Chapter 48: A River of Tobacco and Wild Geese
"Nothing?" Ji Feng looked at Xiao Liang with disbelief.
"Captain Ji, there really isn't any. I checked myself and had our office staff check again. There's no information about her booking at Yungang Airport or the train station in Southern Jiangsu Province."
"That's strange? Could it be that she..."
Ji Feng suddenly thought of the Audi parked in Haijiao Village. "Let's go to Haijiao Village."
"Mo Island is more than 2,000 kilometers away from Fujian Province. Will she really drive back?" Xiao Liang guessed Ji Feng's thoughts.
"That's not the case. Maybe we'll drive halfway or one-third of the way before buying the plane ticket." When saying this, Ji Feng himself felt that it was unlikely.
"Okay, it's not far away anyway, I might as well go and take a look."
Before they even reached the parking lot, they could see the dusty Audi still parked in the distance. As they approached, Jifeng and Xiaoliang completely gave up hope. Aside from a bit more dust, the car looked unchanged since the last time they'd seen it, as if its owner had forgotten it.
He took out his cell phone and dialed Bo Qianqian's number, but heard a tone indicating that the call was temporarily unavailable.
Ji Feng was completely bewildered. Could he be taking a long-distance bus? Or… He went through all the possible modes of transportation in his mind.
At this time, Xin Xiao, who had been "forgotten" for the whole afternoon, sent a WeChat message: "I have arrived in Kulanzhao. I will have some food with Xiangdong and take a rest. I will go to my second elder's home to look for the relics tomorrow morning."
Ji Feng checked the time. It was already five in the afternoon. Although this was not considered night in Yishijiang, Xin Xiao probably felt that Yong Xiangdong was too tired and was embarrassed to ask him to work overtime with him overnight.
So he replied, "Please treat Xiangdong to a good meal and a good rest on my behalf." Along with the WeChat message, there was also a WeChat transfer.
Putting down his phone, he said to Xiao Liang, "Let's go back to the station. Then I'll pick up Xiao Zheng and Brother Chuan." Ji Feng thought, let's not worry about Bo Qianqian for now, Xiao Zheng and Ji Chuan can't get wet, so I'll pick them up and make plans later.
Xiao Liang agreed and turned back to the police station. The rain still showed no sign of stopping. Ji Feng called Gu Xiaozheng and learned that he was waiting for him in a supermarket, sheltering from the rain. He felt relieved and told him he would pick him up right away.
However, no one answered Ji Chuan's phone. Ji Feng didn't know what was going on, so he wanted to wait until he saw Gu Xiaozheng.
The car quickly drove to the police station. After reminding Xiao Liang not to forget to install the camera, he said goodbye to Xiao Liang and drove towards the supermarket where Gu Xiaozheng was.
At the same time as he received the call from Gu Xiaozheng, Ji Chuan called in. He said that he was on the road and riding a motorcycle and didn't hear it.
"Brother Chuan, where are you? Xiaozheng and I will pick you up now." Jifeng asked.
"Don't worry about me. It'll be a while before I get to Mo Island."
"Brother Chuan, where have you been?" Ji Feng asked in confusion.
"I'm going back to the team. I'm worried that after we find Bo Xixi, she'll ask us for a warrant or she won't go with us. I figured I'd just go back and get it anyway so I don't end up in a difficult position later."
"Back to the team? How did you get back? It's so far away?"
"It's not far. I rented a motorcycle and have already obtained the arrest warrant. I'm on the way back to Mo Island. If you're hungry, find a place to eat and wait for me. I'll be there soon."
"Oh, my dear brother Chuan, why are you..." Looking at the rain getting heavier outside, Ji Feng almost shed tears.
"I have a raincoat, don't worry, I'll contact you when we get to Mo Island."
"Brother Chuan, ride slowly and don't be in a hurry. Bo Qianqian's whereabouts are still unknown. I'm afraid we won't be able to find her today. Be sure to pay attention to safety." Ji Feng was really moved by Ji Chuan.
"It was raining, and they traveled over a hundred kilometers back and forth. Brother Chuan is so touching." Gu Xiaozheng, who was standing nearby, also understood what was going on. "My dear Brother Chuan!"
The moment he put down his phone, as if an idea had flashed through his mind, Ji Feng said to Gu Xiaozheng, "Let's go back to Qijiagou Community."
"Go back to Qijiagou Community?" Gu Xiaozheng asked in confusion.
"Yes, try your luck."
"Okay." Gu Xiaozheng started the car, seemingly understanding what was going on, and drove towards Qijiagou Community.
"I didn't realize that Brother Chuan is a rough but delicate person." Ji Feng said while looking at the heavy rain outside the car.
"Brother Feng, there is something I don't know whether I should say or not." Gu Xiaozheng hesitated.
"When I first came to Lan Valley, what did you call me? Do you remember?"
"Hey, Brother Feng, why are you still bringing that up? I didn't understand things back then, please don't be offended."
"I remember you called me 'Professor Ji' at that time, and just now, you called me 'Brother Feng'. Back to your question, did you say that sentence or not?"
The clever Gu Xiaozheng immediately understood what Ji Feng meant and laughed out loud, "Okay, then I'll be frank, Brother Feng."
"explain."
"Brother Chuan is a man who knows how to repay kindness."
Ji Feng was stunned. He tilted his head and looked at Gu Xiaozheng who was driving and asked, "You mean, Brother Chuan went to get the 'Warrant of Arrest' today, is that..."
"Yes, that's what I mean. I understand Brother Chuan."
Ji Feng sighed, held his head in his hands, and sat in the passenger seat without saying a word.
"Brother Feng, we're here. Where are we going?"
"Go to Bo Qianqian's house." Ji Feng answered with his head still lowered.
The car made many turns and finally arrived at Bo Qianqian's building.
"We're here. Something's wrong, Brother Feng. Why is the light on? Isn't she...?"
Ji Feng suddenly raised his head and stared at the lighted window, "Yes, it's her house. We are lucky. Let's go." As he said that, he and Gu Xiaozheng got out of the car one after another.
After taking just two steps, he pulled Gu Xiaozheng to a sudden stop and said, "Wait, go to her house and see if she's home. I'll wait for you in the car. Be careful not to alert the enemy."
"Okay, Brother Feng, I'll be right back."
After a while, Gu Xiaozheng ran back, got in the car, nodded at Ji Feng and said, "Yes, she's home. I saw a figure moving around, and the smell and sounds of cooking wafted out of the window."
"Okay. Let's wait for Brother Chuan to come back and take her back to Lan Valley with the arrest warrant." Ji Feng's eyes flashed with a cold light.
"She's up to some tricks again. She's really good at it." Gu Xiaozheng said hatefully.
The rain outside was getting heavier. If it were sunny, Ji Chuan would have arrived by now. Ji Feng checked his phone and saw no missed calls. He couldn't help but get worried.
Gu Xiaozheng also lost his patience and wanted to call Ji Chuan, but he was afraid that he was riding a motorcycle and the road was slippery in the rain, which would make it inconvenient for him to answer the phone and affect his safety.
The two sat quietly in the car, staring at the lighted window silently, understanding each other tacitly, and no one spoke. Until the bad news came.
The call was from Jiang Bo. A passerby had found Ji Chuan and his motorcycle lying in a roadside ditch and reported it to the police. The traffic police, using Ji Chuan's ID, found the leader of his workplace.
According to the first traffic police officer who arrived at the scene, the man was already dead. The autopsy concluded that he had been trying to avoid a pedestrian crossing the road in the rain without an umbrella, and the slippery road caused him to fall into a ditch.
The "Warrant" in his jacket pocket was already stained with blood...
Gu Xiaozheng collapsed in the car, weeping. Ji Feng, swallowing his grief, forced Bo Qianqian into the car. He didn't care anymore; the worst that could happen was a complaint or a punishment. Bo Qianqian, who had initially been shouting and struggling, calmed down when she saw Ji Feng's eyes, which were half sea and half flame.
After getting in the car, Bo Qianqian saw Gu Xiaozheng slumped in the passenger seat with tears streaming down his face and a dazed look on his face. She seemed to have been hit by a frightened Davis double-tap, and without saying a word, she let Ji Feng drive the car towards Lan Valley.
Ji Feng's phone calls were almost constant during the journey. From the fragments of words his trembling voice uttered, Bo Qianqian seemed to know what was happening. No one noticed the glimmer of light in her eyes, flickering in the darkness.
After driving in the rain for an hour, they returned to the detachment. It was already past ten o'clock in the evening.
Before I even entered, a strangely solemn atmosphere hit me. When I pushed open the door, there were more people inside than during the daytime working hours, but they all had their heads down and were silent.
"Captain Jiang, please get a warrant for Bo Qianqian." Ji Feng said with his head down.
Jiang Bo didn't say anything. He simply raised his hand to call over a female clerk and pointed at Bo Qianqian next to him. "We must complete the processing of her arrest warrant tonight and temporarily arrange for her to be placed in the detention room."
After saying that, he motioned Ji Feng to sit down, "Several team members are already at Ji Chuan's house, and several female team members are accompanying Ji Chuan's lover."
"Xiao Zheng is still in the car and needs someone to take care of him. Let's find a few brothers to accompany him." Ji Feng said with tears in his eyes.
"Okay." He waved over the female clerk again, "Ask a few people to help Xiaozheng out of the car, and ask the canteen to serve a bowl of noodles. Keep an eye on him and make sure nothing happens to him."
"Captain Jiang, I'm going to visit Brother Chuan's house..." Before he could finish his words, he burst into tears.
"Jifeng, what has happened cannot be undone. You are the vice-captain, and you must take the lead in calming everyone down. Do you understand?"
"Yeah..." Ji Feng nodded with tears in his eyes.
"Have some food first, and then I'll go to Ji Chuan's house with you. We'll go there to express our condolences and sympathy on behalf of the detachment."
"I'm not eating anymore. I... am not hungry." After saying that, he walked out the door without looking back.
Jiang Bo had no choice but to follow Ji Feng and waved to Qin Tian: "Drive to Ji Chuan's house."
The mourning hall at Ji Chuan's home had been set up. After bowing three times to the portrait, Jiang Bo said to Ji Chuan's wife: "Comrade Ji Chuan died in the line of duty. He was our good comrade and good comrade-in-arms. We will never forget him..."
Ji Chuan's lover had already cried all her tears out and sat there blankly with a blank expression, as if she couldn't hear any sound.
Ji Feng tried hard to hold back his tears and said, "Sister-in-law, Brother Chuan is my good brother. If there are any difficulties at home in the future, just tell me. I'm sorry." After saying that, he turned his head and covered his face and left.
On the way back, Jiang Bo said, "I've already reported to the bureau leadership. The funeral will be held the day after tomorrow. All members of the bureau's Party Committee will attend, except for those leaders who are away on business. Also, as soon as I get to work tomorrow, I'll submit an application to the bureau to posthumously award Comrade Ji Chuan the title of martyr. Oh, and I'll also apply for the pension at the same time."
"I don't know what to do for Brother Chuan's family." Ji Feng said blankly.
"Qin Tian," Jiang Bo said to Qin Tian, who was concentrating on driving, "You guys usually have a good relationship with Ji Chuan. Please work harder these two days and make sure to arrange Ji Chuan's funeral. Ji Chuan's family is full of orphans and widows, and there is no man left."
"Captain Jiang, don't worry, I will make sure Brother Chuan leaves peacefully." Qin Tian said with a heavy nasal tone.
That night, all the members of the detachment stayed up all night.
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