Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Officer Ji successfully became a regular employee! ...

After Lu Zheng left Jiangtan, the days of the Serious Crime Squad One went by very fast.

The "Ninth Five-Year Plan" and long-term goal documents were issued layer by layer, and the economic system underwent a major transformation, which gave a shot in the arm to the economic development of the entire society.

There are more and more wealthy people in Jiangtan, some doing business, some investing, some looking for a living... Everyone has a new look, with a briefcase tucked under their armpits, cash in their windbreaker pockets, and mousse in their hair, exuding extraordinary momentum in the atmosphere of economic growth.

Women's clothes are becoming more fashionable day by day, the storefronts on both sides of the city center are becoming more prosperous day by day, and the neon signs of high-end hotels on Changjiang Road are becoming more and more fancy day by day, lighting up the night sky like day.

The small river pond is now dyed with the temperament of a small Shanghai city with a soft red ten feet long and a sea of ​​flowers.

Lian Qiao's snack shop still has a constant stream of customers every day. Some people come to discuss joining the chain, but they are all turned away by Ms. Lian who does not want to destroy the signboard.

The subdistrict office was not much affected by this trend. Ji Jianguo still happily rode his bike to work every day, and occasionally brought home an advertisement for a new real estate development.

The two of them no longer watched "I Love My Family" before going to bed, but instead stayed in the room to study their property plans.

However, for Ji Yinhe, the economic boom has led to a significant increase in the number of cases handled by the Serious Crime Squad.

For example, theft, robbery, and the provocations and fights caused by theft and robbery...

A large number of rural populations flowed into cities at a rapid pace. People became impetuous in this glamorous world. The ever-widening gap between the rich and the poor made people confused and led them to the path of crime.

However, these cases are often very straightforward and simple, and do not require the brainpower to find suspects like the previous cases.

In some cases of assault caused by impulse, the murderer would just squat quietly aside and wait for the police to catch him after he had stabbed her with his knife.

The scene was a bit scary and sparked a heated discussion among the people, but for Ji Yinhe, these cases were simply physical labor and did not require any brainpower at all.

During this period, Old Ji and Ms. Lian no longer tried to secretly send her clues.

Ji Yinhe put down the behavioral analysis department case compilation that Lu Zheng had left for her and fell into deep thought over the case closing report in her hand.

Perhaps the people and things involved in these cases have nothing to do with Ms. Ji Lian’s past.

But in what kind of situation will they help?

Ji Yinhe felt a dull pain deep in his head.

But she didn't have much time or energy to think about her parents' background.

Ever since that day when she casually went to the train station and captured a bandit who had been on the run for years, Comrade Xiao Ji's reputation in the Municipal Bureau and the police stations across the city has become increasingly famous.

"...a young and promising policewoman. She cracked the compressor factory case right after joining the unit and arrested the manager! And then there's the Lijing Nightclub human trafficking case. Didn't you hear about it? Director Rao even listened to her advice and reported it to his superiors!"

Early in the morning in the cafeteria, Cui Bin, the captain of Team 3, stood beside a large steaming steamer, waiting for the cafeteria aunt to make him pumpkin millet porridge, while bragging about Comrade Xiao Ji's great achievements to the captains of Teams 2 and 4.

"And last month, they actually arrested someone at the richest man's house! I envy Tang Ci so much. With such a capable subordinate, he must be having a lot of fun handling cases!"

"Wow!" Ma Ming, the captain of the second team in charge of prison management, raised his eyebrows. "So impressive! Looks like our city bureau will soon have a second female captain!"

Shi Jun, the captain of the fourth team in charge of forest police, shook his head. "This is a job I can't do, and I have to deal with the Forestry Bureau. If you guys don't want to do it, how could it be my turn? Comrade Xiao Ji is so talented, he really needs to work hard to get promoted to the provincial department!"

The three of them chatted as they followed the large group of people having breakfast.

After they sat down at their seats, Cui Bin, who had excellent eyesight, saw Ji Yinhe's head standing out from the crowd as he passed by the cafeteria's food window. He immediately raised his hand and shouted, "Comrade Ji!"

Ji Yinhe quickly sighed and sat over with the enamel pot.

"Hello, Captain Cui, Captain Shi, and Captain Ma!" The sweet-talking Comrade Ji greeted everyone and took out the lunch box Lian Qiao had packed that morning from his bag. "My mom made these baked buns with black pepper, beef, and onions. Leaders, come and try some!"

The three captains had heard of Sister Lian’s snack bar a long time ago, so they didn’t hesitate to greet her. They each took one and started eating with relish.

"Oh, it smells so good!" Ma Ming's cheeks puffed up. "I wish your mother could take over the contract for our city bureau cafeteria. I guarantee everyone will gain five pounds a month!"

Ji Yinhe laughed out loud, "My mom doesn't plan to open a branch store for now. She wants to produce high-quality products, and one store is enough to keep her busy!"

Shi Jun, who was about the same age as Lian Qiao, said, "Boss Lian is truly amazing. He cooks delicious meals and has raised his daughter well. Captain Cui just kept praising you!"

Ma Ming cheerfully continued, "...the time you pretended to be a radio girl at the guesthouse and caught Gong Xie, you performed very well. We wanted to transfer you from Team One to Team Three as a special agent, but you, Team Tang, absolutely disagreed!"

There were many people in the cafeteria, and the three people in front of him were team leaders, so Ji Yinhe didn't dare to speak carelessly.

If you say something wrong and it gets out, you might offend everyone.

So she simply kept quiet, grabbed the toasted buns and giggled, trying to leave a good impression on her boss that she was quiet and hardworking.

As expected, Cui Bin said with a smile, "I don't expect to transfer you in, but you can at least help me, right?"

Ji Yinhe immediately raised his head honestly, "Captain Cui, if you have any instructions, just tell me!"

"Well, then, after breakfast, come to the interrogation room on the first floor!"

When Comrade Xiao Ji heard that it was an interrogation job, he wiped his mouth and took his lunch box to the sink to wash it.

Then he went upstairs to report to Tang Ci, and then walked into the newly decorated interrogation room with his notebook.

Unexpectedly, the person opposite me was my old acquaintance Gong Xie.

Gong Xie was originally staring at Cui Bin timidly, but when he saw Ji Yinhe coming in, his eyes immediately lit up.

"Excuse me...is my mom okay?" Perhaps his drug rehabilitation was beginning to show results; his originally thin cheeks now looked much rounder. "Captain Cui won't tell me anything, I..."

Ji Yinhe exchanged a glance with Cui Bin and nodded. "He's fine. He's in the hospital and is under police guard."

"Ah, that's good..." Gong Xie leaned back in his chair weakly, "What are you asking today? I've already told you everything I know—"

"Your upline!" Cui Bin was irritated by his limp attitude and slammed the table. "You've been buying from him for so long, and you can't even say his name!"

"Everyone needs a nickname when they're out there. They're a gang, calling themselves the White Camel Villa. I don't have many subordinates here, and I don't get much in the way of goods, so the people who contact me are all small fry..."

"White Camel Villa, I'm Ouyang Feng! You must have watched too much The Legend of the Condor Heroes!"

"Well, their leader's nickname seems to be Ouyang Feng..."

“…”

Ji Yinhe and Cui Bin were both speechless.

Cui Bin asked: "What's your nickname?"

Gong Xie chuckled, "The young man in white—he's so charming and charming, everyone loves him."

“…” Cui Bin slowly covered his forehead.

Ji Yinhe listened for a long time, then slowly flipped through the confession book and asked, "Since you've never met 'Ouyang Feng' in person, who tipped you off that night at the Pegasus skating rink?"

"It was Ouyang Feng. He had my cell phone number." Gong Xie adjusted himself to a more comfortable position in the interrogation chair. "He didn't say anything. He just told me the transaction was over and told me to run. I guessed he was being watched by the police, so I left immediately."

Ji Yinhe thought thoughtfully, "So, you talked to Ouyang Feng on the phone?"

"Yes, this is the second time. The first time was much simpler. He called and introduced himself as Ouyang Feng. He heard that I wanted to do business with Red Dragon and offered to give me some goods to try. That was all."

"Okay, what does he sound like?"

"Middle-aged, male," Gong Xie said. "No accent, nothing special."

Cui Bin whispered to Ji Yinhe: "I've asked this before! Middle-aged men... If you walk out of the Municipal Bureau now, the streets will be full of middle-aged men. It's like looking for a needle in a haystack. How can you find this Ouyang Feng?"

"No." Ji Yinhe shook his head.

She didn't shy away from Gong Xie and circled two things on her notebook. "It's true that Ouyang Feng is a middle-aged man, but you see, first of all, he dares to engage in drug dealing, owns a mobile phone, and can use it correctly to make calls. This shows that he is a person with good intelligence and a fairly good financial situation."

"Being able to use a mobile phone means you're smart?"

Ji Yinhe said, "Society is developing too fast now. Even pagers have been around for so many years, and there are still a few grandpa and auntie next door who don't know how to use them! Moreover, this Red Dragon is a synthetic drug. Although it came from Dengzhou, it has been circulating in Handong for so long. The powder on Qi Hang's coat has a similar molecular formula - this means that Ouyang Feng may not only be selling it, but he is also trying to make it himself!"

Gong Xie, who was standing opposite, was stunned. Cui Bin clapped his hands. "Comrade Xiao Ji, you're amazing! You've figured out so much information from just two statements. You've narrowed down our scope significantly! I'll go find someone to investigate—"

"Captain Cui, don't be impatient." Comrade Ji Yinhe raised his smiling face, "I haven't finished speaking yet."

"……besides?"

"Also, he should have received a good education and is not from a rural background. I believe he is from Jingzhou or Jiangtan, and he shouldn't be too old."

Cui Bin was puzzled: "How did you know this?"

"Gong Xie is a native of Jiangtan. In his opinion, Ouyang Feng speaks without an accent, pure Mandarin, with only a slight Jiangtan accent at most. A wealthy man like him has probably lived in the city since childhood."

Cui Bin nodded slowly.

"Look, he named his gang after gangs from martial arts novels, and they're not even from reputable or upright families. This shows that he's very open to trendy things and has his own set of ideas about good and evil..."

Ji Yinhe took a breath. "Combining the points mentioned above, Ouyang Feng looks like a young, middle-aged man who grew up in the city. He's well-off, has a facility capable of producing drugs, and has transportation lines nearby, but it's not yet on a large scale, otherwise he wouldn't have let Gong Xie distribute it. He's also likely well-informed, otherwise he wouldn't have heard the details of the case that Lao Che revealed so quickly... But I don't think you need to waste police resources in Jiangtan City. When the incident at Gong Xie happened, Ouyang Feng must have immediately fled with his gang and their tools. You can use this as a guide to infer their escape direction."

"Wow!" Cui Bin's eyes lit up instantly. "Okay! Now I have a clear idea!"

But catching drug dealers is never easy.

Despite the profile provided by Ji Yinhe, Cui Bin spent the next month either sleeping on the floor at the Municipal Bureau or investigating and staking out outside day and night.

He ate and slept in the car for three or five days in a row, without taking a shower or sleeping. At first glance, he looked like a homeless person.

A month later, in the early winter evening, Ji Yinhe got off work and was getting his Tianhong 90 from the parking shed downstairs when he saw several Santanas slowly driving into the Municipal Bureau.

After the car stopped, Lao Cui and three teams of police officers jumped out and pulled out seven or eight suspects who were wearing hoods, handcuffs and shackles.

"Comrade Xiao Ji!" Cui Bin raised his hand from a distance and greeted him excitedly, "I caught him! I caught him! I caught Ouyang Feng!"

Ji Yinhe applauded, "Congratulations! Are these the entire White Camel Villa's members?"

"Right!" Cui Bin rubbed his dark, thin face and pointed at the stumbling figure in front. "His real name is Li Feng. He's the son of a hardware store owner in Jingzhou. He's 36 years old, a college graduate, and has a respectable job as a chemistry teacher! None of his relatives and friends know he's doing this outside of the home, and he's even using his family's warehouse to make poison. He's truly audacious!"

Ji Yinhe silently compared the real murderer with the profile portrait she had made of "Ouyang Feng" during the previous interrogation, and gave herself a thumbs up in her heart for her 100% accuracy.

"Now you plan to take it to Director Rao for a look, and then hand it over to the provincial department?"

"Yes, he has dozens of kilograms of red dragon at home, enough to be shot 180 times!" Cui Bin looked into the distance and touched his stomach. "Oh, the case is finally over. I can finally have a drink and a good night's sleep tonight!"

Ji Yinhe saluted Cui Bin solemnly, "Captain Cui, thank you for your hard work!"

Good news always comes one after another. The next day, when Ji Yinhe was sitting in the office sorting out case materials, Tang Ci came out in a hurry and told her two pieces of good news:

"The cases of Su Yiyun and Tong An have been sentenced to death." He handed her a written verdict with the official seal of the Municipal Intermediate Court.

"Wow!" Ji Yinhe took a deep breath and looked at the words written on the paper. "They have ruined so many families and the lives of so many children. This is what they deserve."

"Well, there's also the report Director Rao submitted earlier, and it's finally come to fruition." Tang Ci fished two oranges from his pocket and roasted them on the coal stove in his office. "Anecdotally, the relevant departments have released draft regulations that will further strengthen the conditions for foreigners to adopt Chinese children. Children who aren't adopted from formal orphanages, don't meet the adoption requirements, and don't complete all the necessary formalities will not be allowed to leave customs."

"That's great!" Ji Yinhe blinked his big eyes, "It's a pity for those children before..."

"In order to secure a suspended death sentence, Su Yiyun previously confessed to the prosecutor all of her and Yu Yexiang's activities, including the children's personal information and the list of adoptive parents. Now, the provincial government and the Civil Affairs Bureau have set up a special task force, actively and secretly recovering them."

It's good news, but Ji Yinhe is not that happy.

This is truly like looking for a needle in a haystack. It would take years or even decades of effort to bring all those children home safely, and it might not even be possible.

However, it is commendable that the relevant departments have taken the first step.

The cold wind howled outside, making the glass windows rattle. Tang Ci poked the coal stove with pliers and handed her the roasted orange. "It's so late, why haven't you gone home yet? Hasn't the team had any major cases recently?"

Ji Yinhe peeled the skin slowly and smiled bitterly as the room was filled with the fragrance of oranges.

The real reason is a little hard to say.

It all started half a month ago when my neighbor, Chen Ma, returned to her hometown in Shannan Town, Changwu County, to renovate the ancestral courtyard of her mother's family.

Unexpectedly, when digging the foundation, three corpses were dug out from the pile of earth!

The hired help was frightened on the spot, pointing at Chen Ma and shouting that she was a murderer and buried the body in his own yard!

Mother Chen felt wronged. She moved into Heye Street after the reform and opening up. Later, all her family members left and the yard has been abandoned for almost twenty years with no one living there!

Maybe someone had visited this place in advance, found out about this empty building, and buried the bodies in it.

Faced with questions from helpers and surrounding villagers, Mother Chen immediately called 110.

Upon hearing that three bodies had been dug out, the county public security bureau immediately sent a group of people.

However, they lacked the necessary tools and experience, and the forensic doctor was also an unprofessional and half-baked person. After looking at the bones for a long time, he finally came to the conclusion:

This is the skeleton of an adult male, an adult female, and an underage male. They look like a family of three.

So this must be a family massacre!

Now the rumors spread even faster—from "Mother Chen was a killer when she was young, she killed an entire family and buried them in the yard," to "This yard doesn't belong to the Chen family at all, it was Mother Chen's grandfather who usurped the house during the war, killed the entire family, and took over the house," to "Mother Chen's mother was a shaman, and she had offended the gods in heaven, so she could only kill people to ward off evil"...

All kinds of sensational gossip versions spread throughout Shannan Town in an instant.

Mother Chen: “…………”

Although she has experienced a period of ups and downs in life, her husband died and she has no children, and now she is alone.

But she has never done anything wrong in her life and has always held her head high. How could she let people talk about her like this behind her back!

So that night, she returned to Meiqingyuan with her cat Daji in her arms and knocked on Ji Yinhe's door.

"Yinhe, I've watched you grow up!" Mother Chen clutched her chest and cried, "For Daji's sake, and for the favor I gave you last time... you have to help me this time!"

Ji Yinhe patiently listened to the whole story and reported the situation to Tang Ci the next day.

Then he called his colleagues at the Changwu County Bureau and took Xiao Wu and Ye Qing to Chen Ma's courtyard.

After the professional autopsy by Forensic Doctor Ye, Officer Ji held Chen Ma's trembling hand.

"The good news is—these three skeletons are three hundred, two hundred, and over a hundred years old, respectively. It's impossible for them to be from the same family who died at the same time."

Mother Chen slowly raised her head, "What about the bad news?"

Ji Yinhe patted her shoulder comfortingly, "Well... this area was probably a mass grave in the past, so that's why corpses from different eras are buried here randomly—"

"Ah!!!" Aunt Chen screamed, frightening Daji, who was sleeping next to her, so much so that he jumped around in the room. "My house is actually built on a grave? Our whole family has lived on someone else's grave for decades?"

Ji Yinhe coughed lightly and said, "That's indeed the case. If you don't like it, you can go back to Jiangtan..."

"..." Aunt Chen said with a sad face, "Is the area under my yard cleaned up?"

"It's hard to say." Ji Yinhe said seriously, "After all, our ancestors have been around for five thousand years, so which piece of land hasn't had the dead buried there?"

"That does make some sense." Mother Chen lowered her head, barely convincing herself. "Then Yinhe, you must help me explain to the villagers that these ancestors have nothing to do with me!"

"Leave it to me!"

A few days later, a statement about the case was posted on the bulletin board outside the town government.

I heard that there was a curious person living nearby who used a shovel to dig up his own yard in the middle of the night and saw a pile of bones. He was almost scared to death.

——That’s all in the past.

In short, Ji Yinhe helped Chen Ma to successfully clear her name and live with her head held high in her hometown.

When Aunt Chen returned to Meiqingyuan on Heye Street, she naturally wanted to spread the great achievements of Officer Ji to her neighbors.

So, with Chen Ma's boasting, Ji Yinhe became the most powerful and righteous detective in Jiangtan City and even in Handong Province.

Since then, neighbors who have lost cats and dogs, couples fighting, people being bullied while buying groceries, or having their wallets stolen while shopping... without exception, all ask Officer Xiao Ji for help.

Minor quarrels are easy to resolve, but even a judge would find it difficult to settle family disputes!

When she encountered a situation where a man and a woman were having an affair, there were conflicts between the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law, sisters-in-law were not on good terms, and her brother-in-law was angry with his parents and ran away from home, Ji Yinhe could only stand there in a daze between the quarrels, asking Old Ji and Ms. Lian to come forward and rescue her from this mess.

So, she simply learned from the middle-aged gay men who avoided going home to take care of their children - using the excuse of being busy at work, she stayed in the office for two or three more hours after get off work every day.

Read the book Lu Zheng gave her, eat some oranges roasted by Tang Ci, drink some tea brewed by Xiao Wu, and listen to Director Rao and Captain Cui passionately reminisce about the past.

Apart from not being able to eat the dinner cooked by Ms. Lian, life was quite comfortable.

When the weather gets cold, Lianjie Snack Shop serves seasonal hot pot as usual.

However, this year, in addition to the Sichuan and Chongqing beef hot pot that has just become popular in Jiangtan, several new flavors have been added, including Chaoshan beef hot pot, Anshun Duoduo noodle hot pot, Yunnan mushroom chicken soup pot, fish maw chicken, pork tripe chicken, coconut chicken, etc.

For a time, the long queues blocked Heye Street, and the owners of the high-end restaurants on Changjiang Road were so angry that they were almost dying.

Some people secretly recruited local thugs to cause trouble in front of Lianjie Snack Shop. The local boss who took the job made private inquiries and found out that the boss's daughter was Officer Ji Yinhe, who had solved several major cases in Jiangtan. With the support of the Serious Crime Squad and experts from the provincial department, he immediately gave up and went home.

Lian Qiao didn't expect that her daughter's work would bring unexpected benefits, and immediately arranged for Ji Yinhe to invite everyone in the team to dinner.

Ji Yinhe also successfully received the notice of early promotion in mid-December and officially became a criminal police officer.

Because she had received honors from the provincial department, Director Rao and Section Chief Ding decided to award her the rank of Second-Class Police Inspector as an exception.

The two bars on the shoulder straps of Comrade Xiao Ji's uniform were smoothly changed to one bar and two stars.

The salary of police officers alone increased by 72 yuan!

Looking at his increasingly fatter wallet, Ji Yinhe said on the spot that he must work hard to get a promotion and a raise, so that he can reach the peak of his life as soon as possible!

Taking advantage of the excuse of becoming a regular employee, one night after a team finished working overtime, Ms. Lian closed the store early, emptied the entire store, and personally served two steaming four-grid hot pots.

"Spicy or not... we have all the flavors! The condiments are on the counter, the side dishes are in the refrigerator, and we'll have helpers cut the beef and mutton fresh. Everyone, please feel free to help yourself!"

"Wow--!"

Everyone in the group was stunned by the spectacle. Xiao Wu swallowed his saliva reluctantly, "This smells so good!"

Cheng Mo said, "...No wonder Captain Cui goes to Director Rao's office every day to complain and asks the canteen cook to come here for further training."

Ye Qing carefully and professionally picked up the beef roll and examined it. "It's very fresh, with a good balance of fat and lean meat. I guess it was still a lively calf this morning. Auntie must have a very good relationship with the market owner to be able to get such high-quality meat."

After several rounds of praise, Ji Yinhe was even happier than if he were being praised himself.

Tang Ci glanced around and said, "Since Xiao Ji is treating us, I'll go to the nearby liquor store and buy a few bottles of good wine. Tomorrow is the weekend, so let's all have a good drink tonight!"

"Great!" Xiao Wu shouted, "We want Wuliangye! We want Moutai!"

Lian Qiao came out of the kitchen pushing a small cart and said, "Oh no, no one will drink my new drink!"

"What good stuff?" Everyone stretched their heads to look over.

"Sister Lian's milk tea!" Lian Qiao said seriously, "Cheese Dancong, Rose Roasted Milk, and Soft Peach Gum Qihong are all warming and refreshing!"

"Ahhhhh!" everyone howled. "What should I do if I want to drink the new product and also drink alcohol?"

Tang Ci smiled and said, "Then let's all drink. I'll go out and buy some wine."

The dinner started in a lively atmosphere. Lian Qiao took off her apron and picked up the small bag on the bar.

Ji Yinhe quickly put down his chopsticks and ran over, "Mom, won't you stay and eat with us?"

"I'm not going to join in the fun with you little brats! Your dad made me some corn and pork rib soup at home. It's better to eat something light tonight, it's healthier...Ah! He's here!"

Under the dim street lights, Ji Jianguo rode his bicycle out of the alley and waved from a distance.

Lian Qiao smiled and patted her daughter's arm, hugged the hem of her coat tightly, ran over like a little rabbit, and jumped into the back seat with her arms around her husband's neck.

Ji Jianguo turned the car around steadily, holding the handlebars, and reminded his daughter: "Yinhe, the weather forecast says it might snow tonight, so be careful on your way home!"

"Don't worry!" Ji Yinhe smiled and waved, "The team has sent a car and will take me downstairs!"

Tang Ci, who came out of the convenience store, saw this scene and exclaimed in admiration from the bottom of his heart.

——It’s no wonder that such a harmonious and friendly family can raise a lovely and lively daughter like Ji Yinhe.

But when the cute and lively Comrade Xiao Ji returned to the dining table and sat down, he felt a little empty in his heart for some reason.

A table full of delicious and spicy food, lively colleagues around, and snowflakes falling outside the window.

But there was one figure missing.

...It would be great if Lu Zheng was here too. He solved two major cases with us and is also a member of the team!

At this moment, Tang Ci stood up and raised a glass to congratulate Comrade Xiao Ji on his successful conversion to a regular employee.

Ji Yinhe took a sip of rose roasted milk and suddenly missed the hand-brewed coffee Lu Zheng made for her.

Drinks are difficult to deliver, how about... picking up some of Lianqiao's freshly made pastries and packing them up and sending them over?

But since this person returned to Jingzhou, he has never contacted her again.

Comrade Xiao Ji held his chin in his hand dejectedly and sighed silently.

Could it be that Teacher Lu...had forgotten about her?

-----------------------

The author has something to say: Note: Under normal circumstances, a trainee police officer will be promoted to a regular police officer in one year. A bachelor's degree will be awarded a rank of 1.1, which is a third-level superintendent, and a postgraduate degree will be awarded a rank of 1.2, which is a second-level superintendent. Comrade Xiao Ji's rapid promotion here does not conform to the reality, but is an artistic processing of a modern fictional world.