Chapter 97 The Devil is One Foot Tall, the Righteous One is Ten Feet Tall
The peach blossom festival in Tuanjie Village was forced to be canceled, but some urban residents, unaware of the news, still came to enjoy the spring blossoms.
Villagers from the surrounding area, having finished spring plowing and with nothing to do, strolled over and clicked their tongues at the sight of the blocked Peach Blossom Mountain: "Oh my, how much money has gone down the drain?"
“I heard that several of them have borrowed money from outside, and their Party Secretary also borrowed all the money from his relatives to develop Peach Blossom Mountain.”
"Wouldn't that mean we're completely doomed?!"
Aunt Sun Suisui squatted in front of the water bucket, continuing to sell dry and wet cucumbers. Next to her, an old woman sprinkled some saccharin into the water for boiling corn and stirred it, earning praise from city tourists: "The corn from the countryside is still the sweetest!"
At the foot of the mountain, Li Jian and his accomplices transformed into storytellers, passionately criticizing a certain police officer surnamed Shen for retaliating against and blocking Peach Blossom Mountain, thus disrupting the Peach Blossom Festival and causing widespread suffering among the people.
Tourists who had come for nothing criticized the situation under the watchful eyes of reporters and cameras, but after criticizing it, they lamented how difficult life was.
Some suggested, "Go and report this to higher authorities!"
Li Jian said, "When we went there, the provincial government and the provincial public security bureau all sent people to protest with flags."
Some said, "The media and newspapers should also report on this, putting some pressure on the relevant departments!"
Li Jianyi slapped his thigh and said, "Look at those reporters over there eating corn, they're all people we invited to report the truth! Remember to buy newspapers tomorrow morning and support our Tuanjie Village in upholding justice! We'll also be distributing leaflets to the provincial government, the municipal government, the township government, as well as government offices, schools, factories, and shops—we'll distribute them to everyone we can reach."
"But didn't you find a body here?" Someone who knew about yesterday's events said, "I saw the police find a body on the mountain."
"He raped a woman from our village; he deserved to die!"
"I see..."
Some tourists, not wanting to leave empty-handed, took photos under the only peach tree at the foot of the mountain. They were all muttering curses and criticizing a certain police officer surnamed Shen for his extreme arrogance.
Just then, more than ten police cars came rushing in again.
"What are they trying to do?!" Li Jian went berserk, rushing to Liu Jinzhong's wife and shouting, "Auntie, they're going to arrest everyone in our village!"
An elderly man nearby asked anxiously, "Are Secretary Liu and the others alright? Could they have been arrested by that man surnamed Shen?"
"She must be angry because we went to protest. Now, not only is Peach Blossom Mountain doomed, but Unity Village is finished too!!"
"Li Mancang and his family of three are still being detained. They might become scapegoats and get shot!"
"We've been liberated for decades, why are we still being oppressed!"
The reporters quickly grabbed their cameras and captured the fearful and angry faces. Some travel photographers also seized the opportunity to press the shutter repeatedly, striving to obtain the best photo of the year.
A black Santana drove through the enraged crowd, passing a cucumber stall, where several cucumbers were smashed onto the car.
Aunt Sun Suisui scolded, "You dare to come over here! You're the one who made us suffer so much!"
Xiao Bai was sitting next to Chen Zhenzhu. Xiao Bai quickly used his body to block the car window to prevent more people from seeing Chen Zhenzhu in the car.
Everyone in Tuanjie Village has seen Chen Zhenzhu's face.
Xiao Bai asked worriedly, "Sister Pearl?"
"I'm fine." Shen Zhenzhu looked straight ahead and said calmly, "They don't know the truth, I don't blame them."
Xiao Bai said dejectedly, "But they were misled, they hurt you... People are all made of flesh and blood."
She quietly took Shen Zhenzhu's hand, wanting to comfort her, but Shen Zhenzhu instead took her hand and placed it on her knee.
"Being misled is also due to the criminals' skill in disguise and incitement; the root of everything is evil." Shen Zhenzhu said firmly, "Xiaobai, remember this: only evil fears us; we will never bow down to evil. We have all sworn an oath under the red flag!"
In that instant, Xiaobai's breath hitched, sensing the unyielding strength beneath the outer shell of the pearl. She gripped the pearl's hand tightly and said, "Sister Pearl, I will always remember what you said!"
Gu Yanzheng, who was driving, and Zhao Qiqi, who was in the passenger seat, both glanced at Chen Zhenzhu in the rearview mirror at the same time.
In the crowd, a one-eyed old woman stood out from the crowd, shouting, "Arrest them! Arrest them all! They're not good people! They owe me thirty yuan!"
Gu Yanzheng was driving ahead; he had been there once before and already remembered the route to Li Mancang's house.
In the past, some people on the roadside had already recognized the Santana, and many others followed the police convoy, wanting to see how Chen Zhenzhu would arrest the people of Guangtuan Village.
Although Li Mancang's family was detained, no one stole the garbage and rubbish in the yard, and the second-hand refrigerator that Chen Qiuwang had brought to their door was still intact on the garbage heap.
As temperatures rise, the smells in the yard blend together, making it difficult to stay for long.
As Chen Zhenzhu stepped out of the Santana, a series of camera shutter clicks echoed around her.
Suddenly, Lu Ye roared, "Put down the stone! Assaulting a police officer will land you in jail!"
Shen Zhenzhu turned around and saw the middle-aged village cadre she had only met once or twice. Ignoring Sun Suisui's attempts to stop him, he raised a rock the size of a steamed bun at her. If Lu Ye hadn't noticed in time, he would have definitely thrown it at her.
The other party was quickly subdued by the police, who were hurling vulgar and offensive insults at him.
Shen Zhenzhu turned her head and continued walking into the courtyard.
Xiao Bai wanted to grab Shen Zhenzhu's hand, but when she saw the unwavering determination in Shen Zhenzhu's eyes, she knew that nothing could stop Shen Zhenzhu from solving the case.
Captain Gu is right. Sister Pearl is the kind of person who gets stronger with each battle; she has a kind of drive that others don't have.
With more than a dozen agents maintaining order at the scene, investigators swarmed in and began searching for clues throughout Li Mancang's house.
As the on-site commander, Shen Zhenzhu stood in the middle of the courtyard, surveying the surroundings.
Zhao Qiqi and several other officers took shovels and started digging in the yard, but after working hard for half a day, they still hadn't found anything.
Lu Ye walked over to Chen Zhenzhu and said, "Sister Zhenzhu, if we don't dig any more soon, it'll be dark soon. There are still a lot of reporters watching outside."
Shen Zhenzhu understood what he meant. By tomorrow morning, countless newspapers and media outlets would be "commenting" on her behavior. This was indeed a major challenge in her career.
The rural courtyard covers more than 500 square meters, and the entire private plot in the backyard has been dug up, but nothing was found.
The front yard was also dug up with holes and bumps, so you had to watch your step carefully when walking. Time passed by, but they still didn't find anything.
"Section Chief Shen, is there any hope?" The head of the laboratory walked over, sweating profusely, and spread his palms to reveal two large blisters. He said, "This won't do. We've already dug deep enough. We have other cases to follow up on. We can't stay here for several days."
Shen Zhenzhu seemed not to hear him, standing alone in the middle of the courtyard, surrounded by busy figures all around her.
Outside the police cordon, shouts of abuse and protests rose and fell, but they had all become background noise.
Chen Zhenzhu stood there intently, like a sculpture.
Gu Yanzheng beckoned to the head of the testing lab, inviting him over to talk, leaving Shen Zhenzhu standing quietly in the courtyard.
She remained motionless, the sound gradually fading from her ears, her mind repeating Li Mancang's words over and over.
She saw herself as Li Mancang. If she were to be buried in the courtyard, where would she choose to be?
Below the eyelids...
A place that's easy to conceal and can be "dark under the lamp"...
Shen Zhenzhu slowly turned her gaze to the garbage mountain beside her. Because it was emitting a foul stench and was about to collapse, people would carefully walk around it.
"Request an excavator." Chen Zhenzhu suddenly spoke, pointing to the pile of garbage in the yard that no one paid attention to, and said, "Move the garbage and dig down."
"Yes, Sister Pearl!" Without saying a word, Xiaobai was about to run to make a phone call. Gu Yanzheng handed his mobile phone to Xiaobai and then walked towards Chen Zhenzhu.
Shen Zhenzhu's eyes sparkled, and Gu Yanzheng didn't see any frustration or doubt, but rather a very determined emotion.
He unscrewed the thermos and handed it to Chen Zhenzhu: "Have a sip of water."
Chen Zhenzhu gulped down two mouthfuls and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was Milo.
After putting away the thermos, Gu Yanzheng didn't say anything. He stood quietly beside Shen Zhenzhu, watching the group of people who distrusted, complained, and attacked him, making no attempt to hide his protective stance.
Day 19 of the "Grand Competition", 13:30.
Two small excavators were transported by a trailer, but Xiaobai stopped them at the village entrance: "Sister Pearl instructed that trucks should not enter, but excavators should be driven in, and care should be taken not to damage the newly paved road."
"That guy surnamed Shen is something else, making such a big fuss. I wonder if he'll even find a body." Li Jian and the others gathered together, and he said sarcastically, "Are you going to raze Tuanjie Village to the ground if you don't find a body? I'll have the reporters take pictures of you all. If you're so capable, then keep digging!"
Xiao Bai suddenly raised her finger and pointed it at Li Jian's nose, saying, "Not only is assaulting a police officer illegal, but threatening someone is also illegal! Watch your words. Sister Pearl won't hold it against you, but I was ignorant, so I will!"
Li Jian and his group only knew that those wearing olive green uniforms were police officers, and they couldn't distinguish between trainees and police officers. Suddenly intimidated by Xiao Bai, they shut their mouths and stared wide-eyed as the excavator drove into the village.
Xiao Bai ran ahead to lead the way. When Chen Zhenzhu saw her return with a flushed face and clutching her heart, she quickly went over and asked, "What's wrong? Are you exhausted?"
"No, I'm not tired at all, I'm having a great time!" Xiaobai secretly changed the subject, widened her eyes and pointed behind her, saying, "Sister Pearl, the excavator is coming soon, let's dig as much as we can! Don't be afraid, you still have me!"
The tense atmosphere was amused by the chubby-cheeked student. Chen Zhenzhu pinched Xiaobai's cheek and said, "It's so good to have you by my side. By the way, I still don't know your full name?"
Xiao Bai looked at Chen Zhenzhu with eyes full of admiration and said, "My name is Zhou Qingbai. Zhou is the Zhou of Zhou Shuren. My dad said it is a homonym for 'to leave a pure name in the world' and also means 'to live in the world with head held high like a pine tree'."
"What a good name! Your dad seems to have high hopes for you."
"Yes, my dad is very busy. He often works in other places. I respect him very much."
Working away from home?
Shen Zhenzhu looked at her in surprise, not expecting that Xiaobai, who was raised to be so chubby and fair, was from a migrant worker family. She sighed and said, "It must be very hard to work in other places all the time. Luckily, you are so sensible."
"Yes, I will work harder in the future and become someone my dad can be proud of." Xiaobai said, puffing out her chest, "The excavator has finally arrived! Sister Pearl, how are you going to dig?"
"Dig this pile and those two piles over there." Chen Zhenzhu jogged over, had the cordon removed, and directed the excavator, instructing, "Move all three piles of waste and garbage away first, then dig gently after they touch the ground."
The two excavator operators politely agreed. They had initially been a little reluctant to come at the last minute, but seeing such a large operation, they were immediately filled with a sense of responsibility: "You can rest assured about our skills!"
Shovelfuls of garbage were shoveled outside the yard, and the sour, rotten smell forced many people to cover their mouths and noses, making it difficult to breathe.
Tourists gathered in the crowd and muttered, "It stinks so bad! How come the scrap collector has accumulated so much garbage? This can't be sold for any money."
Shen Zhenzhu was prepared in advance. Knowing the situation here, she had Xiaobai bring over a thick stack of masks to distribute.
She kept a close eye on the excavation site. As the amount of garbage decreased, she could clearly feel an indescribable stench wafting towards her!
She watched intently as the excavator dug down. After the garbage was cleared away, the inspectors and staff who participated in the excavation and survey no longer complained. Everyone was invigorated because they could all smell it – the stench of a corpse!
Shen Zhenzhu turned to look at Gu Yanzheng, who patted the back of her head with his large hand, everything was understood without words.
"We've found something!" an operator shouted.
Shen Zhenzhu reached out to stop the excavator from continuing. Lu Ye and the others stepped forward and saw a section of rotten shinbone.
Shen Zhenzhu called to Lu Ye, "Have everyone continue digging with shovels now."
The command wasn't loud, but the agents, whose hands were blistered, all stepped forward, obeying Shen Zhenzhu's on-site instructions and eagerly starting to dig.
Their movements were clearly visible to the civilians and reporters outside the cordon.
At first, they exclaimed in surprise, but later they discovered that corpses were being dug out from under each garbage mountain, neatly stacked on the ground like terracotta warriors.
"So many people are dead?"
"How could there be so many corpses? How could this be..."
"Could Li Mancang really be the murderer? The man surnamed Shen didn't arrest the wrong person."
The children stopped running, jumping, and playing, staring at everything with fear in their eyes. Finally, some of the children couldn't take it anymore and clung to the adults' legs, wailing loudly.
The children's cries amplified the horror brought by the continuous appearance of corpses.
The photographers and reporters who had been frantically taking pictures and recording videos gradually stopped what they were doing.
Amidst overwhelming terror, I stood frozen to one side, watching helplessly as police officers carried out dozens of corpses, arranging them one by one, densely packed, making it hard to breathe.
They were placed outside the courtyard, between the courtyard walls of Sun Suisui's and Li Mancang's houses, and on the road that villagers often walked on.
Such a big thing happened next door, and Sun Suisui's second aunt came over with her nephew. She kept patting the child's back in hopes of stopping his terrified crying, but no matter how hard she tried, the child kept crying.
Chen Zhenzhu, who was in the courtyard at some point, came over. She took off her olive-green uniform and draped it over the child, patting it down. It was as if she was infusing the mother and child with the great power and warmth of this profession. Gradually, the child stopped crying, and Aunt Sun Suisui stopped trembling.
"Chen, Chen Public Security Bureau."
Under the clear blue sky, a thunderclap startled the land.
Hundreds of people were busy at the scene, and the crowd outside was growing larger and larger. They encouraged each other and huddled together to process the shocking scene. The scene at Li Mancang's house was even more terrifying than in TV dramas; many police officers would never encounter such a thing in their entire lives.
"The ones below are all rotten." The mask could hardly block out the stench of decay and the pungent smell of methane. Maggots swarmed deep in the ground. The excavator had already parked to the side. Lu Ye, holding a shovel, squatted down to observe the pit of corpses and said, "The deeper you go, the longer it has been there. The corpses at the bottom are almost completely skeletal."
Shen Zhenzhu put on a double mask and used a small stick to hook the half of the nylon rope below the gray-white skull.
Some corpses were stuffed into tattered burlap sacks, oozing a brownish liquid. Some had skin and muscles sunken deep into moldy quilts, their empty eyes staring down at the sunken pearl. Others were naked, embracing another corpse, the air thick with the stench of fermenting carrion and death.
More and more reporters gathered outside, their cameras and microphones silently recording the horrific scenes that shook the very soul. A pack of stray dogs circled around their feet, hovering at the edge of the police line, only to be driven away by the police officers on duty with batons.
Shen Zhenzhu stood silently beside the excavated corpse, seemingly identifying the deceased to outsiders. And she was indeed doing so.
"We observed that the fatal injuries were almost all caused by hammer blows," Lu Ye said. "They've been brought over to identify the scene and will be here soon."
Shen Zhenzhu nodded: "I understand."
Forensic experts have marked the numbers and excavation locations on the 38 bodies that have been unearthed so far, and taken photos to record various characteristics at the time of discovery.
Shen Zhenzhu ticked off each name on the missing persons list, trying to make her identifications more "logical" so that the families could claim them in time. She had already seen their deaths traced back to the "heavenly eye" and found that they were exactly the same as Chen Qiuwang.
They helped Li Mancang push the cart back to the village, and after going around to his house, they were seduced by Hao Chunzhi. While she was asleep afterwards, Li Mancang killed her with a hammer and took her money.
Some victims refused Hao Chunzhi's advances, and Li Mancang couldn't beat them. Li Mancang would then tell the victims, "Don't leave so late at night. Thank you for patronizing my business. You can take my wife. Just give me a little money."
Some people would call him a "pimp," while others wouldn't even pay him, rushing over impatiently.
As expected, the bodies piled up one after another in the three mass graves.
Director Tu also rushed to the scene. Knowing that the case had been solved, he was not happy but became somber upon seeing the scene.
"Director Zhou will be coming over in person later. He may ask you about the situation. Please answer truthfully."
"Understood." Chen Zhenzhu didn't care about being a director or not. She squatted down in front of the body and buried herself in identifying the body. She then told Xiaobai to contact the victim's family.
Gu Yanzheng came to Tu Ju's side and helped Shen Zhenzhu explain the current situation.
Even the notorious Tu Ju, who had weathered countless trials, was shocked by the brutal facts of the crime: "The number of victims far exceeds 25? This is a major case, not just in the province, but nationwide. Little Shen, I didn't misjudge you."
The police car brought Li Mancang and Hao Chunzhi to the scene.
After Li Mancang got off the bus, his face was ashen.
Zhao Qiqi held up the hammer in front of him and said, "Do you recognize this?"
Li Mancang said, "I recognize it."
"Is it right to use this to kill people?"
Knowing the facts were undeniable and there was no way to deny them, Li Mancang said dejectedly, "Yes."
The "yes" startled the villagers who knew him outside.
Seeing their expressions, Shen Zhenzhu walked over and asked Li Mancang, "What are you doing with that hammer?"
Li Mancang said dismissively, "Every time I finish killing someone with the hammer, I wash it and put it back by the door. Some of them come over to borrow it, and when they're done, they just leave it standing by the door."
Shen Zhenzhu was speechless. Li Mancang was truly cruel and incredibly magnanimous, actually lending the murder weapon that had killed dozens of people to others.
"Comrade Shen, am I going to be executed?"
“Dying a few rounds is enough,” Shen Zhenzhu said coldly.
Li Mancang argued, "I only gave them my wife to sleep with because I was grateful to them for helping me push the cart. They won't die if they don't sleep with her. Besides, my wife is mine. Can't I kill them for sleeping with my wife?"
Shen Zhenzhu glared at him and said, "Are you still trying to deny it?"
Li Mancang, with his neck stiff, said, "I have three rules for not killing: first, I don't kill researchers; second, I don't kill public servants; and third, I don't kill students. If those thugs hadn't raped my wife and kicked me to the ground, I wouldn't have committed such a heinous crime."
“Killed is killed, stop talking nonsense and come here to identify him.” Lu Ye pushed him forward.
The hammer was at Li Mancang's feet. He was wearing handcuffs and leg irons. He first pointed at the hammer and took a picture, then pointed at the excavated corpse hole in the yard and took a picture.
He was then taken inside to continue identifying the scene, while Hao Chunzhi was also brought to Shen Zhenzhu's side to begin identifying the scene.
When Hao Chunzhi saw Shen Zhenzhu, she lowered her charming eyes and said, "Sister, I confess. I killed the people with them. Everything you dug up was them."
Seeing the resolute look in Hao Chunzhi's eyes, Shen Zhenzhu asked, "What was Li Mancang and your motive for murder? It certainly wasn't related to a romantic relationship. Confess honestly."
Hao Chunzhi rubbed the marks on her wrists from the handcuffs and said dejectedly, "It's for money. There's not much money at home. His mother needs medical treatment and medicine, and he still wants his son. He's thinking of going abroad to do IVF."
"Who told you you could do IVF?" This was the first time Shen Zhenzhu had heard of this. She pressed on, "Then how much money did you get from killing so many people?"
"I found out from the newspaper," Hao Chunzhi said with a laugh. "A bunch of bragging poor bastards only got 330 yuan in total. It costs at least 3,000 yuan to have a son through IVF, and you have to kill several of them. What a pity, what a pity, Li Mancang is destined to be childless."
The surrounding operators were stunned. Hearing Hao Chunzhi's words, they broke out in a cold sweat, and even Chen Zhenzhu couldn't control her urge to explode in anger.
"To act out of selfish desires is to disregard one's life." Shen Zhenzhu ordered someone to take Hao Chunzhi to identify the scene.
Hao Chunzhi took a few steps, then Shen Zhenzhu called out to her again: "Wait."
Hao Chunzhi slowly turned around, a smile on her face: "What's wrong?"
Shen Zhenzhu asked, "What was your original name?"
Hao Chunzhi's expression froze, and her smile vanished: "I don't understand what you're saying."
Shen Zhenzhu asked again, "You should understand, right? I heard that in the next province, there are parents who are still desperately searching for their college student daughter who has gone missing."
"My parents died a long time ago, so if I don't understand, I just don't understand." Hao Chunzhi gritted her teeth, ignored Chen Zhenzhu's question, and walked straight ahead.
A Hongqi car slowly drove up at dusk. The driver, who had a buzz cut, got out and opened the car door. A kind-looking, round-faced leader stepped out.
Director Tu, along with Shen Zhenzhu, Gu Yanzheng, and others, saluted and greeted them. The novice trainee, not even in the queue, was running errands and doing odd jobs in the distance.
"Comrades, you've worked hard. This case has shocked the entire province. It's chilling, and we also feel sorry for the victims and their families." Zhou Shoumin, the head of the Provincial Public Security Department, shook hands with each of them. When he saw Shen Zhenzhu standing in the back, he shook hands with her for a few more seconds and said solemnly, "Deputy Section Chief Shen, you've worked hard."
Faced with such a kind and approachable greeting from the high-ranking leader, Shen Zhenzhu almost burst into tears. She stood upright and said in a hoarse voice, "Serve the people!"
"Well done! I knew Director Tu's men were all elite soldiers." Director Zhou patted Shen Zhenzhu's shoulder heavily and said kindly, "I learned about the case when they protested. I know you were under great pressure and broke through many obstacles to solve the case. You truly deserve to be called 'First-Class Hero Shen Zhenzhu.' I look forward to your future."
Chen Zhenzhu straightened her back, and the tips of her ears slowly, slowly turned the color of the sunset.
Director Zhou nodded and said, "Go ahead and get busy. Frontline criminal police officers wish they could stretch every second into a minute. I won't take up your time. We can have a good chat another time."
"Thank you for your consideration, leader. Well then... I'll really go?" Shen Zhenzhu bowed slightly and peeked out, glancing at Gu Yanzheng's expression.
Gu Yanzheng glanced at her out of the corner of his eye without making a sound. Shen Zhenzhu understood immediately, saluted Director Zhou, and ran off to continue verifying the victim's identity.
"She's such a good girl, no wonder my daughter likes her." After saying this, Director Zhou looked at the piles of corpses and sighed, "Such a big case must be reported to the Ministry of Public Security immediately. How many bodies have been excavated?"
"47 bodies already, sigh, what a tragedy, it's too horrible." Director Tu was his old comrade-in-arms and also his superior and subordinate, with a close relationship. He had Gu Yanzheng explain the situation while he accompanied him on a site inspection in the courtyard.
When Director Zhou saw Li Mancang and Hao Chunzhi coming out of the room, he exclaimed, "You really can't judge a book by its cover."
Not only the murderer, but also that junior official who made another great contribution.
He saw a round-faced student approaching from afar, turned to Gu Yanzheng and Director Tu and said, "Gu, go ahead and do your work, I have something to do."
Gu Yanzheng glanced at Xiaobai, then subtly shifted his gaze: "Yes."
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Author's Note: Pearl pointed to her face and said, "See my face? The left side is '威' (wei, meaning 'powerful'), and the right side is '武' (wu, meaning 'martial'), together it says 'Sister Pearl is awesome!'" [Sunglasses]
***
See you tomorrow, there's a red envelope! [Let me see][Let me see]
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