Chapter 217 Give me a chance, Captain Chen…
Chen Zhenzhu noticed their friendly attitude and greeted them softly, "Uncle, Aunt, I'm sorry to bother you."
"Don't disturb them, they're overjoyed." Gu Yanzheng nudged her with his finger to hurry into the house. After changing her shoes and sitting down in front of the delicacies, Chen Zhenzhu couldn't help but widen her eyes.
"Just make some simple home-cooked dishes. My cooking skills aren't as good as your mother's, so just make do with what you have." Jin Xiaofeng casually tucked her hair behind her ear and said to the table full of top-quality ingredients, "It's been a long time since I've had eight-treasure porridge. I'm going to have a proper cup today."
Gu Yuchao nudged her and said, "It's a bowl."
Jin Xiaofeng corrected her, saying, "I'm going to have a good bowl of this today. Come on, I'll go to the kitchen and heat it up."
Gu Yanzheng, as if watching a play, asked, "Ms. Jin Fengfeng, do you know how to turn on the gas?"
Shen Zhenzhu understood their intentions at a glance at the dishes and knew the attitude of Gu's parents. Touched, she sat up even straighter.
Gu Yanzheng handed Shen Zhenzhu chopsticks and whispered jokingly in her ear, "Don't take it seriously, it's just a joke."
Shen Zhenzhu was so annoyed with him: "Shut up."
Ms. Jin Fengfeng also retorted, "Yes, you better shut up, or you can leave."
Gu Yanzheng was speechless.
Before leaving, Jin Xiaofeng dragged the nanny to the kitchen, where they were busy heating up eight-treasure porridge. Gu Yuchao, on the other hand, talked to Shen Zhenzhu about work.
When Jin Xiaofeng returned with a bowl of eight-treasure porridge, beaming with joy, Shen Zhenzhu's clever and generous demeanor delighted the two elders.
"Don't just talk, eat more." Jin Xiaofeng put food on Chen Zhenzhu's plate. Looking at the sweet and soft little girl, she wondered why she wasn't her own daughter.
After nearly thirty years, Gu Yanzheng, that brat, has finally done something that satisfies them.
Gu Yanzheng glanced at Chen Zhenzhu, who was making every smile and frown, wondering why she was so good at pretending to be innocent. Wasn't she the same way when she first joined the criminal investigation team? When did she stop pretending in front of him?
After the meal, the nanny cleaned up the table and kitchen, but the steel wool in Chen Zhenzhu's pocket was of no use.
She looked around at the young yet understatedly luxurious decor and suddenly noticed a large empty space opposite the sofa... The place had all the appliances, but it seemed to be missing a large color TV.
The meal turned into a thorough investigation of Gu's parents. They talked about everything—what the family did for a living, what relatives they had—and the details became clear. The snowstorm outside had stopped without them noticing, and darkness fell.
Gu Yanzheng received a call and said to Shen Zhenzhu, "The road will be open in another hour, but it's not a road, it's a railway track. Is that okay?"
Shen Zhenzhu wanted to go to Hongshan County as soon as possible, so she immediately said, "I'm fine with that."
Ms. Jin Fengfeng patted Chen Zhenzhu's hand with concern and said, "Oh dear, it's already too late to go shopping in the dark, and you still have to go on a business trip."
Shen Zhenzhu said apologetically, "I left right after the meal, so I didn't even help clean up."
Jin Fengfeng said softly, "Honey, these hands of yours are for solving cases, not for being held back by tedious housework. Being a policewoman isn't easy. We, your parents, will support your future work. If anyone doesn't support you, we'll make sure they do too."
Chen Zhenzhu smiled, revealing her dimples: "Auntie, Brother Zheng has helped me a lot in my work. You and Uncle can rest assured, no one is not supporting me."
"That's right." Gu Yuchao sat on the sofa and coughed at the blank wall.
Ms. Jin Fengfeng took out a bulging red envelope and stuffed it into Chen Zhenzhu's hand: "I told you long ago that 'one in a million' is not good enough for you. They said that if I gave you too much, they might scare you away. I know you are a cheerful and sunny girl. You are usually busy with work. If you pass through Chen City, please come to my house for a meal and a nap. I will cook you something delicious."
"Hey, this is too much." Shen Zhenzhu turned around and glanced at Gu Yanzheng.
Gu Yanzheng said, "Take it, we still have to catch the train."
Shen Zhenzhu's heart was pounding, and she finally had a real understanding of meeting the parents.
She accepted the large red envelope and stood up: "Thank you, Auntie and Uncle. Come visit Liancheng sometime and try my mom's cooking."
Gu Yuchao also stood up and said, "The man should have come to visit first, but this time the situation is special. The reason you came to visit is to tell you that we will absolutely not interfere with your lives. Of course, if Gu Yanzheng wrongs you, your mother and I will only have a daughter, not a son!"
Gu Yanzheng stood in front of the shoe cabinet and said helplessly, "Dad,...why do you seem so impatient?"
Gu Yanzheng was punched again by Gu Yuchao. Gu's parents saw them to the door, and Shen Zhenzhu said goodbye to them with reluctance: "Uncle, Aunt, thank you for your hospitality, goodbye."
"Look at you, so obedient." Jin Xiaofeng, wrapped in a mink coat, hugged Chen Zhenzhu and kissed her cheek, showing her affection. "It's too early to say goodbye. We'll see you both off at the train station."
Shen Zhenzhu: "..." It's really hard to refuse such kindness.
Upon arriving at Shenyang North Station, there were quite a few people buying train tickets on the spot. It was the Spring Festival travel rush again, and without a work ID, Shenzhenzhu wouldn't even have been able to get a standing ticket.
Jin Xiaofeng and Gu Yuchao stood at the train door and pushed them onto the train. Gu Yuchao didn't care about his manners anymore and shouted, "Next time we go to Liancheng to propose marriage, we'll consider it our first meeting. We, the grooms, need to take the initiative and tell our in-laws not to be angry!"
The train whistle sounded, and with Gu Yuchao's words of advice, it rumbled away from the platform.
The carriage was incredibly crowded, and Chen Zhenzhu was jostled about. Even so, her face was flushed with excitement.
But... why the sudden marriage proposal? Chen Zhenzhu snapped out of her daze and was a little dumbfounded.
She clutched the large red envelope tightly, realizing that Gu Yanzheng had enclosed her in a protective space.
"We're moving way too fast."
Gu Yanzheng said, "Is it fast? How long have we known each other? There are quite a few blind dates where people meet for the first day and get their marriage certificate the next. Is that fast?"
"Oh, that's not fast." Shen Zhenzhu felt something was wrong, but she had no experience in this area and believed her brother Zheng's nonsense: "But aren't we just pretending?"
Gu Yanzheng said matter-of-factly, "What do you mean by fake? You're the one who said it was fake, but I didn't admit it. Chen Zhenzhu, I'm not pretending anymore, and you shouldn't pretend either. I'm begging you."
"..." Sensing his urgency, Shen Zhenzhu said softly, "Alright."
Gu Yanzheng pressed on: "My dad is right. We'll consider it the first time after they meet Sixth Sister in Liancheng."
Chen Zhenzhu said softly, "And this time?"
"This time it'll be a 'special case'," Gu Yanzheng said with a smile, his arms propped against the wall. "Is that okay?"
“It’s fine,” Chen Zhenzhu said, raising her head. “How is it special?”
Gu Yanzheng lowered his head, his breath brushing against Shen Zhenzhu's ear, and said, word by word, "You know my family is well-off. This time, I want you to know their attitude. Their affection for you is no less than mine... I usually prefer to express my feelings to you in a prepared setting, without being hasty, but I can't wait any longer."
Shen Zhenzhu felt nervous. It was the first time she had faced Gu Yanzheng like this, and she was burned by his burning gaze, so she lowered her head slightly.
Gu Yanzheng said, "Raise your head and look at me."
Shen Zhenzhu looked up and saw Gu Yanzheng's affectionate gaze in her eyes.
Gu Yanzheng sincerely said, "Their respect for you, for Sixth Sister, and for our relationship is the purpose of this 'special time,' to let you understand how much our whole family values, takes seriously, and looks forward to this relationship."
Chen Zhenzhu said, "Then why have you hesitated for so long?"
Gu Yanzheng was taken aback, then smiled and said, "You really did notice all along."
With her hands behind her back, Shen Zhenzhu turned her head to reveal the tips of her reddened ears: "I'm not stupid."
On the train, the train conductor, pushing a cart full of food boxes and hawking his wares, struggled past them. The noisy, crowded people around them became nothing more than background noise.
Gu Yanzheng's eyes reflected Shen Zhenzhu's image, his love overflowing, and he said softly, "I can answer the questions that Captain Shen asked."
Shen Zhenzhu met his gaze and said softly, "Then tell the truth."
Gu Yanzheng said, word by word, "It is to 'overcome all difficulties and leave no room for maneuver'."
Chen Zhenzhu didn't understand: "What 'leaving no room for maneuver'?"
Gu Yanzheng explained again: "I'll eliminate all the problems that might arise in the future, so you won't have any excuse to break up with me, and you'll never leave me."
"..." Shen Zhenzhu understood. From the moment she discovered that the large color TV was missing, she knew that Gu Yanzheng had been plotting for a long time.
Gu Yanzheng solemnly leaned close to Shen Zhenzhu's ear, almost able to hear each other's heartbeats: "Zhenzhu, I like you, please give me a chance... Hmm?"
Two trains passed each other outside the window behind us; the carriages were pitch black. All I could hear was the rumbling of engines and fleeting flashes of light.
Gu Yanzheng gently stroked Shen Zhenzhu's face with his palm, his touch conveying restraint and affection.
The chin in his palm suddenly twitched, the lights in the carriage turned on, the passing trains drove away, and Gu Yanzheng's heart melted.
He quickly withdrew his hand, resting it beside Shen Zhenzhu's head, taking a small half-step forward, able to smell the scent of shampoo in her hair. Intimately, he whispered in Shen Zhenzhu's ear, his voice trembling with suppressed excitement, "You just nodded, didn't you?"
Shen Zhenzhu nodded again, smiling, and said, "Yes, Director Gu. Congratulations on leaving single life behind. You won't be afraid of being kicked out of your home when you go home for the New Year."
Gu Yanzheng couldn't help but reach out and poke the cute dimple with his fingertip, and whispered, "I've wanted to do this for a long time."
Shen Zhenzhu looked directly at him, and as he finally showed a bright and handsome smile, she said, "You had your intentions all along."
Gu Yanzheng shamelessly said, "I'm your man now. Please take good care of me from now on, Captain Shen, and don't let anyone bully me."
Shen Zhen stared at his face with narrowed eyes, then squeezed his strong arms, from his waist and hips to his toes, finding no part of him satisfactory: "Then you have to listen to me."
"I'll listen to you." Gu Yanzheng lowered his head, braced his elbows against the wall, took another step closer, and shamelessly said, "Captain Chen, someone is pushing me."
A three-hour drive is neither a long nor a short journey.
By the time they got off the bus, the north wind had barely dispelled the scent of Gu Yanzheng that lingered around their noses.
"It's like a dream." Sitting in the van provided by the Hongshan County Public Security Bureau, which she had arranged in advance, Chen Zhenzhu pulled away from Gu Yanzheng and muttered.
Gu Yanzheng sat with her in the back seat, exchanging pleasantries with the Hongshan County Public Security Bureau. He would occasionally glance at the gap between Chen Zhenzhu and him, wondering why they had grown apart now that they were dating.
Gu Yanzheng subtly shifted his seat, but Chen Zhenzhu moved away again, glancing at Gu Yanzheng as she whispered, "Be good."
“Hongshan County has many mountains and ponds. Yesterday, a child went missing and may have been abducted into the mountains by human traffickers.” The Hongshan County police said, “Our station chief is going to lead a search of the mountains. Someone will stay behind to help look for the bombing case file.”
Compared to the current missing persons case, it wouldn't matter if the old materials were put aside for a while. Shen Zhenzhu understood their meaning and was very understanding: "Okay, please take us to the archives, we can handle the rest ourselves."
Upon hearing that the Liancheng Major Crimes Unit was coming to investigate a case, the entire Hongshan County Police Station was in an uproar. When they learned that it was Shen Zhenzhu who had arrived, they were even more excited.
Who knew it would be such a trivial case? The police chief told everyone to hurry up and find the child.
The van stopped at a courtyard with the crisp, cold scent of rust and snowflakes.
Next to the Hongshan County Police Station is a small restaurant. The first floor is a shop, and the second floor is a hotel. Across the street are the bus station and Jiefang Square.
The police station was small, with two floors. The van stopped in front of the bungalow warehouse in the backyard, and Chen Zhenzhu got out of the van.
The Hongshan County police tried the key several times, and with a rusty creaking sound, finally pushed open the bluish-gray iron gate.
"Cases older than ten years are all handled here." After saying this, the police officer, who was in his forties, had his pager go off. He nodded to Shen Zhenzhu and said, "Captain Shen, I'm leaving now. There are people on duty in the building ahead who will come to help later."
“Okay, thank you, brother,” Shen Zhenzhu said.
The other party gave a signal, and four or five police officers ran out of the office, got into a van, and drove towards the mountains.
Gu Yanzheng first went to the restaurant and bought two bowls of scallion noodles. He and Shen Zhenzhu slurped them down face to face. Without taking a break, they went into the warehouse to start looking for the case files of the bombing.
"It's been too long, it's really hard to find." Chen Zhenzhu wore a cotton gauze mask, flipped through several documents, and her fingers were already black.
Gu Yanzheng hadn't slept for a day and a night, but he was in high spirits because of the happy occasion, and he still managed to help with the rummaging. Shen Zhenzhu wanted him to sleep for a while, but he refused.
The county police station didn't have many major cases, but it still managed to survive for twenty years.
About half an hour later, someone stood at the door, knocking and carrying a thermos and two geometrically patterned glass cups: "We've boiled some hot water up front. Would you two comrades from the city like some hot water?"
Gu Yanzheng stepped forward and took the thermos and water cup. The man said, "My name is Lao Li. Before they left, they said you were looking for materials related to the bombing case. I remember that the cases where people died were all kept on the innermost shelf."
Old Li walked towards the shelf inside. Gu Yanzheng rinsed the glass and poured it out the window. He handed Shen Zhenzhu a glass of warm water and said in a pretentious manner, "Captain Shen, please finish your water before you go over there. It's very dusty over there."
Chen Zhenzhu took a sip of water and handed it to Gu Yanzheng, saying, "I'm not afraid of dust, you can have a sip too."
Old Li, unaware of their hushed conversation, walked inside to the shelf and recalled, "I remember there were several bombings the station chief mentioned a few years ago. I don't know which one you're referring to."
Chen Zhenzhu walked over, put her mask back on, took the files that had been carried down, and asked, "Did all of these result in deaths?"
Old Li stood on a bench, rummaged through drawers and cabinets, and found a stack of things, saying, "I remember they're all in here. There are few that caused human deaths, almost all of them caused fish and shrimp to die."
Gu Yanzheng helped him down, and Old Li blew the dust off the case file and said, "Some people use detonators to blast fish, and some use electric current to blast fish. The most serious case was an explosion twenty years ago. The detonator exploded before it even reached the fishpond, killing seven people. They were all thieves who stole collective property."
"Twenty years ago?" Chen Zhenzhu said, "Can I see it?"
Old Li's eyesight wasn't very good. He looked through the case file under the fluorescent light for a long time and found it from early 1973. He said, "If I remember correctly, this should be the case. I had just started working not long ago. It was right next to my hometown village. There were arms and legs everywhere at the scene. It was so tragic. I will never forget it in my life."
Chen Zhenzhu flipped through the case file, which read: "An explosion occurred in Yingjia Village, Hongshan County. Wang Mouqiang, Shen Mouhua, and others, attempting to seize collective property, caused a detonator to explode prematurely due to improper operation while intoxicated, resulting in seven deaths, damage to the reservoir, and destruction of XX yuan worth of collective property..."
Gu Yanzheng quickly flipped through the other case files and said, "The others are similar cases, but no one died."
Shen Zhenzhu asked Lao Li, "What was the environment like in Yingjia Village back then?"
Old Li recalled, "The village collective was very wealthy, especially good at raising fish and shrimp. I remember that the brigade would organize parties, sports meets, and movie screenings in front of the village supply and marketing cooperative. Especially the movie screenings, the village would often hire people to show the movies, and people from all around would come to watch."
Gu Yanzheng pointed to the photos of the explosion site and other testimonies in the case file and said, "This is different from what we thought. It seems that it really has nothing to do with Gong Qi."
Shen Zhenzhu then asked Lao Li, "Then... are there any smuggled goods?"
"Smuggled goods?" Old Li slapped his forehead and said, "Oh, right. If you don't mind, you can take this video recorder. You don't know, this video recorder takes up too much space. It was a smuggled item confiscated during the cleanup after the detonator explosion that year, and it's been sitting there for many years."
He hurried to the only locked cabinet, took out the key, opened it, and took out a box. The box was stuffed with foam, and when he removed the foam, an old video recorder was revealed.
“It’s an imported product; it’s already out of production,” Gu Yanzheng said after taking a look.
The sturdy black video recorder was carefully preserved, but it still had some bumps and scratches.
Old Li lowered his voice, looked out the window, and lovingly touched the video recorder, saying, "Director Gu has a good eye. It is said that this video recorder uses gold parts. A few years ago, domestic collectors wanted to buy it, and foreigners also wanted to buy it. I don't know where they got the information. The director has been keeping it and won't sell it. It's just in time that you've come. The director instructed us to hand it over to the state."
Chen Zhenzhu's eyes widened slightly, feeling a surge of good fortune: "Is this all the smuggled goods?"
Old Li nodded and said, "What good stuff can you get in a poor, remote place? We have other clothes and bags, so it's not like we have to hand them over to the state."
Shen Zhenzhu suddenly realized that the imported video recorder must have been smuggled in by Chen Bufan during his trip abroad and sold to the locals.
If possible, it can be speculated that Chen Bufan and Gong Qi mistakenly thought the detonator explosion was caused by a video recorder explosion, leading to accusations of "smuggling," "explosion," and "shirking responsibility."
She turned to look at Gu Yanzheng, who was deep in thought. He looked the video camera up and down and frowned, saying, "There are signs that it has been disassembled."
Old Li was shocked: "We stored it properly, and we would never embezzle the gold inside."
Gu Yanzheng said, "The rumor that there was gold in the video recorder is false. When I said to disassemble the machine, I wasn't complaining about the police station, but I felt that it might be related to our case and that it was some kind of human trace."
"Old Li, Old Li, I lost the ID card I used to register at the hotel. What should I do?"
"They're here."
Old Li breathed a sigh of relief. Hearing someone calling him from outside, he went to the door and said, "If you're not leaving tonight, you can sleep on the second floor next door. It's free. Our director even said he'd treat you to dinner tonight."
Gu Yanzheng looked at Chen Zhenzhu, remembering the "pledge" she had made to Director Tu before getting into the car, and politely declined: "Thank you, we'll go back after we find what we need."
Old Li said understandingly, "No wonder Liancheng has such a high crime-solving rate; they risk their lives for it. I saw in the newspaper that there was a really scary case in your area—the victim was made into a mummified corpse..."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "We came here because of that case."
As they were talking, Gu Yanzheng's mobile phone rang. He walked to the side to answer it, and when he returned a moment later, Old Li had already left.
“India cannot find the relevant business documents; even those from ten years ago are no longer available.”
Shen Zhenzhu didn't have high hopes for them either. She patted Gu Yanzheng's arm and said, "Why don't you rest for a few hours? You haven't slept at all."
Gu Yanzheng said, "We'll talk about it when we get to the film set. I'll help you win over Gong Qi."
Shen Zhenzhu put the video recorder back into the box and put it away. Gu Yanzheng, with the box tucked under his arm, pushed open the door and said, "Let's go, Captain Shen."
There were no vans available, so I took a bus from the bus station to the train station.
Not many people boarded at the small station, so Gu Yanzheng managed to get a seat in the dining car for Chen Zhenzhu.
Halfway through the journey, Chen Zhenzhu let Gu Yanzheng take a nap. Then, a woman with a baby boarded the bus, and Gu Yanzheng gave her his seat after waking up.
To express their gratitude, the woman prepared a cup of baby milk for them. Chen Zhenzhu forced Gu Yanzheng to drink half a bowl to warm his stomach. The woman secretly chuckled at the sight.
Upon arriving at Shenbei Station, the Cherokee was already waiting in the parking lot.
I rushed to the filming location without stopping, and only a dozen hours had passed.
As dawn approached, Gong Qi was still filming a night scene, taking take after take.
Gu Yanzheng crossed his arms and whispered, "How did you manage to get this acting skills? You'd be better off doing it."
Chen Zhenzhu nudged him and muttered, "Don't you think she and the cameraman are too close?"
Gu Yanzheng said, "It exceeded the normal social distancing, but that old guy was quite handsome."
It's not easy to get Gu Yanzheng to say the word "handsome." The old man has long, curly hair, is in his forties, and is full of energy. He has thick eyebrows and big eyes, and looks like someone from Nasreddin's hometown.
He didn't need to carry the camera; he just squatted in front of the tripod, exchanging glances with Gong Qi, and even put his arm around her waist while explaining the camera. Many people on set were used to it.
The assistant I'd met before came over, looked around to make sure there were no other strangers, and said in a still somewhat unfriendly tone, "Don't talk nonsense if you see him. This is Teacher Gong's personal photographer, a good friend he's been with for many years."
Gong Qi reluctantly returned to the tent to wash up and remove her makeup. When she saw Chen Zhenzhu and Gu Yanzheng come in, she didn't even greet them.
Shen Zhenzhu got straight to the point: "Teacher Gong, the Hongshan County bombing case has been investigated and cleared up. I want to know what makes you feel that it is related to you?"
Gong Qi glanced at Chen Zhenzhu in the mirror: "Have you found out? Are you going to come and arrest me?"
Gu Yanzheng was unaware of this, assuming that Gong Qi had confessed herself. His mind worked quickly, and he interjected, "The truth has nothing to do with you. Who caused this misunderstanding?"
Gong Qi immediately stood up from her chair, accidentally tugging at her dress to reveal a patch of her snow-white breasts. She cried out "Ah!" and wrapped herself back in her costume.
Gu Yanzheng shifted his gaze elsewhere, his expression unchanged.
Chen Zhenzhu stepped forward, examined her, and asked, "What's wrong?"
Gong Qi said with trembling lips, "How could it not be related to me? He clearly said it was related to me, they... they couldn't possibly lie to me!"
The cameraman's voice came from outside: "Are you alright? Should I come in?"
Gong Qi hurriedly called out, "I'm fine, don't come in."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Please explain more clearly. Who are the 'he' and 'they' you're referring to?"
Gong Qi slumped back into her chair, exhausted, and murmured, "So it was all a misunderstanding. Are you sure you have nothing to do with me?"
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Would we criminal investigators joke with you?"
Gong Qi said, "Back then, it was Jiang Luchao who first told me about the video recorder explosion that killed people. He also said that if I cooperated, he would help me suppress the case. Every time we met, he would tell me how much he was worried about this matter, how many people he had contacted, and how much money he had spent."
Gong Qi suddenly raised her head with a face full of resentment: "Bastard, so he's been lying to me for all these years! If I hadn't thanked him for helping me, I wouldn't have accepted his advances and willingly let him cheat me out of my money and my body!"
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Author's Note: Gu Yanzheng boasts: People's joys and sorrows are not shared. [Sunglasses]
***
Sprinkling flowers
[Roses][Roses][Roses]
See you tomorrow, there are 100 red envelopes! [Let me see]
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