Chapter 101 A Torrential Rainstorm Stumbles into Wuxian County
It took Chen Zhenzhu a whole month, from the first day to the last day of the "Grand Competition," to get to know all the members of the nine teams participating in the competition.
The cracking of Case No. 1 was highly praised by the leaders of the Provincial Public Security Department. At the closing ceremony's commendation ceremony, Director Zhou, Director Wu, Director Tu, Director Fan, and other leaders were all present.
Qin Runtian, Mi Xuefei, and others from the Chaoyang Public Security Bureau who solved Case No. 5, and Xiao Xue, Yang Mei, and others from the Jingzhou Public Security Bureau who solved Case No. 9, were awarded a collective second-class merit.
The applause continued until Shen Zhenzhu, Lu Ye, Zhao Qiqi, and Zhou Qingbai from Liancheng Public Security Bureau took the stage.
The applause grew even louder the moment Chen Zhenzhu appeared.
"The cracking of the 'Hongmei County Major Serial Murder Case' has achieved exemplary significance for criminal investigation techniques across the province. In this rare and major case, Comrade Shen Zhenzhu broke through key clues, correctly commanded strategies, and directly guided the case's resolution. After deliberation by the leaders of the Provincial Public Security Department, it was approved by the Ministry of Public Security to award Comrade Shen Zhenzhu the honorary title of 'National Second-Class Heroic Model of the Public Security System,' promote her to the position of Section Chief of the Criminal Investigation Team of Liancheng City Public Security Bureau, award her a bonus of 5,000 yuan, and issue a national commendation! Please welcome Comrade Shen Zhenzhu to the stage!"
Shen Zhenzhu stood on the stage, her eyes slightly wide. Amidst thunderous applause, she walked towards Director Zhou, saluted, shook hands, and accepted the medal of honor.
Director Zhou personally pinned a red flower and medal on Shen Zhenzhu, patted her on the shoulder, and said, "Well done!"
Shen Zhenzhu and Director Zhou stood in front of the camera, the flashes continued for a long time, and the applause lasted for a long time as well.
She solved a case that no one expected to be solved, and the applause was mixed with admiration and appreciation.
Gu Yanzheng clapped continuously below, his eyes filled with admiration and appreciation, but also with another emotion.
After a while, the host continued broadcasting:
"The four members of the special task force that participated in the 'Hongmei County Major Serial Murder Case'—Shen Zhenzhu, Lu Ye, Zhao Qiqi, and Zhou Qingbai—have been awarded a collective second-class merit, a bonus of two thousand yuan, and a national commendation! Please come to the stage, comrades."
Shen Zhenzhu led the team to Director Zhou again, saluted, shook hands, and accepted the medal of honor.
After the group photo, Director Zhou kindly asked the Liancheng team to stand in the center and then called Gu Yanzheng to the stage to create a wonderful and exciting memory together.
Shen Zhenzhu didn't know how she got off the stage to watch the closing ceremony performance; the words "National Second-Class Heroic Model of the Public Security System" kept echoing in her mind.
Second-class hero.
Record keeping, with priority given to job promotions!
“We should consider that you just received a ‘First-Class Merit’ award, so this time we’ve assigned you the ‘Second-Class Hero’ title. Although it’s not a ‘First-Class Hero,’ you have to understand that in recent years, basically no one alive has received this honor.” Gu Yanzheng spoke in a low voice to Shen Zhenzhu, who had returned to her seat.
Chen Zhenzhu sat up straight and looked ahead, saying quickly, "I thought the provincial department was only good at ordering people to do things and wasn't very generous. Look how generous they were in rewarding everyone today. And the 'Collective Second-Class Merit' was approved so quickly, much faster than my 'First-Class Merit'."
Gu Yanzheng curled his lips and said, "Section Chief Shen, you may not know this, but the case has already been reported to the Ministry of Public Security. It was Director Zhou who personally went there to apply for it. Just when you were painstakingly focusing on the roasted chicken frame..."
"..." Shen Zhenzhu was moved to tears. What a great leader! Under his leadership, the provincial department will surely become more united and stronger.
As the grand closing ceremony and awards ceremony came to an end, Chen Zhenzhu was surrounded by many colleagues as soon as she stood up.
They distributed all the business cards they brought, and returned a whole box of other people's business cards.
"Section Chief Shen, don't rush off, let's have a meal together?" Yang Mei and her team leader Xiao Xue personally came over to invite them.
The way she was addressed as "Section Chief Shen" made Shen Zhenzhu feel incredibly comfortable, and her dimples appeared even before she spoke.
"A power-hungry official." Gu Yanzheng chuckled to himself.
Xiao Xue shook hands with Shen Zhenzhu and said gratefully, "Congratulations, Section Chief Shen. We also owe a lot to Liancheng for his great help in solving this case. If you don't mind, would you like to have a meal with us before you leave?"
Since that's what they said, Shen Zhenzhu couldn't refuse. Besides, she also wanted to improve relations with the various brother units. After all, her brother Zheng was too good at offending people. As a section chief in Liancheng City Bureau, it wasn't unreasonable for her to try to build relationships.
Shen Zhenzhu glanced at Gu Yanzheng, who went along with her suggestion and said, "Then let's go to 'Platinum Palace' together. I've booked a table there."
The Platinum Palace Hotel, the Rolls-Royce in the hotel.
Its main selling point is "expensive".
The food didn't seem to be cooked in an iron pot; it looked like it was cooked in a golden pot with a spatula.
Upon hearing the restaurant's name, Xiao Xue hesitated for a moment, calculating the budget, before resolutely saying, "Let's go, this time it's on us."
Yang Mei squeezed her wallet and nodded.
Shen Zhenzhu walked out with them, waved goodbye to Song Xinchen who was glaring at her from afar, and then said cheerfully, "Sister Meizi, don't spend any money. This is a restaurant owned by Brother Zheng. Brother Zheng said you can eat however you want and have a good time."
The opulent atmosphere emanating from the gold mine left Yang Mei and Xiao Xue still reeling even after they got into the car.
The camaraderie that was about to be forged with Liancheng almost crumbled.
Besides the members of Team Four who often ate at the expense of the wealthy, there was also a novice who was overjoyed.
With connections, Dad no longer has to queue to buy cakes.
No wonder Captain Gu was able to get his hands on "Platinum Palace" handmade chocolates. They're from his company, after all. If Sister Pearl wanted chocolate pieces, she could have chocolate bars.
This was the first time Gu Yanzheng had brought his colleagues to "Platinum Palace" for dinner. Partly because they weren't there, and partly because he was willing to go somewhere else to eat.
The waiter guided them to their seats. Gu Yanzheng frowned as he looked at the dining area, which was in a corner of the hall: "Wasn't it supposed to be a private room?"
The waiter leaned down and whispered in his ear, "It was arranged by Mr. Jin."
Boss Jin, whose real name is Jin Xiaofeng, is Gu Yanzheng's mother.
Gu Yanzheng closed his eyes and, following the waiter's cautious gaze, saw Ms. Jin Xiaofeng and Mr. Gu Yuchao sitting at the next table at a distance.
The two men used the menu to cover the lower half of their faces, trying to cause trouble right under the nose of the son of the head of the serious crimes unit.
Jin Xiaofeng, dressed in a high-end custom-made cheongsam, looked ten years younger than her peers. Squinting her presbyopia-prone eyes, she said to Gu Yuchao, "Old Gu, isn't that the tall girl?"
Gu Yuchao's physique is similar to Gu Yanzheng's, and he has maintained his appearance remarkably well over the years. He is a model of a successful person, showing great vigor and a dignified demeanor despite his advanced age. Compared to his son, who often neglects his appearance due to solving cases, Gu Yuchao is a true example of a successful individual.
He studied her for a few seconds, then moved from Xiao Xue to Yang Mei, and felt that they were both of marriageable age.
"Maybe it's a second marriage. You need to know your son's style. He'll be thirty in two years, and at thirty, even dogs won't want him. These days, young girls reject older single men on blind dates, thinking it's a legacy issue. You understand? There's a problem."
Ms. Jin Xiaofeng ruthlessly undermined them.
Gu Yuchao, his hair perfectly styled and wearing gold-rimmed glasses, pretended to order food. He glanced sideways at Chen Zhenzhu and Xiaobai and said definitively, "Did you see the girl with the ponytail? I think it should be her."
Jin Xiaofeng also peeked out from the menu with her long, curled eyelashes and said, "I also think it's her. Look, your son keeps putting food on her plate, but he hasn't said a word to the chubby girl next to her."
Gu Yuchao hesitated and said, "Isn't it a bit too small?"
Jin Xiaofeng glared at him: "How old was I when you married me? You old scoundrel."
Gu Yuchao readily agreed and shut his mouth.
Jin Xiaofeng smiled and said, "It's good that he's not too old. I heard there's a young girl in his workplace who received a 'First-Class Merit,' and I think it must be her. It's good that he's young. Once he's older and sees the outside world, no matter how much your son tries to please her, she might not pay any attention to him. He's quite like you in that respect."
Gu Yuchao was about to join the discussion, but upon hearing this, he shut his mouth again. Even when traveling, Old Master Gu still needs to maintain a certain level of decorum.
Jin Xiaofeng then fired off like a machine gun: "Hey, Lao Gu, do you think your son bought a new car and kidnapped someone the year before last just for her?"
Gu Yuchao had learned a little about the situation at the time and nodded, saying, "It should be. My son has a discerning eye."
Jin Xiaofeng clicked her tongue twice, picked up her wine glass and swirled it, saying, "Look at this, older single men who are still unmarried are now ignoring their personal charm and can only resort to money. If you have to say there's any redeeming quality, it's that your son takes a bath frequently, which is a little better than those smelly old men outside."
She waited a moment, but Gu Yuchao didn't speak. Just as she glanced over, Gu Yuchao immediately asked, "What do you think of her? Would she be suitable to be your daughter-in-law?"
Jin Xiaofeng was amused by this, and elegantly sipped a small amount of red wine while raising her red fingernails, saying, "It's too early to say that. This is a one-way choice, and they may not even be interested in your son."
Gu Yuchao was furious at his friend's lack of ambition; his friend, who was about the same age, had finally gotten his wish earlier this year and was holding a chubby granddaughter—the little girl was absolutely adorable. Gu Yuchao and Jin Xiaofeng were incredibly envious.
They kept looking in that direction, and the more they looked, the more they thought Shen Zhenzhu was a good girl.
She ate with gusto and enjoyed herself immensely, ordering and picking up food with great confidence. Even though she was new to the place, she wasn't reserved at all, and her bright, expressive eyes seemed to speak volumes.
Seeing that other girls were too shy to take more food, he still took care of them without making a fuss.
And there are adorable dimples, barely visible, making her look even sweeter than her chubby granddaughter.
"Why are you here?" Gu Yanzheng ordered someone to bring a double-sided embroidered screen to block their table. He pulled out a chair, sat down in front of the old couple, and tapped on the table, as if he were conducting a court interrogation.
Jin Xiaofeng reached out and pinched his arm, then smiled and pushed Gu Yanzheng, saying with satisfaction, "You have good taste, I like it too. You can keep the imported appliances in your house anyway, take them all to Liancheng this time. Didn't you help someone with renovations the other day? We'll do everything you need."
"They don't need to use our appliances; she was scammed that time—"
Jin Xiaofeng clapped her hands lightly: "It really is her!"
Gu Yuchao, standing to the side, fanned the flames, saying, "This young comrade is too outstanding. You truly deserve to be my son; you have excellent taste. Your mother can finally breathe a sigh of relief. You have no idea how much she worried about your marriage."
Gu Yanzheng: "......"
Jin Xiaofeng happily pulled out a string of jingling jade bracelets from her limited-edition handbag and began picking out the sizes. She picked them up one by one and gestured, saying, "This one is for you to find me a daughter-in-law who weighs 300 jin (150 kg), this one weighs 200 jin (100 kg), this one is darker in color for a second marriage, this one is even darker in color for a third marriage, this one is of average color, hey, I think this one is good, let me tell you, this is the most expensive one! We always have to prepare a gift for the first meeting, otherwise people will think we are impolite."
"Is it enough that your son is just a woman in your heart?"
Jin Xiaofeng then took out a men's square bracelet from her limited-edition handbag and waved it around: "Son, you underestimate your mother."
Gu Yanzheng closed his eyes, pressed down on her arm that was eager to get up, and said, "Ms. Jin Fengfeng, I advise you not to make any rash moves."
Jin Xiaofeng glanced at him sideways: "Say it again."
Gu Yuchao coughed, and Gu Yanzheng readily agreed, saying, "Ms. Jin Fengfeng, I beg you not to go over there and alert the enemy."
Jin Xiaofeng reluctantly peeked through the gap in the screen partition at the girl who had enlightened her son.
She spoke animatedly with her back to their table, her cheerful laughter ringing out clearly.
Jin Xiaofeng found it more and more fascinating and loved it more and more.
"What do this child's parents do?" Gu Yuchao asked. "Are they easy to get along with?"
Jin Xiaofeng quickly replied, "As long as there's no criminal record, it's fine."
“Single-parent family, my mom is really good, she takes great care of us.” Gu Yanzheng glanced back and saw that more dishes were being served. He stood up and said with a smile, “We’ll talk again next time. I’m going back to Liancheng today, but I’ll be back next week. Please take care—”
"Do we need you to teach us? We won't inquire privately; it would be disrespectful." Jin Xiaofeng was truly exasperated. She stuffed a jade bracelet into Gu Yanzheng's pocket and said, "Put this on first, and say it's an heirloom."
Can the ancestral heirloom be collected?
Gu Yanzheng thought to himself, "It's better to play ring toss."
The jadeite is entirely emerald green, and it looks like something made from the bottom of a beer bottle.
Gu Yanzheng walked over to the table and, as always, sat down next to Chen Zhenzhu. He used serving chopsticks to put a piece of the newly served Australian lobster on her plate: "How does it taste?"
When Chen Zhenzhu saw Gu Yanzheng return without her noticing, she looked back and only saw the flower and bird screen, not the person on the other side: "You ran into an acquaintance and finished talking so quickly?"
Gu Yanzheng blocked her view and said, "There's no one else, it's my parents. They said a few words to me, but didn't come over because they didn't want to disturb everyone's meal."
Shen Zhenzhu put down her chopsticks, wiped her mouth, and said, "Should I go and greet them? That would be so disrespectful."
Hey, they both seem to get along quite well when it comes to respecting people.
Gu Yanzheng said, half-laughing and half-crying, "Next time, it's not appropriate now."
Chen Zhenzhu touched the empty wallets on the ceiling, thought for a moment and said, "Okay, next time we go to Liancheng to eat at Sixth Sister's place, I'll get her some good dishes."
She had barely warmed the 7,000 yuan bonus she received; she still needed to take it back to show off to her sixth sister and the others.
Seeing her obedient appearance, Gu Yanzheng wanted to pat her head again. However, since they were out in public, he wanted to maintain a tall and capable image for Shen Zhenzhu, so he refrained from doing so.
As we exited the opulent Platinum Palace Hotel, the doorman was already waiting with an umbrella in hand, having opened the door of the Cherokee.
Shen Zhenzhu shook hands with Yang Mei to say goodbye: "It's a promise, Sister Mei. When you come to Liancheng with Captain Xiao during the summer vacation, I'll show you around properly."
Xiao Xue also extended her hand to shake hands with Shen Zhenzhu and said, "I originally wanted to treat you to dinner today, but it turned out that Captain Gu had to spend the money. Next time you come to Jing City, please give us the opportunity to show our hospitality."
Gu Yanzheng also extended his hand to shake hands with them and said a few polite words.
During the time it takes to eat a meal, a muffled clap of thunder sounded outside.
About half an hour into the drive on the highway, raindrops began relentlessly pounding against the car. The rain and fog, mixed with dust, obscured the driver's view, resulting in very low visibility.
Xiao Bai, Lu Ye, and Zhao Qiqi sat in the back, carefree enjoying the desserts at Platinum Palace, while Chen Zhenzhu sat in the passenger seat with chocolate in her mouth, looking ahead and helping to keep an eye on the road.
The highway had turned into a snail's pace, and the Cherokee drove slowly through the thunderstorm with its hazard lights on, occasionally seeing broken-down vehicles parked alongside.
Gu Yanzheng parked the Cherokee on the side of the road, and Zhao Qiqi rushed out to help change the spare tire. By the time he got back into the car, he was soaked to the bone.
The four-hour drive took from noon until dinnertime.
"No, we have to get off the highway." The radio had no signal, and they were driving through the Liancheng area, more than 80 kilometers from the city center, on mountain roads. As an experienced driver, Gu Yanzheng knew very well that this kind of weather not only brought terrible heavy rain, but also the possibility of landslides and car accidents.
With no objections, Chen Zhenzhu rubbed her eyes and carefully examined the map, taking on the responsibility of being the co-pilot: "Brother Zheng, there's a county town down there. Shall we go down and find a hotel to stay for the night?"
Gu Yanzheng turned his head and saw the unfamiliar name of the county on the map—Wuxian County. He had never been there before, so it must be an inconspicuous county. Even if there were hotels, the conditions wouldn't be very good, but at least he could find a place to stay.
"good."
......
The Cherokee entered Wuxian County from the highway exit.
Amidst the torrential rain, signs for "hotels" and "restaurants" could be vaguely seen standing throughout the county town.
The county town is not large, almost half the size of Hongmei County. Like most county towns in China, there is a landmark roundabout in the center.
In the center of the roundabout in Hongmei County is a farmer holding a sickle, representing hard work and prosperity. In his hand is a handful of sorghum, representing Hongmei County's specialty sorghum.
However, the roundabout in Wuxian County had a unique charm in the heavy rain – a stone Bodhisattva holding a baby.
"The Goddess of Mercy who grants children?" Chen Zhenzhu glanced at it, feeling it didn't quite resemble her. The Goddess of Mercy who grants children has a kind and benevolent face, but this Bodhisattva... she had never seen her before.
Xiao Bai craned her neck to look from behind. She had a three-day holiday and wanted to have a good time, but instead she was going to waste a whole day here. She glanced around and said without much interest, "It's probably a tourist attraction."
The topic was over and done with. The Cherokee stopped in front of the best guesthouse in the county, as everyone was anxious because they couldn't find a place to stay.
"The Advanced Hotel is full, and the Wuxian County Guesthouse over there is also full. Not only are the people full, but the parking lot is also full." Zhao Qiqi was wiping his short hair with a towel in the car, his whole body was soaked: "They said it was because of the heavy rain that some pilgrims were stranded. Some wanted to leave but couldn't, and some wanted to go up the mountain to worship Buddha but couldn't. They've all stayed here for the past few days."
"So sincere, huh?" Xiaobai tugged at Chen Zhenzhu's shoulder and said, "Won't it be very effective?"
Gu Yanzheng was looking at a map, which showed two legitimate hotels he could inquire about. He closed the map, started the engine, and said, "Even if it's very effective, I won't go. Don't forget who you are."
A few days after the "Grand Martial Arts Competition," Shen Zhenzhu and Xiaobai had a blast. They stumbled upon a tourist attraction that everyone was going to visit, and she wanted to go see it too.
Xiao Bai said from behind, "Captain Gu, you don't know this, but in some places, prayers for career success are answered; in others, prayers for children are answered; and in still others, prayers for marriage are answered—"
Gu Yanzheng turned the steering wheel and drove the Cherokee back into the rain, saying without changing his expression, "Since we're already here, let's ask what they're in charge of later."
Xiao Bai nodded from behind and said teasingly, "Okay. What do you want to come true, Captain Gu?"
Gu Yanzheng glanced at her in the rearview mirror and casually said, "Whatever you think is fine."
Chen Zhenzhu sensed a softening in his tone and said, "So many pilgrims are lingering down there, and I even saw some out-of-town license plates. I'm sure my intuition is spot on. If it's sunny tomorrow, a stroll over there won't take much time."
"Well, if it's sunny tomorrow, it's on the way." Gu Yanzheng had his own attitude again.
Xiao Bai, chewing on a butterfly pastry in the back, secretly rolled her eyes and stuffed another piece into the mouth of her sister Pearl in front of her: "Eat it, or they'll eat it all."
Lu Ye quickly grabbed two pieces, avoiding Xiao Bai's protesting gaze, and looked out the window, saying, "I don't know if I can find a place to stay, and even if I do, I don't know if I'll have anything to eat."
This spurred Zhao Qiqi on: "I can't stand being hungry! None of you get off the bus later, I'll go door to door asking around."
Only four roads in the county town intersect at the roundabout, and occasionally pedestrians can be seen struggling to walk on the road with umbrellas. Gu Yanzheng drove carefully past, being careful not to get them wet, even though the pedestrians were also quite soaked.
Even the usually optimistic Shen Zhenzhu was getting annoyed by the incessant, damp rain. She muttered, "Please stop this already. This heavy rain is really delaying things."
“Who says otherwise?” Lu Ye raised his arm and said, “I feel like moss is going to grow on it. It’s never been like this in previous years. This rain is monstrous.”
"Wait, I'm getting out of the car." True to her word, Zhao Qiqi got out of the car along the way to inquire at various hotels, guesthouses, and even private inns, but there were no vacancies. Back in the car, she said dejectedly, "Good heavens, what kind of bodhisattva is in that temple that attracts so many people to worship?"
Gu Yanzheng said, "There should be others who came down temporarily, just like us."
The Cherokee spent twenty minutes circling around the county town before slowly driving back to the roundabout.
The atmosphere inside the car was no longer pleasant; everyone fell silent.
Gu Yanzheng circled the roundabout twice, then saw a figure taking shelter from the rain at the alley entrance and asked, "What is that person doing over there?"
Shen Zhenzhu looked over, struggling to make out the dancing shadows: "Dancing?"
Lu Ye and Zhao Qiqi were both soaking wet, and the car was stuffy and damp as they huddled together. Lu Ye noticed this, tucked a towel into his collar, and said, "I'll go check on them."
Gu Yanzheng slowly drove the Cherokee toward the alley. The barber shop sign at the alley entrance suddenly went out with a "snap." The shadow was startled and hurriedly ran into the alley, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Zhao Qiqi wiped the fogged-up car window and said, "You've had too much to drink."
Shen Zhenzhu's gaze swept across the empty alleyway entrance, then she looked back in confusion, suddenly pointing ahead and saying, "Brother Zheng, isn't there someone over there holding up a sign to solicit customers!"
As soon as Chen Zhenzhu finished speaking, Gu Yanzheng stepped on the gas and sped away.
"Accommodation? My own house, 150 yuan a night." The old man holding up the "Accommodation" sign, wearing a patched raincoat, stood outside the car window, wiping his rain-soaked face, and said, "Meals not included."
"This price could get you a stay at a luxury hotel, and it doesn't even include meals," Xiaobai complained from behind.
The old man seemed to notice the hesitation of the young people on the bus, and waved his hand, revealing his big yellow teeth, saying, "The county is full. If you think it's too expensive, go look around again. Next time you meet me, a room will cost 250."
-----------------------
Author's note: Pearl was annoyed: Do I look like a fool?
***
See you tomorrow, there's a red envelope coming! [Let me see]
Please don't let it get too fat.
I'm so happy I have so much nutrient solution lately! [hug]
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