Chapter 37 Brothers' Butcher Shop
The two groups of people were questioned in different interrogation rooms arranged by Ma. The wounded man who was lying on the ground got up with a limp and followed the medical staff into the ambulance.
Director Ma valued the young talents he had nurtured. When he saw Shen Zhenzhu, he asked her if she was settling in well with the Major Crimes Unit, and if she had been injured. He also told her that if she was bullied, she should come to the police station and cry with him.
Shen Zhenzhu answered each question, and with Ma Suo's encouragement, she was fully recharged and full of energy.
Since they were at the police station, they went to their old seats to reminisce about the past. Lu Ye sighed and said, "Back then, I really didn't know we would become colleagues."
Shen Zhenzhu smiled and said, "I thought it would be three years later, but I didn't expect to be so lucky."
Lu Ye scratched his head sheepishly. He didn't think Shen Zhenzhu was just lucky; in his heart, she was truly capable.
"Sister Pearl, have some tea." Hong Le carried two large tea mugs, filled with Lao Huang's Yueyang Maojian tea. The call of "Sister Pearl" drew the attention of everyone else. Sister Wang and the others suppressed their laughter, wanting to see how Chen Zhenzhu would treat her former rival—or perhaps, the rival she perceived herself to be.
Lu Ye, whose mouth was dry, picked it up and took a sip: "It's quite fragrant."
Seeing that Chen Zhenzhu wasn't drinking, Hong Le stood quietly to the side and said, "Sister Zhenzhu, you were so awesome just now! I need to learn from you. For almost a year, I've been united and friendly, upholding the spirit of Lei Feng, and cultivating my character..."
Shen Zhenzhu knew that his repeated use of "Sister Zhenzhu" was a way of currying favor. She slowly picked up her teacup and looked at Hong Le suspiciously: "You didn't spit in it, did you?"
Hong Le said with shame and indignation, "Am I that kind of person?"
Shen Zhenzhu smiled.
“I was wrong before,” Hong Le said, “but I wasn’t that petty.”
Shen Zhenzhu said, "You're just so petty in my heart."
Hong Le was embarrassed and stood awkwardly to the side.
Sister Wang and the others burst into laughter. Then Sister Wang gave Chen Zhenzhu a bouquet of carnations: "I bought them this morning, they were so cheap."
Holding the pink carnations, Chen Zhenzhu thought of the expensive crystal vase in the office and thought to herself, "You're finally living a good life with me."
Before leaving, Shen Zhenzhu took a sip of tea and walked out of the criminal investigation team's gate amidst Hong Lexi's beaming smile.
Back in my office from the police station, I held a crystal vase and wiped it, trying to soothe the fatigue and heartache of the day.
The reason Shen Zhenzhu asked Afu for his phone number instead of leaving it herself was because she thought they didn't value Mo Qiaoyan and might not call to give feedback, so it was better to ask him herself.
Thinking of this, I couldn't help but feel sorry for Mo Qiaoyan. Her two family members cared for her less than a stranger, and she was even less concerned about her than the group of delinquent boys and girls at the skating rink.
When it was time to leave work, Chen Zhenzhu called Afu's house. She couldn't get through at first, but an hour later, Afu's impatient voice came through: "You came back and left again."
Shen Zhenzhu said into the microphone, "I won't ask you, let your mother tell me."
Afu had no choice but to call the fat woman over again and tell Shen Zhenzhu, "She's back, but she went out with a man again in no time. I saw it with my own eyes."
Knowing that Mo Qiaoyan had returned, Shen Zhenzhu felt relieved. She called the front desk of the skating rink to inform them.
The group of people opposite were very happy and even invited Chen Zhenzhu to go ice skating at the rink for free when she had time.
It was already past seven o'clock when Zhou Chuanxi and Wu Zhongguo returned from their call. As soon as they came in, they said, "The Third Team really knows how to enjoy themselves. Ever since the missing persons case was solved, they've been able to have hot pot in the office and have a great time."
Speak of the devil, and he appears. Kanghe, carrying a large bag of groceries, peeks out and says, "Brother Chen is treating. He bought a lot of sliced meat. I'm going to wash the vegetables. Why don't you come and eat with us?"
Regardless of the relationship between Captain Gu and Captain Park, their subordinates have gotten along well.
Shen Zhenzhu wanted to go home for dinner, but Lu Ye wanted to go out for hot pot. He insisted on taking her out, saying, "I have to work tonight. Have dinner with me, and I'll practice with you a little longer tomorrow morning. I feel bad about going alone."
Wu Zhongguo definitely wouldn't eat here; his wife had made old duck soup at home, and he walked out empty-handed and feeling relaxed.
Chen Zhenzhu turned around and asked, "Brother Xi, are you going?"
Zhou Chuanxi, who still had materials to work out, said, "You guys go first, it'll be later."
Chen Youwei stood at the office door, placing a hot pot basin on the stove. The heating pipes in the old office building were inadequate, so in winter, they almost always used indoor stoves for heating. According to Liancheng's usual climate, it should snow by the end of the month.
Chen Youwei and his colleagues started a fire together. With his chin held high, he said, "Come on, pull up a chair and sit down. You've come to the right place. See these slices of meat on the table? They're from Brother Butcher Shop! I rode my bicycle through the wind to buy them."
Because they were going to have hot pot, they left the window a crack, and a bit of north wind whistled into the room. Chen Zhenzhu felt hot in her police overcoat, but cold when she took it off. Finally, amidst Lu Ye's mocking laughter, she ran back to her office and put her bright red quilted vest over her shirt.
The offices of all three teams were filled with delicious aromas, and everyone was doing their jobs. Some were washing, picking, and peeling vegetables and scallions, while others were dedicated to preparing dipping sauces and marinating meat.
Chen Zhenzhu sat obediently with her legs together, a small bowl resting on her knees, scraping the potato skins little by little with an iron spoon. After scraping one, she tossed it into the bowl and continued scraping the next one.
In the past, we were too poor, so the most common thing we ate when eating hot pot was potato slices. They were cheap and filling. Even now, we haven't changed our habits and have become potato-headed.
With her back to the table where the meat was displayed, she listened as Chen Youwei rambled on about how hard it was to buy meat slices from that brother's butcher shop: "The line can stretch for two miles, and I'm so glad I got there early. Although those two brothers have eccentric tempers, the local pork they buy from the mountains always tastes exceptional. My wife asked me to buy some twice, but I couldn't get any. You guys are lucky today."
Lu Ye said to Shen Zhenzhu, "Last time when we arrested Wu Fuwang, didn't his neighbor ask us to bring this meat slices?"
He hadn't mentioned it to Chen Zhenzhu, but after he did, she exclaimed, "It seems that any business that's done well can thrive even in a hidden alley. I'd better give it a try today."
"It's bubbling! Hurry up and put the meat in." Chen Youwei was about to put the sliced meat into the hot pot when Shen Zhenzhu saw the people around her pouncing like hungry wolves. She also gripped her chopsticks tightly, ready to scoop up a lot of meat.
Just as Chen Youwei placed the sliced meat in front of the pot, Shen Zhenzhu glanced at it and froze on the spot... How could this be...?
—She saw the Heavenly Eye travel back in time.
She had never felt so cold and terrifying as she did today; the bamboo chopsticks instantly fell to her lap and rolled to the ground.
"Here you go, a little dirt won't hurt you." Lu Ye bent down, picked it up for her, wiped it, and handed it to her.
Shen Zhenzhu shouted loudly, "Don't eat it!!"
Chen Youwei, who had just picked up a slice of meat but hadn't put it into the pot, stopped and asked in surprise, "What's wrong?" He then looked the meat slice up and down a few times.
Shen Zhenzhu trembled all over. She snatched the meat platter from Chen Youwei, suppressing the discomfort that was about to well up, and forced herself to remain calm, saying, "This meat is not clean."
Chen Youwei said, "How is it not clean? I saw it being cut with my own eyes."
Chen Zhenzhu noticed that everyone was looking at her and said, "The color is wrong, it doesn't look like beef."
Chen Youwei laughed and said, "Of course it's not beef. How much does beef cost per pound? I'm buying pork slices. Five pounds of pork slices cost twenty yuan, and I'll slice them as thin as cicada wings for you. And didn't I say that these are local piglets? They're different from regular local pork."
Kanghe, mixing the dipping sauce, said, "The meat is marinated with dark soy sauce, no wonder the color is off."
Shen Zhenzhu closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She couldn't tell them that she had witnessed the agonizing murder of a five- or six-year-old boy. The flesh wasn't beef or pork; it was flesh scraped and cut from his body!
Seeing that Shen Zhenzhu's expression was off, Lu Ye, who had developed a tacit understanding with her over the years, put down his chopsticks, snatched the meat plate, and smelled it. It had a strong marinade smell. "Then let's change the plate. Old Shen's family runs a restaurant, surely they can tell the meat is good?"
Chen Youwei was a little angry. He turned around and scooped out another plate of unmarinated meat to pour into the pot, but Chen Zhenzhu grabbed his hand: "Brother Chen, don't—"
"What's wrong? What's wrong with you now?!" Chen Youwei said angrily.
Ring ring, ring ring.
Chen Youwei wouldn't put down the meat platter, and Chen Zhenzhu wouldn't let go. Kang He, unable to answer the phone first, quickly shouted to the three teams, "Crackdown on prostitution! Emergency deployment!"
Chen Youwei glanced at Chen Zhenzhu, wondering why she wasn't giving him face today. He stood up and slammed the meat platter on the table, saying, "Notify Captain Park that the rest of you should be armed and ready to go."
After they arrived at the scene, Lu Ye asked Shen Zhenzhu, "What's wrong with you? It's obvious that Brother Chen is treating people to a meal to win them over. If you say the meat is not right, isn't that a slap in his face?"
Shen Zhenzhu was well aware of this, but no one could possibly eat the meat on the plate. She was prepared to turn against Chen Youwei, but she couldn't let her colleagues eat a single bite of human flesh.
Lu Ye lost his appetite for hot pot. Since the people who had invited him had all left, he blocked the stove's cover and tidied up the miscellaneous bowls and plates, putting them in one place so they could eat when they returned.
Shen Zhenzhu didn't get up to clean up; she stared absently at the two plates of meat slices, a terrifying third eye slowly unfolding before her—
The image is incomplete, but even these fragmented pieces allow Chen Zhenzhu to barely sketch out a complete scene:
Niannian is five years old this year. His parents work away from home, and he lives with his grandfather. Hearing that children have been frequently abducted in urban villages recently, many people have embarked on a journey to find their relatives, and his grandfather takes him wherever he goes.
Yesterday, Grandpa had been drinking and was going to take a nap. Nian Nian couldn't fall asleep while lying next to him, so she slipped out to the door to look at the clouds in the sky.
A dark figure landed, and Nian Nian didn't know when he arrived at her doorstep. He said to her, "Want to come to my house and have some cotton candy? It's as sweet as a cloud."
Nian Nian glanced back at his grandfather, who was fast asleep from being drunk, and shouted to the man, "Uncle Sun, if you don't tell Grandpa I ate candy, I'll go with you."
The man called Uncle Sun had a completely black face, perhaps because the boy was too terrified before he died and that's why it wasn't visible.
But his imposing figure was a mountain in front of five-year-old Niannian. He had a kind voice, but his tone was strange: "Then come with me, I'll cut it for you piece by piece, very thinly."
Instead of being afraid of Uncle Sun, whom she saw often, Nian Nian was amused by his tone of voice. She covered her mouth to suppress her laughter and then glanced back at her grandfather, who was fast asleep inside the house.
"I don't want to eat them piece by piece, I want to eat them in big chunks."
Uncle Sun led him outside, looking down at his size: "A big lump is a bit difficult, but I'll try to get it for you."
As I came out of the private courtyard, I saw him walk to the left every year. Just as I was about to ask him why he didn't go to the store on the right, his mouth was suddenly covered.
The five-year-old child couldn't struggle against Sun Lao Er, so he gagged the child with a rag, tied him up a few times, picked up a burlap sack and stuffed the child inside from head to toe, then calmly carried the constantly moving sack to the butcher shop.
The urban village is densely populated. On the street, an acquaintance of Uncle Sun asked, "What are you carrying?"
Uncle Sun said, "It's a dog, a stray dog we caught."
The acquaintance said, "Okay, I'll come to your house later to buy two pounds of dog meat. Please save some for me."
Sun Lao Er walked to the grain and oil shop, greeted the shopkeeper, put the sack on the iron scale, looked at the numbers on the scale, nodded, stuffed a cigarette into the shopkeeper's hand, and left.
Sun Lao Er walked for more than ten minutes to the butcher shop. In front of the people queuing to buy meat, he carried the sack into the shop. As soon as he entered the room, he slammed his foot hard on the ground!
Because of the excessive force, the rag stuffed in Niannian's mouth was knocked out, and he cried out in pain, "Ah!"
"Mad dog!" Then Sun Lao Er's older brother came over. He walked with uncoordinated muscles and smashed a shovel over his head through a sack!
A woman who had bought pork bones at the stall peered inside, heard a sound coming from the sack, and laughed, saying, "How come the dog is making human-like noises? It's practically a spirit!"
Sun Lao Er stood in front of the stall with a cigarette in his mouth, his neck twitched a few times, his eyes were vacant, and he muttered, "This kind of puppy is tender."
—Poor Niannian, the scene she gave her life for came to an abrupt end.
Chen Zhenzhu leaned against the wall, panting heavily, and looked up at the ceiling to try and stop herself from collapsing.
"What's wrong?" Liang Liang had heard there was hot pot here and wanted to get to know everyone, but when he came over with his bowl, he found that no one was there: "Where are they?"
Shen Zhenzhu ignored him, and he didn't care. He walked over to Lu Ye and said, "So much meat you haven't eaten? Cook some for me, I'm starving."
They finally left, and now another one wants to eat meat.
Following Chen Zhenzhu's advice, Lu Ye said, "The meat isn't very good, don't eat it."
"It doesn't look spoiled?" Liang Liang glanced at it and laughed: "I have an iron stomach, if you guys don't eat it, I will."
Shen Zhenzhu said calmly, "You can eat it, human flesh."
Liang Liang tripped and nearly fell into the pot. He turned around sharply and said, "What did you say?"
Lu Ye also shouted, "Human flesh? Old Shen, you're not kidding me, are you?"
Chen Zhenzhu considered many things. Perhaps the other parts of the meat were still being sold at the brother's butcher shop every year. The more time wasted, the more people would buy it. She simply said, "Yes, the texture and color are the same as the texture and structure of human flesh that I have seen before. I suspect that Brother Chen bought human flesh instead of local pork."
Liang Liang didn't quite believe Shen Zhenzhu's words. He had never seen human flesh, but how could the criminal investigation team buy it so easily? This was either walking into a trap or being incredibly audacious!
But Chen Zhenzhu's determined gaze made him put down his bowl. Thinking that he would become the deputy captain of a group in the future, he had no choice but to pick up the phone and call the forensic department to request the department's laboratory to conduct an examination.
When I called, they said no one was home after get off work and that I could only have the test done tomorrow, which was disrespectful to them.
Shen Zhenzhu took the microphone and said, "Section Chief Qin, this is Shen Zhenzhu. I found two plates of meat here, and I suspect it is human flesh. I need the support of the inspection department."
Liang Liang stood aside watching, thinking to himself that the comrades in the inspection department had always been arrogant. They were solving more and more cases using technical means, and relying more and more on technical personnel, which made it increasingly difficult for the inspection department to mobilize its staff. He had heard that in some places, inspection personnel were considered more valuable than those in the investigation department.
He knew that word had already spread that he was going to be the deputy captain, and he didn't believe that Section Chief Qin was unaware of it. If Section Chief Qin didn't give him face, he certainly wouldn't give Shen Zhenzhu face either.
But reality often doesn't match his expectations. Qin An, hearing Shen Zhenzhu's voice, was convinced of her judgment and immediately said, "I'll send someone over right away. Don't touch the meat slices."
Shen Zhenzhu hurriedly said, "Have Lu Xiaobao prepare for fieldwork." She needed an assistant who could distinguish meat slices.
"Okay!" Qin An agreed.
After hanging up the phone, Shen Zhenzhu immediately called Gu Yanzheng and explained the situation. She then pleaded, "I hope to go to Brother's Meat Shop immediately to prevent further victims from being harmed, and also to stop the public from buying human flesh slices."
"I'll be there in about forty minutes." Gu Yanzheng had just returned home when he received the call. Without saying a word, he said, "Have Lu Ye and the others cooperate with your operation. I will personally inform Director Liu of the operation request. You cannot carry a gun, so be careful."
Hearing Gu Yanzheng hand over the task to Chen Zhenzhu without hesitation, Liang Liang's heart skipped a beat.
Lu Ye had already run to the office, gun at his side, calling for reinforcements. He then called Wu Zhongguo: "Stop drinking the old duck soup! Let your wife keep it warm. Something terrible has happened, get support quickly!!"
This situation is truly shocking and terrifying. It's one thing to be depraved and eat human flesh, but to actually sell it openly!
Chen Zhenzhu sat in the sidecar, her face almost twisted by the wind. Lu Ye rode a 750 sidecar, while Zhou Chuanxi guarded the meat platter, waiting for Qin An's men to arrive.
Instead, Liang Liang followed closely behind on another motorcycle, shouting as he turned a corner, "Don't make any rash moves!"
"Where did they come from!" Lu Ye cursed. "What the hell are you talking about? Are you going to go over there and yell that they're selling human flesh? They're butchers! They all have cleavers. What if they hurt some civilians!"
As Chen Zhenzhu sat in the hut pondering her ideas, she patted Lu Ye's arm as they entered the urban village and approached Brothers' Butcher Shop. She said, "We need to gain their trust, but we can't let them harm the common people."
Lu Ye gripped the handlebars with one hand, scratched his head vigorously, and said, "We're brothers, I'll listen to you."
With Lu Ye's assurance, they arrived at the Brothers' Butcher Shop and saw more than ten people queuing up to buy meat.
Shen Zhenzhu was about to move forward when an old man stopped her: "Hey, you can't cut in line."
"Exactly, even if we know it's cheaper, we can't cut in line. We all want to buy it."
"Girl, don't worry. They're going back to their hometown tomorrow, so they're closing their stall today. All the meat is on sale. Look over there, there are still people who can't afford meat. These brothers are kind; they're even giving it to them for free."
The old man blocked Chen Zhenzhu's way and said arrogantly, "Let me tell you, they both know kung fu. If you cut in line, I'll shout and they'll throw you out. Don't cry then!"
I bet you'll be crying then.
"Grandpa, are those brothers surnamed Sun?"
The old man glanced at her and said, "So what if I am? I won't let you get close to me."
"Aren't they very strange?"
The old man didn't speak, but the old woman next to him whispered, "The meat is fine, but his brain doesn't seem to be working properly. His face and legs twitch all the time; it looks quite scary."
Shen Zhenzhu understood. She was certain that these two brothers not only sold human flesh, but also ate human flesh themselves!
Because of the excessive consumption, he also developed somatic reactions associated with prion disease. This is caused by consuming viruses that infect the human brain or nerve tissue, leading to the degeneration of the central nervous system!
Shen Zhenzhu tiptoed to look at the butcher shop, and a burly figure, almost identical to the one in the Heavenly Eye's retrospective, appeared before her eyes. He was slicing meat in his hands. Shen Zhenzhu stopped in her tracks and couldn't help but grit her teeth.
impossible...
Her expression changed slightly.
Among the bones mixed with pork bones in that basin, she actually "saw" Mo Qiaoyan!
Without delay, seeing the customers in front of her picking and choosing the meat, Chen Zhenzhu suddenly crawled under the old man's outstretched arms and shouted, "Stop selling meat! I'll buy all the meat in your shop! All of it, every single piece!"
The old man was about to rush forward to stop them when Lu Ye blocked him: "Hey, hey, they're talking business, could you please step aside and wait a bit?"
Old Master Sun stopped what he was doing, gripping the cleaver, his eyes darting back and forth, but he spoke fairly normally, slamming the cleaver onto the cutting board and saying, "You can wrap all of these?"
He was in a hurry to go back to his hometown with his second brother, who had been seen by a woman yesterday after leaving Niannian's house. Although they claimed it was dog meat, Niannian's parents and grandfather were searching everywhere, and they feared that sooner or later they would find out.
He wanted to leave as soon as possible, but he needed to dispose of the human remains he had on hand, otherwise he would be discovered.
Hearing that Boss Sun's words implied that he was going to sell everything to Chen Zhenzhu, the people in line criticized Chen Zhenzhu for not following the rules and for not knowing how to behave. They also said that she would suffer a great loss sooner or later for being greedy for small gains.
Covering her head, fearing she would be beaten by the uninformed crowd, Shen Zhenzhu rushed to the stall and said, "Yes, I'll take as many as you have, but you have to give me a discount."
Sun Laoda still had some concerns, but there were regular customers of Liu Jie's shop in the crowd who helped Chen Zhenzhu pull away the angry crowd, and didn't forget to say: "Her family runs a restaurant, and their business is very good! If you sell it to her, it will be easier for us to eat at her place later."
This gave Boss Sun a definite answer, and he called to Chen Zhenzhu, "Then come with me."
Shen Zhenzhu followed him around the crowd, but unexpectedly, an angry old lady punched her twice on the back: "I'm going to tell your mother later!"
It's an injustice! More unjust than Dou E's injustice!
"My mom can't handle it, go complain to the King of Hell." Chen Zhenzhu twisted her aching back as she entered the shop.
Lu Ye tried to block the Sun brothers at the back door from the crowd, but Liang Liang stopped him: "Quick, they're acting strangely, listen to me—"
Lu Ye said, "No, I have to listen to my sister."
Liang Liang said anxiously, "If the operation goes wrong because the soldiers don't follow my orders, can you take responsibility?"
Lu Ye said in a low voice, "Captain Gu said to listen to Lao Shen!"
Liang Liang said, "I will be your deputy captain from now on, and I will have the authority to command on site!"
......
As Shen Zhenzhu entered the shop, the dim lighting and greasy smell of meat made her sneeze. On a low cabinet against the wall sat the trophies of the amateur Sanda champions and runners-up from the neighboring city, their golden sheen sinking Shen Zhenzhu's heart.
We've run into two tough guys today, but luckily Lu Ye is here. They should be able to handle one each.
Then she saw billowing white smoke coming from the cubicle and smelled hot pot, and couldn't help but wrinkle her nose.
Sun Laoda went in and said a few words. Shen Zhenzhu heard another voice say, "Leave me two jin. Don't take the small ones. The big ones are fresh and tender. Cut them thinly and they'll be cooked in seven or eight seconds."
Shen Zhenzhu understood the meaning behind the other party's words. The little one should be referring to Niannian, and if she was not mistaken, the older one should be Mo Qiaoyan.
The horrifying feeling she got from eating her own kind was indescribable.
What she couldn't understand was that even though Afu and his mother said that Mo Qiaoyan had gone home, how could she be here? Perhaps Mo Qiaoyan's family was lying.
She suppressed the urge to swear and, wanting to hear what was happening inside, moved closer to the wall.
She accidentally stepped on a crumpled medical form with Mo Qiaoyan's name written on it, and the diagnosis clearly stated "virgin | intact hymen".
"Hey, don't be impulsive." Liang Liang followed them into the store and saw the packed luggage in the corner. His heart was pounding, and he whispered to Shen Zhenzhu, "I asked Lu Ye to apply for backup. I'll hold them off."
"What?! Lu Ye isn't here?" Shen Zhenzhu turned around and looked at him as if he were an idiot.
Liang Liang said with a dark face, "What's wrong with me? I'll be your vice captain soon!"
"Not yet!" Shen Zhenzhu drew her small silver knife and growled, "Get out of my way! Here, you listen to me!"
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Author's Note: Old Gu: Here I come!
***
See you tomorrow! [panda head emoji]
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