Chapter 94 Reporting to the Police: Although he looked down on Dong Chunling, that...
Although she looked down on Dong Chunling, Mingxi knew that Li Xiangdong was clearly not a good person, and she couldn't let him swindle people outside.
Zhao Sulan thought so too.
No matter what Dong Chunling does, the Dong family elders are innocent. If this matter is left unresolved, Dong Chunling might really give all the savings that the Dong family elders have accumulated over the years to Li Xiangdong.
If she didn't know about this, that would be one thing, but since she does know, she can't just stand by and watch it happen.
"Then I'll go find Officer Li right now!"
With a strong sense of justice, Mingxi immediately headed towards the police station.
Zhao Sulan hadn't even had a chance to say anything about waiting until Mingxi finished eating before she saw her figure disappear from sight.
Mingxi rushed over quickly, as if she were on wheels of fire, and arrived at the police station in no time. Coincidentally, the officer on duty that day was an acquaintance of Mingxi's—Officer Li.
Police Officer Li had dealt with Mingxi a few times and they had a fairly good relationship. When he saw Mingxi coming over, he raised his eyebrows and jokingly asked with a smile, "Comrade Ming, what brings you here? Here to deliver bad elements to us again?"
This was said in jest, but there's nothing wrong with it.
Think about how many people Mingxi has sent to their police station these past few months.
From Du Shuying in the earliest case, to Jia Jianxin and Old Man Jia later on... as well as the Chen family members and Qian Jinhua who were brought in together in the marriage fraud case, and the Hong Kong people who were brought in for the robbery case...
It can be said that most of the police station's performance in the first half of this year was brought in by Mingxi.
With that in mind, Officer Li was already itching to make the arrest.
"Whew, Officer Li, I've really found a bad guy this time!"
Mingxi had been running and stumbling all the way, and was now out of breath, panting heavily. She rested her hands on her knees, panting heavily, and once she caught her breath, she immediately began to report.
"On my way home today, I ran into Dong Chunling from our alley and a strange man..."
She briefly recounted what had happened, saying, "I think that man is not simple. I suspect that he did all this to scam the 20,000 yuan processing fee he mentioned."
Upon hearing this, Officer Li's expression immediately turned serious.
Don't be fooled by the fact that 20,000 yuan may not seem like much; this was back in the 1980s when the average wage was only a few dozen yuan.
Twenty thousand yuan is an enormous sum of money these days!
If Mingxi's guess is correct, this is a shocking case!
Police Officer Li's breathing quickened, and his gaze towards Mingxi became intense.
Comrade Xiaoming is simply a lucky star in their unit!
They've brought them more business!
Suppressing his excitement, Officer Li asked, "Did you see Li Xiangdong's face? Can you describe his features in detail?"
Mingxi recalled carefully: "That Li Xiangdong wasn't very tall, maybe a little taller than me, at most 1.7 meters. He wasn't particularly good-looking, but his face was quite fair. He had his hair slicked back and wore a loose-fitting suit. He looked greasy and spoke in a very oily tone..."
As Mingxi thought, she spoke. She didn't know much about Li Xiangdong, except for his appearance and the direction he had left in the last time.
"Yes, Officer Li, Li Xiangdong ended up walking towards Huaihua Hutong."
Mingxi made a special mention of it because Huaihua Hutong is a dead-end alley that connects to Jinyu Hutong. Normally, after Li Xiangdong dropped off the person, he should have left directly along the main road outside the bus stop.
But Li Xiangdong didn't; he turned and went into Huaihua Hutong.
Huaihua Hutong is not big. Once you turn in, you can see the end at a glance. Apart from the people living in the few courtyards inside Huaihua Hutong, no one would go in there for no reason.
The fact that Li Xiangdong went inside can only mean that he either lives there or that someone he knows lives there.
Officer Li carefully noted this down: "Okay, thank you for the information, Comrade Xiaoming. We will investigate it thoroughly."
Mingxi still trusted Officer Li, knowing that he was very serious and dedicated to his work.
After reporting Li Xiangdong's matter, Mingxi headed home. After all that commotion, it was already quite late when she got home, almost time for dinner.
As soon as Mingxi stepped into the courtyard, she smelled a delicious aroma – the aroma of stewed mutton.
Mingxi sniffed: "Whose radish and mutton soup is this? It smells so good."
She muttered to herself as she walked home, but stopped abruptly at her doorstep.
Hey, she was also saying whose radish and mutton soup smelled so good, turns out it was her family's!
Mingxi lifted the curtain and called out, "Mom, Mom, I'm home!"
Zhao Sulan peeked out from the kitchen: "I'm in the kitchen!"
Mingxi ran excitedly to the kitchen door, rubbing her hands together. "Mom, what's the occasion? Why are we eating so well?"
Zhao Sulan: "It's not a special occasion. This mutton wasn't bought by me; it was just delivered by Xiao Meng and Xiao Lin."
Xiao Meng and Xiao Lin?
“Meng Dongchun and Lin Hai?” Mingxi asked.
Zhao Sulan: "Yes, those two just brought over not only mutton, but also the canned fruit, malted milk powder, and pastry boxes that were on the coffee table in the living room. They said they were thanking you."
She rubbed her hands on her apron a couple of times and said, "I said I wouldn't accept it, but Xiao Meng kept stuffing it into my hands. In the end, she just threw the things at our house and the two of them turned and left. By the way, I haven't asked you yet, what happened? Why did they bring us a gift out of the blue?"
Mingxi: "Ah, well, that's probably because I saved Lin Hai's sister a few days ago."
Zhao Sulan: "What happened?"
Mingxi didn't take it seriously and said nonchalantly, "Hey, it's nothing big. I was just getting off work and thinking of going to the department store to buy something when I bumped into Lin Hai's sister being blocked at the door by a guy. So I just beat the guy away and took Lin Hai's sister home."
“Mom, you have no idea, the guy who blocked Lin Hai’s sister’s place is actually a relative of a woman from my workplace. That woman even wanted me to introduce her to someone, but I felt something was off about her tone and that she might be dishonest, so I didn’t agree.” Mingxi got angry as she talked about this.
"Thank goodness I didn't agree, otherwise I would have really brought trouble upon myself! Lin Xi said she didn't plan to date and didn't agree to go on a date with that guy, so he waited for her at the entrance of her workplace."
Lin Xi hasn't even agreed to meet Gao Jianliang yet, and Gao Jianliang is like this.
If Mingxi really introduces Gao Jianliang to someone, and he still takes a liking to her, he'll definitely confront her at her home. If that happens, and the woman's family wants an explanation, they'll definitely go after the matchmaker first!
Zhao Sulan: "Really, it's a good thing you didn't agree!"
Zhao Sulan was quite frightened afterward. She wasn't afraid of poor conditions or high standards when introducing potential partners, but she dreaded this kind of troublesome situation. They were always causing trouble, and if something really happened, the other party would definitely contact the matchmaker immediately.
However, when this topic came up, Zhao Sulan became curious: "Who introduced this man to Little Lin?"
Mingxi: "It was that man's mother. His mother was Lin Xi's colleague and introduced them to each other. Lin Xi was too embarrassed to refuse at first."
Zhao Sulan knew that the Lin family was all cowardly and incompetent, so she wasn't surprised that Lin Xi didn't have the nerve to refuse.
Mingxi: "Oh, right, I heard that Lin Hai's third aunt got involved in this. Apparently, she was the one who urged the other party to find Lin Xi."
Zhao Sulan frowned and spat, "What kind of person is this? She's Lin Hai's elder, how could she bring outsiders along to harm her own family?"
Mingxi: "This isn't the first time. Last time the performing arts troupe came here to recruit people, Linxi and her cousin from her third uncle's family both passed the preliminary test. But on the day of the second test, her cousin from her third uncle's family locked her in the house, which prevented her from participating in the second test."
Mingxi shrugged: "People say Linxi is talented and has a good figure. If she hadn't missed the re-examination, she would definitely have been recruited by the cultural troupe."
Zhao Sulan frowned regretfully.
Everyone knows that performing arts troupes offer good benefits; being selected for a performing arts troupe is an honor that brings good fortune to one's ancestors.
Even if Linxi participates in the re-examination, there is still a possibility that she will not be selected.
But participating in the re-examination is different from missing it and not participating in it.
Anyway, Zhao Sulan felt it was a pity. If she were Lin Xi, even if she was locked at home, she would break down the door to go and participate in the re-examination.
But so much time has passed, it's too late to say anything now.
Zhao Sulan: "In the end, it's still the third branch of the Lin family that's no good. The elders don't act like elders and they scheme against the younger generation. The younger generation is no better. They are so young, yet they are so vicious. They don't hesitate to scheme against their own sisters. It's true that if the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will be crooked too."
Mingxi: "That's right."
As they talked, the mutton and radish soup in the pot was almost ready.
Mingxi and Zhao Sulan's dinner tonight is mutton and radish soup with mutton rice.
Zhao Sulan had secretly memorized the recipe for mutton stewed rice after watching the head chef at her workplace make it once.
She had never done this before. This time, Meng Dongchun brought too much mutton, and she was afraid it would spoil if she didn't finish it, so she tried making it.
To be honest, although it was her first time making it, it tasted really good, and Mingxi ate it with gusto.
After eating and drinking her fill, Mingxi leaned back in her chair, clutching her stomach and groaning "Ouch, ouch!"
"I'm so full, so full, I'm stuffed."
Zhao Sulan kicked the leg of the chair Mingxi was sitting on: "If you're full, get up and walk around."
Mingxi waved her hand: "We'll talk about it later, we'll leave later."
Helpless, Zhao Sulan got up to clear the table.
Mingxi raised her voice and asked, "Hey, Mom, do you think we should remind the Dong family about Li Xiangdong's strange behavior?"
This Dong family member does not include Dong Chunling.
To be honest, Dong Chunling is a total love-struck fool, the kind of love-struck person that would make even a zombie in Plants vs. Zombies turn its head away if it tried to open her head.
Her mind was completely blank except for the man she loved.
Li Xiangdong was acting so strangely, yet she still couldn't detect anything amiss. If Mingxi rashly went to remind her, Dong Chunling might even suspect her of having ill intentions.
Wasn't it the same when she was dating Yan Zhiwen? People in the alley reminded her that Yan Zhiwen was not a good person and advised her to break up with him before they got married.
What did Dong Chunling say?
She started spouting nonsense the moment she opened her mouth, spreading rumors throughout the alley that the person who warned her also had their eye on Yan Zhiwen and was saying these things to force her to break up with Yan Zhiwen so that she could take his place.
They really treat Yan Zhiwen like a treasure, and they feel like everyone else is trying to steal him.
Mingxi didn't want Dong Chunling to suspect that she had her eye on Li Xiangdong.
She's not that blind.
However, apart from Dong Chunling, the other members of the Dong family were still kept in the dark, and Mingxi felt it was worth reminding them.
Zhao Sulan thought for a moment and said, "If there's a chance, I'll tell Boss Dong if I can."
Of the three members of the Dong family, the eldest son is the most clear-headed. It would be somewhat useful to talk to him about this, but it would be no different to talk to the two elders of the Dong family or to Dong Chunling.
Mingxi: "Okay, I'll tell Boss Dong when I have time to meet him another day."
Before Mingxi could find a suitable opportunity to tell Boss Dong about Li Xiangdong, Officer Li came looking for her.
At the time, Mingxi was still working at her unit. Recently, her blackboard bulletin board drawing had become quite popular, and the Women's Federation would come to her for any drawing requests. She was busy in her office when Yu Xiaomin rushed in, shouting, "Xiaoming, Officer Li from the police station is looking for you."
Mingxi scratched his head: "Officer Li is looking for me?"
What could Officer Li possibly want from her?
Could it be that Li Xiangdong has made some news?
Even if there is news about the investigation into Li Xiangdong, shouldn't they be looking for Dong Chunling? Why is Officer Li looking for her?
Although Mingxi didn't quite understand, she still quickly walked out of the office.
Officer Li was waiting in the corridor outside his office when Mingxi jogged up to him and called out, "Officer Li, you wanted to see me?"
Police Officer Li: "It's like this, we have something to tell you about Li Xiangdong's matter. Is it convenient for you to talk now?"
Mingxi glanced at the office subconsciously.
She didn't have anything else to do at the moment, so if you're looking for a convenient time, then so be it.
Mingxi: "Officer Li, tell me, what exactly is going on?"
Police Officer Li: "It's like this. Based on what you've said, we've basically determined that Li Xiangdong is a member of a fraud gang that our municipal bureau is currently investigating. We've also investigated in Huaihua Hutong. According to residents of Huaihua Hutong, a tenant named Li Xiangdong did move in recently. We heard that he rented a house from a low-income family in Huaihua Hutong, paying three months' rent for a short-term lease. When he rented the house, he said he was in Beicheng looking for relatives. But after further investigation, we found that his letter of introduction was fake, and the place of origin and address he registered with the street office were also fake. Currently, we only know his name and cannot confirm whether Li Xiangdong is also an alias."
Mingxi: "Huh?"
She opened her mouth wide, surprised that Li Xiangdong was so well prepared.
However, it's not surprising that according to Officer Li, Li Xiangdong is a member of the criminal gang they are investigating.
Li Xiangdong and his gang likely had experience committing crimes multiple times, which explains their thorough preparation.
Police Officer Li: "Based on our past investigations, Li Xiangdong and his gang of criminals are very cautious. They have committed many crimes without leaving any trace. This time, we finally managed to find their whereabouts, and we are very worried that they will alert them and escape capture again."
Mingxi wasn't actually part of the public security system, so there were some internal details of cases that Officer Li couldn't easily share with her.
In fact, after hearing Mingxi's report yesterday, Officer Li immediately reported the case to the higher-level public security bureau, and the municipal public security bureau took over the case right away.
According to information from the Municipal Public Security Bureau, similar fraud cases were reported in Hebei Province and Tianjin City, which are located around Beicheng, last year and at the beginning of this year.
The complainants included both men and women, ranging in age from twenty to fifty. Although the number of victims was wide, the methods of fraud were remarkably consistent.
Scammers typically appear alone as good-looking single men or women in their twenties. They initially approach the person reporting the crime by asking for directions or borrowing something, seeking their assistance.
After the complainant provides assistance, they usually thank the complainant generously, leaving a good impression of generosity in the complainant's mind. Later, they will find excuses to continue to associate with the complainant and entice the complainant to date them.
After establishing a relationship with the complainant, the scammers will begin their scheme. They will tell the complainant that they have suddenly learned that their father/mother/a relative is a wealthy capitalist who has fled overseas and left tens of millions of US dollars in a bank abroad. The bank has now notified them that they can withdraw this huge sum of money from the overseas bank. However, the money is currently frozen by the bank and will require a handling fee to unfreeze it.
Using this excuse, they swindle money from the complainant, ranging from a few thousand to tens of thousands of yuan.
Don't let its age fool you, it's actually quite useful.
The country is currently attracting foreign investment on a large scale, and the government welcomes all overseas investment. However, most ordinary people's understanding is still stuck in the past, when they were terrified of foreign connections.
Therefore, most people would never imagine that someone would pretend to have relatives and flee overseas.
Does that mean we should just believe whatever the scammers say?
Moreover, according to the complainant's statement, the fraud gang must have practiced deliberately, as everyone spoke fluent English.
These days, few ordinary people know English. Even those who do often speak it but can't read it. So when they encounter someone who can speak it fluently, they naturally assume they trust that person.
In addition, the fraud gang initially cultivated a good image, being generous and kind, so few people would suspect anything. Even if some people had doubts, they would dispel their doubts because of the identity of the person they were dealing with.
In just one year, this gang committed more than forty cases in several cities around Beicheng, with dozens of victims and a staggering amount of money involved.
However, this group of people are elusive and never reveal their real names.
This group is also very clever. Before they achieve their fraudulent goals, they will deliberately lure the victims by claiming that their overseas connections cannot be disclosed to outsiders, thus making the victims conceal their existence or the fact that they have "huge overseas assets."
In addition, information flow is inconvenient these days. Some places may only be a few dozen kilometers apart, but it takes more than half a year for the other side to hear about the situation after the incident on one side.
This caused great difficulties for the police investigation.
So until Mingxi reported the news, the police investigation into this group had not made any progress.
But Mingxi's report brought a glimmer of hope to the police officers.
The police immediately launched an investigation.
Unfortunately, the criminal gang was as cunning as ever. Dong Chunling only sent Li Xiangdong to set the trap, while the rest of the gang did not show up.
They couldn't even find the hideout where the remaining people were hiding!
If they rashly arrested Li Xiangdong, they feared the remaining members would escape if things went wrong. But if they didn't arrest Li Xiangdong, they wouldn't know when the other members of the gang would contact him.
Or, to put it another way, will they make contact with Li Xiangdong?
The colleagues at the Municipal Bureau held a day-long meeting and finally came up with a solution: to find someone who knew Dong Chunling and use Dong Chunling to test Li Xiangdong.
The reason for seeking out Dong Chunling's acquaintances is...
They were also afraid that the appearance of strangers would alert the enemy.
Police Officer Li told Mingxi everything he could.
Mingxi's eyes darted around, not understanding why Officer Li was telling her this.
It wasn't until she saw Officer Li staring intently at her that Mingxi realized what was happening. Pointing to herself, she asked, "So, the person you're talking about, the acquaintance of Dong Chunling, is me?"
Police officer Li and his team wanted her to use Dong Chunling to test Li Xiangdong.
Police Officer Li nodded, somewhat embarrassed, "Comrade Mingxi, don't worry, this is a request, not a demand. You can refuse if you don't want to."
After all, they were dealing with criminals, so even if Mingxi was unwilling, they could understand.
Mingxi thought about it carefully.
She was only helping to test Li Xiangdong; she wasn't being asked to arrest criminals herself, so there was practically no danger.
Moreover, there will definitely be benefits for her if she agrees to this.
Even though Officer Li hasn't said anything yet, as long as she helps, the Public Security Bureau will definitely send a thank-you letter, right?
Even without a thank-you letter, since they're all in the same system, the higher-ups will definitely remember her, which will benefit her in the future.
Mingxi's eyes darted around, and she went through all sorts of thoughts in her mind before looking up and saying, "Officer Li, I agree to this."
Upon hearing this, Officer Li's eyes lit up, and he said excitedly, "Thank you, thank you for your cooperation, Comrade Mingxi. Don't worry, I guarantee that when you need to deal with Li Xiangdong, our colleagues from the Municipal Bureau will be with you the whole time to protect your safety and prevent you from being in any danger."
Mingxi is trustworthy.
She thought for a moment and asked, "Um, Officer Li, how should I test Li Xiangdong through Dong Chunling? Am I free to do whatever I want?"
To be honest, she was a little nervous.
Letting her do as she pleases, she really didn't know what to say.
Police Officer Li: "Don't worry about that. We will have someone guide you on what to say and do. Your colleagues from the Municipal Bureau will come to find you and communicate with you in a little while."
"Okay, okay."
Mingxi nodded in agreement.
After giving his instructions, Officer Li left first, and Mingxi returned to her office.
The municipal police were very cautious. Although Mingxi had not yet shown herself to Li Xiangdong, they still took into account the cautious nature of Li Xiangdong's criminal gang. Therefore, the police officers sent by the municipal police to meet with Mingxi were specially disguised and did not intend to appear as police officers.
When Mingxi returned to her office, Yu Xiaomin came up to her.
"Hey, Xiaoming, what does Officer Li want with you?"
Mingxi waved her hand: "It's nothing."
Yu Xiaomin gave Mingxi a strange look. Mingxi wasn't usually like this. Usually, when she asked her this, Mingxi would have already started talking to her, instead of acting so indifferent.
However, Yu Xiaomin did not intend to delve into it, thinking that Mingxi was probably busy at the moment and had no time to gossip.
Although Mingxi was still busy with her work after she sat down, her mind had already wandered off.
I wonder who the Municipal Bureau will send to meet with her?
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