Chapter 166 Baolu is a good place...
"It's two and a half hours until the next stop, which is plenty of time for us." Chen Zhenzhu sat in the flight attendant's rest area, with Xiaobai, Zhao Qiqi, and four police officers and the chief flight attendant standing inside and outside.
She repeated Liu Erxin's personal characteristics to them, emphasizing, "The arrest on the train needs to be efficient and quiet, minimizing interference with other passengers and avoiding panic. The search teams should conduct searches in pairs of carriages, forming a perimeter. In addition, the connecting areas, doors, and toilets need to be guarded to prevent the target from escaping. After finding the target, block the escape routes from both sides, secretly evacuate the surrounding passengers, and notify me immediately."
"Understood." Xiao Bai, Zhao Qiqi, and the train police officers demonstrated discipline and professionalism in their law enforcement actions. Shen Zhenzhu then emphasized the key points of precise arrest to the chief flight attendant.
The train conductor, a man in his forties, didn't want any escaped murderers on his train. After carefully examining the sketch, he called the train attendants aside for a small meeting.
One of the train attendants said, "I think I saw this person with the broken eyebrow once on the platform. I remember his eyebrows, but I don't remember which carriage he went to."
"Do you remember which direction he went?" Shen Zhenzhu stood up and walked to the door to ask.
The flight attendant pointed to the right and said, "Go that way, but the carriages are connected. Maybe they felt there were too many people here, so they boarded from the other side and then moved over."
“Our ordinary passenger train 0711 only has ten carriages, running from Liancheng to Beijing. There aren’t many people boarding yet, so it shouldn’t be difficult to find him,” the chief purser told Shen Zhenzhu. “I’m just worried he might hurt someone.”
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Once you see him, just pass by without alerting him. Leave the rest to us and the train police officers."
“Okay, I understand.” The flight attendant said, “I have already reported this to the train conductor, and she wants us to cooperate with your operation to the fullest extent.”
With these words, Chen Zhenzhu felt relieved.
She divided the ten carriages into groups for everyone, and then, together with another train police officer, she began searching from the seventh carriage to the ninth carriage.
The train attendants followed their usual work routine, moving around the carriages as usual and checking tickets and ID documents from time to time.
Trains in the 1990s had a unique human touch to travel. On the green trains, an old lady would casually take out a few tomatoes and cucumbers and share them with strangers on the same train.
To pass the long journey, the men gathered together to play cards. Some who didn't like playing cards sat on the side seats, bought a bag of peanuts and a bottle of beer, and drank alone while watching the scenery recede into the distance outside the window.
After checking the two sleeper carriages, Shen Zhenzhu met up with Xiaobai and Zhao Qiqi, but didn't find Liu Erxin. If a train attendant hadn't seen him board the train, Shen Zhenzhu would have thought she had been misled.
The sky outside gradually darkened, and the rumbling sound of trains merging on the tracks could be heard as the train entered Haiya Station on the outskirts of Jinshi City.
"The train has arrived at Haiya Station and will stop for three minutes. Passengers who wish to disembark, please get off as soon as possible."
"The train has arrived at Haiya Station..."
There weren't many passengers standing at the connecting door getting off. Chen Zhenzhu leaned against the door, watching. After the last person got off, Xiaobai and Zhao Qiqi came over a moment later: "We didn't see Liu Erxin."
Shen Zhenzhu said in bewilderment, "Is Liu Erxin really that good at counter-surveillance? How could he escape right under our noses?"
On the platform, locals were constantly hawking Jinshi dried bean curd sheets, Jinshi roast chicken, and smoked meat rolls.
Having not eaten properly all day, Chen Zhenzhu glanced at the table and said, "I'm going downstairs to buy some food. Be careful."
Zhao Qiqi was starving, and he followed Chen Zhenzhu out of the car: "I'll go with you and buy more."
Xiao Bai stood guard in front of the car door and shouted, "Hurry up, the bus is about to leave!"
There were a few heavy smokers on the platform. Chen Zhenzhu walked past them and headed straight for the counter selling smoked meat pie.
The flight attendant came over to Xiaobai and said, "Still haven't found it? What were they doing down there?"
Xiao Bai said, "I'm hungry, let's buy some food."
The flight attendant said, "Then come up to our dining car and eat. All the dishes are freshly cooked."
Xiao Bai said, "Okay, there definitely won't be enough wraps. I'll talk to them when they come up."
As they were talking, Chen Zhenzhu jogged to the counter to buy a smoked meat wrap. Behind her, several people rolled down their car windows, stretched out their arms, and handed over money and wraps in the same hand.
"Auntie, please give me some more scallions, thank you." Zhao Qiqi swallowed hard, reached into her pocket to take out her money, and realized she didn't have her wallet.
Shen Zhenzhu took out her wallet, patted her chest, and said, "Don't give it to me, I'll treat you to a meal."
As a team leader, you have to take good care of your subordinates in the details. In the way you take care of Yan Zheng, feeding him is a basic skill.
The train whistle blew as it was about to depart, and Chen Zhenzhu urged, "Auntie, please hurry up!"
She ordered three "King of Kings" (a type of spicy snack) to add to her flatbread for the children as an extra treat. Just as she looked up to ask Xiaobai if she wanted chili sauce, the person she was looking for stretched out his arm from the window: "Give me a flatbread, and a tea egg—"
"So that's where it is!" Shen Zhenzhu rushed to the train window and grabbed Liu Erxin's wrist before he could pull his arm back.
Liu Erxin was startled and yelled, "Are you robbing me? Let me go right now!"
"Achigo!"
Zhao Qiqi ignored the smoked meat rolls and rushed to Chen Zhenzhu, bending her knees.
Shen Zhenzhu stepped on his thigh, used the momentum to jump onto the car window, grabbed Liu Erxin's wrist with one hand and grabbed the window with the other, and jumped inside in the blink of an eye!
Zhao Qiqi was still cheering for Shen Zhenzhu when he noticed the flight attendant standing at the train door waving at him: "The train is leaving, hurry up and get on!"
Zhao Qiqi took a couple of steps, and the old lady selling smoked meat pancakes called out from behind, "Hey, you haven't taken your wraps yet!"
Zhao Qiqi hesitated for only two seconds, then turned around to grab the smoked meat pancake. As soon as she turned back, the train rattled away from the platform...
"Oh my god, what am I going to do now?" Zhao Qiqi stood there dumbfounded, clutching three plump smoked meat rolls.
Liu Erxin has been found; he has been lost.
Shen Zhenzhu handcuffed Liu Erxin and shouted through the car window, "Wait for me where you are, don't wander off!"
"Sister Pearl, don't forget me!" Zhao Qiqi blurted out in a flustered manner.
After finishing her instructions to Zhao Qiqi, Shen Zhenzhu shrank back and looked at Liu Erxin, who was handcuffed to her. Opposite Liu Erxin sat a woman of similar age, holding a child who looked unwell.
Although Liu Erxin was thin, his eyes were fierce. If Chen Zhenzhu hadn't turned him over and hit him a few times first, he wouldn't have been handcuffed so obediently.
Xiao Bai arrived at the scene and searched his luggage and person, finding two fruit knives and a wrench.
The passengers in the hard seats had already been seated in the rows in front of the train attendants, and many people in the carriage were stunned by Chen Zhenzhu's actions.
After they learned that it was the police handling the case, they whispered among themselves, eager to know what mistake Liu Erxin, who had been arrested, had made.
"Liu Erxin, right? I didn't see you earlier." This was the carriage that Xiaobai and the train conductor had searched. Xiaobai said angrily, "Where did you hide?"
Liu Erxin casually tapped the ground under the hard seat with his foot. The ground was covered with newspapers; he had just been sleeping under the hard seat.
Xiao Bai was convinced and sighed, "What should we do now, Sister Pearl?"
Shen Zhenzhu said, "We'll ask the conductor when the next stop is. After we get off the train, we'll wait for the next train back to Liancheng and pick up Aqi on the way."
Liu Erxin had been very calm, but when he heard Shen Zhenzhu say she wanted to go back to Liancheng, he suddenly became agitated and shouted, "I'm not going back to Liancheng, I'm going to the capital!"
Shen Zhenzhu said, "You still want to go to the capital like this?"
Liu Erxin glanced at his wife across from him, who was crying softly, and said, "I need to get treatment for my child. My son has inexplicably developed a high fever that won't go down, and the doctor said it might have damaged his brain."
Liu Erxin's wife said in despair, "It's all your fault. You insisted on gambling away the child's medical expenses. If we hadn't been short of money for the child's treatment, would he be in this state now?"
Liu Erxin pointed at his wife's nose and said, "What more do you want from me now that I'm in this state?"
Shen Zhenzhu pressed down on his arm and said to Xiaobai, "Take her over there to sit and ask her questions."
Xiao Bai helped Liu Erxin's wife and said, "Let's go, please cooperate with us to give a statement."
After she left, Chen Zhenzhu handcuffed Liu Erxin again, sat down opposite him, and said, "Do you know why I arrested you?"
Liu Erxin said, "I know."
Chen Zhenzhu said, "Then tell me why?"
Liu Erxin frowned impatiently and said, "Scam."
"?" Chen Zhenzhu asked in confusion, "Who are you trying to fool?"
Liu Erxin angrily said, "Didn't I just cheat Lao Dao out of three thousand yuan? I was only trying to pay for my son's medical treatment. He said he'd give me three thousand if I killed someone. Who the hell would risk their life for three thousand yuan? I took the money and went to buy a train ticket."
Shen Zhenzhu closed her eyes and said with a forced smile, "Then you gave away a portion of the money and hired someone else to commit murder?"
Liu Erxin looked at Chen Zhenzhu as if she were a fool: "Am I crazy or are you crazy? You want me to share the money that's already in my hands with others? Dream on."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "But Qiao Jinqiu is dead."
Liu Erxin suddenly froze, and said in surprise, "How...how did he die?"
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Yes, I also want to ask you, he gave you money to kill Qiao Jinqiu, now Qiao Jinqiu has been killed, and you were captured during your escape. The facts are right in front of you, how do you still have an explanation?"
Liu Erxin said, "I didn't kill him, how could he be dead?"
Shen Zhenzhu said, "You are currently the prime suspect."
Liu Erxin lowered his head, covering his face, unable to believe his ears. He slowly raised his head, a nervous expression on his face, and said, "I only cheated him out of three thousand yuan. Is it really necessary for me to get shot for three thousand yuan?"
Shen Zhenzhu said, "There are plenty of vicious criminals who would kill someone for five cents. Your three thousand dollars is already quite a lot."
Liu Erxin slowly shook his head, gritting his teeth as he said, "It must have been Lao Dao who killed me; he deliberately framed me."
Shen Zhenzhu asked, "Where were you the night before last? Is there anyone who can testify?"
"He died then?" Liu Erxin's face lit up with joy, and he said quickly, "I was at the city children's hospital treating my child. Not only my wife and child were there, but also the on-duty doctor and nurses were there."
What's your son's name?
"Liu Sanxin".
With some skepticism, Shen Zhenzhu picked up her mobile phone and called the Municipal Children's Hospital. After inquiring, the doctor there said, "Liu Erxin did indeed stay in the IV room all night. I confirmed with the head nurse. He held the child all night without sleeping, and even when his wife went to work during the day, he was still holding the child."
Shen Zhenzhu put down her mobile phone, amused by the current situation.
Guo Zhi, Lao Dao, and Liu Erxin, through layers of subcontracting, all took money but did not kill anyone.
But Qiao Jinqiu died.
After Xiaobai finished questioning Liu Erxin's wife and handed the record book to Chen Zhenzhu, he reached out and touched the child's forehead.
Just as the couple had said, the child's forehead was burning hot. The two-year-old lay dying in his grieving mother's arms, only his shallow breathing could be heard.
The flight attendant was delighted to hear that the person had been caught and came over happily. She glanced at Liu Erxin sitting in his seat, shook her head, and said to Chen Zhenzhu, "We get off at the next stop in an hour. Let me get you some water."
Chen Zhenzhu also wanted to drink some water to fill her stomach. After the flight attendant left, she asked Xiaobai, "Did you bring your wallet?"
Xiao Bai whispered, "My wallet was in my backpack, and the backpack was in the police car. This time the car was nice, and the doors were closed tightly, so I didn't carry it with me. Who knew this would happen? Where's your wallet?"
Chen Zhenzhu also whispered, "I bought smoked meat wraps for Brother Aqi. Three of them, plus a super-sized egg wrap from King of Kings."
Xiao Bai swallowed hard, sat down next to Shen Zhenzhu, leaned on her shoulder, and started calculating: "It'll take an hour to get there, an hour to get back, and then we have to wait another thirty minutes for the bus. If all goes well, we won't be able to eat our flatbread until nine o'clock. Sigh, it might even be cold by then."
“Maybe they were all eaten by Brother Aqi.” Chen Zhenzhu said with a helpless smile, “He has a bigger appetite than us, so he should be even hungrier than us. ...Oh, right.”
Shen Zhenzhu took out the chocolate Lu Ye had put in her pocket, a truly unexpected surprise. She broke off half and gave it to Xiaobai: "That should last a while."
Xiao Bai took a bite of chocolate and suddenly said, "Brother A Ye doesn't seem like such a thoughtful person."
Shen Zhenzhu didn't catch the meaning behind her words and said insincerely, "People always grow up."
Xiao Bai happily chewed on the chocolate, hoping that Gu Yanzheng would try harder.
The two women were whispering to each other next to Liu Erxin, but the sound of the train tracks made it impossible for Liu Erxin to hear their conversation clearly.
In the end, Shen Zhenzhu and Xiaobai agreed that they still had to find Yu Wanqing, as the problem lay with her, and an interrogation would surely yield clues.
"After all that searching, it all comes to nothing," Xiaobai sighed.
Shen Zhenzhu glanced at the time, then looked at the pitch-black scene outside, and said with ease, "We didn't go the wrong way, so we've temporarily ruled out those three people as suspects. Whether any of them are lying still requires a thorough investigation. Don't be discouraged. Remember our grand martial arts competition? Things are much better now than they were then."
Xiao Bai recalled the case from the martial arts competition: the honest man Li Mancang had been lying low for years and murdered everyone in the courtyard. When they were first assigned to Case No. 1, they were also clueless. Finally, with Shen Zhenzhu's unwavering spirit, they found the last family member and found clues to solve the case from the smallest details.
"We managed to hold on for over half a month without any progress, and it's only been two days now." Shen Zhenzhu encouraged Xiaobai, saying, "Think about Captain Qiu and the others."
Mentioning Qiu and his team, Xiao Bai's sullen face broke into a smile: "They're not even as good as us."
"That's right. Actually, this case isn't that difficult; it's just a matter of peeling back the layers and pulling out the radish."
Xiao Bai rubbed against Shen Zhenzhu's shoulder and said reassuringly, "You've taken such good care of me."
Shen Zhenzhu smiled, revealing a set of white teeth: "Because it's good for you too."
The two women whispered about the case for a while longer, while Liu Erxin stared at them blankly, not daring to look back at his wife and children.
"Comrade...leader comrade?" Liu Erxin, who had been deliberately left waiting for a while, couldn't help but ask, "Are you really going to take me back?"
Shen Zhenzhu said, "How about I accompany you all the way to the capital?"
Liu Erxin's hands were handcuffed under his clothes. Unable to bear hearing his wife's cries, he suddenly clenched his fists and pounded his head hard!
"What are you doing? Stop!" Xiao Bai stepped forward and pressed Liu Erxin's hands down with both hands: "Don't move!"
Tears and snot streamed down Liu Erxin's face as he broke down, saying, "My family has only had one son for three generations. I have no hope left in this life. My son can't be hurt. Please, please let me take him to the hospital! I'll tell you everything, please let him go to the hospital!"
Chen Zhenzhu said with a stern face, "Now you know how to ask for help? Why didn't you think about that when you gambled away your child's medical expenses?"
Liu Erxin pretended to kneel down, but Xiaobai held him up firmly: "Don't do anything reckless. These are all passengers. It's not a good thing."
Liu Erxin slumped his shoulders and said weakly, "After my dad was executed, everyone said I would kill someone too. I'm even afraid to kill a chicken. There are too many bullies in the market who prey on the weak and fear the strong. Knowing that I am the son of a murderer, countless people bully our family. If I don't act tough, we can't live our lives."
"If you want to live a good life, why do you still gamble?" Shen Zhenzhu said sternly, pushing him back to his seat. Passengers in front and behind stood up and peered at him. Shen Zhenzhu picked up her ID and said to them, "Liancheng City Bureau, we're getting off right away."
She deliberately avoided mentioning her identity as a member of the Major Crimes Unit, only saying it was the Municipal Public Security Bureau. The passengers whispered among themselves, assuming they had caught a pickpocket who had been stealing along the way.
Liu Erxin kept crying. He turned his head and saw his wife carrying a luggage bag and holding their child, walking to another carriage. She was completely parting ways with him.
He broke down even more and burst into tears.
At this moment, Chen Zhenzhu remained stern and unmoved, throwing him a tissue and saying, "Stop acting."
Liu Erxin choked up and said, "I didn't act. It's all my fault. I'm the one who hurt the child. Why couldn't I control myself? Waaah!"
At this moment, a train attendant came over to remind us: "We have five minutes left before we get off at our stop."
Liu Erxin lowered his head as he listened to Shen Zhenzhu tell the train police officer, "It involves a murder case. The person holding the child over there is a family member of the suspect. I need to take the suspect back. Her statement has already been taken. If she wants to take the child to Beijing for medical treatment, don't stop her."
Liu Erxin immediately looked up, staring at Chen Zhenzhu in astonishment: "You're not going to arrest us?"
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Get this straight, I'm the one arresting you, not them, mother and son. What era are we living in? Don't try to punish those who are implicated."
Liu Erxin was still thinking about the three thousand yuan in his wife's duffel bag. He thought Shen Zhenzhu had forgotten about the money. His heart was racing, and he kept licking his lips as he waited for the train to arrive at the station.
Xiao Bai escorted Liu Erxin to the door. Shen Zhenzhu reached out and shook hands with the flight attendant, the police officer, and others who had helped. After arriving at the station, the three of them got off the train.
With the guidance and confirmation of the train conductor, I greeted the staff at Taihang Station and went to another platform to wait for the train back to Liancheng.
The return train was delayed, and we had to wait an extra hour and a half to arrive.
The old green train appeared in the night, and Chen Zhenzhu was so happy she almost cried.
Once on the train, the attendant led them to a less crowded carriage: "You guys have it so tough handling this case. Sit here, we'll be at the station in an hour to pick up your comrade. I'll call the train police over now, you can rest for a bit."
"Finally on the bus, so tired." Xiao Bai lay on the small table, listlessly thinking about how to ask Yu Wanqing a question.
Liu Erxin remained silent the entire way. As the green train slowly pulled into the platform, Chen Zhenzhu saw Zhao Qiqi squatting on the platform, lost in thought.
"Brother Qi! Here we are, we're back!" Shen Zhenzhu and Xiaobai both poked their heads out, saying this, and first glanced at Zhao Qiqi's hand.
Smoked meat wraps are sold out!
Zhao Qiqi ran onto the bus and saw two angry eyes staring at her. Clutching her empty stomach, she said, "I didn't eat a single bite of the wrap. Two beggar kids crawled into the platform and grabbed me, but I gave them all to them."
Shen Zhenzhu believed that Zhao Qiqi wouldn't eat alone, so she held out her hand and said, "Give me your wallet. When the flight attendants come, we'll go to the dining car to eat. I'll treat you to a meal."
Zhao Qiqi happily patted his back pocket, then stared blankly: "Where's my wallet? Shouldn't it be here?"
Shen Zhenzhu was dumbfounded: "You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask? I already gave it to you."
Zhao Qiqi turned all her pockets inside out: "I left it on the counter and forgot to take it... Sister Pearl, I'll make it up to you when we get back."
After Zhao Qiqi finished speaking, he dared not look directly into the eyes of Shen Zhenzhu and Xiaobai, feeling ashamed to face his fellow villagers.
Chen Zhenzhu comforted her, saying, "There's only a little change inside, not much left, it's alright."
Liu Erxin had originally wanted to buy a wrap but failed. While handcuffed, he said, "I still have two yuan in my pocket. Why don't you guys just buy some instant noodles?"
Xiao Bai sternly refused his offer: "Don't try to bribe us, we don't want your money."
"What's going on?" The flight attendant who had been there earlier came over, overheard something, and said, "You lost your wallet?"
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Mm."
The flight attendant knew the three men were criminal police officers, but she never expected that they would lose their wallets while arresting suspects.
She thought for a moment and said, "You wait here." Then she took out a few lunch boxes from the food cart she was pushing and said, "Tomato and egg, eggplant and green beans, egg fried noodles, stewed mackerel... You can eat, it's on me. You've been running around a lot, it's not easy for you, it's on me."
"I absolutely cannot accept the pearl," Chen Zhenzhu said, quickly standing up and saying, "Thank you for your kindness, elder sister, but we cannot take even a needle or thread from ordinary people."
After saying that, Zhao Qiqi clutched his stomach in pain; he was about to have a stomach cramp.
Chen Zhenzhu, Eldest Sister: "..."
Having no other choice, Chen Zhenzhu shamelessly said, "How about I pay on credit... I'll pay after I get off the train."
The flight attendant was about the same size and build as Shen Liuhe, and was in her forties. She had been selling lunch boxes on the train for many years. She said in a loud voice, "What did you say?"
Liu Erxin chimed in, "She said she wants to pay on credit!"
Shen Zhenzhu wanted to kill him.
The flight attendant said awkwardly, "Alright then, I was going to treat you to a meal. Here, there are a few boxes of rice left over from the previous meals. You can have them; they're still warm."
Zhao Qiqi glanced at Chen Zhenzhu and saw that her face was red. She asked in a low voice, "Sister Zhenzhu, should we just have a small bite, or should we eat as much as we want?"
Having never borrowed money or gone on credit in either of her two lives, Chen Zhenzhu recklessly declared, "It's already like this, so just eat your fill."
Liu Erxin looked at Shen Zhenzhu and said, "You won't withhold food from the suspect, will you?"
Shen Zhenzhu said, "You can eat it, one more bite won't make a difference."
Liu Erxin wiped away his tears and said, "Big sister, I, I, I want a serving of braised eggplant. Please mix it with rice so I can make eggplant rice. Also, two eggs and a big chicken leg."
Shen Zhenzhu: "......" She gripped the small hammer, wanting to smash him to death even more.
The flight attendant brought Shen Zhenzhu a boxed lunch with one meat dish and one vegetable dish, and casually asked, "Don't you know which municipal bureau you're from?"
Shen Zhenzhu whispered, "Baolü's."
The flight attendant nodded: "Baolü is a great place. The cherries there are especially delicious; my daughter loves them. Since you're from there, I'll get you two small roast chickens too. Please enjoy your meal."
Chen Zhenzhu said solemnly, "Elder sister, on behalf of Bao Lü, thank you."
-----------------------
Author's Note: Pearl muttered guiltily, "If Bao Lü hadn't chased after me, I wouldn't have gotten on the train. If I hadn't gotten on the train, Zhao Qiqi wouldn't have fallen behind. If he hadn't fallen behind, he wouldn't have lost his wallet. If he hadn't lost his wallet, he wouldn't have run up debts..."
***
See you tomorrow, there are 100 red envelopes! [Let me see]
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