Chapter 227 Shifting Responsibility
"Three groups of people were fighting. One group consisted of people who had been drinking, another group from the bus fleet, and the shop owner and his son." Police officers from the nearby police station followed Shen Zhenzhu, waiting for her to make a decision.
“Those who are injured should be taken to the hospital for examination first, and the others should go to the nearest police station to give statements and find out who started the fight.”
"Understood."
Shen Zhenzhu examined the teeth closely: "Miniature ivory, lower premolar."
This tooth is very young, with a transparent crown, and it's from a critical growth period between the ages of 12 and 14. It doesn't look like it fell out naturally; it looks like it was broken off forcefully. Unfortunately, when I found it, it was mixed with dirt from the ground, making it impossible to tell where it came from.
"Whose tooth was knocked out? It doesn't look like it was a baby tooth that fell out during the birthing process." Xiaobai leaned over to take a look.
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Although it didn't fall out normally, it doesn't seem like it was caused by a fight either. Look here, the occlusal surface has calcified color, which is a characteristic of the rapid calcification period. There are serrated cracks at the fracture site of the root, which at first glance looks like it was caused by a lateral impact to the gum, but if you look closely, there is this mark on the enamel surface—"
Shen Zhenzhu pointed to a fine, wavy growth line and said, "It's more like it's shed due to prolonged and continuous pressure; it's caused by chronic external force."
Xiao Bai recalled the forensic research he had recently seen and said, "It could have been caused by teeth being squeezed or worn down?"
"That's possible, or it could be caused by jawbone deformation. The enamel growth lines show signs of pressure."
Chen Zhenzhu looked around at the messy restaurant, the hygiene was worrying, and the air was greasy, but apart from the fresh stains, there was no food residue or old pigment on her teeth.
She looked away and said definitively, "They were brought here after being detached in a very short time. Ask around if there are any missing teenagers nearby, aged between ten and fifteen."
Xiao Bai said, "Yes, Sister Pearl."
The round-faced, bearded man who had been squatting outside waiting to get on the bus had mostly sobered up and was shouting, his breath reeking of alcohol, "I want compensation! Damn it, I drank so much I broke a tooth, isn't that creepy? Am I wrong to ask for compensation for emotional distress?"
Lu Ye looked down at him, making the round-faced, bearded man feel unprecedented pressure. After staring at him for several seconds, Lu Ye finally said, "You made the first move."
The round-faced man with a thick beard stared with his large, hyperthyroid-looking eyes and said, "I found a tooth in my food! I feel disgusted!"
The restaurant owner, with his neck stiff, said, "We ate from 8 p.m. last night until 7 a.m. this morning, and I was completely drunk. Could you tell the difference between the good and the bad?"
"I can't tell the difference. Didn't I ask you if this was garlic? You ignored me!"
Seeing that they were about to start arguing again, Lu Ye shouted, "Quiet down, both of you!"
Then, glancing at the line of buses squatting against the other wall, he walked over and asked, "What caused you to fight this time?"
A young driver said, "They hit our ticket seller."
The ticket seller standing nearby said, "They didn't hit us, but they hurt a child by flipping a table. We only called our colleagues to help when we saw them going crazy and about to hit someone."
Chen Zhenzhu surveyed the restaurant. There were shards of glass on the ground, including those from "Island Beer," "Zhenai Fruit Source," and "Liancheng Yogurt." On the counter were broken pieces of goji berry wine and Happy High nutritional supplement drinks.
She stepped outside and, upon hearing this, asked, "Where is the injured child?"
A woman carrying a young boy came over and said nervously, "Comrade, look, your hand is cut."
The injury is not serious, with about two centimeters of bleeding on the skin.
Chen Zhenzhu took out a band-aid and handed it to her. Looking at the boy's lips, she asked, "Little boy, can you open your mouth so I can see? Ah—"
The three- or four-year-old boy opened his mouth with an "ah," and Chen Zhenzhu checked him over and nodded: "Good boy. Is there anything else that hurts?"
The boy held up his scratched hand and said in a childish voice, "Tongtong's hand hurts, but the rest of the body doesn't hurt."
"So your name is Tongtong." Chen Zhenzhu rubbed his head. "It's good that it doesn't hurt."
The dozen or so people involved in the fight went to the hospital for treatment and checkups. Around noon, after leaving the hospital, they went to the Criminal Investigation Brigade.
They sat in the large conference room, suppressing their anger, ready to explode at any moment.
"A fight involving three or more people constitutes affray, understand?" Chen Zhenzhu sat in the middle of the conference room, facing sixteen men of uncle-like age, and said sternly and crisply, "There has been bleeding and fractures, seriously disrupting social order, the scale is large and the consequences are serious, and some people are even armed and injuring others. I hope you will cooperate actively. If it is determined to be affray with weapons, the sentence will be at least three to ten years imprisonment."
"It's that serious?" said the pockmarked man next to the round-faced bearded man. "I broke my arm. It was that fat bus driver who did it. If anyone's going to arrest someone, arrest him."
Chen Zhenzhu raised her chin and clasped her hands together on the table: "Isn't it an honor?"
Someone in the conference room sneered, and the pockmarked man fell silent.
He thought the girl would be easy to talk to, but he never expected that once she entered the criminal investigation team, she would be stern and domineering, even more frightening than the foreman.
"If the forensic examination results show it's a minor injury, level two, then it's intentional assault, and you'll definitely be criminally liable." Shen Zhenzhu looked at the group of bus drivers on her left, whose grip on the steering wheel was much stronger than she'd imagined, and said, "This wasn't really your problem, but you just barged in and started hitting people, even breaking their bones. Did you even think about how to clean up this mess?"
The bus fleet captain, with a bandage on his head and a pained expression, said, "I also got hit on the head with a beer bottle and am bleeding. We both got hurt in the back and forth. Maybe we should just let it go."
If word gets back to his workplace that he led a fight, he'll have a hard time all year. And to make matters worse, he's the designated driver for the "Lei Feng" special train; they might even stop letting him drive it altogether.
Shen Zhenzhu then looked at the round-faced, bearded man who was leading the migrant workers: "They said that, and you beat them up pretty badly. What are you planning to do?"
The round-faced man with the bushy beard grumbled at the pockmarked man, preventing him from speaking. He spoke first, saying, "We were also at fault. We thought they lived nearby and were in cahoots with the boss. You guys are very loyal. We misunderstood. Let's just let this go."
The bus company staff quickly added, "Yes, yes, we're still on duty. The No. 6 bus route is going to be suspended because of us."
Six routes?
Chen Zhenzhu was speechless; it was the route to her doorstep.
No wonder they're always so impulsive and have such fiery tempers.
“Then you two can leave it at that for now. Once the forensic examination results are out, the police station will contact you.” Chen Zhenzhu made the decision and said, “If the bus drivers’ statements are recorded, you can leave now.”
The bus drivers walked out happily, saying to the father and son standing in the aisle, "It's your turn."
The father and son from Qiangfeng Restaurant walked in sheepishly. Seeing Chen Zhenzhu sitting in the middle with Bafeng Budong, they shrank back and found a secluded corner to sit down.
“Sit forward,” Chen Zhenzhu said.
"Hey." The father and son looked exactly alike, both with square heads. The fact that the two of them could fight against more than ten people showed that their fighting strength should not be underestimated. Of course, the rice scoops they were using also played a part.
"You're the culprits," the round-faced, bearded man said indignantly. "If you couldn't stay up late, you should have said so earlier. Why did you have to come in here with all this weird talk and bring in all this filth?"
The restaurant owner was displeased. His face was bruised, and he slammed his fist on the table, saying, "I told you the teeth aren't from our restaurant! You're wronging an innocent person. Besides, who's like you? A group of people ordering three vegetarian dishes and drinking all night? Licking the tips of your chopsticks to go with your drinks—how stingy!"
“If you don’t agree, you don’t have to do business with us.” The pockmarked man’s arm was still sore, and he frowned with his sparse eyebrows as he said, “Since we’ve already done it, stop talking nonsense.”
"Who knew you guys would order hot dishes every few days? And the beer has to be served bottle by bottle, not by the case. We've made it clear that you can return any unfinished drinks, but you insist on ordering them one by one. Isn't this just making things difficult for us?"
Shen Zhenzhu reached out to stop their argument, and looked at the round-faced, bearded group of people, saying, "What are your demands?"
The round-faced man with a thick beard said, "You should pay compensation for emotional distress."
Shen Zhenzhu looked at the father and son in the restaurant: "And you?"
The restaurant owner said, "Don't even think about me paying for emotional distress. I want them to pay for the restaurant!"
Shen Zhenzhu grasped the crux of the problem and said, "Then let's find out where the teeth came from first, and then determine responsibility. The market supervision personnel will be here with them in a bit, please cooperate."
More than fighting, Shen Zhenzhu was concerned about the condition of the tooth's owner.
Xiao Bai knocked on the door and came in, whispering in Shen Zhenzhu's ear, "I've inquired around the area, but there are no missing boys."
“Check nearby schools for students with oral or jawbone abnormalities,” Shen Zhenzhu said. “Also, contact the information department and check their database for any missing persons matching the criteria from the past three years.”
"Yes," Xiaobai said.
After waiting for more than half an hour, market regulators finally appeared.
He was wearing a gray uniform with a badge pinned to his chest, followed by a group of executives from various manufacturers. Representatives from Island Beer, Zhenai Fruit Source, Liancheng Yogurt, and Happy Gao were all present.
Upon arriving at the main conference room, the meeting once again became a three-way discussion.
The round-faced, bearded man and others are demanding compensation, but they don't know who to seek it from.
The restaurant owner's father was somewhat intimidated by the large commotion, especially since the other party had brought a legal representative to confront him.
The restaurant owner stood firm and said to the market inspector, "Director Liu, they were the ones who started the fight, and they were the ones who made those threats. You've inspected our restaurant before, and we know about the food safety issues. How could we possibly produce a tooth that's neither big nor small and put it on a plate? Look at my dad and me, we both have all our teeth. They must be trying to extort money from us because they're poor and shabby."
"Nonsense!" The pockmarked man stood up, arms crossed, revealing horrifying scratch marks on his neck. "I heard you cursing at us in the kitchen, but I didn't bother with you then. Now we're fighting for our rights, and that has nothing to do with whether we have money in our pockets or not!"
The restaurant owner sneered, "I think either you brought it in yourself, or they poured it in bottles. Otherwise, how could it be so clean?"
The round-faced man with a thick beard fixed his gaze on the restaurant owner, looking at him like he was an enemy, and roared, "Your restaurant deserves to die! The food is unclean, and if something happens in your restaurant, your restaurant has to take responsibility!"
The restaurant owner's father was startled and quickly pointed to a group of manufacturers, saying, "They are all government entities, and government entities have money. Go ask them for it. Our shop is small and can't afford to pay them back."
He found the kindest-looking middle-aged woman with an oval face at the factory and said, "Go talk to her, she's easy to talk to."
"Whether you're easy to talk to or not, we have to be professional." The oval-faced workshop director of Liancheng Yogurt Factory pushed up his glasses and said, "Our Liancheng yogurt is a local brand, loved by young and old alike. Analyzing it from a texture perspective, the movement trajectory of teeth in semi-fixed yogurt, whether during production or pouring, is inconsistent with the state of beer and juice on site. I think we can have a research department do an analysis. They could easily see if there are any harmful substances in the teeth that some manufacturers claim are all-natural, but actually contain added pigments or other additives. It's quite easy to analyze."
"Please don't make assumptions based on a lack of common sense. Your wording is problematic." Her words stung the legal representative of Zhenai Guozhiyuan. The male legal representative's lips twitched almost imperceptibly as he said, "Our factory uses high-end production lines imported from abroad, with juice sterilization and strong filtration technologies. It's impossible for any dirt like teeth or hair to appear. It's absolutely pure, natural, and additive-free. On the other hand, Kuaile Gao, a brand that's recently risen rapidly, is its production line even keeping up?"
As they passed the buck to each other, Chen Zhenzhu paid close attention to their words and actions, noting down the key words they uttered.
Upon hearing this, she looked at the staff from Happy High. There were three of them: a workshop quality inspector, a legal specialist, and a department manager.
At this moment, Manager Liang from the department stood up, politely nodded to Shen Zhenzhu, and after exchanging pleasantries at a leisurely pace, smiled and said, "It's truly regrettable that Happy High was innocently dragged into a violent incident. This goes against our brand's philosophy of 'effectively helping teenagers grow happily'... Regarding that tooth, our company produces a nutritional beverage that has undergone strict approval. All vitamins, minerals, and growth-promoting additives are listed in the national standard usage list and are produced according to standards. The possibility of foreign objects entering the body is practically zero, let alone such a large tooth. How many oral bacteria would a detached tooth carry? Even just a touch would cause abnormal microbial indicators. The batch of products from Qiangfeng Restaurant has all met the factory standards in both the factory inspection and sampling reports. I happened to bring them with me; please take a look, Team Leader Shen, and please everyone else as well."
He walked around to Chen Zhenzhu, handed her the photocopy of the test report, and also distributed a copy to the others.
Seeing that everyone had quieted down, Manager Liang confidently said, "Based on our understanding, alcohol was found on the teeth during the conflict. The teeth may have been knocked out due to external injury, cavities, periodontal disease, or external force caused by alcohol. In the criminal investigation team's assessment, is there a possibility of a misunderstanding, where the responsibility for the alcohol-related incident is mistakenly attributed to our Happy High?"
After listening quietly to Manager Liang's account, Shen Zhenzhu understood that he was trying to shift the blame to two different parties. He was simultaneously talking about the beer issue and admitting that his investigation methods were unscientific and unprofessional.
Manager Liang took control of the situation, slowly sat down, and asked the Island Beer representatives as if they were old friends: "Old Deng, last year a reporter exposed your factory for relabeling expired beer and reselling it. Why haven't you made any improvements?"
"What happened last year was the distributor's unauthorized action. Whether or not it is improved, and how it is improved, has nothing to do with the beverage seller."
The island beer vendor, an elderly man in a work jacket with large, calloused hands, stubbornly explained, “Our process is designed with standards that prevent teeth from getting involved. Especially during the bottling process, teeth are washed away according to their size and weight, ending up in the filter. Let me be clear, if consumers find teeth in the store, on their plates, on the floor, or even in their glasses, it has nothing to do with us. Of course, we're not as technically proficient as those who sell beverages; after all, we can only guarantee that when the product leaves the factory, the bottle contains clean beer, free of impurities.”
Old Master Deng, true to his seniority, didn't angrily cry foul. Instead, he gently pointed and shifted the blame back to the father and son at the restaurant.
Shen Zhenzhu understood what he meant: the beer was innocent; the problem could only have occurred at the restaurant after they left.
Everyone was blaming each other in the mire when suddenly they heard the "snap" of a laptop closing.
Everyone turned to look at the silent Chen Zhenzhu, eager to see how this young and renowned Captain Chen would handle this tangled mess of a case.
A lone tooth sat on Shen Zhenzhu's notebook: "I've looked into the situation. Everyone's statements, reports, and procedures are all very detailed. We can't determine how to divide the responsibility for now."
She raised her eyes and scanned the crowd in front of her one by one.
The group included Manager Liang, dressed impeccably; Old Deng, wearing old work clothes; an oval-faced man with red lips; a market supervision commissioner in a gray uniform and other factory representatives; an anxious restaurant father and son; and a round-faced man with a thick beard, looking completely bewildered by a group of people.
"However, I'd also like you to understand my situation as well." Chen Zhenzhu changed the subject, speaking crisply and clearly: "First of all, someone was injured and suffered a fracture. This isn't a consumer dispute but a public order case. This falls under my criminal investigation team's jurisdiction, and the forensic department of my criminal investigation team has the final say on how to classify it. There's no need for you to argue and attack each other. Second, and most importantly, who owns the tooth? How did it fall out, and why hasn't anyone come to look for it?"
Manager Liang shrugged: "We have no idea either."
The woman with the oval face sat quietly to the side, nodding.
Old Deng sighed and said earnestly, "This won't do. Could something have happened?"
Chen Zhenzhu paused, and seeing their attitude, said, "So, today's discussion on commercial liability ends here. You are all involved parties, and please cooperate with the follow-up work until the case investigation is over. As for your responsibilities and compensation, that's a matter for the Industry and Commerce Bureau and the Quality Inspection Bureau. My job is to find out the origin of the teeth and handle criminal matters. Do you understand what I mean?"
"Human life comes first in everything." Old Deng said repeatedly, "I understand Captain Chen's words very well."
The oval-faced man and the others nodded, "Understood, we will cooperate."
"Yes, we will definitely cooperate with the team's work."
Shen Zhenzhu stood up, picked up the tooth and notebook, walked to the door and said, "I will definitely find the owner of the tooth. Once I do, things won't be so simple. Everyone can go back and think about whether there are any other relevant clues that we haven't had time to tell you."
Old Deng said politely, "I will definitely help Captain Chen inquire when I get back, and I also welcome Captain Chen to come to our brewery to inspect our work."
“Hmm.” Shen Zhenzhu turned around and looked at Manager Liang, spreading her hands like him, and said, “It might not be too late to think about it now.”
Manager Liang paused for a moment, then said, "We also welcome Team Leader Shen to come to the Happy High factory to inspect the work at any time."
"I'll go if I have the chance." After saying that, Shen Zhenzhu opened the door and walked straight out, leaving the room filled with silent thoughts.
Since they were passing the buck, she used a direct and forceful approach to get the investigation back on track.
Although the conversation ended, real pressure began to brew beneath the surface.
The market regulator then held another meeting for the manufacturers in the conference room, requiring them to work according to standard procedures: "In addition to cooperating with the task force, our city will also conduct random inspections of the production lines and hygiene conditions of various manufacturers in the near future. Please make sure that any relevant certificates and permits do not expire."
......
The tooth was to be sent to the forensic lab for analysis. As she walked downstairs, Chen Zhenzhu wondered if she could use a single tooth to see the Heavenly Eye travel back in time.
As an idea formed in her mind, a fleeting image from her third eye flashed through her mind, and she gripped the stair railing tightly—
The running boy pushed open the door and rushed frantically toward the suffocating, surging liquid reservoir.
In the light filtering through the crack in the door, his face was covered with deep red and purplish cysts from his cheekbones to his jaw, and there were large, unusually thick nodules protruding from his neck. His clearly defined jawline and shoulders formed a thick, heavy mass, making it difficult and sluggish for him to turn his head.
He was panting and "running" forward, his steps faltering. His eyes couldn't see the narrow roads in the factory area clearly, and he numbly lurched forward by inertia.
The hand gripping the railing was clearly a boy's hand, the back of which was covered in papules, his knuckles twisted, and the edges of his knuckles noticeably thickened and deformed. He was making painful "ha...ha" sounds, and his eyes revealed fear.
A second before the light disappeared through the crack in the door, the treads on his carefully maintained, faded basketball shoes were worn smooth. During the escape, they finally gave way and collapsed, along with their former owner, into the calm, dark, foul-smelling liquid tank.
The boy didn't even dare to cry out for help; his attempts to save himself remained slow and laborious. His hands revealed unnaturally bent fingers and bones. It was as if some other force was distorting his once healthy, athletic body, leaving him powerless to resist.
Gradually, the sound of water subsided.
A young life has been lost.
"Damn it, it fell in! Quick, send someone to retrieve it!"
"How did you end up here? We need to blend it up right away, waiting for it to go public!"
The still, grayish-brown liquid was stirred up. The boy lay flat on the concrete floor, his soaked tracksuit clinging to his once-muscular body. The water droplets on his eyelashes were perhaps tears that he could no longer produce.
The pursuers, panting heavily, stood backlit, looking down with a mixture of ruthlessness and relief in their eyes. After confirming the identities, they quickly removed the body.
No one checked or examined it closely; a tooth had fallen out inside the swollen, puffy mouth.
"Got him, no problem." The pursuers closed the door, and the light suddenly disappeared.
In the darkness and in the silence, the tooth quietly floated and fell in the liquid, gradually fading into stillness.
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Author's note: See you tomorrow, there's a red envelope coming! [Let me see]
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