Chapter 49 Red Leaves 10
The physical evidence quickly came back, confirming that the bloodstains found inside the room were indeed Bao Hongyuan's. This meant that the landlord had died in his own rental apartment over a year ago.
The case seemed to be a little clearer, but then the police encountered a new problem.
The officers searched Bao Hongyuan's residence carefully and found rental contracts for other properties. They were neatly arranged by year, but surprisingly, no recent rental contracts were found for properties 701 and 902. This meant that, according to the records, these two properties had not been rented out since the previous contracts expired.
So who lived in the house later?
Was it the sub-landlord who sublet the apartment? Or was it a tenant who heard the inside story and wanted to take advantage of the empty apartment?
Luo Siwei wondered if the tenants hadn't signed the contract with Bao Hongyuan at the time. Or perhaps they hadn't used the two residences until after Bao Hongyuan's death. It's even possible that someone had gone to his residence after he was murdered and stolen the corresponding documents.
Bao Hongyuan's lack of family connections created great obstacles for the police investigation. Neighbors and distant relatives nearby did not know who the mysterious people who once lived here were.
The police retrieved surveillance footage from near the community, but the footage was only kept for half a year. There are many shared rental houses in the community, and those tenants are active at night and often wear hats and masks, making it very difficult to investigate.
Luo Siwei could only start from the source. She asked Huo Cunsheng to secretly inquire. Then she sorted out several sub-landlords in the nearby area who had the most rooms and a regular customer base, hoping to find some more clues.
A few days later in the afternoon, the Municipal Bureau held a progress meeting on this key case.
Several leaders from the Municipal Bureau, Chi Li, and people from the Material Appraisal Center attended the meeting.
The forensic doctor first talked about the progress of the autopsy and testing. Among the other bodies, the identities of two more bodies were confirmed.
One of them was the second deceased and the other was the fourth deceased.
The second victim, Niu Liangyu, was a middle-aged man who had been married with a son. He had a troubled relationship with his ex-wife and son. Two years ago, his son reported him to the police, but since his body was never found, he was declared missing.
The fourth deceased was named Shen Lili, a middle-aged woman who was also single and had no children.
It was her mother who called the police, and because there were no clues at the time, the case was listed as a missing person.
These two people, together with the previously discovered deceased No. 1 Bao Hongyuan, have a notable characteristic, that is, all three of them are landlords who own multiple properties.
It’s just that because Shen Lili and Niu Liangyu have been missing for some time, their families have taken back their rooms and rental houses, making it difficult to find any trace of them.
The hair found in Bao Hongyuan's two rentals, along with the physical evidence and forensic evidence, was also tested for blood type and DNA. These individuals may have been insiders, or even the murderer was hiding among them. Consistent with Luo Siwei's previous conclusion, based on the damage to the hair scales and hair color, many of these individuals were elderly.
After listening to Luo Siwei's analysis of the causes of death, Director Chen nodded and said, "I believe the identity of the landlords is a key point in the investigation. The murderer may have had conflicts with these landlords, which led to the murders."
Deputy Director Pei asked, "Are there any suspects?"
"The murderer is likely the tenant. We're currently focusing our investigation on the sub-landlords," Luo Siwei said, posting some information on a nearby whiteboard. "Even if it wasn't the sub-landlords who did it, they're well-informed and might know something."
Director Chen squinted his eyes and looked at the photos on the whiteboard. "How are you going to investigate these people next?"
Luo Siwei said, "I have considered calling these people over and questioning them one by one."
Director Chen thought for a moment and shook his head slightly. "Although these people are sub-landlords and not considered regular forces in the rental market, we police still have to respect the rules of this market. If we call them all in at once, it might not be a good thing for the rental market in Donglan City. We still need to take a long-term view."
The police are still in the investigation stage. If they suddenly conduct a strict investigation on all the sub-landlords and call them in for interrogation one by one, it is easy for the information to leak out and cause panic.
Each of these sub-landlords owns at least a dozen apartments, many of which are shared by hundreds of people. A single move can have ripple effects across the board.
If a group rental with huge safety hazards is really discovered, it is not as simple as kicking the tenants out. There are not enough resettlement houses and relief homes, and many people will be displaced. These problems require a series of supporting plans to be properly resolved.
Director Chen said, "Treat this investigation as an undercover investigation. I will raise the issue of these shared rental housing issues in the municipal meeting room to see if we can work together with other departments to begin addressing this."
Luo Siwei asked, "Then shall we...go for a make-up investigation?"
After hearing this, Director Chen nodded and said, "Okay, and it's best if you bring some elderly people with you and ask to rent a place to test the reactions of these sub-landlords."
After the meeting, the next direction of investigation was determined, the physical evidence and leaders were removed, and the criminal investigation team was left to conduct internal discussions.
Huo Cunsheng touched his sparse hair and said, "As for renting a house... the young people in the team should be suitable, but it's a bit difficult to find an elderly person. He must be around 60 years old."
Guo Zhengyao nodded: "The key is that you can't be blind or deaf, or slow to react. You have to be smart enough and not talk nonsense."
Ni Xiang said: "The actor must have good acting skills and be able to cooperate with the police in acting."
Shen Qing added: "If we find out there's something wrong with the other party, we'll have to arrest them, so the elderly people who cooperate need to be strong and can't be unable to run or jump."
Everyone was discussing this and felt a little depressed. How many elderly people like this are there in the world?
Unexpectedly, after hearing what they said, Luo Siwei and Chi Li expressed their opinions almost in unison.
Luo Siwei: “It’s not hard to find.”
Chi Li: "This is relatively simple."
The two people looked at each other, and they felt that they had a tacit understanding when their eyes exchanged. Chi Li made a gesture for Luo Siwei to speak first.
Luo Siwei said, "Find a few retired police officers, explain the situation to them, and then ask them to cooperate with our work. That's all."
As humans, we grow old.
The current police force is predominantly young, but there are also a fair number of veterans. Those veterans, having come through the ranks in their youth, have no problem conducting investigations under disguise. Crucially, they possess strong physical fitness and are familiar with arrest procedures, so they won't back down.
Huo Cunsheng said as soon as he heard it: "This is reliable. Captain Luo is really smart."
Chi Li nodded and said, "I know an old police officer who may be able to help me later."
The plan was finalized, and Luo Siwei quickly coordinated with his superiors to borrow four experienced old police officers. The young police officers pretended to be the elderly's children and accompanied them to approach the sub-landlords.
The police officers carefully discussed the details, such as what clothes to wear, what words to use, and what information to inquire about.
Luo Siwei also wanted to check out the situation. She planned to team up with the veteran police officer Chi Li mentioned. After assigning tasks to the others, she turned around and asked Chi Li, "Has the police officer you mentioned arrived?"
Chi Li looked at his phone and said, "She'll be there soon. Let's go to the small conference room and wait for her."
The helper Chi Li called was naturally extraordinary, and Luo Siwei was quite looking forward to the old policeman.
She followed Chi Li into the small conference room, and Chi Li introduced the situation: "This case is serious, and the provincial department is also taking it very seriously, so they specially sent a leader to supervise it. She will be here soon."
Just as he said this, someone knocked on the door of the small conference room. Chi Li called out, "Come in," and the person pushed the door open and walked in.
The person who came in was a woman in her fifties. She was thin and short, but her back was straight. Her hair was almost completely white, and there were wrinkles around her eyes, but she looked very energetic.
The moment he saw the man's face clearly, Luo Siwei's heart suddenly skipped a beat.
She never thought that the person coming would be her.
That was Ye Ling, a female warrior who was as brave as any man and once a legend in the Donglan police force.
Ten years ago, it was Ye Ling who sat across from her, kindly guiding her and even giving her a piece of candy. Because of her, Luo Siwei's mother's matter finally came to a conclusion.
Now, ten years have passed. The little girl has become a young police officer, and the female deputy director who had gray hair has also turned completely white and has become the deputy director of the Longchuan Provincial Department.
Looking at Ye Ling, Luo Siwei's eyes instantly became wet, and then she heard Chi Li shouting from the side.
"mom."
Luo Siwei: “…”
She had never heard Chi Li talk about her family affairs. Luo Siwei never thought that her benefactor would be the mother of her leader...
Indeed, only a woman like Ye Ling could raise such an outstanding son.
But that wasn't right, Luo Siwei suddenly realized. She remembered that others said Ye Ling never married. Could it be that she was a single parent? Or was she adopted?
Just as she thought of this, Chi Li introduced them to the two of them: "Mom, this is Luo Siwei, my current colleague. Siwei, this is my mother, Ye Ling. Deputy Director Ye is also the leader sent by the provincial department to supervise the case this time."
Luo Siwei quickly responded with a greeting: "Hello, Director Ye."
"Don't be so polite. Just call me Ye Ling or Aunt Ye. I remember you. You've grown so tall in the blink of an eye." Ye Ling looked at her with a smile, "I still remember that case."
Luo Siwei's eyes became wet again after hearing this: "Officer Ye, thank you for that time."
"Those are my duties, they are what I should do." Ye Ling looked at Luo Siwei and then at Chi Li, "Chi Li rarely asks me for help..."
Just as he said this, Chi Li covered his lips and coughed lightly.
"Alas, I've become more wordy as I get older." Ye Ling smiled and sat down. "He rarely asks me for help. This case is a bit complicated. I just had a meeting with Director Chen, and he gave me the general situation. Can you tell me the details?"
Luo Siwei finished explaining the progress of the investigation to Ye Ling and also shared her suspicions.
Ye Ling said, "Is that so? Then I'm not old enough, and you look a bit young too. But with makeup, you can act older, and then the makeup investigation won't be a problem."
After saying this, she added, "Also, we need to make a script and consider all possible emergencies."
The two people exchanged a few words.
Luo Siwei was naturally extremely professional. After planning the content, she called out "Mom" seriously with a serious face.
Hearing this, Chi Li, who was sitting next to them, lowered his head and cleared his throat, then said, "I have a meeting, you guys chat first." After saying that, Captain Chi stood up in a hurry, and did not forget to help them close the door after he went out.
Luo Siwei asked: "Captain Chi..."
Ye Ling covered her mouth and laughed: "Hahaha, did you see that? He's blushing."
Luo Siwei: “…”
Luo Siwei was afraid Ye Ling might misunderstand, so she hurriedly said, "This is the communication procedure for a disguised investigation. You've done me a favor. You're my idol, the leader of the provincial department, and even my senior. You deserve to be called Mom."
Ye Ling shook his head and continued to look at her and smile: "Don't worry about Chi Li, and don't feel embarrassed to think too much. I think we are very compatible. You are hardworking and smart. I really wish I had a daughter like you."
The next morning, the police took action and the veteran police officers changed into their uniforms. After dressing up, the veteran police officers were so into the role that they immediately looked old and frail.
The police officers also changed their uniforms, looking much more simple than their usual smart and capable image.
In order to prevent the conspiracy from being exposed, Luo Siwei asked the physical evidence department to help make some fake identity documents and distributed them to each police officer.
After all the arrangements are completed, it is time to act in groups.
Ye Ling was wearing a hat, with a hunched back and slightly trembling hands. When he was not speaking, his eyes were staring blankly at the ground beside him. He looked like an elderly man with slow reactions.
Luo Siwei wore a pair of glasses today and put on a darker shade of foundation. She let her hair down, wore a loose dress, carried a simple canvas bag, and wore a pair of white sneakers with holes in them.
After checking the details, the two walked out of the city bureau. Luo Siwei helped Ye Ling get on a bus, which arrived at the station soon.
Luo Siwei then called the sub-landlord, and soon a man in his forties ran over from the opposite side of the street. The man was tall and strong, waving his hand with a familiar look on his face.
Luo Siwei had memorized the information about this person long ago. The man in front of him was called Zhai Yifei. He had been working as a sub-landlord for five or six years. He had rented shared houses in almost every community in the west of Donglan City.
Luo Siwei and Ye Ling had been cast long ago. They played a newly deceased mother and daughter who had to move out because they had sold their house after spending all their money on their family's medical treatment.
Luo Siwei and Ye Ling spoke in unison to Mr. Zhai about their requirements for renting a house.
"As long as there's a place to sleep and shower, it doesn't matter how big or small it is. It'd be best if it's paid monthly, and it has to be cheap."
Zhai Yifei readily agreed and led them to the first house. It was a ground-floor apartment with a basement, and the layout had been remodeled. There was a single door outside, which opened into several smaller doors. The kitchen and bathroom were shared, and each small room was only about five square meters. Some had windows, while others had none at all.
Zhai Yifei asked them some questions, and Luo Siwei answered a few. When asked how her father died, Luo Siwei choked up before she could say anything.
Ye Ling said from the side: "It was liver cancer. He took imported targeted drugs for half a year, but he spent all the family's money and still passed away."
Then they started looking at houses. Ye Ling was responsible for picking out the houses, while Luo Siwei said that they had a limited budget and thought that renting a place would be fine.
So the two of them each went about their business. Ye Ling looked at the house and frowned, saying, "Why does this place smell so musty..." After a while, he flipped through the door and said, "Are these walls soundproof?"
She looked at the door and the toilet at the end of the corridor: "What should I do if I need to go to the bathroom at night?"
Luo Siwei comforted her: "Mom, let's be tough and overcome it. Once we pay off the debt, we won't have to live here anymore."
As Luo Siwei said this, he looked around. It seemed as if this room should not exist in this bustling big city.
It was cold and damp, with large patches of mold on the walls. Because people were smoking and the ventilation was poor, there was a lingering smell of smoke in the room. The small space made it difficult for people to breathe. The bathroom was even dirtier and the kitchen was basically only suitable for making simple meals.
The safety hazards here are very obvious, and the fire protection is definitely not up to standard. As long as there is a fire, no one can escape. Even if we don't take action for a while, it must be dealt with in the long run.
Occasionally, other tenants came out, their faces were pale and they looked haggard as if they had never seen the sun, and they looked at them with particularly cold eyes.
Luo Siwei knew that this was where the lower-class people of Donglan City gathered. Some of them were drug addicts, and some lived by selling their bodies...
After looking carefully, Luo Siwei asked, "How much is this one?" She asked the price in a low voice while rubbing the corner of her clothes with her fingers.
Zhai Yifei scratched his ears and said, "Five hundred a month, including water, electricity, and gas. Just move in right away. There's no other place with such a good value for money except mine."
Luo Siwei and Ye Ling's eyes flickered, and they hesitated to speak. They walked to the side and discussed in low voices. They were in the compartment and could clearly hear the man coughing outside the room.
Zhai Yifei seemed to be familiar with such situations and waited for them to discuss it.
After a while, the two of them seemed to reach a consensus, and Ye Ling shook her head.
"It's okay, I'll show you somewhere else." Zhai Yifei didn't care. "Do you think this place is too damp or too noisy? You can tell me if you need anything."
Turning around, Zhai Yifei took them to see another house, which was similar to the previous one, but this time it was not a basement, but the top floor. The partition was even smaller, and the empty space was an attic. They had to bend over to walk in the house.
Zhai Yifei said, "This apartment is 400 per room per month."
Luo Siwei stepped forward to ask, "Does the landlord of this house know about this situation?"
"Of course I know." Zhai Yifei said, "I'm different from those idle sub-landlords. I'm here to make money, so there's no need to get on with the landlord. If the landlord is unhappy, how can I renew the lease? Those landlords are like brothers to me and can come to check on the condition of their houses at any time. And the property management is also my brother. I know almost all the local police officers too. They all call me Brother Zhai, so you can rest assured. Don't be afraid if someone calls the police, just call me."
Ye Ling tried to help, "Then you wouldn't disappear suddenly, would you? I saw on the news that some sub-landlords ran away, and the tenants were evicted..."
"No," Zhai Yifei said confidently, "You can pay one deposit and one payment. If you have any difficulties, I can give you a week's grace."
Seeing that the two were silent, he continued, "You can ask around. I've been in this business for many years. Initially, I relied on publicity, and later on, word of mouth. This place is a place for migrant workers and poor people to stay. You can treat this place as your home, and you can also treat me as a family member."
Luo Siwei came out to bargain: "My mother's waist is not very good, boss, can you give me a lower price?"
Zhai Yifei said, "The cheapest is 350, it can't be any lower. If it's any lower, I'll lose money."
Luo Siwei said bluntly, "Our budget isn't quite enough. It would be best if it's under 300, around 200 would be best. It doesn't matter if we sleep in a dormitory or on the floor with bunk beds."
Ye Ling asked from the side: "Are there any houses near Yingshikou?" That is the area where the Fulu community is located.
Zhai Yifei looked them up and down, then shook his head warily: "No, I don't have such a house here. Why don't you ask somewhere else?"
Luo Siwei didn't expect him to refuse outright. Fearing that he might become suspicious, she quickly changed her mind and said, "I just found a temporary job over there. My mom wants me to be closer to work."
Zhai Yifei gritted his teeth and said, "There really is no more."
Several people walked out, and Luo Siwei didn't know where the problem lay.
When they reached the door, Ye Ling pleaded, "Boss, please be so kind and do your best. Please help us think of other houses. It doesn't matter if the conditions are worse." She said, "We only know you now."
Luo Siwei also asked tearfully, "Uncle Zhai, can you show us a way where I can stay with my mother?"
Perhaps moved by them, Zhai Yifei said, "Try to find a workplace that provides accommodation. See if you can bring your mother in for less pay."
The man walked forward a few steps, paused, and turned back to talk to them.
"Little girl, I'm telling you the truth. You might still be able to find basements around here for 300 yuan, but there really aren't any under 300 yuan. In the past, there were those big dormitories, like youth hostels, where they rented a room to a dozen people, with bunk beds and cockroaches crawling all over the floor. Those are basically gone now, at least not where I live."
At this point, Zhai Yifei lit a cigarette and said, "With so many people living together, what's the difference between this and a cage for livestock? The pigs on the pig farm are bigger than that playground. Although I need to make money, I have to ensure the basic living needs of my tenants. This is my bottom line as a human being."
At this point, Zhai Yifei took a puff of his cigarette, looked at Luo Siwei and said, "I shouldn't say anything, but I still can't bear to see others suffer. It's okay for the elderly, but it's not safe for a young girl like you."
Luo Siwei lowered her head. Zhai Yifei looked at her and blew out another smoke ring. "Little girl, I won't rent to you. Even if other sub-landlords tell you there's a house like that, don't believe them. Don't go with those people to look at houses in remote places. They might drag you to a remote place with no cell phone signal and even kidnap you and sell you off."
After hearing this, Luo Siwei thanked him.
As a police officer, she knew that what the sub-landlord said was not alarmist.
Luo Siwei lowered his head and thought, could Zhai Yifei be an insider?
Could he be the murderer who killed the landlord?
This sub-landlord doesn't look like a bad person, but bad people are not the only ones who kill people in this world.
If he was the murderer, what was the conflict between him and the landlord? What was his motive for the murder?
Ye Ling was still chatting with Zhai Yifei. After a few words, he called Zhai Boss and made Zhai Yifei happy.
Zhai Yifei took the initiative to talk about the reason why he did this job: "Alas, when I first came to Donglan, I couldn't find a house. Later, fortunately, I met a kind person who took me in. At that time, I secretly vowed to myself that I must make a name for myself. At that time, I lived in a semi-basement next to the river. When it rained, water would flood in. Every night during a thunderstorm, I dared not sleep, for fear that if I fell asleep, the water would flood up, and I would not be able to open the door and drown inside. I had no money, but I wanted to stay in Donglan. Every time I lay on that small bed that creaked every time I turned over, I thought, when I have money one day, I must make sure that those who can't afford to rent a house can stay in this city."
Now, he has done it.
Ye Ling and Luo Siwei mentioned their difficulties again.
Zhai Yifei was moved. He said, "Let me teach you. If you want to save money, there's another way. If you can get six or seven people together, you can rent a small room from me. Then you can deal with it yourself. Just don't get into trouble. It will definitely be cheaper than looking for an apartment outside."
After hearing this, Luo Siwei and Ye Ling looked at each other. It sounded like the crime scene was more like this.
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