Chapter 127 Tumi 18
The large conference room of the Donglan Municipal Bureau was full of people.
The police leaders sat in a row, headed by Director Chen, followed by several deputy directors, the heads of economic investigation and armed police, Chi Li, and Captain Yu.
Across from them were leaders at all levels, including those from the district and city, as well as some in charge of education, docks and other related departments.
The meeting was chaired by Deputy Mayor Li, who was in charge of public security in Donglan City. The meeting had already been going on for half an hour, and the atmosphere was not harmonious. There was a lot of talk, and when it came to the discussion stage, people started to pass the buck.
"I suspect the boat that exploded at the dock is connected to Xinming Media. Hua Yanming may have arranged for an escape boat that day and set up another explosive boat to attract police attention, hoping to cause casualties and escape during the chaos."
"...Of course, you police officers deserve credit for eliminating the danger, but as a publicity stunt, we shouldn't exaggerate the situation."
"We haven't found any evidence yet to prove that the suspicious containers at the dock belong to the same party. Our district is actively investigating to identify the company that owns the dangerous goods..."
"No. 3 Middle School is a private school. As an education department, we did have some oversight, but we have been cooperating with the police..."
"Hua Yanming's Xinming Media does have some issues, but I believe that even if the brothers are involved in illegal activities, we shouldn't escalate the situation and implicate the entire group. We should do our best to maintain normal life and ensure the company's operations and tax revenue..."
Leaders from several parties expressed their opinions, and their meanings, both explicit and implicit, were very clear.
First, we hope that the case will be resolved as soon as possible and the investigation will be concluded once it reaches Hua Yanming. Second, the police investigation cannot interfere with education, the economy, the normal lives of ordinary people, and the normal social order.
This is equivalent to blocking the road ahead first and then putting shackles on them, making it doubly difficult to investigate the case.
Although Director Chen usually has a good temper, he is also an old hand at Tai Chi.
He began, "Our city police are responsible for maintaining public order throughout Donglan. If there are crimes committed, we cannot let the criminals go unpunished. This is our responsibility and obligation, and we have no choice but to do so. If the case is not thoroughly investigated, and related problems arise again, I believe none of you leaders would want to see that happen."
Director Chen’s words were clear: if other people want to interfere in areas that the police are responsible for, who will be held responsible if something goes wrong?
Director Chen then added, "Our goals are the same: long-term peace and stability in Donglan City, and proactively addressing problematic areas. The Potential Workshop has been closed, and we've held several meetings with No. 3 Middle School and Principal Liang. The police are assisting with the investigation into the incident at the dock. All in all, all aspects of our work are progressing in an orderly manner. Secondly, the principal culprit in this case has not yet been brought to justice. I believe our top priority is unity and collaboration to apprehend him. We can then address other issues later."
After hearing this, Deputy Mayor Li looked up and asked Director Chen, "The main culprit? Does that mean there are other people involved in the case besides Hua Yanming?"
Donglan has been in turmoil recently, starting with the minibus hijacking case. The police entered Sanzhong, investigated the Potential Workshop, and investigated Xinming Media. One of the Hua brothers died and the other was injured, and the dock was almost blown up.
But this is not over yet. Is there a mastermind behind these incidents?
Director Chen nodded seriously and said, "Yes, this case spans a long period of time and involves many people. This is the first time in my police career that I have encountered such a complicated case."
Among the leaders, some were worried, some had doubts, some were indifferent, and some were terrified and nervous. More people were wondering, who would be the next person?
A director named Yan said from the side: "Director Chen, now that all the leaders are here, you should analyze the case for them."
Director Chen said, "The case is currently under investigation. I will report the details to my superiors later."
He just said that the case was difficult to investigate, and now he said he would report later. Naturally, this evasive attitude would not be tolerated by those people.
Secretary Liu, who is in charge of publicity, adjusted his glasses and complained, "There's been a lot of discussion online lately about these things, and people are still urging us to give an explanation."
A senior district leader also asked, "These things have become so serious. Not to mention the public, I'm worried too much. So why hasn't the true situation been made public yet?"
After hearing this, Deputy Director Pei's face turned red, and he seemed to be unable to hold back and wanted to stand up and argue.
Director Chen calmly sipped his tea, ignoring the doubts. In times like this, one must remain calm.
Chi Li sat aside, also calm and composed, without saying a word.
Someone was whispering below, but the voices were loud enough for everyone to hear clearly: "According to the procedure, the police should have issued a wanted notice, right? Are they also hiding the wanted notice?"
"No... the task force still hasn't figured out the identity of the main culprit, right?"
Someone said sarcastically, "Hey, didn't you hear Director Chen say he's never seen such a complicated case? It's only been a short time since the crime happened, so isn't it normal that they can't find the answer?"
Seeing that those people were talking too much, Deputy Mayor Li tapped the table with his fingers, signaling everyone to be quiet. "Today's meeting is to communicate and resolve these issues. The police naturally have their own investigation schedule and rhythm. As other departments, we must actively assist and not interfere with the police's investigation."
Secretary Liu continued, "But Director Chen, the leaders attending today's meeting are all senior leaders from relevant departments. If you have already ascertained some of the facts, you can also disclose some of them to us appropriately so that we can better cooperate with your work."
Just as he was saying this, there was a clear sound from the door of the conference room. Chi Li turned around and saw Luo Siwei appear at the door.
She walked in with her back bent, walked to the empty seat next to Chi Li, sat down, and handed him a stack of information.
Luo Siwei seemed like a divine soldier sent from heaven, appearing at the right time.
Chi Li took the information and carefully flipped through a few pages, and his brows relaxed.
These documents were the latest developments in the case, freshly prepared and still smelling of printer ink.
The one on top is the testimony just provided by Mu Yuexin, and the one on the bottom is the result of the police's questioning of Hua Yanming after he just woke up.
There is also some new key evidence.
With these, it was enough to identify Lin Shuangting as the main culprit and also expose several protectors behind him.
Chi Li gave Luo Siwei a thumbs up, turned around and gestured to Director Chen.
Director Chen had been waiting for this moment. He said, "Captain Chi, as the head of the special task force for this case, please report the progress of the investigation to the leaders."
Chi Li stood up and said, "At present, Hua Yanming has just woken up, and another tainted witness has provided testimony and evidence. The police have already found out that there is indeed an extremely vicious criminal gang in Donglan City. They are very secretive and their usual tactics are premeditated murders and manipulation of the media. We have evidence of collusion between the main culprit and some officials and businessmen, and have obtained a list of those involved..."
Chi Li pointed these out, mentioned that Hua Yanming had woken up, and especially mentioned the collusion between officials and businessmen. The faces of the leaders present varied.
Afterwards, Chi Li reported some detailed progress of the police work.
Anyone with common sense can tell how much effort the police have put in recently and that the case has been basically clarified.
Deputy Mayor Li nodded repeatedly after hearing this. "Thank you police officers for your hard work recently. I'm relieved that you're making smooth progress. Also, your other departments must conduct a thorough investigation and crackdown, and actively cooperate with the police." He paused. "If anyone is implicated, I hope you will surrender voluntarily and explain yourself as soon as possible."
The moment these words were spoken, the situation shifted instantly. Those who had been called out naturally felt guilty. They didn't dare to act rashly again, fearing that any evidence would lead to accusations. Without the troublemakers, the second half of the meeting became more orderly.
At the end of the meeting, Director Chen stood up and said righteously, "The police have already launched a blanket search in Donglan City. We will later issue a warrant for the arrest of those involved in the case nationwide. We will strive to bring all the criminals to justice as soon as possible."
Deputy Mayor Li nodded and said, "This case must be treated as a typical example and investigated and dealt with strictly. There will be no leniency towards illegal and criminal activities."
For the next period of time, Luo Siwei moved to Chi Li's place, and the two officially started living together.
Although they were in the honeymoon period of their relationship, they were so busy handling this case that they had no time to rest.
This case involves multiple cases connected together and covers a huge range. The police have been unraveling the truth bit by bit.
Luo Siwei felt that the case was like a puzzle that was gradually being pieced together. There were not many pieces left, and they were gradually clearing the fog.
In order to catch up with the progress, Luo Siwei and Chi Li did not go home on Tuesday night and stayed in the Municipal Bureau to work overtime.
It was almost time to get off work on Wednesday. After working all night, Luo Siwei finally finished most of the document work. He walked into the captain's office as if walking on cotton and handed in a thick stack of documents.
Chi Li took it, looked down at it, and his eyelashes trembled. He sat at the table and suddenly asked her: "Si Wei, what day is today?"
"What day is it?" Luo Siwei's brain was working hard.
Wednesday, the 28th, October, late autumn…
Autopsy report, confession materials, account forms, on-site investigation, date of crime...
Luo Siwei thought about it for a long time but couldn't figure out what was so special about this day.
She leaned in closer and asked cautiously, "My brain was a little confused after staying up all night last night. Captain Chi, can you give me a hint... Is it something I need to hand in that I forgot?"
"No, but..." Chi Li looked away from the document, his brows flickering, hesitant to speak, and looked at her with his lips pursed. He gently tapped her forehead with the stack of A4 paper in his hand.
Luo Siwei was even more confused and didn't know where he went wrong.
Chi Li had no choice but to ask, "How can someone not even remember their own birthday?" He stood up and moved closer and said, "Happy birthday."
Luo Siwei then realized that she had not forgotten on purpose. After her grandfather passed away, she had been alone and had basically never celebrated her birthday.
Apart from Su Ye Nan and Mu Yue Xin who would occasionally remember to wish her a happy birthday, she herself rarely thought about it.
Sometimes she'd see a blessing message from her online bank on her phone and think of buying herself a slice of cake. Sometimes she'd be so busy she'd forget about it and drift off to sleep, realizing she'd just turned another year older.
Seeing Luo Siwei still in a daze, Chi Li said to her, "The case needs to be investigated, and the birthday must be celebrated. I ordered a cake for you, and I'll take you to pick it up later." He paused and said, "Also, I owe you a cell phone."
Luo Siwei panicked: "Captain Chi, I was just joking at the time."
"I'm not kidding. I've wanted to buy it for you for a long time." Chi Li said as he put on his coat. "I ordered the latest model. It was out of stock before and it arrived today. It's perfect as a birthday present for you."
During this time, Luo Siwei had been using a backup phone, always carrying a power bank with her every day. It felt like her phone had a pacemaker plugged into it. If the battery ran low, she'd lose contact with the world. Chi Li felt bad every time he saw it.
Luo Siwei felt an unprecedented sense of ritual. This was what it felt like to be valued and held in someone's hands.
She said, "Thank you, Captain Chi."
Chi Li picked up the car keys, raised his eyebrows and asked, "Are you still calling me Captain Chi?"
Luo Siwei checked the time and saw it was already 6:01. This was their agreement, and they hadn't announced it to their colleagues yet.
It is kept secret at work, and it is time for intimacy after work.
Seeing that there was no one in the office, she bent her arm and pulled Chi Li over, kissing him on the cheek: "Thank you, husband."
After work, Luo Siwei left with Chi Li.
They got in the car and fastened their seatbelts. Luo Siwei asked, "Captain Chi, is there any new information from Old Yu's investigation?"
Chi Li started the car: "Do you remember when you went to see the scene where Zhang Angu's body was dumped, you found some red mud on the tires..."
Luo Siwei still remembered that incident: "Can the soil lock the location?"
Chi Li shook his head. "It's not that simple. The composition of the soil is very ordinary, but the few blades of grass mixed in the soil are a little special. Lao Yu specifically consulted the botanical experts at Donglan University. That kind of plant only grows in places with suitable humidity, which is higher than ordinary places."
Luo Siwei was surprised. "So it's along the lake? Along the river?"
Chi Li said: "Combined with the scope we checked before, the blind spot has been greatly reduced. I think we can find the specific location by next week."
Just as the two of them were talking to this, an elegant ringtone came from Luo Siwei's cell phone. She picked it up, and Su Ye Nan's voice came from the other side.
"Lolo, happy birthday." Then Su Ye Nan smiled, "Ah, I said today seemed to be a special day, and I almost forgot it again."
Luo Siwei said: "Thank you, how have you been recently?"
Su Ye Nan started chatting with her: "I have joined a new company. The new job is pretty good. I have a good relationship with my colleagues and leaders." She paused and said, "By the way, I haven't contacted Mu Yuexin recently... She couldn't be..."
Luo Siwei hummed: "She is somewhat implicated... I will tell you the result of this matter when I get it back."
Su Ye Nan had also heard about the incident at the Potential Workshop, and she understood what was going on: "That's good to hear the news. I was afraid of her before..."
Su Ye Nan paused here, as if she was hesitant about whether to mention this matter. In the end, she still asked, "Do you know about Liu Yunxi's disappearance? I saw the news recently and I was scared."
"Liu Yunxi? Missing?" Luo Si frowned slightly. She had been too busy recently and hadn't heard about this. "When did it happen?"
"The specific time of disappearance was two months ago, and I only saw the news recently."
Su Ye Nan detailed the information she knew: "It seems that Liu Yunxi and Dou Chengzhi were about to get married, but Liu Yunxi didn't want to, saying that he had thought it through and didn't want to compromise. The two had a big fight, and Liu Yunxi packed up and left. A few days later, Dou Chengzhi couldn't contact her, so he called the police. The detectives at the branch thought it was a couple's quarrel and she ran away from home, so they began to investigate. But later, Liu Yunxi's family couldn't contact her either, so the case was classified as missing. I saw the missing person notice her family posted online, recognized her as your college classmate, and took some notice."
"Later, I read a reply saying that there seems to be a steady stream of missing women in Donglan City these past few years. They're all in their twenties or thirties, with long hair and oval faces... Maybe only one or two a year, but over the past few years, there have been several cases. Some online analysis suggests these girls were trafficked, others say they ran away from home..."
Luo Siwei frowned slightly when she heard this, and a bad premonition arose in her heart. A somewhat eerie wax figure automatically emerged in her mind.
Su Ye Nan said here: "I won't say anything more, just enjoy your birthday. I have an appointment with someone tonight, let's talk later."
Luo Siwei hung up the phone. Chi Li overheard a little bit. He felt Luo Siwei's face turn pale and asked her, "Your classmate?"
Luo Siwei said, "She mentioned that someone I knew was missing. The description reminded me of the case of the wax figure artist."
Chi Li said: "You don't have to worry too much. The number of missing cases in Donglan has been decreasing in recent years. Also, Lv Mingsi has been dead for many years."
"But Lin Shuangting is still here..." Luo Siwei said, leaning back in her chair with a tired look, looking out of the car. "I remembered something your mother said when we were analyzing those cases. She said... 'If the wax sculptors had placed the bodies somewhere else, they would definitely be harder to find.'"
Chi Li changed the subject: "Today is your birthday, let's go get the cake and eat first, and then we can check these when we get back in the evening."
Luo Siwei nodded. She didn't sleep well last night, and now she felt a little dazed and uneasy after hearing all this.
She leaned against the car door and closed her eyes for a while, feeling much better.
The car drove into the parking lot, parked, and the two men locked the car and got out.
They arrived at a large shopping mall in Donglan City, with a total of six floors.
Today is Wednesday, and there are neither too many nor too few people. There seems to be some event being held in the atrium on the first floor of the mall. There are many children playing in a small playground, and laughter is everywhere.
There were several large flower installations next to the playground, and some people were taking photos there.
Luo Si turned his head slightly to look at the flowers that were opening and closing. The white petals and yellow stamens formed a cluster of flowers. The flowers were wrapped with colored glass lights and had white butterflies resting on them. It was very beautiful.
Accompanied by music and children's laughter, this place looks like a fairyland.
Seeing her lost in thought, Chi Li walked over and held her hand. He knew Luo Siwei was knowledgeable about flowers, so he asked her, "What kind of flower is this?"
Luo Siwei looked at the layers of bright white petals and said softly, "Tumi."
Chi Li had not seen this kind of flower very often, but he had heard the name before, and he recited the line: "The flowers are in full bloom."
Luo Siwei nodded and said, "It used to be said that this was the last flower of its blooming season, and its flower language means 'end of the road'."
Chi Li looked at the time: "Let's go get the phone first, my appointment time has come." Luo Siwei then followed him and went to the mobile phone store on the second floor.
It was the latest model of mobile phone, and Luo Siwei was very satisfied with its appearance and functions.
Chi Li asked the clerk to help open the phone, insert the SIM card, and transfer the data in the phone to make a backup.
After everything was ready, the two of them held hands and went upstairs to prepare for dinner. Luo Siwei opened the commonly used apps on his new phone.
She suddenly received another WeChat message from Su Yenan: "Happy birthday. Luo Siwei, did you receive my birthday present?"
Luo Siwei was stunned. Su Ye Nan didn't tell her about the gift on the phone just now.
She asked, "What is it?"
After sending it, Luo Siwei felt something was wrong. Didn't Su Ye Nan send her a blessing? Why did he send it again?
Moreover, she always called her Lolo, and occasionally Siwei, and never called her by her full name on WeChat.
A hint of detective instinct emerged. Before she could ask further questions, another line of text popped up in Su Ye Nan's WeChat conversation: "There is a time bomb in the largest tea flower."
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