Chapter 43 Prejudice

Chapter 43

After Lin Yu finished asking, he thought for a moment and tried to make his tone more tactful. "You and Zhang Jinzhi have been in contact recently, right?"

Chen Shan did not comment on his question. He lowered his eyes and stared at his folded fingers, trying to hide his changing emotions.

After a long while, he spoke again, "Yes, he contacted me after he was released from prison and helped me arrange a hospital."

How could a man as evil as Zhang Jinzhi actually help a former customer so much?

When Lin Yu heard this, his eyebrows raised slightly, as if he had heard a fairy tale.

"He and I are friends." Chen Shan looked away, his tone obscure, and whispered, "Perhaps you can't understand, but the lower you are, the more you stick together for warmth."

After he finished speaking, he grinned in a self-deprecating smile, with an unspeakable desolation in his eyes.

Because they couldn't see the light, they felt cold, so they huddled together for warmth.

Lin Yu propped himself up on his knees, staring at him intently, pondering the words "the bottom of the world where light cannot reach."

After thinking for a moment, he said, "You can go home. Chen Wan has been waiting for you."

Thinking of Chen Wan crying, his breathing stagnated slightly, and he said in a deep voice, "After being released from prison, why did you return to this shady life?"

The two words "Chen Wan" aroused the softness in Chen Shan's heart. He turned his back and stopped talking.

The atmosphere in the ward was deadlocked. Lin Yu felt an indescribable restlessness in his heart and unconsciously stroked the recorder.

After a while, Chen Shan spoke again, "Officer Lin, I want to ask you for a favor. I'll use it as an exchange for giving you some clues."

Lin Yu calmed down and looked at him, "You tell me first, if it is..."

"It's about Xiao Wan. I hope you don't tell her about meeting me today, okay?" Chen Shan interrupted him, then leaned over and took out a USB drive from the drawer next to the bed. "This USB drive is the evidence I want to hand over to the police."

Lin Yu's gaze fell on the USB drive. After a moment, he raised his eyebrows slightly and observed Chen Shan's expression.

"Why don't you tell Chen Wan?"

Chen Shan's face remained expressionless, with a distant look. He shook his head and said, "It's better if she doesn't know."

Hearing this, Lin Yu slowed down his tone and said carefully, "Don't worry, I know there may be misunderstandings between you and your daughter, but as long as we communicate well, we can definitely resolve the problem."

Chen Shan looked at him without saying a word. After listening, his shoulders slumped a little, making him look even more dejected.

"Xiao Wan has had a hard time because of me. If I continue to stay with her, I will only be a trouble and a burden to her."

In that dilapidated and long old alley, many malicious intentions hidden in cotton balls were bred.

Whispered words and sneering expressions all constitute invisible sharp edges.

"The me now will only bring her misfortune, so I'd rather she hate me than..." He looked at the blue veins on the back of his hand. For a moment, a lump in his throat caught in his throat. It took him a long time to finish his words, "It's better than her still having expectations of me. She deserves a brighter future."

Ever since he started taking drugs, his home has become unrecognizable.

If you take a wrong step, you will make mistakes at every step and end up on the wrong path.

Lin Yu recalled the words he had seen in the temple not long ago: "You look at worldly affairs, and the world looks at you."

Although he couldn't fully empathize with him, Lin Yu could read helplessness and true sadness from his words.

Chen Shan’s current state shows his broken heart.

Self-awareness is shackled by external opinions and prejudices.

In human affairs, the right path and the wrong path are in opposition to each other, just like a needle against a thorn.

Since birth, we have been told to be kind, to do good things, and to follow the right path, as if this is the only way in life.

But life is both short and long, so it is impossible to take every step steadily and well, and it is inevitable to make mistakes.

This society is not tolerant and rarely gives people a chance to atone for their sins.

Then the person who made the mistake becomes self-pitying and admits his own degradation.

Among the people of this world, the inability to distinguish between good and evil creates a cage called prejudice.

Prejudice is an invisible barrier and a glacier that is difficult to melt.

It may even be the last straw in someone's life.

Looking at Chen Shan's dejected posture, Lin Yu took a deep breath, collected his thoughts, and avoided giving him a sense of condescending pity.

"Okay, I won't tell her about meeting you today, but you have to meet her anyway, right?" Lin Yu nodded, then glanced around the ward, "And your illness..."

When Chen Shan saw that he agreed, his depressed mood finally eased a little.

He handed the USB drive in his hand to Lin Yu and ended the conversation. "Officer Lin, I hope you won't tell Xiao Wan anything about me. I don't have much time left, and I don't want her to waste her feelings on me."

"She cares about you, how can it be a waste of feelings?" Lin Yu was puzzled by his statement. "You are hiding this from her. Have you ever thought about how sad she would be if you really...?"

Hearing his brief hesitation, Chen Shan's gray-black pupils hidden behind the glass lenses became dimmer.

"It is precisely because I know she will be sad that I hope you can keep it a secret for me."

"Xiao Wan's mother died of illness. She saw it with her own eyes." Chen Shan raised his hand to take off his glasses, tilted his head back, closed his eyes, and sighed deeply. "I don't want her to go through that again."

Just as he would never forget Liang Chaoxi, she took away all the longing and hopes in his heart.

From then on, the heart became an empty shell.

When I think of her, the wind surges in the gaps, which cannot be filled.

Lin Yu understood the deeper emotions in Chen Shan's words and could no longer offer any comfort.

Because we care, we are afraid of disappointing others.

He stared at the yellow cracks on the floor, remembering what he had said to Chen Wan about Er Tiao on that rainy night.

"I thought it was a good thing that I didn't find it back then, so I could still have some hope, and I felt that it must still be waiting for me."

Escape the despair of dashed reality by holding on to self-deceptive hopes.

Chen Wan, maybe that's what he's doing.

So he couldn't refuse Chen Shan's statement. He didn't want her tiny vision to be shattered again.

"Okay, I understand." Lin Yu sat up straight and looked at him with a serious expression. "I will keep this secret for you."

After getting his consent, Chen Shan said sincerely, "Thank you."

Lin Yu returned the conversation to the investigation clues. After placing the USB drive into the evidence bag he was carrying, he continued to inquire, "Are you aware of Zhang Jinzhi's involvement in planning the drug transport? Do you understand the source channels and distribution range of the drugs?"

"I don't know much about the details of drug trafficking. As for the source channels and distribution range, you can start with the buyer's information." Chen Shan pointed to the USB drive. "It contains some of the buyer's information. It should be able to find out the transportation route and distribution range."

"Did Zhang Jinzhi tell you where he usually stored his drugs?"

The chances of prohibited items being searched are very high, so they are hidden very carefully.

Zhang Jinzhi has such a large amount of goods in his hands, but he has not revealed any trace. There must be a specific storage location.

Chen Shan frowned, thought for a while, and then answered him, "I remember he mentioned a place where drugs were temporarily stored before."

Lin Yu's eyes lit up, "Do you still remember the specific address?"

"It seems to be a hair salon in Fengqing Street." Chen Shan looked at him and said apologetically, "But I can't remember the specific name."

When Lin Yu heard the word "hair salon", he felt relieved, as this proved that the task force's investigation direction was correct.

As expected, Maxim's Hair Salon should be one of the drug hiding dens.

"Do you know any other information, especially about Zhang Jinzhi's whereabouts?" Lin Yu's tone became more urgent, and he explained the seriousness of the situation. "The task force is searching for him now. He still has drugs in his possession. If they are transferred, the results of this operation will be greatly reduced."

Chen Shan shook his head. "I really don't know where he is. I'm sorry."

Lin Yu tapped the recorder carelessly, his speculative eyes fell on his face, but after a moment, he didn't see any clues.

He stared at the changes in time on the recorder, carefully sorting out the clues provided by Chen Shan, and connecting them into the progress of the case.

Now that we know that Maxim's Hair Salon is one of the dens, we must act quickly to prevent the other party from secretly transferring evidence.

"Thank you for the clues you provided." Thinking of Qiao Yue and the others still squatting there, Lin Yu confirmed the recording, stood up and said goodbye to Chen Shan, "I have to rush back to the team now to investigate the contents of the USB drive in detail. I'll be leaving now."

"Okay." The things to be delivered have been given out. Chen Shan sighed with relief, and a glimmer appeared in his eyes.

Lin Yu walked to the door of the ward and saw Chen Shan’s decadent appearance printed on the glass window, feeling melancholy.

He turned around and walked back to the bed.

After looking into Chen Shan's eyes for a few minutes, Lin Yu bent down and bowed, thanking him solemnly, "Mr. Chen Shan, thank you very much."

Seeing his behavior, Chen Shan was stunned and lost, but the glimmer in his eyes became clearer and clearer.

After a while, he lowered his head. When he raised it again, his expression showed a little more relief. "You're welcome. This is what I should do."

Lin Yu smiled, helped him lie down, and went to fill the water bottle with hot water.

After doing all this, he looked at Chen Shan and said seriously, "Don't worry about Chen Wan. I will definitely protect her." After saying this, he glanced at the cold and empty ward and said, "I will come to visit you again."

Chen Shan looked at him, and after a moment, he smiled, "Officer Lin, thank you."

"This is what I should do." Lin Yu glanced at his watch, "I'll be leaving first."

The moment the door closed, Chen Shan called out to him and, in a kind tone, earnestly instructed him, "Officer Lin, I'll trouble you to take care of Xiao Wan from now on. She's a bit reserved and not very talkative, but she's truly a very kind and righteous child."

Hearing this, Lin Yu thought of Chen Wan's clear eyes and the gentle smile that occasionally appeared, and unconsciously curled the corners of his lips, "Yes, Chen Wan is very good."

......

After leaving Songtang Hospital, he immediately rushed back to the team, handed the USB flash drive and recorder to the task force leader Qu Zheng, and briefly talked about the clues provided by Chen Shan.

Song Xianzhe handed him a glass of water. After taking a sip, Lin Yu told Qu Zheng, "Meixin Hair Salon must be the drug den. We'd better take action tonight to prevent them from transferring the remaining drugs."

Qu Zheng nodded, handed the USB drive to the technical investigation team, and instructed them to find the buyer's information as soon as possible.

The team held a short meeting to finalize the operation to search the Maxim's Hair Salon.

Lin Yu went to the interrogation room to interrogate other prisoners in the trafficking gang who were involved in drug transportation.

He remembered Yu Jiayi saying that Zhang Jinzhi was the boss and they were only responsible for the turnover and transportation of drugs.

Since turnover is required, logistics and trade are definitely involved, and this chain of interests must be uncovered as soon as possible.

It was past two in the morning, and the lights were still on in the South City Criminal Police Team, and everyone was doing their job.

After interrogating for more than two hours, Lin Yu finally got a meaningful clue.

He leaned back on the chair, rubbed his forehead with his hand, and breathed a sigh of relief.

After resting for a while, Lin Yu walked out of the interrogation room with the statement report and headed towards the technical investigation team's department.

As a result, he bumped into Qiao Yue who was returning to the team at the corner of the corridor.

She also saw Lin Yu and forced a smile. Several colleagues behind her detained the suspect and walked into the interrogation room.

"Thank you for your hard work, Senior Sister." Lin Yu saluted her in a formal manner.

Qiao Yue snorted, remembering the informant, and asked him, "What clues did you get during this meeting?"

Hearing her mention this, Lin Yu thought of Chen Shan, and his eyes dimmed a little, "Senior Sister, let's go to the tea room and talk."

Seeing that he was feeling a little down, Qiao Yue nodded, "Okay."

Different from the hustle and bustle of the departments outside, the tea room is very quiet, which makes people feel calm in the early hours of the morning.

Qiao Yue made a cup of instant coffee for Lin Yu and herself. When she handed it to him, she raised an eyebrow and said, "It's rare to see you so serious. What's wrong?"

Lin Yu took the paper cup and saw the foam shimmering colorfully under the bright light, then shattered after a moment.

He gathered his thoughts and said, "The informant is Chen Shan, Chen Wan's father."

"Chen Shan?!" Qiao Yue met his gaze in surprise, her brows furrowed. "Are you sure you're Chen Wan's father?"

Lin Yu nodded, "Yes, the clue he provided was about Zhang Jinzhi."

Hearing the name Zhang Jinzhi, Qiao Yue took a sip of coffee, pinched the rim of the cup, and speculated about the relationship between the two men.

She used to work in the drug enforcement team and was transferred to her current department after she became pregnant.

Zhang Jinzhi's nickname in the anti-drug team is "Loach". Three years ago, Zhang Jinzhi was also involved in Chen Shan's case of gathering people to take drugs, but he has been on the run ever since.

"Senior Sister, have you thought of anything?" Lin Yu turned his head and looked at her carefully.

Qiao Yue came back to her senses and told Lin Yu about the conversation she had with Chen Shan on the day she returned to Nancheng.

"At the time, Chen Shan asked me to stay by Chen Wan's side to protect her. I guess he was worried that Zhang Jinzhi would attack her." Qiao Yue pulled up a chair and sat down, beginning to analyze, "Zhang Jinzhi's care for Chen Shan might be out of friendship, but I think another reason might be that Chen Shan has something on him."

Lin Yu thought of the USB flash drive and felt that it should be the handle in Chen Shan's hand, or the bargaining chip in his confrontation with Zhang Jinzhi.

Qiao Yue smoothed her hair and figured out the connection between Zhang Jinzhi and Chen Shan. She sighed, "Chen Shan is actually a good person. He just took the wrong path."

Lin Yu leaned against the wall, thinking of Chen Shan's desolate and lost eyes, and said helplessly, "Yes, if a good person makes a mistake, he will always be regarded as a bad person."

"Then you really won't tell Chen Wan?" Qiao Yue raised her eyes and looked at him.

Lin Yu drank the coffee in one gulp and said in a gloomy tone, "I hope she is happy."

"Me too."

......

At around four in the morning, the suspects from the Maxim's Hair Salon revealed the drug transportation channels, which were mainly through a logistics and trading company called Zetian.

The buyer information found by the technical investigation team also showed that the remittance account was the public account of this logistics company.

The task force held another discussion meeting, preparing to start from this logistics and trading company and focus on investigating the whereabouts of drugs.

A colleague from the Technical Investigation Team projected the information onto the wall. "This logistics company, called Zetian, specializes in cross-border logistics. Its registered address is in Nancheng. Their funds flow widely, and the amounts transferred to their public accounts are enormous. It's possible they're a shell company used for money laundering."

Lin Yu looked at the document in his hand and flipped to the line about the company's legal representative. When he saw the name Tang Ze, he felt a subtle sense of subtlety.

He tapped Qiao Yue's notebook beside him, covered half of his face, and whispered to her, "Senior Sister, do you think the name Tang Ze is familiar?"

Qiao Yue paused writing when she heard this, and slowly turned to look at him. "Tang Ze?"

"We've also investigated Tang Ze, the company's legal representative, but his information seems to have been tampered with, so we can't find any information." The colleague from the technical investigation team said, then added, "Earlier this month, this company took on a business of transporting goods to Linbei."

A batch of new drugs was intercepted in Linbei not long ago, and the direction of this order is self-evident.

Qiao Yue repeated Tang Ze's story again, with even surprise in her eyes.

"Do you still remember why Master said he couldn't be a police officer?" She clenched her fists until her knuckles turned slightly white. "It was because of him that Master's wife was killed."

Lin Yu finally remembered who Tang Ze was, which made him feel incredible.

"Isn't he dead?"