Chapter 44 The Centipede Searching for the Oriole
Niu Jun returned from the police station, where his sister and brother-in-law picked him up at the station.
On the rural bus, Niu Jun was sullen. There were many farmers on the bus pulling chicken coops and carrying loads on shoulder poles, and the smell inside the bus was unusual.
Niu Jun couldn't stand the crowds halfway there, and his father wanted him to visit his blind date's house, so they decided to go to the Daheishan Cherry Orchard to get some drinks and snacks.
The job at the cherry orchard was also found with the help of her family. She was a different grower from the deceased Yang Yishu, but was also a relative of the Niu family.
“If that incident hadn’t happened last year, I would have been a cadre long ago, and I wouldn’t need to carry things for other people’s families. The woman’s family would have begged me to come to their house long ago.”
Niu Jun had been featured on the bulletin board last year, asking Secretary Zhang to let him become a village cadre. He even spent money to pull strings, but at the crucial moment during the public announcement period, he got into trouble while drinking and injured someone. Secretary Zhang immediately removed him from his post, barring him from becoming a cadre.
Now thirty-six, his family is trying to find him a wife everywhere. The girls from good families in the village avoid him like the plague, and the girls from other villages, who have higher dowries, also inquire about his situation, knowing that there must be something wrong with an old bachelor of his age who is still unmarried.
Everyone knows that he and his large group of relatives and friends, no matter how well-presented they are, are all bad-tempered and prone to fighting. They're all quick to run away, and nobody wants to have an in-law relationship with such a family. If a daughter marries into such a family, not only will the daughter be bullied, but the family itself will be bullied for life.
Niu Jun's father found a woman who had been married once and had a child from a previous marriage. Niu Jun complained, but he had actually seen her picture. In the photo, she looked gentle and virtuous, and seemed like a good homemaker. The child didn't matter; he could take care of him, and if he was obedient, he would raise him; if he was disobedient, he would find a way to make him obedient.
Niu Jun was dissatisfied with the woman's family's high-handed attitude. He stood at the station, grumbling and carrying drinks and gifts, waiting for the bus.
A few muffled claps of thunder sounded in the sky, and he felt inexplicably irritable. He heard some noises behind his head and looked up suddenly, and the hairs on his body stood on end!
Several huge rocks rolled down from the cliff behind him, heading straight for where he was standing!
Niu Jun couldn't dodge in time and fell. His ankle was crushed by a rock half his height. With his howl, one rock after another rolled down.
If his brother-in-law hadn't risked his life to rush over and pull him out, he would surely have been buried in the pile of stones!
After Niu Jun was taken to the hospital, he was found to have suffered a comminuted fracture of his ankle, which will likely leave him with long-term effects. Simply put, he will be lame for the rest of his life.
Upon hearing this, the future father-in-law broke off the engagement without saying a word. The Niu family wanted to argue with them, but the future father-in-law's family was not to be trifled with; they were a local bully. He had ruined his daughter's previous marriage.
The two families couldn't part amicably, so they did.
Niu Jun recalled, "I saw a tractor pass by. Both men from the Gao family can drive tractors! They not only want me to be unable to find a wife, but they also want my life!"
The Niu family gathered the other three families working at the construction site, intending to settle scores and seek revenge. They all agreed to go to Gao Baoting's house to find out what was going on, with Zhu Xiaoping being the most enthusiastic among them!
The county clinic contacted the police station, and Chief Zhou immediately informed Shen Zhenzhu and Gu Yanzheng.
They were all in the county town, not far from Gao Baoting's house. Gu Yanzheng was about to step on the gas when he finally stopped them two stops away from the feed mill dormitory.
A car led the procession, followed by a truck. The truck carried various farm tools belonging to the Ma, Yang, Niu, and Zhu families.
"Are you just going to stand by and watch me get killed?!" Trembling with fear, Zhu Xiaoping dared not get out of the car. He shouted through the crack in the window, "I have to settle this today. Niu Jun is crippled, and I'm next!"
Chen Zhenzhu stood next to Gu Yanzheng, her palm resting on her gun, ready to draw it at any moment: "I can tell you clearly, Gao Baoting's family is not the murderer! You should turn back immediately!"
Gu Yanzheng understood that if they couldn't stop it, it would become another case of collective violence. They had buried the previous wrongful conviction until now, and now they wanted to repeat the same trick!
People on the truck kept shouting at the back. When they saw that there were only seven or eight people blocking the truck, one or two of them looked like desperate criminals, shouting: "The law does not punish the masses, so go ahead and shoot if you dare! If you don't shoot, we'll kill you right now!"
When someone takes the lead, others will dare to act.
A dozen or so people jumped out of the car, armed with weapons and eager to try their luck, intending to harm law enforcement officers in broad daylight on the roadside!
Faced with such a mob, Gu Yanzheng gave the order: "Fire warning shots!"
Shen Zhenzhu pulled out her pistol, fired a shot into the air, and shouted, "First warning!"
Upon hearing the gunshots, the locals on the roadside fled in droves, no longer having time to watch the spectacle.
Shops along the street are closing down, and cars waiting at traffic lights are skipping them altogether, speeding through red lights rather than getting caught up in violence, even if it means getting fined.
Zhu Xiaoping was completely dumbfounded; he had no idea that the pretty female police officer could actually fire a gun!
Faced with the eager mob, Chen Zhenzhu fired a second shot: "Put down your weapons immediately, this is the second warning!"
Zhu Xiaoping instigated them to take action, but he himself hid in the car, too afraid to get out. He looked out of the car timidly, incredulous that the group had actually been intimidated by the two city police officers.
He rolled down the car window, about to speak, when a dark tube appeared outside the window and pointed at him: "Turn around and leave immediately."
Gu Yanzheng was surrounded by a murderous aura, ready to fire at any moment.
"My dad is Zhu Junli! How dare you—ah, no, don't shoot!" Zhu Xiaoping's voice changed when he saw Gu Yanzheng's fingertip move the trigger.
Gu Yanzheng repeated himself: "Let them leave!"
Helpless, Zhu Xiaoping got out of the car, his face pale, and said, "Forget it, everyone stop fighting. For my sake, go back to work. Let's give the police some more time. They're protecting the Gao family, what can I do?"
Shen Zhenzhu sized up the farm tools in their hands and realized that they must have come directly from Boss Shen's place. They had a car and tools, and they were swaggering around like gangsters.
Shen Zhenzhu didn't fire the third shot because Zhu Xiaoping's Han Xianwang (a type of mobile phone) lit up. He looked down at it and said in a panic, "Hurry up, Boss Shen is coming to the construction site to inspect the work. If we're not here, we're doomed!"
Not only is he finished, but his father will also be implicated! If he gets fired by President Shen, their whole family will starve!
Zhu Xiaoping hurriedly directed the vehicles and rioters to leave, while Shen Zhenzhu slowly put away her gun, suddenly feeling a heavy weight on her shoulder.
Gu Yanzheng placed his large hand on her shoulder and praised, "Good control of the situation, calm under pressure."
Watching their departing figures, Shen Zhenzhu said unhappily, "Is this all? Do they really think the law doesn't punish everyone?"
Gu Yanzheng said, "Let's finish handling the case first. I will then contact the county government leaders through the municipal bureau to handle the matter."
With that said, Chen Zhenzhu felt relieved.
In the early 1990s, incidents of mob violence were not uncommon, but they gradually decreased under the joint crackdown by the government, public security and military departments.
Gao Baoting's older brother squeezed through the crowd, his face grim: "Comrade, what if they come again?"
He arrived at the scene just now, but he didn't dare to come out, knowing that if he showed up, he would probably be lying on the ground unable to move.
Gu Yanzheng looked at Chen Zhenzhu: "You make the arrangements."
At the scene, Shen Zhenzhu called on three police officers, including Tu Dali, and instructed them: "Take their family to a safe place for protection, and don't let them move around unnecessarily until the case is solved."
Before Shen Zhenzhu could finish making the arrangements, Gao Baoting's older brother said, "Thank you, comrade. We will definitely wait patiently for the day the case is solved!"
Gu Yanzheng said from the side, "Don't worry, it won't be long."
Shen Zhenzhu realized that Captain Gu had quite a lot of confidence in her.
"Brother Gao, there's one more thing that requires your family's cooperation."
By the time I got back to the police station, it was already getting dark. Stray dogs were heading up the mountain in small groups, and sparrows were occasionally chirping under the eaves.
Smoke rises from the kitchen of the farmhouse, a scene of tranquility.
Shen Zhenzhu waited for the portrait expert who came down from the city, and sat in the office with him to paint the portrait.
Gao Baoting's father, Gao Guijiang, was brought over. Facing the portrait expert and Shen Zhenzhu, he nervously said, "Is it enough for me to describe it? So many years have passed, what if I remember something wrong?"
Zhao Youchao vaguely guessed the truth of the matter and said with a worried look, "I'm still here, how could I be wrong? With the two of us together, it should be pretty much the truth."
The portrait artist wanted the two to describe the figures separately to avoid interfering with each other, so the older Zhao Youchao went first.
He sat across the table, looking like a subordinate being examined by his boss, sighing and saying, "If only I had known back then—"
Shen Zhenzhu interrupted him, saying, "You couldn't have imagined it would turn out like this back then. Let's find the person first."
"Okay, I'll cooperate." Zhao Youchao knew that finding a murderer who had been hiding for twenty years was like finding a needle in a haystack.
"Isn't Captain Gu participating?" The portrait artist knew Gu Yanzheng and was surprised to see Shen Zhenzhu alone inside, while Gu Yanzheng had become a hands-off manager.
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Team Leader Gu has important business to discuss with the bureau and the county government."
The portrait artist nodded, preparing for his work and waiting for Chen Zhenzhu to ask her questions.
In front of the portrait artist, Zhao Youchao remained calm. When Shen Zhenzhu asked, "The suspect is said to have been a wanderer for a long time. Can you remember the color of his hair?"
Zhao Youchao said, "I couldn't tell what color it was. It was dirty and greasy when I draped it over my shoulders."
Chen Zhenzhu asked, "What about your face shape? Square or round?"
Zhao Youchao couldn't quite remember. The homeless man was too filthy to be looked at properly, and later, after being beaten so badly he was barely recognizable, he couldn't remember his face at all. He hesitated and said, "I don't remember very well..."
Seeing the appearance in the third eye, Shen Zhenzhu secretly guided him, saying, "His beard was very long at the time. If it was triangular, he probably had a square face. If it was round, he probably had a horizontal beard."
Zhao Youchao immediately said, "He has a square face and a full beard."
The portrait artist quickly sketched out the approximate outline.
Shen Zhenzhu asked again, "You saved him back then and even wiped his face and tended to his wounds. Do you remember where he was injured on his face?"
Zhao Youchao said, "I remember, you could see the teeth if you went any deeper into the left side of my face! It was really scary."
Chen Zhenzhu asked, "How long is it?"
As it turned out, Zhao Youchao's gesture was incorrect; it was shorter than the actual length.
Shen Zhenzhu prompted again, "You said you could see the teeth. Based on this distance, shouldn't it be from the outer corner of the eye to the lips?"
After hesitating for a long time, Zhao Youchao solemnly said, "Yes, I remembered wrong. His injury was as big as half of his face."
The portrait artist redrawn it for him: "Like this?"
Zhao Youchao nodded: "That's right."
Shen Zhenzhu was surprised to find out the origin of the "centipede scar" so quickly. She turned to the portrait artist and said, "Twenty years have passed. If he were alive, he must have received treatment. How about we temporarily paint this wound as a centipede scar?"
The portrait artist agreed, saying, "In the past, medical cosmetic techniques were not advanced, so centipede scars were very likely to appear, and they were basically just hastily stitched up."
Having obtained the crucial information, Shen Zhenzhu breathed a sigh of relief. Such easily recognizable facial features would not disappear from his face no matter how many years passed, unless he peeled off his own skin.
After Gao Guijiang finished sketching Zhao Youchao's portrait, he went into the office.
Gao Guijiang could not find any other useful information in his memory, but with occasional guidance from Shen Zhenzhu, he managed to determine the appearance of the homeless man with great difficulty.
Before leaving, Gao Guijiang said to Shen Zhenzhu, "I've said too much today, and it doesn't feel quite the same as I remember."
Shen Zhenzhu knew that twenty years had passed, and people's appearances would definitely change, let alone suspects who had escaped from great disasters.
"It's alright, we have another portrait to check. Just relax and wait for news," Chen Zhenzhu comforted her.
Shen Zhenzhu held the final portrait that the portrait artist had prepared, which was exactly the same as the profile she had seen.
Section Chief Shen, you are truly outstanding.
Shen Zhenzhu secretly cheered herself on.
She looked out the window and saw Gu Yanzheng walking towards his office after finishing a phone call. The portrait artist offered him a cigarette, which he waved off, asking, "How was it?"
The portrait artist, in his thirties, patted his chest and said, "I'm here, how could I not be able to paint it?"
Chen Zhenzhu was chuckling as she leaned against the windowsill. When she saw that Gu Yanzheng had spotted her, she quickly called out, "Brother Zheng, you can start looking for people now!"
Gu Yanzheng was prepared for a tough battle. The suspect was able to kill two people silently and even tried to kill Niu Jun in broad daylight. Even if it was for revenge, he was definitely a vicious criminal.
He strode to the window, took the portrait from Chen Zhenzhu, and was about to speak when his pupils suddenly contracted, and he said in a short, curt voice, "It's him!"
Shen Zhenzhu quickly asked, "Have you seen the suspect?" Her words startled Zhou and the others, and everyone looked at Gu Yanzheng.
"It's Boss Shen." Gu Yanzheng took out his car keys and said quickly, "Arrest him immediately. So he's the homeless man from back then. I saw him at the recruitment site in Fujia Village; he was only hiring strong laborers from the Ma, Yang, Niu, and Zhu families!"
This was undoubtedly a bolt from the blue!
Everyone present was stunned.
Shen Zhenzhu almost choked on her breath and quickly ran towards the Cherokee: "He knows that the troublemakers went to Gao Baoting's house, so he deliberately said he wanted to inspect the construction site?"
"Yes, it's to stop them from harming Gao Baoting," Gu Yanzheng said quickly. "If it were just an inspection of the scene, that would be one thing, but knowing we're about to find him, he'll probably speed up his murder plan!"
Shen Zhenzhu immediately thought of Zhu Xiaoping: "Zhu Xiaoping has walked right into the trap!"
"What... what should we do? Leaders, our county can't afford any more murders!" Chief Zhou followed behind, disregarding his dignity, just hoping to prevent another death!
"Deploy manpower for the arrest." Shen Zhenzhu ran into the car and anxiously instructed the police station personnel: "Block the back gate of the construction site! Also, to prevent him from escaping into the mountains, immediately request reinforcements from higher-ups, apply to block the only roads leading up and down the mountain, and distribute sketches."
"Okay!" Zhou hesitated for a moment, then said, "He wouldn't have a weapon, would he?"
Shen Zhenzhu said seriously in the passenger seat: "It is very likely that the suspect is no longer the homeless man he used to be, but has transformed into Boss Shen. It is impossible for him not to have a weapon by his side. All comrades involved in the arrest, please pay attention to safety!"
The Cherokee headed towards Black Mountain, the place where General Shen was "killed" years ago. Shen Zhenzhu knew that Black Mountain was the beginning of everything and would soon become Zhu Xiaoping's end.
"I'm worried that there might be a deeper reason behind his deliberate choice of Daheishan as the development site." Shen Zhenzhu pursed her lips tightly, a bad feeling rising in her heart. It was as if danger was leisurely waiting for them to arrive.
Gu Yanzheng gripped the steering wheel tightly and agreed, "Be extra careful, we must stop him."
As they approached Daheishan, the police station's old van drove up the mountain via another side road. Shen Zhenzhu and Gu Yanzheng, along with three other comrades, headed towards the construction site via a dirt road that was still under construction.
Unexpectedly, it seemed that President Shen knew they were coming. His usual car was not at the construction site. When asked, no one else present knew where he had gone.
Chen Zhenzhu got out of the car and searched around the construction site. She ran into Zhou, who was coming in through the back door, and asked him, "Have you seen Zhu Xiaoping?"
Zhou was stunned for a moment and said, "No! President Shen really took him away?!"
Gu Yanzheng dragged a young man over with one hand. He was one of the men who had been shouting on the truck that afternoon. The young man had a bloody head and was covered in dust. He groaned and said, "President Shen hit me with his car... I need to go to the hospital!"
Shen Zhenzhu quickly stepped forward and asked, "Where did Zhu Xiaoping go?!"
The man pointed behind him and said, "He left with President Shen. I don't know if he's going to be reincarnated, but he almost ran me over!"
Enraged, Zhou shouted, "Why didn't I just run you over and kill you!"
There were many people at the construction site whom I had seen in the afternoon. When they saw them coming with guns, they didn't know what was going on and thought they were there to cause trouble, so they stood around at a distance with their weapons.
“I asked the workers, and everyone is here today,” Gu Yanzheng said to Shen Zhenzhu. “President Shen must have left instructions for them to stay here.”
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Yes, he must have had other purposes besides killing Zhu Xiaoping."
The project manager's office is a temporary two-story building constructed of steel.
Shen Zhenzhu went to the manager's office on the second floor. Passing by other offices, she saw that they were all still working normally. There were more than a hundred people from Ma Yang Niu Zhu's group. They were strictly managed here and did not show any signs of being hooligans. They followed the lead of the people they had "murdered" in the past.
The more Shen Zhenzhu thought about it, the more suspicious she became. President Shen couldn't have gathered them all here just to provide them with jobs. Logically, he should hate them to death!
die?
When Shen Zhenzhu entered the office, she immediately saw Zhu Xiaoping's father lying in a pool of blood, barely alive.
"Help..."
Shen Zhenzhu didn't see the Heavenly Eye, confirming that he wasn't dead. Just as she was about to leave to call for help, she noticed that his hand was tightly clenching something.
"Brother Zheng, something's up!" Shen Zhenzhu shouted as she ran into the corridor.
After Gu Yanzheng contacted reinforcements, everyone hurriedly searched the mountain and also gave out the license plate number, car model, and color of President Shen's car.
Gu Yanzheng rushed over immediately: "What happened?"
He walked into Old Zhu's office, his brows furrowed, sensing something amiss.
Shen Zhenzhu couldn't pry Old Zhu's hand open: "Brother Zheng, he has something in his hand, I can't pry it open."
Gu Yanzheng quickly came over, squatted down, and grabbed Lao Zhu's wrist as he struggled to his death: "Break it."
Shen Zhenzhu used all her strength to pry open Lao Zhu's hand and found a handful of powder.
Gu Yanzheng's expression suddenly changed.
Shen Zhenzhu pinched a small amount in her palm, lowered her head to smell it, and her expression changed drastically. Her worst guess had come true: "It's gunpowder!"
Now we finally know why the suspect suddenly called back all the able-bodied laborers working for the Ma, Yang, Niu, and Zhu families. He wanted to blow up all his enemies in one fell swoop!
Zhu Xiaoping's father must have learned the truth through clues: President Shen did not really want to carry out development, but rather used the guise of development to intend to kill everyone in the Ma, Yang, Niu, and Zhu families!
In an attempt to stop him from taking Zhu Xiaoping away, he was seriously injured and left lying on the ground.
"Director Zhou, quickly arrange for the villagers to evacuate to safety!" Fu Village is located at the foot of Daheishan Mountain. If an explosion causes a landslide, Fu Village will be completely buried.
Shen Zhenzhu quickly ran out of the construction site office and stood on the second floor, shouting to Zhou Shuo: "Mobilize all resources to immediately evacuate everyone here, including everyone in the villages down the mountain!"
Gu Yanzheng immediately picked up the phone and notified the professional bomb disposal personnel to come over!
The situation has escalated into a catastrophic explosion that endangers public safety; the matter is serious and requires immediate attention.
Shen Zhenzhu's face tightened as she stood in the crowd and issued an urgent order: "Everyone, stay calm and follow orders! Report any sightings of the suspect immediately."
"The patrol house on Dujuan Mountain, five kilometers away, can serve as the command post; there's a telephone line inside." Gu Yanzheng put down his mobile phone and drove there.
Upon arriving at the temporary command post, a call came quickly from my superiors.
Involving thousands of lives, it was impossible for a deputy section chief like her to command everything. In the end, she and Gu Yanzheng discussed and made decisions, and the actions were approved by the leaders of the Municipal Bureau.
At dawn, as the sky began to lighten, wild birds in the mountains took flight in fright. The voice of the mine-clearing team came through the walkie-talkie: "Two more explosive charges have been discovered and have been dealt with."
Daheishan Mountain is 350 meters above sea level, with a continuous mountain range that embraces villages such as Fujia Village.
"All the villagers of Fujia Village have been evacuated."
"The villagers of Liujiacun and Zhangjiatun are being evacuated."
"Report, we don't have enough bomb disposal personnel, we urgently need more—"
In the temporary command post, Shen Zhenzhu put down the phone and discussed with Gu Yanzheng: "The county party committee office called, and two more veterans came over to volunteer to join the bomb disposal team. People from the county government are coming over immediately to fully cooperate with our work."
Gu Yanzheng pointed at the map on the desktop and said, "Based on the location of the suspect's buried explosives, I suspect there are still explosives in these two places."
Shen Zhenzhu looked down at the topographic map of Daheishan. The places marked by Gu Yanzheng were dangerous and hard to find, requiring not only bomb disposal personnel but also climbing and heavy-duty capabilities.
"Director Liu said he's already sent people down, including veterans..." Shen Zhenzhu looked at him: "Brother Zheng—"
Gu Yanzheng sat in the chair, bent over to tighten his shoelaces, revealing his well-built waist.
After tying his shoelaces, he took off his gray jacket and draped it over the back of Shen Zhenzhu's chair. His expression was serious and left no room for refusal. He said, "The suspect won't wait for them to arrive in a few hours. He will definitely detonate it in advance. I have participated in bomb disposal training and have bomb disposal experience. I'll leave the on-site command to you. If you're unsure, communicate with Director Liu in time. The leaders have already met and will hold a conference call at any time. I won't be here, so please explain things to me then."
"Brother Zheng." Chen Zhenzhu didn't know what else to say besides this. Her dimples were now covered by a fine sheen of sweat from nervousness, and she gripped the back of the chair tightly to support her tired body.
"Someone has already spotted Mr. Shen's vehicle on the northwest mountainside of Daheishan. He must be hiding somewhere in Daheishan. If he detonates the explosives, even just a small portion, it will cause casualties and losses to the people."
Gu Yanzheng had no choice but to go when the time came; he was the most suitable candidate.
Gu Yanzheng looked at the scattered flashlights and car lights in the distance, and the mottled lights of various search efforts. He turned his head and noticed the worry in Shen Zhenzhu's eyes. He solemnly shook hands with Shen Zhenzhu: "Deputy Captain Shen, I believe you can hold this place. Please believe me too. We came here together, and we will go home together."
Gu Yanzheng's unyielding spirit beneath his skin filled Shen Zhenzhu with awe. Suppressing her personal emotions, she left him with a firm message: "Captain Gu, be careful. I'll be waiting for you to come back!"
There was a bomb disposal operation needed on the mountain. Tu Dali rushed over from the county town after hearing the news, insisting on going up the mountain with Gu Yanzheng: "Director Gu, this is also my hometown! I served in the army, I'm not afraid to die!"
Shen Zhenzhu didn't speak, but stood quietly at the entrance of the command center watching Gu Yanzheng make his preparations.
"Do you know what that means?"
"People's Police, to defend the country and protect the people!"
Gu Yanzheng nodded: "Very good, follow orders and prepare to depart."
Gu Yanzheng left without looking back. Shen Zhenzhu watched his retreating figure, her hands clenched into fists.
Many people at the scene knew that Gu Yanzheng was going to defuse bombs. In their eyes, defusing bombs on the mountain without equipment was tantamount to suicide.
"That place is full of detonators," a bomb disposal expert who had just come down the mountain said timidly. "They're huge. If they were detonated all at once, Daheishan Mountain would be razed to the ground. We need to get more people. There are still several fixed explosive charges that need to be checked. It's a level one danger!"
Zhou swallowed nervously and looked at Chen Zhenzhu: "Will Director Gu be alright?"
Shen Zhenzhu said firmly, "No, he will be fine."
She turned and went back to the command center, taking a deep breath. There was no time to calm down here; the phone rang constantly, and leaders from all sides were watching this catastrophe closely.
Ring ring.
Ring ring.
After listening to the phone for a while, Zhou excitedly said, "The tracking dog has detected the suspect's scent! We are currently determining the direction of departure!"
"Great!" Shen Zhenzhu perked up and quickly walked to the map to study the route. After working on it for most of the night, she finally got some good news.
The walkie-talkie kept ringing with reports from the search team, and the phone kept ringing. People were asking about the progress of the manhunt, the bomb disposal, and inquiring about Gu Yanzheng's safety.
"Captain Gu will be alright, he will definitely come back." Shen Zhenzhu repeated this sentence countless times.
"Search in this direction. Director Liu has dispatched two helicopters. We'll search all the dangerous areas at high altitudes." She drew the suspect's escape route on the map, then called the city bureau leadership and received confirmation. Shen Zhenzhu immediately ordered the search team to search three kilometers to the north.
As dawn broke outside, Zhou, exhausted from a night of tossing and turning, couldn't help but fall asleep in his chair. A few seconds before he closed his eyes, Shen Zhenzhu stood straight in front of the map under the lamplight, like a bright lamp.
The search area continued to expand outwards. Chen Zhenzhu didn't eat a bite of food, only drank some cold water. Taking advantage of a moment's free time, she walked out of the command post and stared blankly in the direction where Gu Yanzheng had left last night.
Seven hours have passed. At first, there were reports from Gu Yanzheng on the walkie-talkie, but the signal has been cut off for the last two hours, and he has lost contact.
Shen Zhenzhu clutched her wildly beating heart; she knew she couldn't panic at this moment.
"Three bomb disposal sites have been discovered, and information indicates that Captain Gu defused them."
"A hidden detonator belonging to Captain Gu has been discovered and has been stored in an explosion-proof device."
"No trace of Captain Gu..."
No new discoveries—
Two hours later, when the food delivery tricycle stopped in front of her, a deafening explosion suddenly rang in Shen Zhenzhu's ears!
The detonator buried on the west side of Daheishan Mountain was suddenly detonated!
Startled birds and beasts took flight, fallen trees, and burning flames.
Chen Zhenzhu quickly grabbed the map, her vision blurred and her hands trembling. Zhou Suo arrived at some point, took the map, and said, "Let me do it."
Shen Zhenzhu handed him the map and checked the direction of the explosion. She choked up and said, "It's very close to where he disposed of the bomb."
Zhou said in a panic, "That's terrible! Captain Gu went missing around here! He, he—"
Chen Zhenzhu snatched the map and said firmly, "He will come back!"
Zhao Youchao and other veteran police officers from the local police station also rushed over. One of them, without any restraint, blurted out, "Could it be that he failed to defuse the bomb?"
"Shut up!" Shen Zhenzhu snapped at him. After a whole night of worry, her eyes were bloodshot, and her expression was chilling, startling him into quickly apologizing, "I'm sorry, I spoke carelessly... I'm so sorry..."
Zhou told Zhao Youchao to take them somewhere else, to stop them from causing trouble. He, however, stood beside Shen Zhenzhu, his hands trembling, chain-smoking: "How could this happen? How could things have turned out like this!"
Last week he thought the double homicide case was the most difficult case he had ever handled in his life. Now he knows that, when facing vicious criminals, the double homicide case is just a small dish!
That's Mr. Shen! He's going to raze the entire Fujia Village to the ground!
“If Gao Baoting hadn’t been forced to leave Fujia Village, things might still be under control,” Shen Zhenzhu said through gritted teeth. “They had better pray that Gu Yanzheng doesn’t get into trouble!”
"Something's wrong! Tu Dali has been found injured and has been taken to the hospital!" a bomb disposal expert shouted into the walkie-talkie. "We haven't found Captain Gu near the explosion site! But the other five bomb sites were shut down in time, and the only explosion site is far from the village, so there are no casualties yet! Captain Gu is likely in danger, what should we do!"
"He must have cut it off." Shen Zhenzhu pressed the walkie-talkie a few times before pressing the call button: "Don't panic, everyone continue the bomb disposal according to plan. Captain Gu will be fine! Please calm down!"
Inspired by her composure, the other person paused for a few seconds before saying, "I'm sorry, I'll get back to my post right away."
Hearing the crackling of electricity inside, Chen Zhenzhu said, "All bomb disposal personnel, please be careful."
...
“There’s a phone call,” Zhou Suo told Shen Zhenzhu, his lips parted in a slit, as if he had aged twenty years overnight.
Shen Zhenzhu turned and walked towards the command center, picked up the phone and quickly got into work mode.
Knowing he couldn't be of much help, Zhou lit another cigarette and called over a colleague to inquire about the evacuation.
He squatted by the door and waited and waited, smoking three cigarettes in a row, but he didn't hear Chen Zhenzhu speak.
Zhou peeked into the door and saw that the usually composed and capable Section Chief Shen, with his back to him, was wiping his face with his left arm raised, then his right arm raised, before bending down to continue drawing routes in front of the map and arranging the next steps.
Oh, Director Gu, please come back safe and sound!
Zhou lit three cigarettes and bowed towards the place called Daheishan Mountain, showing no trace of his previous criticism of Tu Dali for feudal superstition.
Shen Zhenzhu stood with her back to the door, her heart aching terribly. She kept telling herself, "We came together, so we can go home together. We came together, so we can go home together..."
She tried her best to regain her composure and continue working. In the tense command center, she even cried as she could seize every second.
A dark figure suddenly appeared on the window frame behind her. Shen Zhenzhu heard the other person say, "Who dares to bully my vice-captain while I'm not here?"
"You...you're alright?" Shen Zhenzhu looked up in astonishment, rubbed her eyes, and crashed into Gu Yanzheng's dirty arms like a small missile!
Gu Yanzheng spread his arms and gripped the window frame tightly, almost getting knocked off the window by Chen Zhenzhu. He would be laughed at for that.
The culprit couldn't have any complaints; while gripping the window frame tightly with his fingers, he still had to comfort the other person: "We said we came together and would go home together. Look at you, aren't you being a bit unreasonable? If so, I have to criticize you."
"I was perfectly calm just now." Chen Zhenzhu's voice trembled as she secretly wiped her tears on Gu Yanzheng's clothes, suddenly realizing that the clothes were dirty and torn, as if she had been rolling around in the mountains with wild animals. She stopped her actions in time, her emotions returning to reason, mixed with three parts disgust and seven parts anger: "I don't accept criticism."
Gu Yanzheng looked down at Chen Zhenzhu, who had been crying her eyes out just a second ago, but then turned away with disgust in her arms. He teased his deputy captain, who had narrowly escaped death, "I've only been gone for one night, and you can already refuse the leader's criticism? You even cried after saying a few words?"
Shen Zhenzhu took three steps back and retorted, "I'm not being unreasonable."
Gu Yanzheng chuckled: "So what are you doing?"
Shen Zhenzhu stubbornly insisted: "I was just under too much pressure, and my emotional center lost control and released endorphins. It lasted no more than three minutes and did not affect my work."
"Looks like you've done a good job releasing it, but I'm back now, so a little more time won't hurt." Gu Yanzheng sat down in the chair, covered in dirt, and rubbed his face wearily. "Quickly pour me a glass of water and tell me about the current situation."
Shen Zhenzhu, being a magnanimous person, ran over to pour water for her leader, bringing the warm water to Gu Yanzheng while explaining the situation.
"We should be able to find them soon." Gu Yanzheng breathed a sigh of relief.
Shen Zhenzhu couldn't help but ask, "What happened with the explosion?"
Gu Yanzheng said, "We accidentally discovered a bomb in the mountain stream. After checking the weight, we found that detonating it directly was easier than defusing it."
With a stern face, Chen Zhenzhu demanded, "Where's the walkie-talkie?"
Gu Yanzheng smiled and explained seriously, "Tu Dali fell while climbing the mountain. In order to pull him back, the walkie-talkie was left at the bottom of the cliff. His artery in his arm was almost cut. In order to avoid life-threatening danger, I told him to go to the hospital first. That damn thing, I should have brought you up with me."
He was just grumbling casually, not expecting Shen Zhenzhu to take it seriously: "When I get back, I'll learn bomb disposal too. I'll go with you next time."
Gu Yanzheng stared at her intently, paused for a few seconds, and then poured cold water on her enthusiasm: "You think it's simple? It's not something anyone can learn casually."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Then teach me."
Gu Yanzheng said, "I won't teach."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Teach me!"
Gu Yanzheng said, "I won't teach!"
"Fine, don't teach me then." Shen Zhenzhu turned and left without saying another word.
"Ha, it's only been a few hours, and you've already forgotten who your superior is?" Gu Yanzheng sat imposingly in his chair, watching her retreating figure, and said, "A reprimand, a verbal reprimand."
After repeated reconnaissance by bomb disposal personnel, the danger of the explosion at Daheishan was finally declared over on the evening of the following day.
With nearly 24 hours remaining since the suspect's escape, the command center was growing larger, and finally someone discovered the abandoned car and the unconscious Zhu Xiaoping inside.
Zhu Xiaoping quickly regained consciousness and was unharmed. However, the suspect abandoned the car and fled, proving extremely cunning.
Annoyed beyond measure, Gu Yanzheng didn't want to deal with the calls from all sides, so he personally drove his Cherokee back into the mountains.
Chen Zhenzhu sat in the passenger seat, refusing to get out of the car this time. She lowered her head to check the pistol ammunition, snapped the safety on, and aimed at the crosshair with ferocious intent.
The Cherokee searched the Black Mountain area, but the search team was exhausted and unable to find the suspect despite their extensive search.
As it turns out, there is a destiny at play.
Beep beep beep—
Beep beep beep.
Shen Zhenzhu's pager went off. She picked up Gu Yanzheng's mobile phone and called back. Tu Dali's panicked voice came through: "Section Chief Shen, it's me."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "I know, you've discovered something?"
Gu Yanzheng raised an eyebrow and looked over. Tu Dali's voice was very soft on the cell phone, as if he dared not speak loudly: "Please tell Director Gu that I saw him! He came to the hospital and found Niu Jun! He took Niu Jun away! He hasn't gone far yet. In the commercial street across from the hospital, I saw him with a detonator strapped to his waist!"
“At the hospital!” Shen Zhenzhu said.
Gu Yanzheng turned the car around and rushed to the county hospital.
Shen Zhenzhu looked at Gu Yanzheng: "Did you deliberately arrange for Tu Dali to be in the same hospital?"
Gu Yanzheng said, "He's not really useless; he has to be of some use."
Shen Zhenzhu gave Captain Gu a thumbs up: "You're brilliant."
During the journey, news came that someone had spotted the suspect at a pesticide shop not far from Daheishan. Later, the suspect got onto National Highway 107, hijacked a bus, and drove off.
It was rush hour outside the People's Hospital, and personnel had been deployed to keep watch around the suspect. They had not yet taken Niu Jun out of sight.
When they arrived at the scene, Shen Zhenzhu immediately spotted the suspect standing on the second-floor platform of the shop, strangling Niu Jun. He was hiding behind Niu Jun, constantly looking around, showing a strong awareness of counter-surveillance.
"Damn it, we've been discovered!" Shen Zhenzhu drew her pistol and aimed it at the suspect, but she blocked Niu Jun in front of her, leaving only a terrifying centipede scar in the distance.
Vehicles and pedestrians are prohibited from walking at the intersection, and everyone is prohibited from entering or leaving the hospital.
On the platform of shops opposite the People's Hospital, in broad daylight, the suspect tied a detonator to Niu Jun's body, laughing loudly and saying, "If you had come any later, I would have gone back to arrest Zhu Xiaoping. This game of 'eagle catching chicks' is so much fun; I love how timid they look!"
Shen Zhenzhu pointed a gun at him and shouted, "Put down your weapon! We know the truth, so stop killing people!"
Gu Yanzheng, with his keen eyesight, whispered in Shen Zhenzhu's ear, "Niu Jun has been given pesticide by him. We must hurry and subdue him."
Following Gu Yanzheng's gaze, Shen Zhenzhu saw the pesticide bottles scattered at the suspect's feet. She didn't know how much Niu Jun had drunk, but at this moment he was trembling all over, looking pained, foaming at the mouth, and had even wet his pants.
"I won't let them go. You wait until I kill him, then I'll kill Zhu Xiaoping." The suspect stood on the platform and, seeing Shen Zhenzhu and Gu Yanzheng pointing guns at him, actually laughed.
Gu Yanzheng whispered, "Distract him, I'll go around to the side."
"Hmm." Chen Zhenzhu looked up at the suspect: "What's your name?"
He paused for a moment while holding Niu Jun's hand, then said, "That's not important. You should be able to find out my identity. You can't take it with you when you die, so your name doesn't matter at all."
Shen Zhenzhu raised her pistol, maintaining her aiming posture, and said, "Important."
The suspect laughed loudly: "I knew I wasn't going to survive, so I just gave myself any name I could find: Anonymous, Vagrant, Boss Shen—"
“You’re Gao Baoting’s uncle, she’ll also want to know your real name!” Shen Zhenzhu’s unexpected words made the suspect, Centipede Scar, twitch a few times.
Niu Jun twisted his body as he was punched hard in the temple several times. Blood flowed from Niu Jun's mouth before he said menacingly, "Don't mention her! I don't know Gao Baoting! She doesn't need to remember my name!"
Shen Zhenzhu said in a soft voice, "Then tell me your name."
Niu Jun was too weak to stand, so the suspect squatted down with him on the platform, keeping his body hidden from Niu Jun. He hesitated for a few seconds before saying in a low voice, "Jiang Wanshan."
Seeing that he had relented, Shen Zhenzhu tentatively said, "We can talk first. Niu Jun was fed pesticide by you, and he won't last long. I have a question that I haven't been able to answer, and I hope you can give me the answer."
"This is a good offer. The longer I drag this out, the greater the chance that he will die at my hands."
Jiang Wanshan grabbed Niu Jun's head and held it in front of him: "Speak, what's the problem? I can answer you, but after I answer, you must arrange a car. I need to leave here! Otherwise, you, me, and all these shops will be blown to ashes!"
Shen Zhenzhu glanced at Gu Yanzheng, who nodded from his hiding place.
Shen Zhenzhu looked at Jiang Wanshan and negotiated, "Since you have the thunderbolt, why don't you release him first and then we can talk?"
Jiang Wanshan laughed again, but there was no smile in his eyes: "Young policeman, I will not underestimate any danger, especially since you were able to find me, and there is a gun in your hand and another policeman hiding next to you. I can tell that you two are different from other policemen."
Shen Zhenzhu slowly retracted her gun, spread her hands, and said, "Okay, then I'll ask you the questions directly."
Jiang Wanshan said, "After asking, I must see the car."
Shen Zhenzhu nodded and said, "But I need your honest answer."
"Can."
Shen Zhenzhu noticed Jiang Wanshan's protectiveness towards Gao Baoting and knew that Gao Baoting was the only soft spot in his heart. She brought it up again and said, "I want to know why you can't forget Gao Baoting."
"What do you mean by 'never forgetting'?!" Jiang Wanshan glared at Shen Zhenzhu and said, "I've never had any improper thoughts about her! I'm different from them!"
Shen Zhenzhu agreed, "I know she calls you 'uncle' and likes you a lot. If you had hurt her, she definitely wouldn't call you that anymore."
Jiang Wanshan is in his early forties. The hardships of life and hatred have made him look serious and ruthless. Perhaps life has become a little easier since he became President Shen. His physique is still quite good, at least he is very strong.
When he heard that Gao Baoting liked him and even called him uncle, his lips trembled, and he opened his mouth to laugh: "Yes, she likes to call me uncle. Back then, I was wandering around begging for food and almost died while searching for my relatives. I couldn't find food or water in the mountains, and I was woken up by her singing."
Shen Zhenzhu suddenly realized why he was so protective of Gao Baoting; Gao Baoting had saved his life. And indeed, what followed was exactly as she had guessed.
"She even gave me the brown sugar water she had made at home. In those days, a cup of brown sugar water was more precious than anything else. Silly girl, kind and innocent silly girl, she gave her precious brown sugar water to a dirty homeless man."
Perhaps he had kept it bottled up inside for twenty years, but when faced with the police officers who knew the truth, he finally spoke up: "I was worried that her family would say I lied to her. When I heard they were looking for me, I went into hiding everywhere, but who knew she would still find me."
Her parents didn't ask me for brown sugar water; instead, they gave me a bowl of plain porridge with rice oil on it. They said they were too poor to give me food and told me to head south to see if I could survive... This was the only warmth I had encountered in all my years of wandering. They took such good care of her—"
"Uh...help..."
Jiang Wanshan's words were interrupted by a painful groan. His temples bulged instantly as he recalled that unbearable past, which aroused his hatred for Niu Jun!
He punched Niu Jun repeatedly in the face, shouting maniacally, "You still dare to look for her! You bunch of beasts! I'll kill you all! Kill you all!"
-----------------------
Author's note: Go Zhuzhu!
***
See you tomorrow, there's a red envelope coming up!
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