From Grandpa Li's description, Zhong Hua sensed that things were becoming increasingly complicated. He continued questioning other veteran employees, and although he didn't get much information, they all confirmed that the factory did indeed have some unknown secrets from back then. Zhong Hua began to ponder: what exactly were the "significant interests" mentioned in the document? And how were they related to the fire?

Chapter 5: In a Dilemma

Just when Zhong Hua thought he was getting closer to the truth, he encountered a series of obstacles. First, his work at the newspaper suddenly became very busy, with the editor-in-chief assigning him many urgent interview tasks, leaving him almost no time to continue investigating the fire. Second, when he tried to contact the old employees again, he found that they had all suddenly become very evasive and unwilling to talk to him about the factory. One of the old employees even nervously told him on the phone, "Young man, don't investigate anymore, or it won't do you any good."

Zhong Hua realized his investigation might have infringed on the interests of some people, who began to take action to stop him. But Zhong Hua did not give up; he secretly continued to search for clues during his breaks. He began investigating the factory's former superiors, hoping to find some trace of the factory's secret transactions.

However, when he arrived at the relevant department and explained his purpose, the staff refused to let him see the materials, citing various reasons. The staff were indifferent, claiming the materials were confidential and could not be disclosed. Frustrated, Zhong Hua wandered around the department's archives, trying to find another way.

Chapter Six: The Mysterious Visitor

That evening, Zhong Hua dragged his tired body back to his rented room. As soon as he opened the door, he sensed something was amiss. The things inside seemed to have been moved, but were neatly arranged, making it difficult to notice without close inspection. Zhong Hua's heart tightened; he realized someone had been there. He carefully checked the room and discovered that the old document about the fire was missing.

Zhong Hua was both angry and anxious. He didn't know who had stolen the documents, nor what the other party would do next. Just then, the doorbell rang. Zhong Hua looked through the peephole and saw a person wearing a hat and mask standing outside, their face obscured. Zhong Hua hesitated for a moment, then opened the door.

The mysterious man entered the house, closed the door, and slowly removed his mask. Zhong Hua was surprised to find that it was Uncle Lin. Uncle Lin looked at Zhong Hua, his eyes filled with helplessness and worry. He said, "Zhong Hua, I know you've been investigating the fire from back then. I took that document. Don't investigate any further. The forces behind this are powerful; you can't fight them. When I participated in the investigation back then, I realized things weren't simple, but I was powerless to do anything about it. I don't want you to get hurt because of this."

Zhong Hua looked at Uncle Lin and said firmly, "Uncle Lin, I can't give up. A-Qiang is my best friend, and I must get justice for him. Besides, I feel that if the truth isn't revealed, more people will be hurt." Uncle Lin sighed, sat down, and after a moment of contemplation, said, "Since you're so persistent, I can tell you some things I know, but you must be careful. The secret transactions at the factory back then may have involved some illegal business activities, or even some organized crime. After the fire, someone put pressure on us to hastily conclude the investigation, classifying it as an accidental fire. It was because of this incident that I became disillusioned with the police job and chose to retire."

Chapter Seven: A New Turning Point

After learning more from Uncle Lin, Zhong Hua became even more determined to uncover the truth. Although the documents had been taken away, he had memorized the key information. He began to re-examine the clues and consider his next steps.

Zhong Hua came up with an idea: he decided to start with the fire brigade that had fought the fire years ago. Perhaps the fire brigade had discovered something unusual during the firefighting process. Through a friend's connection, he contacted Old Zhang, a firefighter who had participated in the firefighting efforts. Old Zhang was now retired and lived in a village not far from the town.

Zhong Hua arrived at Old Zhang's house, where Old Zhang warmly welcomed him. When Zhong Hua mentioned the fire from years ago, Old Zhang's expression turned serious. He said, "That fire was indeed strange. When we arrived, the fire was already quite large, but I always felt there was more than one source. Also, during the firefighting, I thought I saw several people lurking around in the distance, watching suspiciously. After we put out the fire, they disappeared. At the time, I thought they were just curious villagers from the neighborhood and didn't pay much attention. Now, after hearing what you've said, I think things might really be more complicated than they seem."

Zhong Hua gleaned a new clue from Lao Zhang's description. He speculated that the fire was likely arson, and those suspicious-looking people were probably the arsonists or connected to powerful forces behind them. He decided to continue investigating along this line of thought, hoping to find the real culprit.

Chapter 8: In-depth Investigation

Based on the clues provided by Lao Zhang, Zhong Hua began investigating the area near the fire scene. He interviewed nearby residents, asking them if they had seen any suspicious people or vehicles on the night of the fire. After several days of investigation, he finally made some progress.

An elderly woman living nearby told Zhong Hua that on the night of the fire, she saw a black van parked near the factory. Several people dressed in black got out of the van, carried some things into the factory, and then it caught fire shortly afterward. The elderly woman also said that she found the people strange because they were all wearing masks and moving in a hurry.

Based on the information provided by the elderly woman, Zhong Hua began investigating the black minivan. Through a friend in the transportation department, he reviewed surveillance footage from the area near the scene of the fire. Sure enough, he found the minivan in the footage. The minivan had left the scene shortly after the fire, heading out of town.

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