Shen Zhenzhu asked coldly, "You also secretly took painkillers back then, didn't you?"

He gasped for breath and said with difficulty, "I took two pills, otherwise I wouldn't have made it this far. Later you met me at the little earth god temple, and I went up to look for painkillers but found I was out of them. My foot pain flared up and I couldn't walk, so I sat down for a while. Who knew I'd run into you. Damn it, I should have stolen all the pills."

Shen Zhenzhu nodded slightly, ignoring his heavy breathing and the look of longing for painkillers in his eyes, and asked the last question that puzzled her: "Why did you say you were from Mao'ershan Police Station? Where did you get your police uniform?"

Xiong Tianchao was about to lose control of his rage. His eyes were bloodshot. He leaned forward, his hands clenched into fists, and he straightened the handcuffs: "Give me the medicine, or I won't tell you."

"Do you know who you're threatening?" Lu Ye found it amusing.

Chen Zhenzhu simply leaned back, took the roasted sweet potato handed to her by Xiaobai, and slowly peeled and ate it.

Xiong Tianchao smelled the rich aroma, swallowed hard, and glared at Chen Zhenzhu for a long time with a tense body.

Shen Zhenzhu didn't care at all about being watched by him; after all, it wasn't her who was in pain. Such a person didn't deserve to die, let alone suffer a little pain; it was far less than the emotional anguish of the victims' families.

Xiong Tianchao had no choice. He endured it for a few minutes but then realized it was pointless. He already knew what awaited him. Rather than resisting stubbornly, he decided to suffer less.

He explained in detail: "The Maoershan Police Station called the duty room at the foot of the mountain. I was worried that the ringing of the phone would attract your attention, so I answered the phone. They said that Han Xiaojun's wife was about to give birth and couldn't come over. And then you started issuing the order to close the mountain, so I had no choice but to impersonate Han Xiaojun. Fortunately, they were all from various police stations in other places, and some of them didn't even recognize me."

"Where's the uniform?" Chen Zhenzhu asked again.

“Five years ago, an old policeman came looking for me. I couldn’t kill him, so I took off his uniform and kept it for emergencies,” Xiong Tianchao said angrily. “I wanted to give him all my money, but he refused. I told him I would kill his whole family, but he wouldn’t let me go. I had no choice but to strike first.”

"Where is the body?" Shen Zhenzhu slammed her hand on the table and stood up angrily, saying, "You have audacity to kill a police officer."

When Xiong Tianchao saw that Shen Zhenzhu was angry, he seemed to get amusement from it. After laughing enough, he said, "He was buried in the rhododendron forest on the east side of Daheishan Mountain. There was a big rock pressing him down. We were afraid he would wake up, so he couldn't climb out of the pit. If he was lucky, he probably wasn't eaten by wild animals."

Gu Yanzheng gave Zhao Qiqi a wink, and Zhao Qiqi went out to call the Daheishan Police Station.

Shen Zhenzhu thought the police uniforms might be stolen, made, or bought, but she never expected Xiong Tianchao to be so audacious as to take them off a real police officer.

Seeing that Shen Zhenzhu stood up without saying anything, Xiong Tianchao asked her for painkillers again: "I really need to take that stuff, or I'll be in so much pain."

Xiao Bai, standing nearby, angrily shouted, "I hope it hurts to death! You're such a beast!"

Xiong Tianchao's teeth were grinding together, his temples bulging, as if he could rush forward and snap Xiaobai's neck at any moment.

He said, word by word, with a smirk, "It must have taken you a lot of effort to arrest me, right? If I don't confess, what can you do to me?"

After he finished speaking, the two police officers guarding him behind him were also furious.

Ring ring—

Ring ring.

Gu Yanzheng picked up the mobile phone, answered the call, and then hung up.

In front of everyone, he told Shen Zhenzhu: "The fingerprints on the murder weapon do not match Xiong Gengnong, also known as the Flower Monk. However, the fingerprints on the murder weapon and the fingerprints left behind in the family annihilation case all match Xiong Tianchao. He is indeed the real culprit."

"I fucking deny it, I'm going to kill you all, kill them all." Xiong Tianchao's handcuffs rattled as he gripped them tightly. Shen Zhenzhu watched him quietly from the opposite side, and slowly, slowly, she smiled.

Xiong Tianchao's disguise was completely stripped away, and his last hope for survival was extinguished. With veins bulging on his neck, he said, word by word, "What are you laughing at?"

Shen Zhenzhu said happily, "I'm laughing at your reaction. It's really good. Shout even louder!"

Gu Yanzheng could understand what she meant. Xiong Tianchao's reaction must have perfectly matched Shen Zhenzhu's deduction for her to show such a perverted smile of pleasure.

The crazier he became, the more she laughed.

The officers guarding Xiong Tianchao exchanged bewildered glances. Everyone was saying that Section Chief Shen was no ordinary person, and now it seemed that he was also quite eccentric.

Gu Yanzheng took over asking a few questions for Shen Zhenzhu. Shen Zhenzhu no longer needed to waste time with Xiong Tianchao and left the room alone.

The Heavenly Eye Retrospection is correct.

I was right too.

Clearing away the fog, Chen Zhenzhu discovered that she and the Heavenly Eye were not mistaken.

The murder scene replayed by the Heavenly Eye did not actually reveal the killer's face. Due to various misleading factors, everyone believed that Xiong Gengnong was the murderer, which led Shen Zhenzhu to mistakenly believe that something was wrong.

So much so that the subsequent struggles and entanglements became a contest between self-awarenesses.

In the end, Shen Zhenzhu chose to believe in herself.

She overcame herself.

Shen Zhenzhu could hardly describe the joy she felt at that moment. She returned to her room, locked the door, squatted down by the door, gently kissed her scarred palm, and then covered her forehead with it, giving Tianyan a loving kiss.

“Although I have received a lot of help and you have been used by me,” Chen Zhenzhu said softly, squatting at the doorway, “I cannot live for you. I will always maintain my own judgment.”

This case transformed Shen Zhenzhu, reinforcing her belief in the importance of self-growth. Cases are ever-changing, and killers are cunning; while having external assistance is helpful, sharpening one's own skills is even more crucial.

"Sister." Stepping through the iron gate, Qiaoqiao nestled in her mother's arms, pointed inside, and said, "Sister is here, she's smiling."

Qiaoqiao's parents rushed over overnight, braving danger. They traveled by train, then by car, and then on foot. Needless to say, the journey was arduous. Fortunately, they were able to contact the local police, who picked them up and helped them get off the highway safely.

Qiaoqiao's father, carrying cigarettes and alcohol, knocked on the door. Hearing footsteps inside, a young woman opened the door: "Comrade, we're here to see Chen Ke—"

Qiaoqiao rushed to Chen Zhenzhu, threw herself into her arms and rubbed her face against her: "Sister, I found you, I missed you."

Goodness, she's even learned to act cute now.

If Gu Yanzheng hadn't reached out and supported her from behind, Chen Zhenzhu would have been tackled by Qiaoqiao.

When Qiaoqiao called the young girl "sister" repeatedly, her parents found it hard to believe that such a young girl was actually in charge of the whole case and had actually found them smoothly.

"Thank you, Section Chief Shen. If it weren't for you saving our two daughters, we, the elderly, would have had to bury our children." Qiaoqiao's mother wiped away her tears, her voice trembling with fear. If that had really happened, she and her husband wouldn't have been able to survive.

"It's what we should do. Please come in and have a seat." Chen Zhenzhu glanced at the sky where the rain had stopped, hoping for better weather tomorrow so she could return in time.

When Qiaoqiao's parents entered Chen Zhenzhu's room, they saw muddy clothes and shoes in the corner and a lingering smell of medicine.

"Good people will be rewarded. Her father and I kowtow to you... to you." The two parents were emotional, on the verge of a nervous breakdown after hearing the truth about the murderer's brutality against the woman at the hospital.

Chen Zhenzhu rushed forward and grabbed Qiaoqiao's mother's arm, as did Gu Yanzheng. The two of them dragged and pulled them down into the chairs.

Qiaoqiao looked around the room, then took a water glass and poured water for her parents: "You two drink."

Her parents were overwhelmed with emotion, holding their water glasses and wiping away tears, their hearts filled with gratitude.

Qiaoqiao held the pearl in her arms and tugged at her pocket, as if she wanted to put the pearl in her pocket and steal it.

Gu Yanzheng glanced at her, and Qiaoqiao pouted and glared at him.

Chen Zhenzhu couldn't control the two of them and focused on telling Qiaoqiao's parents the whole story.

"It's good that they caught him, it's good that they caught him." Qiaoqiao's mother said repeatedly, "On the way here, I heard people saying that they were going to catch a rapist and murderer. If they didn't catch him, they wouldn't dare let their daughters go out. You've been in the mountains all this time and you don't know how panicked the people are. You're really capable. You caught them, so we can go out with peace of mind from now on."

"By the way, we didn't know what you like, so we brought some cigarettes and alcohol from home before we came. We know it's not easy for the police to handle cases, so how about we have dinner together tonight? We should at least show our appreciation." Although Qiaoqiao's father was thin, his eyes were bright, and he seemed to be an upright person.

Indeed, dishonest parents cannot raise two outstanding daughters.

Gu Yanzheng saw the Zhonghua cigarettes and Moutai liquor on the table and refused them on behalf of Shen Zhenzhu: "We have a rule that we cannot accept gifts. If we do, we will be making a mistake. Please forgive us."

Shen Zhenzhu also said, "I like Qiaoqiao very much. She is well-behaved and smart. Taking good care of her and helping her recover as soon as possible is the greatest reward for me."

The thought that their child getting better was a way of repaying Section Chief Shen touched Qiaoqiao's parents deeply. Qiaoqiao's mother kept praising him, saying, "This is a true good cadre of the people, wholeheartedly devoted to the people."

Chen Zhenzhu pursed her lips, looking somewhat embarrassed.

Amidst profuse thanks, Qiaoqiao reluctantly left the self-built house: "Sister, I'll come find you to play again in the future."

Uncle Xiaoshan prepared a "feast" that evening, with vegetables and meat provided by the local residents, and a cook was hired to prepare it in the kitchen of his self-built house.

The well in the courtyard has been sealed off by county government officials, who went door to door. Uncle Xiaoshan was quite happy: "They're going to install running water for us. They must have won the lawsuit against the neighboring county. They'll use the money to improve our lives. We're so grateful to the government."

Chen Zhenzhu smiled, her dimples gleaming, and nodded, saying, "Yes, thank you to the government for improving people's living standards."

Xiao Bai walked to the well, but the cement cover sealing the opening made it impossible to lift. Uncle Xiao Shan said that more cement would need to be poured in later. However, the stench inside was much less noticeable when standing next to it; with the gradual rinsing over time, it should disappear.

"Time to eat! I'm starving!" Zhao Qiqi, worried about their water supply, had been staying in the kitchen. Seeing the chef finish work, she quickly called everyone to eat.

"Wow, braised carp!" Xiaobai, holding her rice bowl, didn't even have time to eat the vegetables before taking a couple of bites of rice to fill her stomach. If her father knew, he would probably be heartbroken, but Xiaobai felt she had learned so much and would definitely tell her father about today's events later.

Even more energetic than after a full meal, Chen Zhenzhu first peeled back the soft fish skin to reveal the snow-white, garlic-like flesh. The uncle used dark soy sauce, rock sugar, and star anise to simmer the fish, creating a rich and mellow aroma. One bite revealed the delicious flavor brought out by the Shaoxing wine.

The rainy day fattened the carp, their bellies plump and trembling slightly with oil, while the fragrant scallions exuded a charming and peaceful smoky aroma.

"I miss my sixth sister."

"I miss my sixth sister too."

The braised carp and the four dishes and soup were delicious, but Lu Ye and Zhao Qiqi still couldn't help but miss the unique taste of their sixth sister's cooking, which tasted like their mother's cooking.

But that didn't stop them from raking in the dust.

As Zhao Qiqi ate what was in her bowl, she thought about what was in the pot far away: "I want to eat Dongpo pork and roasted lotus root soup later."

"I need some old duck soup to nourish myself," Lu Ye said, pointing to his upper palate. "I'm feeling a bit feverish."

Gu Yanzheng saw that Shen Zhenzhu was eating calmly, her dimples lingering on her face, her red lips and white teeth like a beautiful radish.

After the meal, the kitchen staff soaked the rice crust in soup with a few green vegetable leaves, which served as the suspects' last supper in Wuxian County.

The next day, the sky was bright and cloudless.

Xiao Bai came out with his backpack and exclaimed, "I never thought I could climb all the mountains in my lifetime here."

She turned around and saw Chen Zhenzhu coming out rubbing her forehead: "Sister Zhenzhu, why were you rubbing your forehead all night? Did you get bitten by mosquitoes?"

Shen Zhenzhu ignored her and walked past her.

The forehead she was covering was where her "third eye" was located. She was so fascinated by it last night that she couldn't help touching it in her dream, and it was red when she woke up this morning.

"You all said it was absolutely true. It rained all summer, but you solved the case, and the sky cleared up." Uncle Xiaoshan waited for the water pipe installers to arrive, and stood at his door to see them off: "Next time you come to visit, I'll give you a free stay here."

Lu Ye walked over to him and teased him, "Then why don't you just refund the money we paid for the previous accommodation?"

Uncle Xiaoshan waved his hands repeatedly and said, "No, no, I still need to save money for my future grandson's wife."

"Hey, you're quite ambitious." Lu Ye patted Uncle Xiaoshan on the shoulder and said in an old-fashioned tone, "You can't force fate. You've seen the consequences of forcing it. Besides, it's the same whether it's a boy or a girl. It's not like it's for you. Instead of worrying about your unborn grandson, you should cherish your daughter more. I saw her coming over the day before yesterday, and she was practically kicking off the soles of her shoes."

Uncle Xiaoshan blushed at what was said and muttered, "I know, I'll treat her well."

"That's more like it." Zhao Qiqi led the Xiong Tianchao brothers and the old monk out, all of whom were already wearing black hoods and shackles, and slowly walked towards the police car.

More than ten police cars slowly drove away, heading towards the urban area of ​​Liancheng from the highway exit that had just been opened.

Shen Zhenzhu leaned against the Cherokee window, gazing at the scenery, and gradually fell asleep.

Perhaps the journey home itself brings a sense of security.

Yes, she also has her mother waiting for her.

"We're almost there." Gu Yanzheng woke up Shen Zhenzhu, who was still half asleep, and said in a relaxed tone, "Section Chief Shen, you can wake up now."

Chen Zhenzhu's ponytail was askew from sleeping. When she got out of the car, she saw Director Liu coming downstairs to greet her, and she hurriedly tied her hair back up.

Director Liu still had that same smiling face. When he saw Shen Zhenzhu get out of the car, he took the lead and said, "Section Chief Shen, this trip has not been easy. You have truly lived up to everyone's expectations."

Shen Zhenzhu saluted solemnly with a stern face: "Reporting to Director Liu, we have fulfilled our mission and successfully completed the task."

"Okay, okay, thank you for your hard work. After you've taken her upstairs, you can all go back and rest for a couple of days to recharge." Director Liu hadn't seen Shen Zhenzhu for over a month. As she got out of the car, he glanced at her and noticed something was different about her, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Shen Zhenzhu's steps became more steady and firm, like a stubborn little grass that grew wildly, making people even more curious to know how far she would grow.

Thinking back to how he had called Director Tu to ask him to end the search, Director Liu said seemingly casually as he shook hands with Shen Zhenzhu, "I hope that in the process of handling cases, you will also pay attention to putting your own lives and the lives of your comrades first."

There are countless cases in the world, but there are far too few outstanding talents.

Shen Zhenzhu pretended not to understand Director Liu's explanation, maintaining a serious expression and a tense demeanor. For a moment, Director Liu was unsure whether she was angry.

Those who should be detained should be detained, and those who should be investigated should be investigated further. For example, the identities of the six skeletons and the headless female corpse, as well as the remains of the old policeman who was killed by Xiong Tianchao five years ago, should all be recovered.

Back in their familiar office, they saw Wu Zhongguo busy making tea and cutting fruit for them, and they couldn't help but rush up and give him a big hug.

"Don't blame me for not going down; I was afraid those monkeys from Team Three would steal the grapes. These grapes are really expensive; I washed them one by one. Eat up!" Wu Zhongguo was almost in tears when he saw them return. He wished he had gone with them in the first place; he had been living in constant fear guarding the lair alone.

"This is Xiaobai, the trainee in charge of our 'Grand Competition'," Shen Zhenzhu said, pulling Xiaobai aside to introduce him to Wu Zhongguo. "He'll be working at the provincial and municipal bureaus in the future."

Wu Zhongguo saw that Xiaobai still looked like a young girl, but for some reason he saw a sense of vicissitude in her eyes.

"Can I borrow the phone to call my dad and let him know I'm safe?" Xiaobai pointed to the landline.

Shen Zhenzhu pulled her to her desk: "Go ahead and call. I haven't had a chance to contact you these past few days."

Sitting in Shen Zhenzhu's seat, Xiao Bai saw them chattering away again and quickly dialed the provincial department's office number.

Director Zhou finally received news of his daughter. He put down his work and listened as she whispered about the case: "...I saw it with my own eyes. The real culprit was still in the team. It's terrifying to think about. If Sister Pearl hadn't insisted on her judgment, he would have escaped. You don't know, he was even spotted by Sister Pearl at the door..."

Listening to his daughter's praise of Shen Zhenzhu, Director Zhou also learned about the urgency of the case and the numerous difficulties it faced. He nodded repeatedly on the other end of the phone, wrote the three characters "Shen Zhenzhu" with his pen, circled them, and listened to his daughter say many more things before hanging up.

"Captain Park, long time no see." Lu Ye, carrying a bunch of Liaofeng grapes, saw Park Heung-sung and said, "You've gotten quite chubby lately. Where have you been?"

Park Heung-sung knew that they had returned with merit and solved a major case on the way. He was a little envious at first, but when he came over to greet them and saw that they all looked haggard and had lost a lot of weight, he suddenly stopped feeling envious.

They even went so far as to say, "There's a case on the run recently, but it's not as serious as the one you're handling. It's a simple, straightforward murder case with clear witnesses and a clear portrait. There's only one victim...and the body is intact."

As he spoke, Captain Park looked at Chen Zhenzhu with a shy smile: "The case is too simple, it can't compare to Section Chief Chen's."

The grapes in Shen Zhenzhu's hand fell onto the table with a thud, and she drooled with envy.

God knows what she's been through!

No sooner had Captain Park left than Kang He arrived. He said to Lu Ye, "Old Lu, how about we do some exercise later?"

Lu Ye spat out a grape skin and said, "Hey, the sun's rising in the west! Is Team Three going to join Team Four?"

Kang He smiled and said, "It's not any other activity. There's a Hongxi Mountain in the suburbs, right? The bureau is organizing a hike to escape the summer heat. I thought it would be too boring for just the third team to go. Why don't we all go together?"

Lu Ye clenched his fist: "Say that again?"

"Climb my ass!" Zhao Qiqi rushed up and shoved Kang He out the door: "No way, no way, whoever wants to go can go, we're not participating."

Shen Zhenzhu covered her mouth and gagged; just hearing the words "mountain climbing" was enough to give her a shock.

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Author's Note: The pearl spins and leaps, heading home!

See you tomorrow, there's a red envelope coming! [Let me see]