Chapter 105 Foster Parents Visit 4 Let's put it on speakerphone, so my parents can...

During the joint search meeting, the police in Yangquan provided more clues.

Five days ago, they received a tip from the public that five men and women had eaten without paying, and one of them, a bald man, even tried to fight the restaurant owner, but was stopped by the woman who was with him.

The restaurant owner couldn't swallow his anger, so he told his wife to keep an eye on the business while he and a young kitchen helper secretly followed him out.

The boss originally planned to beat them up, but when he followed them to the entrance of a cheap hotel, he discovered that the group had accomplices, and two of them had guns tucked into their belts.

The restaurant owner was so frightened that he immediately called the police. Based on the owner's description of the men's appearance and accents, the police initially suspected that they were the wanted criminals who committed armed robbery.

He immediately ordered the closure of all major roads leading in and out of Yangquan County, but when the police arrived at the hotel, the group of people had already disappeared, and even their car had vanished without a trace.

Captain Yuan of the local criminal investigation team looked helpless: "We've searched every street and alley these past few days, but we haven't seen the truck the restaurant owner mentioned."

Tiger, being a veteran detective, immediately asked, "Have you checked the nearby reservoirs or rivers? You can also take a look at the abandoned mines."

Captain Yuan was stunned: "I really hadn't considered that. But it's the dry season now, and the river level is very low. If there were any, we would have discovered them long ago. We can take a look at the mine pit though."

Tiger nodded: "Then we should focus our investigation on the nearby mines. This vehicle is key. So far, we haven't seen any reports of vehicles being stolen along the way. They might have bought it themselves. By the way, what are the distinguishing features of this vehicle?"

Captain Yuan explained, "According to the restaurant owner, it was a Jinbei van. The license plate had been removed, so we couldn't verify the vehicle registration information. There were some advertisements originally painted on the vehicle, but those advertisements have been smeared off, so we can't see any useful clues."

"A Jinbei van, made in Shenyang?" Tiger pondered for a moment. "Have you contacted the police there to see if any company's delivery vans have gone missing?"

Captain Yuan shook his head: "No. Just because it's made in Shenyang doesn't mean it was purchased by a unit in Shenyang. Plus, the vehicle information is vague, and we didn't want to cause unnecessary trouble for our colleagues there, so—"

Tiger immediately urged, "What's the trouble? With all the clues uncertain, this car is the most important thing! Call Shenyang now and ask them to assist in the investigation. The annual production of this kind of car is limited, and there are records of which units or individuals purchased it. As long as we compare it with the suspects' modus operandi, we might be able to find something. Hurry, call now."

Captain Yuan quickly left the meeting room and went to his office to make a phone call.

His concerns were valid; he couldn't even say the license plate number, which naturally gave the police a headache, and they kept asking him to provide accurate information.

Tiger arrived just in time, picked up the microphone, and using his identity as a police officer in the capital, persuaded the other side in just a few words.

After hanging up the phone, Tiger couldn't help but sigh. Police officers in small towns tend to be overly cautious; they shouldn't be concerned with saving face in this kind of situation. They shouldn't let go of even the slightest hope.

The meeting continued after the two returned.

The next clues were less valuable; they were either from a hardware store or a convenience store that had been robbed.

It's possible that this group did it, but it's also possible that they didn't.

In short, the most urgent task is to find that car.

Even without a license plate, one can roughly deduce the vehicle's identity based on the damaged advertisements on the vehicle.

Other places, such as hotels, old-fashioned guesthouses, and cheap rental rooms, also need to be investigated.

Who knows, these rats from the gutter might be hiding in some nook or cranny, hiding during the day and coming out to have fun when it gets dark.

Tiger asked again, "At the scene of the last case, wasn't there half a bloodstained sleeve left behind? Has it been brought over?"

Captain Yuan quickly called to a junior officer: "It's here, in the storage room. Xiao Zhao, go get it and let the police dog smell it."

The meeting concluded by deciding on two search routes: one into the mountains, and the other remaining in the city.

After the meeting, Liu Xuezheng, Ye Chenglin, Qu Hao, and Lu Zhiqiang were assigned to the field search and capture team; Chen Jianjun and Qiu Xiaoman were assigned to the city search and capture team.

Wu Shirong stayed at the Public Security Bureau to further draw and adjust the portraits of several other suspects based on the eyewitness descriptions in the case file. Tiger, as the captain of the support team, also stayed at the Public Security Bureau to coordinate and direct the work with the local police.

Qiu Xiaoman was dissatisfied with the allocation plan. The gray gray she brought was very good at mountain warfare, but unfortunately it was no good. Tiger said that she was not familiar with the local terrain and that the other side was a group of vicious robbers carrying guns and ammunition. Therefore, her allocation was based on safety and she would not be allowed to go into the mountains unless absolutely necessary.

Qiu Xiaoman wanted to try again, but Wu Shirong shook his head at her, so she could only accept the proposal with dissatisfaction.

After the field search team left, she found Wu Shirong's temporary office and asked, "Why are you winking at me like that?"

Wu Shirong put down his paintbrush and said seriously, "I advise you to obey orders and follow commands. We are in a foreign land, and everything should be based on Brother Hu's arrangements. If you continue to argue, not only will Brother Hu lose face, but others will also doubt the discipline of our team."

Everyone understands the道理 (principle/reason), but Qiu Xiaoman wants to catch the bad guys as soon as possible.

Seeing that she still looked dissatisfied, Wu Shirong had no choice but to tease her: "Of course, if you learned how to shoot, Tiger would probably make you a vanguard without you even having to fight for it. But you don't know how yet, do you?"

Qiu Xiaoman couldn't refute him, so she retorted, "You talk as if you can shoot a gun."

"I'm not quite there yet," Wu Shirong shrugged. "But I'm already learning, and if I pass the test next month, I should be able to carry a gun."

Qiu Xiaoman was hurt again and could only leave with a dark expression.

Seeing that she was unhappy, Wu Shirong grabbed a stack of sketches and chased after her, saying, "Wait a minute."

Qiu Xiaoman turned her head and glared at him, standing in the corridor unwilling to move. Wu Shirong walked up with a smile and stuffed the stack of drawings into her hands: "I know you're unhappy. Take it and use it to relieve your boredom during your rest."

"What is this?" Qiu Xiaoman looked down and saw that it was a four-panel comic strip, and the main characters were all Mimi, whom Wu Shirong raised.

She was amused after just a casual glance.

The drawing depicts Mimi's daily life. In the first panel, Mimi is attracted by a female cat outside the window, perching on the windowsill and meowing at her. However, the female cat is drawn to a butterfly on a flowerpot on the windowsill. In the second panel, Mimi sees her owner open the door and go out to meet the female cat. Only the owner's heel is shown in the drawing. In the third panel, Mimi excitedly runs away, not forgetting to turn her head to look at the female cat outside the window, but the female cat is only staring at the butterfly with a curious expression. In the fourth panel, Mimi is a step too slow and bumps into the door. When she turns around, the female cat has lost interest in the butterfly and turns away, leaving Mimi meowing sadly at the female cat's back.

The story is simple about the daily life of cats, and the plot is... well, not exactly dramatic, but at least quite vivid and detailed.

Qiu Xiaoman laughed: "Aren't you afraid I'll lose it?"

“Just draw another one if you lose it. Here, take it, I’m going to get busy.” Wu Shirong waved his hand and turned back to his office.

Qiu Xiaoman carefully put the drawing into her shoulder bag, then gathered and set off.

*

In the lobby of the Peace Hotel, Shen Qinghuai greeted his friend whom he hadn't seen for many years with great courtesy.

Back when he was sent to the countryside, if it weren't for the help of Qiu Yinghe and her husband, he and Chen Baihui would have starved to death long ago.

When they returned to the city, they couldn't take the child with them, and it was Qiu Yinghe who took the initiative to stand up and take Xiaoman in.

So many years have passed, and Shen Qinghuai asked himself honestly, does he really feel no guilt at all towards that couple?

Yes, there is, but in the face of profit, that tiny bit of guilt is not worth mentioning at all.

He would rather pretend he didn't know he had this child, rather deliberately forget his promises and agreements, rather act as if he didn't see the letter the child sent, and even delay her studies.

If you ask him why, he is of course afraid that Qiu Yinghe and her husband will take advantage of his kindness and demand an exorbitant amount from him. How much of his huge family business would he have to give up?

Moreover, Qiu Yinghe herself has children. What if she's never satisfied? What if...?

These concerns were all very real, and he had never hidden them before, but now he had to admit that he was too shameless.

Why would someone who helped him when he was penniless ask him for anything in return?

Qiu Yinghe even refused to eat here, after all, this place looked like a high-class venue, and she didn't want Shen Qinghuai to spend money.

Her husband had lost a leg and had become unusually quiet. Seeing this, he simply nodded without saying a word.

Shen Qinghuai tried to persuade her again and again, but Qiu Yinghe still refused.

She wore a traditional Yunnan blue cotton jacket and her hair was always tied in a bun with a black hairnet covering her head. She looked neat and tidy. Even though her clothes and shoes were faded, it didn't stop her from standing tall.

She said politely, "Xiaoman hasn't gone back, so I knew she must not have gotten her tuition fees. She's a proud girl, so she must be staying here to work. In that case, how can I embarrass her? Just give me the key to her place; we can just make ourselves some noodles."

Shen Qinghuai was extremely embarrassed. Looking at Chen Baihui next to him, she remained silent the entire time, pretending to be deaf and mute.

Shen Qinghuai was annoyed and asked, "Chen Baihui, say something! Sister Qiu and her husband have come all this way, how can you not even show your appreciation!"

"Alright, can't you see? Sister Qiu looks down on money-grubbing types like us. Since that's the case, is it necessary to fawn over her?" With that, Chen Baihui turned to leave, but Shen Qinghuai grabbed her and glared at her fiercely.

He winked at Cao Yan, who quickly grabbed Qiu Yinghe's hand, tilted his small face up, and mumbled, "Auntie, my sister went out of town to catch bad guys. If she finds out we neglected you, she'll be unhappy. Auntie, please agree for my and my two brothers' sake. It's just a meal, it won't take up much of your time. Please, Auntie, I want my sister to be happy. If you eat and drink well, she can work in peace!"

Although Qiu Yinghe didn't know Chen Baihui's current situation, she had eyes and could tell that the child wasn't Shen Qinghuai's.

But it's definitely not the child of the young man brought by Chan Pak-wai.

It's truly a tragedy. I'm afraid these three children will also be left without a father to care for them. Does this Chen Baihui have even the slightest sense of responsibility towards her children?

Qiu Yinghe sighed. Well, she couldn't bear to make things difficult for such a sensible child. So she helped her lover and followed Cao Yan up the stairs.

Shen Qinghuai couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. After all these years, Sister Qiu was still the same, showing compassion for the weak.

How could such a person repay a debt of gratitude? He's just being a despicable person.

He felt very guilty, so he quickly booked the best private room and went to apologize with a smile.

While waiting for the food to be served, he called Qiu Xiaoman. Qiu Xiaoman was just finishing up and getting ready to go eat, so she answered: "Hello, Mr. Shen, my parents have arrived?"

"Okay, we've arrived. I'll take them to the Peace Hotel for dinner. Would you like to talk to them?" Shen Qinghuai asked with a fawning smile.

Seeing that he was behaving reasonably well, Qiu Xiaoman replied, "Turn on speakerphone so my parents can hear us."