Chapter 53 Life is about going against the current
"An adult male corpse was suspended by the neck, supported by his left hand, and kneeling in a cage, sealed in cement. This extreme method has a certain ritualistic feel to it." Zhou Chuanxi frowned, a bad feeling creeping over him.
The discovery of the body brought back from Starfish Square did not bring the detectives the satisfaction of finding a corpse, but rather a chilling, suffocating scene that sent shivers down their spines.
There was no longer any "grandfather-grandson rivalry" between Team Four and Team Two. The two teams gathered in Team Four's office to analyze the case before splitting up to solve it.
Lu Ye, biting his pen, said unhappily, "I remember reading in some book that in some mystical or cult beliefs, the left hand is considered an 'unclean hand' and is associated with Western 'devil worship.' Is that why my left ring finger was cut off?"
Wu Zhongguo stood to the side, a cigarette dangling from his lips, and tapped the table, saying, "If you put it that way, in some parts of the country, the left hand is associated with funerals, and it can be cut off as well."
Lu Ye said, "Ultimately, it's still a religious ritual. You see, the left hand is raised while kneeling, which is also a gesture of submission to some kind of power. It may also be a summoning of something."
Xiao Min and the others felt a chill run down their spines at what he said. Someone from their second team said, "You guys are thinking so much, it's possible you were forced to confess before you died!"
Gu Yanzheng had no interest in writing the application. It was 2:30 a.m., and a full-body photo of the corpse was hanging on the blackboard. He glanced at the silent Chen Zhenzhu, wondering why her ears were red and she kept rubbing her eyes.
Maybe I'm sleepy.
He got up, made a cup of coffee, and placed it on Shen Zhenzhu's table. He then picked up a cup himself, stood to the side, took a sip, and said, "What this comrade from the second team said is not wrong. Besides religious acts such as repentance, surrender, atonement, or summoning that lead to such a posture, gangsters or vigilantes also publicly display humiliating postures as a warning to others. For example, the Italian Mafia and the Japanese Yakuza use cement to seal corpses as a punishment ritual, and the kneeling posture may represent that the person suffered humiliation before the execution."
Wu Zhongguo rubbed his face, tucked a cigarette behind his ear, and hesitated before saying, "A friend of mine once traveled to Southeast Asia and heard that they 'raise ghost children' using cement, which represents sealing the soul and preventing the deceased from being reincarnated. Also, there was a news report recently saying that Mexican drug lords often use 'cement executions' to treat traitors... It's too late, my mind is wandering too much, just take it with a grain of salt."
Tian Yongfeng was at his wits' end. Since he didn't have Captain Gu's coffee, he could only ask Wu Zhongguo for a cigarette. Wu Zhongguo pointed to the wall and said, "See that? 'No Smoking'."
Looking at the spotless white wall, Tian Yongfeng began to doubt his own eyes.
Zhao Qiqi summarized everyone's words and wrote them on the blackboard: cult rituals, gang executions, personal revenge.
Qin An walked in from outside and handed each of them an autopsy report: "Male, between 35 and 45 years old, 1.74 meters tall, with obvious adipocere preservation, kneeling position, a severed finger was found on the left hand. The cause of death was asphyxiation; he survived the cement pouring process, and there were cement masses in his lungs. His knees were stiff and not forcibly restrained by kneeling; the deceased knelt voluntarily. Homicide can be confirmed. I am currently trying to collect fingerprints, but there are no results yet."
With her large, red eyes, Chen Zhenzhu finally spoke: "Can the cement type be detected?"
Qin An said, "Cement is a commonly used type, and dozens of tons were found piled up at the construction site. It is very difficult to trace the source of the cement, and there is basically no hope."
He paused after speaking, then looked at Chen Zhenzhu and said, "Come here a bit."
Shen Zhenzhu leaned her face closer, and Qin An looked her up and down, saying, "You're not going to get a sty, are you?"
This statement drew everyone's attention.
With his big, red eyes, Lu Ye hesitated for a long time before finally saying, "A ferocious little white rabbit."
Shen Zhenzhu was in despair. Her mind was filled with obscene thoughts, and she dared not recall the scenes she had seen through her Heavenly Eye. She looked at Qin An pleadingly and said, "Divine Doctor, please grant me the divine medicine! Save my child!"
Qin An picked up a pen from the table and wrote down the name of the eye drops: "Twice a day, two drops each time, for anti-inflammatory and antibacterial purposes."
Shen Zhenzhu carefully put it in her pocket: "Thank you, divine doctor."
After the interlude, the topic returned to the deceased. Shen Zhenzhu squatted on the bench, looking down at the photograph of the body. For a moment, her attention wandered, and the flashback she had experienced earlier resurfaced in her mind—
Moonlight streamed obliquely through the broken window, like silver knives striking the man's bare back. He knelt on the terrazzo floor, raising his head between his legs, the tips of his red high heels lifting his chin.
The man obeyed the woman's command, closing his eyes tightly. The forced posture of raising his head caused his Adam's apple to roll on her toes, as if he were about to swallow a rusty blade.
The tape recorder played distorted dialogue from a Wong Kar-wai film, and the dim light bulb in the old room rippled in the damp air, casting spiderweb-like shadows on the man.
The female voice in "Midnight Love" mixed with static sound was like a transparent stocking blocking a man's breathing passage. The woman's scarlet fingertips played with Xu Jiachang's hair, and she whispered something in Cantonese into his ear.
Hsu Chia-chang replied in Cantonese, "Please, I'm willing to accept the test."
"So obedient."
To reward the man for accepting the game, the woman exhaled the last puff of white smoke from her cigarette, stood up, lowered her skirt, and embraced Xu Jiachang's arm, which felt like a cold, boneless snake. She danced intimately with the naked man to the music.
The rough shackles caused his hands and feet to bleed, but Xu Jiachang, eager to hunt for women, was drawn to them like a thirsty Adam throwing himself into the primal temptations of Paradise Lost.
He opened his eyes slightly and peeked out that the woman's dark red cheongsam buttons were loose, revealing glimpses of her skin beneath her collarbone.
Someone left an urgent red mark on it, which made Xu Jiachang extremely jealous, and he suppressed his aggressive desire and desire to take it back.
The room was filled with a sticky atmosphere of sex and violence. Xu Jiachang closed his eyes again, determined to win the woman's heart with a man's patience. This was a unique hunt, and the foreplay alone had already sent shivers down his spine.
The taste lingered in his mouth as he danced, savoring each step. He was immersed in the web of emotional aesthetics, answering the woman's murmurs again and again: "I don't want her anymore, I want you, you are my everything, marry me..."
Under the woman's rules, a naked man cannot look directly at a seductive face; his gaze must be lowered...lowered...
......
"Ah—" Chen Zhenzhu let out a loud cry, breaking the silence.
"What's wrong?"
They turned around and saw her with her hands tightly gripping her eyes, her face and ears flushed red, her head tilted back with an expression of utter despair, as if an innocent young girl had suffered some unspeakable blow.
Her breath was so faint, even weaker than a salted fish washed ashore, that Gu Yanzheng came over and checked her breathing: "Still alive."
After spending a day and a night together, Tian Yongfeng realized that the fourth team's key to solving the case might lie in their "madness." He stood up and said to Gu Yanzheng, "Let's not stay up any longer and go back to rest early. You should also tell your men to go back early, otherwise, before the case is solved, one of them will go crazy first."
Shen Zhenzhu ignored his sarcasm; all she wanted now was to find a divine physician to give her a pair of eyes she had never seen before.
Qin An was exhausted, but seeing that Chen Zhenzhu was even more pitiful than him, he took out some eye drops from his pocket and handed them to her: "Use these in an emergency, be careful, they're very expensive—hey, you need to use drops, not to wash your eyeballs, if you're so capable, go ahead and gouge them out and wash them!"
Qin An snatched back the imported eye drops, stingily stuffed them into his pocket, and said to Gu Yanzheng, "You must be under too much pressure from your recent promotion. You should try to comfort you later."
"Yes, she will." Gu Yanzheng looked at Shen Zhenzhu with suspicion, wondering what she had gone through.
"Wait!" Shen Zhenzhu called out to Qin An, looking up at the sky and closing her eyes.
Qin An said, "I won't lend you the eye drops."
Shen Zhenzhu asked weakly, "What identification details have been discovered?"
Qin An angrily said, "As I just said, there were no other discoveries, and the identity cannot be confirmed!"
Chen Zhenzhu asked, "Where are the teeth?"
Qin An said, "Even if someone has all their teeth, you can't find them by their teeth." He was joking, of course. Fingerprints aren't widely available online yet; are we supposed to solve cases based on teeth marks?
"Please wait, miracle doctor." Chen Zhenzhu sat up straight, her eyes red as she handed him the photograph: "The color of these teeth is inconsistent; could they have been filled?"
Qin An picked up the photo, looked at it, and said, "Is getting a filling so rare?"
Gu Yanzheng pressed down on Chen Zhenzhu's hand as she rubbed her eyes, so she had no choice but to obediently endure it and say, "My sister wants to get her teeth filled, so I've looked into the different materials used for fillings in different regions. In mainland China, amalgam is more commonly used, while some impoverished areas use cheap silicate cement. Wealthy people might use domestic resin, while people from Hong Kong and Taiwan often use imported resin and precious metal crowns. Can't you analyze these materials?"
A barrage of attacks is waiting for me here.
"..." Qin An remained silent for a long time, then slammed his fist on the table, pointed at Shen Zhenzhu, and said, "Is this a provocation? You just wait, I'll find out for you even if I don't sleep tonight!"
Qin An stormed off, and Shen Zhenzhu glanced up at Gu Yanzheng, saying aggrievedly, "Brother Zheng, does that count—"
"It counts as a work-related injury." Gu Yanzheng couldn't help but chuckle. "Using your brain can cause red eyes?"
Shen Zhenzhu thought to herself that this was not using her brain at all, but rather ruthlessly scattering yellow waste into her sea of consciousness, almost breaking her Dao heart!
The enemy is treacherous, and the opponent is formidable.
Shen Zhenzhu hadn't expressed her opinion earlier, and Gu Yanzheng hadn't forced her. Now that he saw she had a direction again, he simply relaxed and stayed up all night writing materials.
Shen Zhenzhu didn't plan to go home and disturb her family's rest. It was almost dawn. After a quick wash, she went to the cabinet behind the sofa, found her blanket, spread it out halfway, and used her police uniform jacket as a pillow to drift off to sleep.
Gu Yanzheng stayed up until dawn, got up to stretch his body, walked to the sofa to pour himself some water, and saw that Chen Zhenzhu was still motionless in the position of picking at her eyes, like an angry little donkey in her sleep, with a belly full of anger that had nowhere to be vented.
What on earth is going on?
Gu Yanzheng picked up his fallen coat, took out the note Qin An had given him, and went out for a while. When he returned, he saw her still picking at her eyes, so he removed his hand and gently put two drops of eye drops in her eyes.
Shen Zhenzhu didn't sleep well that night; it felt like she was swimming in a sea of bananas. Fortunately, she spotted a large sailboat and climbed aboard to catch her breath.
Upon waking up, Chen Zhenzhu grabbed a small mirror and exclaimed, "My eyes aren't red anymore!"
It turns out that even the needle eye was afraid of the righteous aura of the pearl, and knowing that it could not resist, it took the opportunity to escape while sleeping!
Gu Yanzheng, who was so tormented by the fingerprint application plan that he was in a state of blissful intoxication, did not hear her nonsense and fell asleep with his long legs draped over the chair.
Wu Fuwang brought breakfast; Sixth Sister's loving meal was both warm and generous. After eating, Chen Zhenzhu waited for Qin An's report, scribbling in her notebook.
I initially thought the first scene would be a crime of passion, with a strong undertone of revenge. The second scene, however, with its telepathic vision, completely surprised me. The two seemed to be in a submissive relationship, releasing signals of a bizarre game between a man and a woman.
We still need to confirm their identities first.
She clearly heard the conversation being conducted in Cantonese, suggesting that the speakers were likely residents of the southern coastal region or Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Shen Zhenzhu's eyes were no longer red, but Qin An's eyes were bloodshot.
He was already in a daze, and threw the analysis report on Shen Zhenzhu's desk: "The filling material used is imported resin, which has the characteristics of British filling technology. According to the analysis of the material's aging, it is at least ten years old. It was very expensive back then, so the deceased was at least a wealthy person in Hong Kong."
The implications of this are self-evident!
Just as Shen Zhenzhu was about to report to Gu Yanzheng, she turned her head and saw Gu Yanzheng nodding to her.
"Brother Xi, has the portrait of the deceased been completed yet?" Chen Zhenzhu asked anxiously.
Zhou Chuanxi made a phone call and said, "Send it over immediately, I can guarantee it will be 70% similar."
Chen Zhenzhu clapped her hands and said, "That's enough."
She looked at Wu Zhongguo, who had already picked up the phone and said, "I will contact the Hong Kong and Taiwan Affairs Office immediately to inquire about missing persons who entered Hong Kong."
Lu Ye stood at the door waiting for the portrait of the deceased to arrive, and looked at Shen Zhenzhu, awaiting her instructions.
"Brother Ye, please do me a favor. After leaving the customs in Fuzhou, it's impossible to get to Liancheng by car or train. Such high-end people might take an airline flight. Could you help me check if any planes from Shenzhen picked up men with similar appearances two to three months ago? If not, we can give them some time. The motive for the crime is still unclear, so we must be careful."
"knew."
"Understood, Sister Pearl."
"receive."
Shen Zhenzhu returned to her seat and saw Zhao Qiqi staring at her. She picked up the portrait and handed it to Zhao Qiqi: "Brother Qi, please contact the radio station and newspaper to place a missing person notice."
"Okay!" Zhao Qiqi rarely received orders to act alone, so she quickly got up, took her wallet and ID from the drawer, and left the office.
Seeing Qin An still standing at the door, Chen Zhenzhu nudged him and said, "Section Chief Qin is not only a miracle doctor, but also a brilliant detective. You've unearthed such crucial information. Come and have some seafood porridge. My mother cooked it herself. It has oysters, scallops, shrimp, and wild yellow croaker meat in it. It's very nourishing."
Qin An was listless. He touched the lunchbox and found it was still warm. He scooped up a mouthful of rich, sweet congee oil to nourish his crammed brain.
He drank faster and faster, and only halfway through did he realize what he was saying and said, "Didn't you say you wanted to check the filling materials? Don't flatter me, I can handle it."
Chen Zhenzhu squatted by the coffee table, tapping a salted duck egg. The golden, oily yolk rolled into the porridge in front of Qin An. He immediately forgot about discussing other matters with Chen Zhenzhu and ate the porridge in big mouthfuls, scraping the bottom of the bowl clean.
The release of the portrait did not immediately elicit a response. With Gu Yanzheng's strong support, Shen Zhenzhu expanded the scope of the announcement, posting the notice at highway toll stations, train station ticket gates, and other locations.
After a week of fruitless searching, Lu Ye dejectedly munched on a watermelon and said, "There are cross-border barriers between Hong Kong and us, and the administrative mechanisms can't cooperate. We have to investigate the missing persons ourselves."
Wu Zhongguo said, "Last time I asked the Hong Kong police about the list of missing persons who recently entered the mainland. They wanted us to issue a 'missing' certificate first, and then submit it to them for registration for two years before declaring them missing and then handing it over to us. By the time they submit it, it will be too late."
Gu Yanzheng set up a bulky computer on his desk and started typing away. Upon hearing this, he said, "I've handled similar cases before. The fastest we can get results is through the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office or the Hong Kong branch of Xinhua News Agency. To truly achieve mutual communication and cooperation, it probably won't be until after 1997. If the family can't wait, they can go to the Social Welfare Department for assistance in finding them. After all, it's a non-governmental organization, and its capabilities are limited."
“Unless they take the initiative to pass on the case, it’s very difficult for us to get them to open the door when we knock.” Wu Zhongguo bought a watermelon at noon, soaked it in a basin all day, and it was still hot when he bit into it.
"Hey, where's Qi-ge?" Shen Zhenzhu peeked out after finishing her watermelon and found that the watermelon on Zhao Qiqi's desk was not moving.
Zhou Chuanxi said, "He came back from the train station and said he would go to Liancheng Airlines again."
Wu Zhongguo said, "Didn't we already go there?"
Zhou Chuanxi said, "He heard that there was an airline hotel and planned to ask the front desk if they had seen this person."
"Commendable spirit." Chen Zhenzhu ate with relish, having rested and recharged all afternoon. Her little engine was wound up again: "Let's go! Let's go out and continue the investigation!"
Gu Yanzheng pointed to the mobile phone standing in front of him: "Take it with you, and report back at any time."
Shen Zhenzhu held the mobile phone in her hand, which was clipped to her belt, giving the little country bumpkin a domineering golden glow.
As she and Lu Ye were about to leave, Zhao Qiqi's voice came from downstairs: "Sister Zhen-zhu!"
"No way?" Shen Zhenzhu ran to the window and saw Zhao Qiqi shouting from the first floor, "Sister Zhenzhu, we have a clue!"
Behind him followed a beautiful girl in a pencil skirt and an airline flight attendant hat, who silently covered her ears.
"My name is Xia Tian, and I work as a flight attendant for Liancheng Airlines. I remember the man in the portrait very well."
She sat on the sofa, surrounded by a group of criminal investigation team members, yet remained unfazed. Instead, her expression as she looked at the portrait revealed disgust: "He can speak a little Mandarin, and he said that a stock exchange had opened in Shenzhen and invited him to the mainland."
Chen Zhenzhu sat in the chair opposite her, carefully observing Xia Tian's subtle expressions to confirm that her account was true.
"Then do you know his name?"
Xia Tian said, "His surname is Xu, and his name is Xu Jiachang. I saw his business card, but I tore it up after he got off the plane."
"Why did you tear it up?" Chen Zhenzhu asked after writing down the name, "Is it these three characters?"
"Yes, those are the three words." Xia Tian, just like her name, is a passionate girl. As if facing a scene she didn't want to remember, she looked down at the middle-aged man in the portrait.
Hsu Chia-chang has long eyes, a round face, a flat nose, and a black mole on his chin. Hsia, accustomed to her handsome male and beautiful female colleagues, said with disgust and arrogance:
“He said he wanted to keep me as a sugar daddy. I have hands and feet and I can earn my own money. He was so insulting. To be honest, there are plenty of rich men in first class who want to pursue me, but to ask me about my sugar daddy price right off the bat, I was being lenient by not slapping him. Now that I know he's dead, I think he deserved it.”
Shen Zhenzhu asked, "Do you remember his company name?"
Xia Tian recalled for a moment and said, "It's called Gangcheng Xu's Industrial Group."
"Great! Her identity can be confirmed." Zhou Chuanxi and the others behind Shen Zhenzhu looked delighted and clapped their hands in celebration.
"Are you sure?" Gu Yanzheng suddenly asked.
Summer suddenly saw the handsome Gu Yanzheng, her eyes swept over his expensive watch, and she put down her crossed legs and said, "Of course I'm sure. I have a very good memory. I can remember the preferences of customers who have flown first class on a plane even if I meet them again."
Shen Zhenzhu told Zhou Chuanxi to continue taking the statement, while she stepped out from the encirclement to make arrangements.
Gu Yanzheng picked up the phone and searched for the contact information of "Gangcheng Xu's Group".
The people in the fourth team's office didn't notice Gu Yanzheng's somber face; instead, they were immersed in joy.
Seeing Zhao Qiqi's pleading look, Shen Zhenzhu went over and encouraged her, "You did a great job. We didn't find any clues, but you did, which proves you're very good."
Zhao Qiqi told the truth: "I didn't find her; I saw her standing at the entrance of the Criminal Investigation Team after I got off the bus."
Shen Zhenzhu laughed and said, "Then you are also very powerful, with a roar that can be heard from afar and full of energy."
Zhao Qiqi couldn't help but smile when she received the vice-captain's praise.
Shen Zhenzhu came to Gu Yanzheng's side and said, "Brother Zheng, is there a problem?"
Gu Yanzheng said casually, "This is a well-known tycoon in Hong Kong. I have indeed heard that his company plans to list its shares on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange."
Chen Zhenzhu exclaimed "Oh!" and after a long pause said, "Super rich?"
“I guess so,” Gu Yanzheng said. “There are several well-known commercial properties in Kowloon.”
Shen Zhenzhu left silently. To be praised like that by Brother Zheng, she must be no ordinary rich person.
Gu Yanzheng watched her take a few steps and then turn back, his face tense as he said, "How does it compare to a gold mine?"
"You dare to call me that to my face?" Gu Yanzheng couldn't help but laugh. "When has your brother Zheng ever lost?"
Shen Zhenzhu straightened her back and arrogantly thought that since she was a head shorter than Zheng Ge, it wasn't that scary.
With her identity confirmed, Mrs. Xu was quickly contacted through the Hong Kong and Taiwan Affairs Office.
The following evening, Mrs. Xu, along with the group's legal counsel and a large entourage, checked into the best hotel in Liancheng, where the huge floor-to-ceiling windows offered a view of the coastline where the body had been found.
"She's exactly like the glamorous rich wives in Hong Kong dramas, with the same haughty attitude." Xiao Min returned to her office from gathering intelligence on the fifth floor and said to Tian Yongfeng, "Luckily, we're not the ones facing this."
When Tian Yongfeng saw the other party get out of the car, his unfriendly expression made him want to offer incense to the fourth team: "Say less and hurry up and solve the case."
In her office on the fifth floor, Mrs. Xu wore an elegant cheongsam. Her voluptuous figure and well-maintained face made it hard to believe she was over forty.
"My husband and I have been married for twenty years. People envy me for having a good man who is devoted to me. He has never argued with me in all these years of marriage and always does what I ask for."
Mrs. Xu had a broad forehead and a pointed chin. Her fair face had the glow of expensive face cream. Sitting on the sofa, she didn't look like a victim's family member, but rather like a leader who had come to hold her accountable.
Behind her stood two rows of people brought from Hong Kong. In addition to the company's legal counsel and the Filipino domestic helpers she needed, she also temporarily organized doctors, detectives, murder lawyers, and others.
"If the Shenzhen Stock Exchange hadn't invited him to visit, he wouldn't have died so tragically... Waaah, I have no children and no husband, how am I going to live from now on?"
The Filipino maid behind Mrs. Xu handed her a silk handkerchief. She carefully wiped the corners of her eyes, took a deep breath, and said, "Since you mainlanders invited him here, why couldn't you guarantee his safety? Or is it just to steal our property? He died such a tragic death. Who killed him? You must give me an explanation!"
“We are still investigating, and the details must be kept confidential.” Gu Yanzheng sat opposite Mrs. Xu and said calmly, “Please ask Mrs. Xu to ask the bystanders to leave. I need to take statements from the victim’s family.”
Shen Zhenzhu stood behind Gu Yanzheng with her notebook in hand, with Lu Ye and the others beside her, secretly encouraging Gu Yanzheng. In the end, Gu Yanzheng was the one who could hold his own; even when facing a group of people who had traveled across the ocean to demand answers, he could still maintain his imposing presence.
"I'm gone, sir. Are the police in mainland China so indifferent? Don't they have any human compassion?" Mrs. Xu slammed her hand on the coffee table, her jade bracelet almost disappearing from her wrist. She then began to criticize Gu Yanzheng's poor attitude.
“Mrs. Xu, solving a case takes time and clues. I know you’re anxious, but if you don’t cooperate, it will only delay the investigation,” Shen Zhenzhu said to Mrs. Xu.
Shen Zhenzhu had already seen the clips and was skeptical about the supposedly good relationship between the couple; otherwise, Xu Jiachang wouldn't have such a morbid infatuation with another woman.
Mrs. Xu shifted her gaze to Chen Zhenzhu's face, a look of amazement flashing in her eyes, before angrily saying, "Young lady, don't be so arrogant! It wasn't your husband who died, you can't imagine how much we loved each other. My pain is consuming me!"
I want to ask you mainland police, how exactly do you protect Hong Kong businessmen entering the country? Is it possible for just anyone to use dirty and despicable methods to kill my husband?! I forgive your limited vision, but you can't fathom the greedy eyes drawn by capital. My husband always had bodyguards when he went out in Hong Kong; he only lost his life because he trusted the mainland's security. How will you explain this to me?!
As soon as Mrs. Xu finished speaking, her Filipino maid handed her a thermos to drink tea, hoping to replenish her fluids so she could continue her cursing.
Gu Yanzheng is essentially a smooth talker, but the key is whether he is willing to do so. When Mrs. Xu tried to dabble in front of him, Gu Yanzheng turned to Shen Zhenzhu and said decisively, "Write it in the case file: 'The victim's family did not cooperate with the statement.'"
With a single, effortless remark, she rendered Mrs. Xu's earlier questioning a laughingstock. Before Mrs. Xu could speak again, Chen Zhenzhu stood at attention and said, "Reporting, I'll take my men out to investigate."
What's the point of investigating?
Gu Yanzheng knew she wanted to make a quick getaway. In fact, he was too lazy to waste time with a family member who was prepared to cause trouble, so he simply said to Mrs. Xu, "Since Mrs. Xu is not feeling well, you should go back to the hotel to rest. I will have someone contact you if there is any progress in the case."
Mrs. Xu stood up, her face dark. She was willing to question him, but she wasn't about to throw a tantrum on the floor. Hearing that Gu Yanzheng wanted to see them out, she said, "If you can't find the murderer, then I must take my husband's body back today!"
Shen Zhenzhu said in surprise, "Mrs. Xu, you're already claiming a body on your very first day here? At least give us some time to solve the case."
Mrs. Xu glared fiercely at Chen Zhenzhu: "My husband is my decision! You have no idea what the upper class is thinking!"
Gu Yanzheng understood that taking the body away was her purpose, perhaps related to the inheritance of the estate.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Xu, but the mainland is not Hong Kong. Everyone here is equal, and there is no distinction between different classes. Moreover, we have regulations that prohibit the collection of corpses at this time. Please cooperate."
When Mrs. Xu heard Gu Yanzheng's refusal, she thought that Gu Yanzheng was deliberately making things difficult for her. She had been doing well in Hong Kong, but she lost her husband and encountered setbacks in the mainland. She pointed at Gu Yanzheng and Chen Zhenzhu, and then pointed at everyone in the four teams and said: "You mainland police officers, every single one of you, just wait and see!"
After Mrs. Xu left, Tian Yongfeng poked his head out from the doorway, clicked his tongue twice, and said, "Her husband got into trouble and was killed. Why doesn't she scold the murderer? Instead, she blames us?"
Gu Yanzheng said indifferently, "Because she doesn't dare to blame the murderer. The person next to her died tragically, and she didn't shed a single tear. The reason she brought a group of people to put pressure on them was simply to get the body back as soon as possible."
"Dust to dust, ashes to ashes?" Chen Zhenzhu wasn't angry; there was no need to ruin her health by getting upset with this kind of person. "Even in Hong Kong, people believe in returning to one's roots?"
Gu Yanzheng laughed: "What do you mean by 'returning to one's roots'? It sounds more like you want to bury it quickly."
"Aren't you going to solve the case?" Shen Zhenzhu was dumbfounded.
“Sometimes the truth isn’t as important as money.” Gu Yanzheng leaned back in his chair. “But here, every murder case must be solved, whether it’s someone from Hong Kong or from the mainland. If a murder occurs in Liancheng and falls under my jurisdiction, it’s my case. Old Shen, you continue solving your cases. If you have any questions, talk to me.”
"Yes!" Reassured by Gu Yanzheng's words, Shen Zhenzhu immediately set out to investigate.
However, on the third day after Mrs. Xu arrived in Liancheng, a program called "Liancheng Legal Online" began to verbally attack and criticize Shen Zhenzhu, a public security officer.
"No one was at the crime scene, yet these so-called policewomen were posing and behaving in front of the camera! The people want safety, not just pretty faces. How can female police officers act cute and cool in front of the camera? Do they respect the families of the victims who are still waiting for the case to be solved? Police officers are not celebrities; solving cases is the only real responsibility. If they can't solve cases, they should resign. That's the attitude of being responsible to the people!"
"I suggest that some leaders spend less time figuring out how to create stars and more time thinking about solving cases. Having female police officers appearing in public, selling their smiles and singing, is far less effective than focusing police resources on solving crimes and conducting investigations. What the people need is a real sense of security, not empty, superficial police idols!"
"Female police officers are more eager to smile on camera than solve cases, yet the horrific crimes committed by ordinary citizens remain unreported. Heinous crimes are piling up, and they're more enthusiastic about appearing on television than going to crime scenes. What the public wants are real police officers who can solve cases, not posed policewomen. The crime-solving rate hasn't improved much, but their entertainment value is off the charts. These celebrity police officers should spend less time putting on a show in front of the camera and more time investigating cases on-site, truly deserving of their olive-colored uniforms before talking about appearing on television!"
......
......
"What exactly happened? We invited Section Chief Shen to appear on TV at your station's invitation for legal education, but your program used such offensive language, causing a strong public backlash. How are we supposed to solve the case now?!"
"What do you mean by 'not naming names'?" Section Chief Liang's eyes were bloodshot with rage as he leaned on the table and spoke on the phone with the head of Liancheng TV station. "Is this a ratings-competing program? I don't care if you're competing with other programs or not. Smearing the image of the police and causing negative public opinion is your TV station's responsibility! I demand that you stop broadcasting it and issue a public apology..."
After abruptly hanging up the phone, Section Chief Liang immediately received a call from the city bureau leadership demanding accountability from them.
The people inside the system knew the cause and effect, and unlike Zhao Bingrui, the male host of "Liancheng Legal Online," they didn't criticize as fiercely as they did, but it still gave Section Chief Liang of the publicity department a huge headache.
"Director Liu is looking for you," someone said at the door.
Section Chief Liang had no choice but to hang up the phone and head to Director Liu's office.
Shen Zhenzhu's participation in the "Legal Scene" program was strongly recommended by him, who wanted to establish a positive and capable image of the people's police. He never expected it to develop like this.
“Your essence is good.” Director Liu asked Section Chief Liang to sit down and said, “Verbal attacks will not shake the progress of an outstanding comrade. This public opinion storm must be fueled by someone behind the scenes.”
Director Liu pushed him several Hong Kong entertainment gossip newspapers, with obscene headlines and sensationalist entertainment content. In comparison, Zhao Bingrui of "Liancheng Legal Online" was much more virtuous in his speech.
Section Chief Liang wanted to burn the entertainment gossip magazine to these people's ancestors!
He was furious, but couldn't vent his anger in front of his superiors, so he suppressed his dissatisfaction and said, "The director of the 'Legal Scene' program that Section Chief Shen is participating in asked if we should stop airing it; there are still three episodes left. Right now, things are getting tense..."
Director Liu waved his hand and said, "You might as well go and ask her yourself. I reserve my opinion, but I don't think she will agree."
Section Chief Shen's position was not a windfall. Most people were misled by her frail physique and failed to see the unyielding spirit within her that was no less than that of the leader of the pack.
Section Chief Liang obeyed Director Liu's instructions and went to the office of Team Four on the fifth floor.
"Where is Section Chief Shen?" He arrived here not daring to utter a sound, knowing that if the source were traced, he would be unable to escape blame.
Zhao Qiqi didn't show much emotion. She pointed to Chen Zhenzhu, who was competing with Lu Ye to spit out watermelon seeds, and said, "Sister Zhenzhu is here. We just finished a meeting."
Section Chief Liang beckoned Zhao Qiqi to the corridor and asked in a low voice, "Have you seen the news?"
Zhao Qiqi recalled the insults broadcast on the program that morning and nodded, saying, "I saw them."
Section Chief Liang asked in surprise, "Not angry?"
Zhao Qiqi said, "Sister Pearl said that the more the enemy gets angry, the calmer we must remain. The calmer we remain, the angrier the enemy will get."
"Hey, she's really something." Section Chief Liang breathed a sigh of relief and went into the office to ask Chen Zhenzhu, "What do you think about the program being canceled?"
"Why stop broadcasting? Just keep broadcasting." Shen Zhenzhu silently wiped the watermelon seeds from her lips, and when her break ended, she returned to her desk and said, "If we can't beat people up, we'll just annoy them to death."
"Alright, I've discovered you're really capable," Section Chief Liang laughed heartily. "Big heart."
After he left, Chen Zhenzhu re-examined all the materials. Mrs. Xu's people appeared again downstairs; Gu Yanzheng, whose application was not going smoothly, volunteered to deal with them.
After a while, Chen Zhenzhu leaned back in her chair, covered her face with her notebook, and closed her eyes to rest.
She doesn't have a strong heart; she's actually furious inside!
Gu Yanzheng asked Shen Zhenzhu if she needed his help to stop Zhao Bingrui's program from airing, but Shen Zhenzhu refused.
She wanted to slap Zhao Bingrui and his production team hard with her own hands!
Shen Zhenzhu is not stupid. After Mrs. Xu made the threat, this happened. It goes without saying who the mastermind is.
The conflicts within wealthy families all boil down to money. Since Mrs. Xu is determined to retrieve the body as soon as possible, she resorts to various means to exert pressure. However, she insists on solving the case quickly and prevents Mrs. Xu from getting her way!
Clutching the eye drops that someone had placed on the desk, Chen Zhenzhu began to repeatedly recall the details from the telepathic vision of Xu Jiachang dancing with the woman.
While Mrs. Xu's people downstairs were still clamoring about the inaction of the mainland police and describing their many years of loving relationship, Chen Zhenzhu was watching Mr. Xu's intimate interactions with other women over and over again. It was truly ironic.
Shen Zhenzhu silently rolled her eyes. Mrs. Xu, do you know how wild your husband is outside?
In the evening, Chen Zhenzhu finished the entire bottle of eye drops, staring at the ceiling with her red and swollen eyes, recalling one of the details.
Xu Jiachang, his feet shackled, walked to a certain spot, where a different, crisp sound, distinct from the shackles, could be heard. This sound was very similar to the shackles striking the iron cage; perhaps there was another dog cage next to the one where Xu Jiachang was being held!
She suppressed her excitement and went to the forensic department to sit opposite Xu Jiachang's body, which was preserved in formalin.
Seeing this, Qin An, Lu Xiaobao, and the others dared not utter a sound and even had to tiptoe when they walked.
Much later, during their flirting, she heard another man's sobbing.
The voice came from directly opposite the woman, meaning the man could see her true face!
Shen Zhenzhu quickly went upstairs, walked briskly to the blackboard, and took down the photo of the cement block she had found.
Zhou Chuanxi was still working overtime, but he was drawn to her actions and followed her over: "Did you find anything?"
Shen Zhenzhu looked down at the photo, and the uneven cross-section of the cement body block on the other end gave her a strong sense of support!
"Brother Xi, doesn't this look like a cross-section that has been violently severed?"
What do you mean by that?
Zhou Chuanxi took the photo and almost pressed his eyes against it. Sure enough, he found traces of someone prying open the cross-section at one end.
"You wouldn't be thinking..." Zhou Chuanxi felt a chill run down his spine, and an answer was about to come to mind.
"Yes, that's what I was thinking. The murderer's method was so efficient, leaving almost no clues. Only a seasoned criminal with experience would do that. There are traces of deliberate cutting here. I've proposed a hypothesis that there might be another dog cage near Xu Jiachang's dog cage, which was filled with cement at the same time as him and then dumped into the sea!"
Zhao Qiqi's voice came from behind, sending chills down Zhou Chuanxi's spine: "A second body sealed in cement?"
Shen Zhenzhu turned around and saw Gu Yanzheng and Lu Ye were there. She looked at Gu Yanzheng with a determined gaze and said, "Brother Zheng, I request to retrieve the third body disposal site of Haixing again!"
Gu Yanzheng nodded and said, "I will apply for a salvage order."
Lu Ye rubbed his arms and said, "Sister Pearl, is this really necessary? There's actually a second corpse like this!"
Shen Zhenzhu picked up her uniform jacket and said as she walked towards the door, "Even if it's raining knives, I'll still fish out the second corpse!"
They think they can just make a false accusation and leave with a corpse? No way, Mrs. Xu will get away with that. We'll see!
It was already dark outside the window. Zhao Qiqi followed closely behind Shen Zhenzhu: "Sister Zhenzhu, aren't you scared?"
Without turning her head, Chen Zhenzhu declared firmly, "I am not afraid of crime; criminals should be afraid of me!"
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Author's Note: Old Gu: See that? I'm heavy, a born falcon.
***
statement:
The above negative remarks about the police are for the sake of the plot; they will be thoroughly refuted later.
I respect, trust, and love my police comrades. I swear I did not subtly allude to reality in this article; furthermore, this story is fictional. [Hands clasped in prayer][Hands clasped in prayer][Hands clasped in prayer]
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