Before dawn, the morning star cast a faint glow across the dark blue sky. A thin layer of frost covered the dirt road in the Red Flag Production Brigade, making a soft "crunch, crunch" sound underfoot, as if accompanying the upcoming journey of justice. Lin Wanqiu got up early and carefully wrapped the evidence that Shen Tingzhou was going to bring—a metal box containing cassette tapes, photos, and the poisoned ingredients—in thick cotton cloth. She then stuffed two warm cornbreads inside, her fingertips repeatedly stroking the edge of the metal box. Her eyes were full of worry yet firm: "Tingzhou, be careful on the road. If you encounter any danger, don't fight back. Nian'an and I are still waiting for you at home."
Shen Tingzhou held her hand, the warmth of his palm dispelling the chill from her fingertips. He looked at the bloodshot eyes in Lin Wanqiu's eyes—she had barely slept a wink last night, constantly preparing his luggage and repeatedly confirming the details of the police report. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of myself," Shen Tingzhou said in a low but firm voice. "You need to be extra careful at home too. Lock the doors and windows, and don't let strangers into the yard. Leave Accountant Zhou to keep an eye on the workshop for now, we'll discuss it when I get back." He glanced down at the sleeping Nian'an, the little guy's brows slightly furrowed, as if he were having some uneasy dream. Shen Tingzhou gently tucked him in, thinking to himself, "Son, Dad will definitely come back safely and protect you and your mother."
Before setting off, Lin Wanqiu suddenly remembered something, turned around and went into the inner room, taking out a dark blue old military overcoat from her spatial storage—she had found it in the storage room before; the fabric was thick and had a faint camphor scent. "Put this on, it'll be cold on the road," Lin Wanqiu helped him put the overcoat on and fastened the belt. "This overcoat is sturdy; it can protect you in case of an emergency." Shen Tingzhou felt a warmth in his heart looking at her thoughtfulness, and reached out to pull her into his arms: "After this is over, I'll take you and Nian'an to the county town for a stroll and buy you new clothes." Lin Wanqiu leaned against him, nodded, but tears welled up in her eyes—she wasn't afraid to wait, only afraid something would happen to him.
After Shen Tingzhou set off, Lin Wanqiu didn't rest. She first went to the workshop and told Accountant Zhou and Aunt Wang about Zhao's father's possible sabotage, instructing them to pay close attention to the raw materials and production process, and to immediately stop production if any abnormalities were found. Aunt Wang, upon hearing this, slammed her fist on the table in anger: "That Secretary Zhao, you can't judge a book by its cover! He's supposed to be the brigade secretary, yet he does such a heinous thing! Comrade Wanqiu, don't worry, we will definitely keep a close eye on the workshop and will not let him succeed!" Accountant Zhou also said seriously, "I will check the raw materials and finished products every day, record every discrepancy, and ensure there are no problems."
After arranging things at the workshop, Lin Wanqiu went to the commune secretary's house. She knew that if Shen Tingzhou went to the regional public security bureau to report the case alone, he might encounter obstacles. After all, Zhao's father was the brigade secretary and had some influence in the area. With the commune secretary's support, things would go much more smoothly. After listening to Lin Wanqiu's explanation, the commune secretary's expression immediately became serious. He paced back and forth a few times and said firmly, "Comrade Wanqiu, the situation you reported is very serious. I will call the regional public security bureau right away to explain the situation and make them take it seriously. In addition, I will send the commune's militia to patrol the village to protect you and Nian'an's safety. We must not let Zhao's father harm you."
Lin Wanqiu said gratefully, "Thank you, Secretary. We really don't know what we would have done without your support." The commune secretary sighed, "Father Zhao has betrayed the trust of the organization and the expectations of the villagers. I will never tolerate evil. Rest assured, justice will prevail over evil, and we will definitely bring him to justice."
Meanwhile, Shen Tingzhou had already boarded a long-distance bus to the region. The bus bumped along the dirt road, the carriage packed with people, the air thick with the smells of sweat and coal smoke. Shen Tingzhou clutched the metal box containing the evidence tightly to his chest, warily observing the people around him—he feared Zhao's father might notice something and send men to intercept him. Sure enough, not long after the bus started moving, two men in black cotton-padded coats with fierce eyes sat down next to him, glancing at the metal box in his arms every now and then. Shen Tingzhou's heart tightened, and he discreetly placed his hand on the military knife at his waist, ready to react at any moment.
One of the men suddenly spoke up: "Comrade, what are you holding in your arms? It looks so precious." Shen Tingzhou glanced at him coldly: "Personal belongings, none of your business." The other man sneered: "We're militia from the commune. We received a report that someone was carrying contraband, so we need to check." Shen Tingzhou knew perfectly well that these two weren't militiamen at all, but thugs sent by Zhao's father. He didn't confront them directly. Instead, he pulled out a letter of introduction written by the commune secretary from his pocket and said calmly, "I went to the regional public security bureau to report a case. I have a letter of introduction from the commune secretary. If you don't believe me, you can take a look."
The two men's expressions changed upon seeing the letter of introduction. They exchanged a glance and dared not ask any further questions. Shen Tingzhou knew they were only temporarily intimidated and might still try to attack him along the way. So, he got off the bus in a small town, took a detour, and then transferred to a donkey cart heading to the region, thus avoiding being followed by the two men.
As evening fell, Shen Tingzhou finally arrived at the regional public security bureau. He entered the bureau and saw the officer on duty organizing documents. He quickly approached and explained, "Comrade, I need to report a case. I have evidence that our brigade secretary colluded with foreign forces to traffic in arms and leak state intelligence." Upon hearing this, the officer on duty immediately became serious and took him to the bureau chief's office.
The police chief was a veteran officer in his fifties, with slightly graying hair but exceptionally sharp eyes. After listening to Shen Tingzhou recount the events, he carefully examined the evidence—the audiotape clearly recorded the conversation between Zhao's father and members of the foreign forces, the photos clearly showed Zhao's father handing over the cloth bag, and a faint odor could be smelled from the poisoned materials. The chief said gravely, "Comrade, the evidence you provided is extremely important. We will immediately set up a special task force to investigate. Rest assured, we will arrest Zhao's father and his accomplices as soon as possible and bring them to justice. We will not let them escape punishment."
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