Chapter 88
The incident happened suddenly and the police had very little time. It was understandable that they failed to find the dog hole in the east wall, but what about the people from the Qingshan Rescue Association?
Even though the association's building is old and has been in disrepair for a long time, the staff have lived there all year round and have a certain knowledge of safety hazards. How could they turn a blind eye to such a large dog hole?
Thinking of this, Lin Jiafan's gaze returned to He Jinzhe.
I don't know if it was intentional by Lu Deshu, a habitual thief, but the boy looked a little malnourished, with a slightly hunched back and thin arms and legs, which seemed like it would be easy to break his limbs with just a little effort.
You know, thieves always focus on body shape and flexibility of movement, not strength.
No matter how dilapidated the association's wall was, it was not easy to get a few bricks out of it, not to mention that the other party had only been in the Qingshan Rescue Association for a few days.
Besides, Guoguo is four years old. She is not at the age of not understanding anything. She just can't see, not speak. How can she not make any sound when being tossed around?
Gathering his thoughts, Lin Jiafan pointed at the photo on the table with his hand. This action successfully made He Jinzhe raise his head slightly.
"Are you close to Guoguo? Why didn't she make a fuss when you took her away?"
The boy pursed his lips and said the same thing as before: "Because I said I would take her out to buy some candy."
"She could hardly see, so how did she manage to get out of the dog hole?" Lin Jiafan asked again.
He Jinzhe was silent for a while, then suddenly turned his head and said to the representative sitting behind him, "I feel a little uncomfortable."
The representative from the Child Protection Organization quickly stood up. After leaning over to check the boy's condition, he looked at the two men across the interrogation table with a hint of apology. "Excuse me, officers. I think we should pause the interrogation until we're sure the child is okay."
Pan Chang turned his head away speechlessly and muttered softly, "He's young, but he's quite cunning."
Lin Jiafan's face remained calm as he stood up calmly. As he walked out of the interrogation room, he even said hello to his colleagues at the door: "Call the doctor over to give him a physical examination."
When the two returned to the adjacent observation room, Pan Chang was furious as soon as he closed the door. "Don't look at him as he's only twelve years old. He's smarter than many adults and knows how to exploit his rights as a minor!"
"Captain Lin, the doctor will be here soon. Once we confirm he's alright, we can continue the trial. I don't believe we can't defeat this little scoundrel!"
"It's no use. He'll still try every possible way to delay." Lin Jiafan stood in front of the glass with his arms folded across his chest. "And haven't you noticed? His words are so formulaic, like a universal template he memorized in advance. He uses the same rhetoric to deal with all the different questions we raise."
"Whenever he encounters a problem that can't be solved with the template, he chooses to stall for time. It's very likely that Guoguo isn't the first rescued child he's abducted. It seems this gang has been training him to deal with the police, all for this day."
"This kind of training is more useful the younger the child is, because minors haven't yet formed a complete worldview. They are like a blank slate, free to paint freely. Compared to adults who are self-centered, they are also more loyal."
In short, it takes a lot of time to tackle this tough problem, but for the police, time is the most scarce resource at the moment.
"What should we do? Ask Lu Deshu? The hope will be even slimmer." Pan Chang was a little discouraged.
"Go tell Pang Guang to thoroughly check the backgrounds of all the staff and volunteers at the Qingshan Rescue Association." After Lin Jiafan instructed Pan Chang, he turned to look at Luo Jingyao and asked, "Are you interested in going back with me to tell them the good news that Guoguo has been found?"
She naturally wouldn't disagree.
So around noon, the two of them appeared on the winding mountain road of Black Wind Mountain. As soon as they got off the car, they saw Lao Lei who had been waiting on the roadside.
"Brother Lei, please come over." After getting out of the car, Lin Jiafan took two steps forward and shook hands with the other party.
After the incident, it was Lao Lei who brought his men to take statements and collect evidence. The people from the Qingshan Rescue Association were not aware that the case had been transferred to the Jinshi Public Security Bureau. After much deliberation, they decided that it would be safest for him to come forward.
Of course, there was absolutely no intention to let him openly attract the attention of those people from the Qingshan Rescue Association.
Looking at the innocent smile on Lin Jiafan's face, Lao Lei had no idea he was being used. He kept praising him, "You young people are so quick-witted and quick-acting. You found him just overnight? You'll have to tell me the story later so I can learn from you."
"Okay, I'll treat you to a meal once this case is closed!"
The two sides politely crossed the winding mountain road and walked into the Qingshan Rescue Association on the opposite side. Luo Jingyao followed silently with the young policeman brought by Lao Lei.
As soon as the four people entered the yard, they were discovered by Liu Miaomiao who was helping Aunt Zhang look after the children in the yard.
Although the little girl was not tall, she had a very loud voice. With just one shout, she called out Achao and Brother Li from the two-story building in front.
"Officer Lei!" As soon as Ah Chao came out, he came forward enthusiastically, shaking hands with Old Lei and nodding at Luo Jingyao: "And Miss Luo and her friends."
Yesterday was so chaotic and hectic that no one in the Qingshan Rescue Association knew Lin Jiafan's true identity. Only Aunt Zhang had close contact with him, but unfortunately she was confused.
"I came here today to inform you that Guoguo has been successfully found." Lao Lei didn't hesitate and announced the good news.
For a moment, everyone in the yard showed an expression of surprise. Aunt Zhang breathed a sigh of relief and picked up her apron to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes.
"Then...where is Guoguo?" Achao asked.
"Guoguo was found in Beihe Province and is now on his way back to Jin City. The police will then send him to the hospital for a comprehensive physical examination." Lao Lei explained patiently, "We have also contacted an orphanage, and they have agreed to take him in. We will send him there when he is discharged."
Hearing this, everyone in the Qingshan Rescue Association seemed a little embarrassed. In the end, Ah Chao rubbed his hands and nodded repeatedly, saying, "This is better. The welfare home is definitely more secure than our place."
As if he was very satisfied with their attitude, Lao Lei patted his belly with a smile and said, "Although the child has been found, there are still some details that need to be supplemented in the case. I may have to trouble you to cooperate with me."
Everyone patted their chests and promised to cooperate, so Lao Lei took them all back to the two-story building.
In a blink of an eye, only Aunt Zhang was left to continue looking after the children in the yard.
Lin Jiafan raised his chin at this time, and Luo Jingyao lowered her eyes in understanding.
"Hello, where is the bathroom?" After a tacit and brief communication, Lin Jiafan spoke.
Aunt Zhang enthusiastically pointed him in the direction: "It's inside the building, and also in the smallest room at the back on the west side, next to the laundry room."
After expressing his gratitude, Lin Jiafan walked towards the west.
After he left, Luo Jingyao smiled and moved closer to Aunt Zhang, then squatted down and teased the child for a while.
"Oh, Miss Luo, how come you are free to come here today?" Aunt Zhang was sitting on a small stool at this time, shelling beans into the basin at her feet and asked casually.
"I forgot to leave the association's contact information yesterday, and I was really worried about Guoguo's situation, so I just came over to check on her. Unexpectedly, I was quite lucky and happened to meet Officer Lei outside." Luo Jingyao responded.
"I'm really grateful to these police officers this time, otherwise I would never have peace of mind in my life." Aunt Zhang sighed: "Guoguo is a blessing in disguise. She was sent to the orphanage. I'm really happy for her."
"Is Guoguo easy to take care of?" Luo Jingyao asked casually.
Aunt Zhang didn't stop what she was doing, but after a moment's reflection, she replied seriously, "It's not that easy to take care of. I feel quite insecure because I can't see him. When he first came, he only recognized me. I held him in my arms day and night and raised him."
"It got better over time, and she gradually became familiar with the others."
"So is the relationship between her and Xiaozhe good?"
"What's good about him? Xiaozhe hasn't been here long, and he's so withdrawn that he doesn't say a word all day long." Aunt Zhang was filled with resentment when He Jinzhe was mentioned. "I suggest he be sentenced to life imprisonment. He should spend the rest of his life in prison. He's so young and capable of such bad things. What will become of him when he grows up?"
Hearing her mumbling, Luo Jingyao was slightly distracted. It seemed that Lin Jiafan's suspicion was correct. Guoguo was not even familiar with He Jinzhe, so why would she obediently let him take her away?
She stood up slowly and thought of Little Potato who had disappeared here half a year ago. Could that child have encountered the same thing as Guoguo?
After staring at Aunt Zhang who was concentrating on her work for a while, Luo Jingyao raised her head slightly and looked towards the activity room on the second floor. Several figures could be vaguely seen through the window.
If Lu Deshu and his gang really have an insider in the association, who is that person?
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