Chapter 229: Clues Appear
Two weeks later.
Criminal Investigation Division, Fourth Team Office.
The families of the six missing teenagers arrived at the scene to await the DNA report results.
On the road to finding their missing relatives, parents are exhausted. Faced with the impending outcome, some are numb, some are anxious, and some cry.
“Five families are from the provinces where teenagers have recently gone missing, and the other family came from another province to try their luck, paying for the testing themselves,” Wu Zhongguo told Shen Zhenzhu.
The DNA test results haven't come back yet, and there are no leads from Qiangfeng Restaurant either. The family members come almost every day to inquire about the child, and Wu Zhongguo has learned quite a bit about it.
In the meeting room, a woman was sobbing softly. Her husband said to another housewife next to him, "My brother-in-law is only 12 years old. He went missing on New Year's Eve. I heard he was abducted. My father-in-law had a stroke in his panic and is still in bed. My mother-in-law was hit by a car while looking for him and is gone. We were such a good family, how could things turn out like this in the blink of an eye?"
The housewife, Xie Yuyin, was wearing the uniform of a domestic helper, but she had temporarily come over with the owner's yellow apron tied around her waist.
Her face was tired and haggard, her dry, yellow hair tied haphazardly behind her head: "I'm a single parent, raising a son and a daughter. My daughter is sick and can't go to school, so she's staying home to recover. My son is usually mischievous, likes to play basketball, and his grades aren't great, but he's fairly obedient... But then he went missing. If I go out to look for him, I won't have money to buy medicine for my daughter. If I don't go looking for him, I'll feel uneasy."
The man shook his head: "Every family has its own problems."
When Shen Zhenzhu appeared at the door with the results, the family members in the meeting room all stood up anxiously.
"The DNA test results indicate that it originated from Jianghan."
As Shen Zhenzhu spoke, some family members couldn't hold back their tears, and some agents went out to comfort them. Some family members left directly, as if they had already lost all hope.
Xie Yuyin was both surprised and delighted, and almost rushed to Chen Zhenzhu's side: "Where is my son? Where is he?"
Xiao Bai squeezed in from the side and pulled Xie Yuyin to sit on the sofa: "Big sister, calm down. We only did the tests to find your son."
Shen Zhenzhu also sat down next to him, checking the information and photos of the missing boy Jiang Han. She could vaguely make out the similarities between his eyebrows and eyes and those in the Heavenly Eye Retrospective.
"Then what are you all still sitting there for? Hurry up and go find him!" Xie Yuyin fidgeted, clutching her apron nervously. After letting go, she grabbed Chen Zhenzhu's arm and said, "Aren't you an official? Hurry up and find my son! I've been having nightmares these past few days. I'm scared, I'm scared!"
"Afraid?" Shen Zhenzhu asked in return.
Xie Yuyin clutched her chest and said, "You don't know the feeling of a mother's heart being connected to her child unless you're a mother yourself. I always feel like something has happened to him."
Since death was irreversible, Shen Zhenzhu tried her best to comfort Xie Yuyin, saying, "Elder sister, I have already sent people to investigate. Now I hope to talk to you about Jiang Han's matter so that we can find him more quickly."
Xie Yuyin cooperated and said, "Ask whatever you want to know."
Shen Zhenzhu asked, "What kind of personality does Jiang Han have? What friends does he have?"
Xie Yuyin said, "He is much more sensible than other children his age. Knowing that his family is not well-off, he helps his aunt's family wash dishes at their hot pot restaurant to earn money. He is usually mild-mannered and takes good care of his sister. Knowing how hard I work, he often says that he will work hard to earn money so that we can have a better life."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Did he say anything strange, or come into contact with anything or anyone strange before he disappeared?"
Xie Yuyin shook her head and recalled carefully, saying, "He only said that he didn't want to go to high school, but wanted to go to a vocational school so he could start earning money as soon as possible. The people he associated with were all teachers and classmates from No. 19 Middle School. My son never associates with random people; his most frequent pastime is playing basketball with his classmates."
She stroked Jiang Han's photo, in which he was wearing a school uniform and smiling brightly, with a pair of old basketball shoes on his feet: "These basketball shoes were the only birthday gift I ever gave him. Our family wasn't well-off, and he was too sensible. I was the one who failed him. I wasn't a good mother."
Shen Zhenzhu asked, "Where is Jiang Han's father?"
Xie Yuyin cursed, "That old bastard jumped off a building and died because he gambled and owed money. His family stopped contacting us a long time ago because they were afraid we would ask them for money."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Big sister, you've had a tough time these past few years. Have some water first."
Xiao Bai quickly stood up, picked up the kettle, poured Xie Yuyin a cup of hot water, and handed it to her: "It's hot, drink slowly."
Xie Yuyin gritted her teeth at her husband's death, swirling her teacup as she said, "I don't have much time here. The landlord is waiting for me to wash the curtains. It's a four-story villa, and all the curtains have to be washed today. I need to finish as soon as possible so I can go back and feed my daughter."
"Can we talk about your daughter?" Shen Zhenzhu asked.
Xie Yuyin sighed, gazing into the distance, utterly exhausted and numb. The burden of life weighed heavily on her: "Her name is Miaomiao. She has a mental disability and has ignored me since she was little, not even knowing I'm her mother. Sometimes she shouts and screams, repeatedly opening and closing doors... Some superstitious neighbors say she's possessed by ghosts. We've tried everything, but she always seems to live in her own world. I was hoping the burden would lighten when my son grew up, but I never imagined he would leave me too."
Based on Xie Yuyin's description, Shen Zhenzhu concluded that her daughter likely had autism. Clues about Jiang Han were scarce, and Shen Zhenzhu asked several more questions, but still received no effective answers.
Xie Yuyin rushed away from the Criminal Investigation Brigade and returned to the homeowner's house, where Shen Zhenzhu and Xiaobai recounted their conversation.
"I think we should still go to No. 19 Middle School. The way parents see their children may not be the same as how teachers and classmates see them." Xiaobai packed pens and notebooks into the cloth bag, and then squatted in front of the food cabinet to stuff in some King of Kings bread and some other snacks.
"No. 19 Middle School isn't far away, is it really necessary to bring all this over?" Zhao Qiqi and Lu Ye were working on a hit-and-run case involving a knife attack and were waiting for the fingerprint results.
Xiao Bai said, "You have no idea how abnormal the school management is now. I get anxious just from taking a peek inside, and when I get anxious, I want to eat."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Come with me to No. 19 Middle School first, and then we'll ask about the situation near Jiang Han's house."
Wu Zhongguo raised his hand and said, "The injury assessment results from Qiangfeng Restaurant are out. The fracture of the pockmarked face constitutes a level two minor injury."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Uncle Wu, let's run this route. We're leaving now. We won't be back after get off work."
Wu Zhongguo said, "Okay, I'll think about how to negotiate. Let's not let them get me into trouble." After sitting down, he suddenly stood up again: "Has the investigation into how the teeth appeared been completed?"
As Chen Zhenzhu was leaving, she said, "No, several factories have submitted their inspection reports, and we haven't found any problems yet."
Wu Zhongguo said, "Isn't this like finding a needle in a haystack?"
Shen Zhenzhu said optimistically, "No matter what, it's good that their identity is confirmed. If I have time later, I'll go to their factory and take a look. There's no way I won't find any problems."
Lu Ye couldn't help but say, "You seem to want to split yourself into eight pieces. Look how busy you are."
Little White called out from behind, "Sister Pearl, you still have me! Six petals are enough."
Wu Zhongguo chuckled as he said to Lu Ye, "She even knows to take a smaller cut for herself."
Shen Zhenzhu and Xiaobai went to No. 19 Middle School first. When they met Jiang Han's classmates, their evaluation of Jiang Han was: taciturn, good at basketball, poor, and wanted to work.
The homeroom teacher's evaluation of Jiang Han was even more direct: "Never late, never absent, never noisy, and never failing—a major concern."
Jiang Han's family didn't own a house. The original tenement house was lost by his gambling father. Before he disappeared, he lived with his mother and sister in his aunt's garage.
Neighbors in the community describe Jiang Han as hardworking, quiet, and healthy. He's so sensible it's heartbreaking.
After visiting around the area, it was already afternoon when we entered Aunt Jianghan's shop. There weren't many customers inside.
A plain-looking middle-aged woman is inspecting the live fish in a tank at a hot pot restaurant that specializes in unique fish slices.
"You came here for Jianghan?" Jianghan's aunt scooped out the fish that had turned white, told the waiter to take it to the kitchen, wiped her hands, and said, "Please sit down and chat, comrades. Have you eaten?"
Xiao Bai ate a bellyful of King of Kings and bread, and although he wanted to try fish hot pot, he knew it wasn't the right time.
"No need, thank you, Sister Xie," Chen Zhenzhu said politely. "We've investigated the area and have a basic understanding of the situation. We'd like to know if there were any particular circumstances surrounding Jiang Han's disappearance that you remember vividly?"
Sister Xie looks about three or four parts like Xie Yuyin, but she is more voluptuous.
She said in a very friendly manner, "What I remember most vividly is that he had a fight with my sister and said he didn't want to study anymore. For the first time, he disobeyed Yuyin and came to me wanting to go to the south to work and wanted to borrow money to buy a train ticket. I persuaded him all night before I could stop him from thinking about it. Half a month later, he went to school obediently and sometimes even came to help. He seemed no different from usual, except that something was a little strange."
Chen Zhenzhu asked, "What's so strange?"
Sister Xie said, "He seemed a bit absent-minded, and wouldn't say anything when asked."
Chen Zhenzhu asked, "Has anyone else been with him?"
Sister Xie said, "He's always been a loner since he was little and doesn't have many friends. It's not really that strange, it's just that he suddenly started puberty and gained weight, finally getting some flesh on his face. I even joked that he might have been sneaking food in the kitchen, and the next day he didn't come to the store. Thinking that my words had hurt him too much, I went to his house to look for him two days later. There was a doctor at home giving him an IV drip, and that's when I realized that my words had upset him, and he had developed a high fever at home. After he recovered, he disappeared. This all happened this month."
Shen Zhenzhu carefully examined the details in her words and asked again, "He said he was going to work in the south, but he didn't mention anything like that again?"
Sister Xie shook her head.
Chen Zhenzhu then asked, "I heard his sister isn't in good health. How is he? Is he still taking medication?"
Sister Xie said, "His health is exceptionally good; he can even beat older students when playing ball. Apart from that one time he had a fever, he's basically never been sick."
Just then, the male waiter who was handing fish to the kitchen poked his head out eagerly, but Chen Zhenzhu noticed him and called him over: "Comrade, do you have anything to say?"
The male waiter wasn't very old, just turned 18. He scratched his head awkwardly and glanced at the boss's expression.
Sister Xie said, "If you know anything, just say it. What time is it? Why are you still trying to read people's expressions?"
The male waiter didn't take the scolding to heart. Facing the two police officers, he said, "Jiang Han told me there was a way to make money and asked if I wanted to go. I said no, there's no such thing as a free lunch."
Chen Zhenzhu asked, "What else did they say?"
The waiter scratched his head and thought for a moment before saying, "I can't remember anything else, but he said he was going to work and seemed quite happy about it. I've played basketball with him before, and he was willing to talk to me."
The male waiter emphasized his importance in Jiang Han's heart, and seeing Chen Zhenzhu nod in agreement, he said with satisfaction, "He even asked for me, but unfortunately I'm not old enough to go."
Chen Zhenzhu's eyes lit up as she asked, "Did they say where we're going to work?"
The waiter said, "He didn't say anything, he was being secretive, saying he couldn't let too many people know. Good jobs are hard to find these days, and he's young, so I didn't really take it to heart. My boss treats me very well, why would I want to go somewhere else?"
Chen Zhenzhu asked a few more questions about the details, but the male waiter had no further clues.
As Chen Zhenzhu left the hot pot restaurant, she walked to her car. Sister Xie ran out, brought two bottles of cola, put them in the car, and handed them to Xiaobai: "Thank you for coming all this way. Once the child is found, be sure to come to my house for a good meal."
Xiao Bai had no choice but to get out of the car again and return the cola, refusing to accept it no matter how much she pleaded.
As Shen Zhenzhu drove onto the road, Xiao Bai said, "Jiang Han is only 13 years old. Even if he starts school early, he's only in the second year of junior high. Where can he make a fortune?"
Shen Zhenzhu also had this question, including the terrifying state Jiang Han was in before his death. She simply turned around and headed towards the Municipal Children's Hospital.
"Consulting on adolescent psychology and behavior? Are there rare cases?" Xiaobai wholeheartedly agreed with her Pearl Sister's decision, reached for the "Happy High" in the back seat, and examined it closely: "Who gave this to me?"
Given how stingy Shen Zhenzhu is, she would never buy it herself.
Shen Zhenzhu always felt something was off about "Happy High"—a product that became an overnight sensation and suddenly became a top brand of nutritional supplements. It targeted nutritional supplements for teenagers, and Jiang Han's disappearance was also somewhat connected to it.
"It was a gift from Zhang Xiaopang's mother, about the duck neck incident last time." Chen Zhenzhu said simply, "Don't drink it, this stuff might not be good."
"Even if you offered me a drink, I wouldn't drink it." Xiaobai looked at the beautifully packaged "Happy High" and put it back. "I think it's all just marketing hype. Its nutritional content might not even be as good as an egg."
When we arrived at the children's hospital, it was rush hour and the spring flu season was in full swing, so there were many patients and their parents at the entrance.
Chen Zhenzhu could only find a place to park temporarily, leave Xiaobai in the car, and run to the pediatric department herself.
Passing by the shops along the street, every store displayed expensive "Happy Go" toys. It seemed like almost everyone visiting the children carried one.
"Adolescent hormone levels?" Upon seeing Shen Zhenzhu's identification, the head of internal medicine's attitude softened considerably. He closed the door, asked the family members outside to wait five minutes, and quickly said, "Comrade, how would you like me to help you?"
Shen Zhenzhu said to the gray-haired, serious-looking old expert, "It's like this, I have a 13-year-old victim. He has developed a mandibular enlargement, tumor growth, characteristic facial changes, and enlarged finger joints. Is this caused by hormones?"
The old director took off his glasses, pinched the bridge of his nose, and frowned, saying, "Internal hormones cannot achieve this effect; it's more of an exogenous injection. Do you have a disease that requires hormone medication? Have you taken a large amount of hormones for some reason?"
Shen Zhenzhu said, "I have never been sick and am in very good health."
The old doctor said with a serious expression, "Patients taking hormone medications will develop a unique 'hormone face.' But the situation you described is serious; it looks more like deliberate damage to the child's body. Bone deformities can lead to blood sugar disorders and high blood pressure. The heart will also be overburdened, and the endocrine system will be permanently disrupted, potentially leading to lifelong infertility."
"Okay, thank you, Director." Chen Zhenzhu received the test results, walked to the door, turned the handle, and asked again, "What symptoms might occur in the early stages of taking hormone medication?"
“There may be some physical symptoms, such as joint pain, blurred vision, headaches, etc.” The old director stood up and came to Chen Zhenzhu’s side: “To turn a child into this kind of person is either utterly ignorant or utterly heartless. Anyone who understands medical ethics knows that this is murdering a child’s future.”
"Thank you again, this is very important to the case."
"This is my business card. If you need further explanation or help that boy, please contact me and I will fully cooperate."
A kind old man pushed open the door, where a long queue of doctors waited. Parents, with their children in tow, looked expectantly at the numbers in their hands, hoping for a quick diagnosis for their sick children, placing their children's future in the hands of professional medical staff.
Shen Zhenzhu left the corridor and glanced back. People had already entered the examination room. She knew the old director wouldn't let them down. He was a kind and professional doctor.
Running outside, Chen Zhenzhu saw Xiaobai standing outside the car explaining to the traffic police why she had parked like that.
Shen Zhenzhu quickly ran over, opened the driver's seat, and said, "Comrade, temporary parking... five minutes, I'll drive away immediately."
The traffic policeman glanced at the license plate, then at Chen Zhenzhu, and said, "On a case?"
Shen Zhenzhu nodded: "Yes."
He waved his hand: "Let's go, this is the last time."
Once in the car, Xiaobai muttered, "Did Grandpa Guo not register our car with the traffic police? My mouth is dry from explaining."
Looking in the rearview mirror at the entrance of the children's hospital, Shen Zhenzhu said, "Two-wheeled, three-wheeled, four-wheeled cars are all parking here, making things difficult for them. Let's go back and have a meal first, and then discuss the case."
"That's fine," Xiaobai said. "I haven't seen Dongbao in a long time, I miss him."
After a busy day, I returned to Tiesi New Second Street.
"The couple sold their barbershop and opened a marriage agency. They even go door-to-door asking around if anyone in the neighborhood has unmarried young people and offer free introductions." Hu Die sat by the door outside the shop, a large basin for picking vegetables between her legs, engrossed in picking vegetables.
Behind them, in the kitchen, Xiao Li was putting all his effort into tossing the wok; the couple worked together and the work wasn't tiring.
"You two are so handsome, and it's obvious you're not married yet." The middle-aged woman with a red headscarf handed each of them a flyer: "I'll introduce you to some high-quality young men for free, even better than the market standards. I guarantee you won't find one on your own."
The brightly colored flyers were printed with the slogan "Red Rose Marriage Agency": providing services only for high-quality unmarried young men and women.
The older woman in the red headscarf thought the two women were quite attractive. They were dressed simply and decently, exuded righteousness, and had excellent figures and temperaments. One had a fair and rosy face, while the other was plump and well-proportioned. They were both very likable.
"Come, come, come and take a look." The woman in the red headscarf pulled them into her shop. The barbershop at the end of the commercial street was now covered with banners and conditions for unmarried young men and women: "It would be even better if you had a formal job. Auntie will introduce you to excellent men for free."
Many neighbors came to see what was going on, including Yuan Jiangxue: "'Wedding market evaluation criteria': age, height, income, property..."
Shen Zhenzhu looked up and glanced at it a few times, then said speechlessly, "They even wrote down their parents' income and assets, but they didn't mention their feelings at all."
The woman in the red headscarf squeezed next to Shen Zhenzhu, insisting that Shen Zhenzhu join the matchmaking agency. She said loudly, "Things are different now than before. You need to have high standards when looking for a partner so that you can have a high standard of living in the future, and your children can also have a high standard of living. In the long run, won't things get better for the family?"
Yesterday, Shen Zhenzhu thought Shen Liuhe was lying to her. But when she looked closely at the men's criteria for choosing a partner, she found that the minimum height was over 165 cm, and they wouldn't even consider anyone who was 160 cm tall.
However, the minimum height requirement for a partner for lesbians is 178cm or taller.
The woman in the red headscarf said, "Those who don't meet the height requirement can't even get through the door here; they're considered level three disabled."
Shen Zhenzhu politely said, "Auntie, I already have a boyfriend, so let's not talk about it."
The woman in the red headscarf retorted, "Can your partner meet their high standards? Don't let yourself be blinded by greed; once things are done, it'll be too late."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "My partner is an outstanding man, one in a million. In my heart, there is no one more outstanding than him."
Xiao Bai's lips twitched, and under the gaze of the woman in the red headscarf, she had no choice but to nod: "I admit it."
The woman in the red headscarf then asked Xiaobai, "And you? Have you found a boyfriend yet?"
Xiao Bai said, "Being cunning, lazy, greedy, and slippery is my nature, and being idle is my hobby. Sometimes I work in nightclubs, and sometimes I work overtime at casinos. Are you sure you want to introduce me to someone? I'd love to!"
The woman in the red headscarf said with a look of disdain, "I guess I misjudged you, but don't rush off. There are a few decent young men here, would you like them?"
Xiao Bai said, "Ha, people are even divided into different classes."
The woman in the red headscarf said, "Haven't people always been divided into different classes?"
Shen Zhenzhu asked softly, "Then, what rank do you consider yourself to be?"
The woman in the red headscarf hesitated for a moment and then said, "No need for my introduction."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Measure matters of the heart with feelings; otherwise, you're just creating anxiety."
The woman in the red headscarf said, "This is the standard in the market. If you don't believe me, go and see for yourself at other matchmaking agencies. If you don't want to make any introductions, leave now and don't delay my business."
"Doing business? You're not a pimp, how many people can meet these conditions?" Yuan Jiangxue said sarcastically while cracking sunflower seeds. "At this rate, ordinary people like us can forget about getting married and better respond to the national call for later marriage and childbirth."
Amidst the laughter of the crowd, Chen Zhenzhu and Xiaobai left the matchmaking agency. The others also felt it wasn't very interesting and returned to their own shops to keep busy.
With the case on her mind, Shen Zhenzhu ordered a bowl of soy sauce fried rice, ate a few bites, and wrote down the clues she had gathered so far on a piece of paper.
Before we could even begin the analysis, a noisy group of teenagers came from outside the door. Some of them were still wearing their dance costumes under their coats.
Little Fatty led the way, pushing open the door and shouting, "Twelve people!" He proudly introduced to Su Mei'an behind him, "This is Sister Pearl's shop. The duck necks they love to eat come from here."
Su Mei'an wrapped herself in her coat, glanced around the shop a few times, and found an inconspicuous corner to sit down.
The other students were chattering away and had taken off their coats, but Su Mei'an was still wearing her overcoat.
Shen Zhenzhu noticed her odd behavior, took the tableware and delivered it to the children's table, then handed it around to Su Mei'an.
Su Mei'an said softly, "Thank you," and glanced up at Chen Zhenzhu.
Shen Zhenzhu immediately noticed that Su Mei'an had changed; her face, which had been so thin that it looked like skin and bones, had become slightly plumper.
Today, in order to invite Su Mei'an to dinner, Zhang Xiaopang gritted his teeth and invited all the other classmates.
He chose a few of his favorite dishes, and sure enough, the other students liked them too.
When the atmosphere became lively, Su Meian sat quietly in a corner, not eating anything.
The store was warm, and she sweated quite a bit. She quietly took off her coat, revealing her slightly plump figure.
While others did not notice her changes, Chen Zhenzhu did; Su Mei'an had developed the horrific features of hormone-induced facial dermatitis.
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Author's note: Zhang Xiaopang: Delicious, delicious, really delicious.
***
See you tomorrow, there's a red envelope coming! [Let me see]
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