As Shen Qingtang walked out of the county government office, she became even more certain that the county magistrate was definitely involved in those disappearances, and might even be colluding with the mastermind behind it all.
She knew that relying on the government would not solve the problem; she had to rely on her own strength to find the mastermind behind it and rescue the missing children.
Shen Qingtang knew that dealing with corrupt officials like county magistrates required more than just hard tactics; she also needed to use some "soft" methods.
After leaving the county government office, she didn't go far. Instead, she found a secluded spot nearby and took out a heavy brocade box from her spatial storage.
When she returned to the county government office, she bypassed the main hall and went directly to the magistrate's private study.
The magistrate was sitting in a chair, still shaken, drinking tea.
His hands were still trembling. When he saw Shen Qingtang return, he was so frightened that he almost dropped the teacup.
"What...what are you doing here again?" the magistrate asked, his voice trembling.
Shen Qingtang didn't speak, but simply placed the brocade box in her hand on the table and gently opened it.
In an instant, the entire room was enveloped in golden light. The brocade box was filled with glittering gold and silver jewels, including agate, jade, and pearls, each piece priceless.
The magistrate's eyes widened instantly, and his face, which had just been deathly pale with fright, was now plastered with a fawning smile. His attitude underwent a complete 180-degree turn: "Oh, Shen Qingtang, you're... too kind! Let's talk this out, let's talk this out!"
Shen Qingtang sneered, then took out a heavy gold bar from his pocket, placed it on the brocade box, and said in an icy voice, "Your Excellency, these are just a small token of my appreciation. I hope you will immediately order a full investigation into the cases of missing children in the county."
The magistrate stared at the gold bar, his mouth practically watering. He rubbed his hands together, his smile growing even more obsequious: "No problem! No problem! Don't worry, Shen Qingtang, I'll give the order right away, and we'll definitely get to the bottom of this case!"
Fearing that Shen Qingtang might change her mind, he immediately shouted towards the door, "Someone come here!"
Several constables ran in upon hearing the noise.
The magistrate waved his hand impatiently and said, "Get out of here! No one is allowed to enter without my order!"
The constables dared not ask any more questions and quickly withdrew.
Only Shen Qingtang and the county magistrate remained in the study.
The magistrate rubbed his hands together and said ingratiatingly, "Shen Qingtang, look, I'll go and get the case file for you right away?"
Shen Qingtang nodded: "The sooner the better."
"Alright! Please wait a moment!" The magistrate scurried out and returned shortly afterward, carrying a thick stack of files.
He placed the files on the table and said ingratiatingly, "Shen Qingtang, these are the files for all the missing children. Please take your time to look through them."
Shen Qingtang opened the file and began to carefully read through it.
The case file contains detailed records of each missing child's name, age, home address, and the time and place of their disappearance.
She discovered that the children's disappearances were all strikingly similar: they all vanished suddenly while playing in or near their homes, leaving no clues.
What alarmed her even more was that the case file also recorded that this was not the first time such a case of a missing child had occurred.
“Your Excellency,” Shen Qingtang looked up at the magistrate, “have these cases occurred before?”
The magistrate's smile vanished instantly. He lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "Shen Qingtang, to be honest, this case is extremely strange! The previous magistrate died mysteriously in his study while investigating this case, and his death was extremely gruesome!"
His voice was filled with fear: "After I took office, I thought about investigating, but when I thought about what happened to the previous magistrate, I didn't dare. I suspect there must be something shady behind this, or some powerful figure backing us up. We can't afford to offend them!"
Shen Qingtang frowned and asked, "How did the previous magistrate die? Is there any record in the files?"
The magistrate shook his head: "No, at the time it was said that he died suddenly from an illness, but everyone knows that things weren't that simple. Shen Qingtang, I advise you not to investigate too deeply, lest you bring trouble upon yourself!"
Shen Qingtang closed the file, her eyes hardening: "Now that I've taken charge, I won't give up halfway. Magistrate, as long as you do as I say and fully cooperate with my investigation, there are many more benefits waiting for you. But if you dare to play any tricks or leak even a single word, you should know the consequences."
Her tone was icy, and her eyes were full of threat.
The magistrate hurriedly nodded and bowed, "I know! I know! I will definitely cooperate fully with Shen Qingtang! I would never dare to play any tricks!"
Shen Qingtang nodded in satisfaction: "Very good. You can go now. Let me know immediately if there is any news."
"Yes! Yes!" The magistrate picked up the brocade box and gold bars on the table and carefully withdrew, as if afraid that Shen Qingtang would change her mind.
Shen Qingtang was left alone in the study. She stared at the files on the table, lost in thought.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
