Chapter 37 If Xiao Shitou didn't have any clues, she would pretend...
Everyone fell into deep thought for a moment. Luo Kaiyang said, "In that case, it can be proved that our previous guess is correct?"
Wei Zhengyi scratched his head: "But even if I guessed it right, it's useless. We still don't know the identity of the murderer."
Upon hearing this, Director Zhu immediately said, "I have sent someone to the station with photos of the deceased to check if anyone still remembers them."
However, with so many people coming in and out of the station every day, the possibility of obtaining effective clues is probably not high.
Everyone knows the answer, but apart from this option, they really don't know where to start.
Zhou Qiming looked at Yue Lingchuan: "Boss, what should we do now?"
Yue Lingchuan pondered for a moment, his eyes fell on the two bodies, he tapped his arm lightly, and sighed: "Let's take the bodies back first. I'll go discuss with Team Song and ask the news media to cooperate with the publicity and find the passengers in the car to see if we can get more information. As for this side, I'll trouble Director Zhu."
He looked back and said, "If you have any more clues, keep in touch."
Director Zhu smiled bitterly and nodded: "It's not a big deal, it's my duty."
When he heard that the murderer got off at Hongyun Bus Station during the meeting yesterday, he had a bad feeling. He kept praying in his heart that nothing would happen in his jurisdiction, but what he feared came true.
After the group of people said goodbye, they split into two groups and left. Before leaving, Shen Qingye passed by the corpse, bent down, and picked up a small round stone.
Yue Lingchuan saw her movements and raised his eyebrows: "What's wrong?"
Shen Qingye shook his head and said, "No."
She spread out her palm: "It's just a small stone. It's pretty nice."
Yue Lingchuan laughed: "You still like this little thing?"
Shen Qingye said: "It's white and round, it looks rare, let's take it and play with it."
Upon hearing this, Yue Lingchuan didn't say anything more. Luo Kaiyang, who was standing by, also said, "My sister also likes these nice-looking little things. She has collected a lot of them at home. Sometimes I don't understand what's so good about them. But Xiao Shen's stone is really pretty, round and smooth. If it were a little bigger, it would look like an egg."
As soon as Luo Kaiyang said this, Wei Zhengyi and others couldn't help but come over: "Let me see, let me see!"
Shen Qingye smiled, opened his hands and let them watch.
The little stone obviously had not yet recovered from the fact that it was picked up. It was now acting very well and didn't say a word. It seemed that the chatterbox just now was just Shen Qingye's hallucination.
Yue Lingchuan was in the front, watching everyone gathered together, feeling a little helpless for a moment, and shouted, "Alright, let's go back!"
Everyone then quickened their pace and dispersed.
Shen Qingye took the small stone in his pocket.
I could vaguely hear the little stone speaking in a trance: "Am I... leaving here?"
Shen Qingye curled the corners of his mouth slightly and quickly got into the car.
…
After returning to the team, Shen Qingye felt dizzy and headache. The reason was simple: the little stone was too excited and kept chattering all the way, making her head hurt. But there were other people in the car, and Shen Qingye couldn't ask it to shut up, so he could only bear it.
After the car stopped, she deliberately waited until the last one to get off. At the moment of closing the door, she pinched the stone with her fingers hidden in her pocket and whispered:
"Shut up and say less."
The sound lingering in her ears suddenly stopped. After a long time, she heard the other party's weak and faint voice:
"Can you...hear me?"
Shen Qingye pinched it again as a response.
The world suddenly became quiet.
Shen Qingye was satisfied.
·
After Yue Lingchuan returned, he reported the case to Captain Song and discussed further action plans.
Song Lianfeng tapped the table with his fingers, his face solemn: "Whether it was active or passive, it is an indisputable fact that he killed people in our jurisdiction, and he killed two people in a row..."
Yue Lingchuan nodded: "Director Zhu is still investigating at the bus station. I don't know if he can find any relevant clues. I thought we could just ask the Propaganda Department to cooperate with the news and newspapers to collect relevant clues from the passengers on yesterday's bus. Maybe we can get some unexpected results."
Captain Song pondered for a moment and nodded slowly: "You are right. So far, this is the only way."
Without monitoring, information, or authentication, all they can do is rely on the power of the masses to fish for a needle in a haystack.
He said, "I will go to the bureau to inquire about the relevant situation. You can directly ask the colleagues in the publicity department to cooperate with the operation. Also ask Director Zhu to speed up the investigation."
Yue Lingchuan responded with a yes and turned to leave.
·
I was busy the whole morning, and even had a quick lunch. At about 3:00 p.m., Director Zhu finally called:
"After investigation, our comrades confirmed that the security guard on duty at the bus station yesterday saw the two deceased and had some impression of them."
"He said that the two of them, one tall and one short, stood out in the crowd. The most important thing was that they were walking together, as if they were following someone in front of them, whispering to each other, and no one knew what they were talking about. Out of curiosity, he took a few more glances."
"As for who they were following, the man said there were too many people getting off the bus and he couldn't remember clearly. He just vaguely felt that it was a tall man wearing a black shirt and black pants, and he looked quite strong."
"By eyeballing it... he's probably about the same height as that tall, skinny guy."
"As for the other staff members at the station that day, they all said that there were too many people at the time and they really didn't notice it."
"Okay, I got it." Yue Lingchuan held the phone in one hand and said, "Thank you for your hard work, Director Zhu."
The other party sighed: "As long as we can solve the case quickly, it doesn't matter if it's a little harder."
The two sides exchanged a few polite words before Yue Lingchuan hung up the phone.
A group of people surrounded him, Luo Kaiyang looked disappointed: "So there are still no substantial clues now?"
Yue Lingchuan glanced at him and said, "At present, we have confirmed that the murderer's height is about 180 to 183, which is the same as the height of the robber in the Linhai Bank robbery case. Isn't this a clue?"
Wei Zhengyi said: "This only further confirms our guess. The more critical information is still uncertain."
Zhou Qiming patted him on the shoulder and said, "It's not that easy to solve a case. Let's take it one step at a time."
Yue Lingchuan also said: "I have already communicated with the Propaganda Department. The news will be published in the newspapers tomorrow and information will be collected from the public. We will see if anyone will contact us by then."
Luo Kaiyang murmured, "It's really not a good feeling to have the enemy in the dark while I am in the light..."
Especially since the criminal is not a local but came from other places, his relevant social network is almost non-existent, making it even more difficult to solve the case.
Everyone was clueless for a moment and fell silent. Shen Qingye stood aside, slowly stroking the round stone in his pocket with his fingers, wondering if this little thing could provide any clues.
"That's enough." Yue Lingchuan clapped his hands and looked around: "It's useless to worry about it now. It's almost time to get off work. Let's pack up and leave. Go back and get some rest. There may be more work to do later."
Then everyone dispersed. Shen Qingye was still thinking about the small stone, so he didn't stay for long.
·
It is already spring, and the nights are getting darker and later. When I get home, there is still some light in the sky.
Aunt Chen had already prepared dinner. Shen Linyue sat at the dining table and looked at Shen Qingye's solemn expression. She raised her eyebrows and asked, "What's wrong? Is your work not going well?" Shen Qingye looked up at her, and leaned on the table with a low sigh. Without refutation, she said, "How many days of relaxation can you have in the Criminal Investigation Detachment?"
Shen Linyue snorted and laughed, and said mercilessly: “You deserve it.”
"I saw you were so happy, I thought you wouldn't feel tired."
Shen Qingye said: "It's not that I'm tired, but there is no clue in the case so far, so I can't help but worry."
Shen Linyue paused while eating, and asked curiously, "What case? Is it really as serious as you said?"
Shen Qingye paused, thinking that it would be reported in the newspapers tomorrow, so he did not hide it and briefly explained the situation to Shen Linyue.
"Wandering around in a different place? Committing a crime with a gun?" Shen Linyue's face slowly darkened: "There were no clues at the two places before?"
Shen Qingye shook his head, and Shen Linyue frowned: "Then how can we find him in this vast sea of people?"
Shen Qingye spread his hands helplessly: "That's why it's troublesome. What I'm most afraid of now is whether he will commit crimes again."
Shen Linyue was silent for a long time, and suddenly raised his eyes to look at her: "Are you involved in this case too?"
Shen Qingye paused, then nodded slowly: "I went to see the crime scene this morning."
Shen Linyue glanced at her, lowered her eyes, picked up the food, and said nothing.
Shen Qingye was a little nervous: "Mom?"
Shen Linyue asked casually: “What?”
Shen Qingye licked her lips: "Are you angry?"
"Why should I be angry?" Shen Linyue said calmly: "This is your job. I knew this would happen."
Shen Qingye opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.
Shen Linyue ate two more bites of food before putting down his chopsticks and said, "But you are not a real criminal police after all, and you don't have a gun on you. This case..."
She thought about it for a moment, Shen Qingye was worried, thinking that she would say that she would not let herself participate, but unexpectedly she just said:
"Be careful and don't rush to the front like a fool."
She looked at the rice in the bowl and said, "After all, they have guns, and you have nothing..."
Shen Qingye looked at her mother's calm and indifferent expression, as if she didn't care at all, and her eyes instantly turned red.
She bit her lower lip, shook her head, and said in a joking tone: "Don't worry, mom, your daughter is not stupid."
She came close to her mother, stuck to her, and said, "Besides, there are so many people in the team, it's not my turn as an extra to rush to the front, don't worry."
Shen Linyue glanced at her and snorted, "It's better this way."
That expression clearly showed disbelief.
Shen Qingye pouted and muttered: "Look at what you said..."
Shen Linyue pushed her aside and said with disgust: "Okay, okay, go aside, you are delaying my meal by being sticky here."
Shen Qingye snorted, quickly moved forward, ate the vegetable she had picked up with her chopsticks, turned around and said to her proudly, "Delicious!"
Chen Linyue directly hit her head with the other end of the chopsticks, causing her to scream.
"Behave yourself!"
Shen Qingye snorted twice again, but didn't go up to be scolded. Instead, he changed the subject and said, "By the way, Mom, how is the Yuan family doing?"
Shen Linyue just shook her head and said, "It's a mess."
"Xue Huaifeng now holds the largest number of shares in the Yuan Group, and Yuan Xingye is not to be outdone. The two of them are fighting fiercely and have almost completely torn their faces apart."
Shen Qingye was puzzled: "Doesn't that still leave 19% of the shares? Don't the other shareholders care?"
Chen Linyue explained: "The 19% of shares are currently divided into three parts. Two of them are the veterans who followed Yuan Xingye to start the business, holding 7% and 8% respectively. The remaining 4% is controlled by external companies."
Shen Qingye vaguely understood: "So, those two elders... don't have a good relationship with Yuan Xingye?"
Chen Linyue nodded: "Before this, although the Yuan family couple enjoyed absolute control over the company, the other two elders were not willing to be outdone. In addition, they have been in the company for a long time and have formed their own factions within it, and it is not uncommon for them to fight for power. Yuan Xingye has always wanted to drive those two out of the company, but the other party naturally does not want to. In addition, there are some management and personnel problems within the company. The Yuan family looks bright and beautiful on the surface, but in fact it has long been riddled with holes."
Shen Qingye understood: "So, now that the Xue family has entered and is fighting with Yuan Xingye, it's not a bad thing for them?"
"When the snipe and the clam fight, maybe they will be the ones who benefit in the end."
“No matter who has the upper hand in the end, they still own the same amount of shares. As long as they don’t want to, no one can drive them out.”
Shen Qingye nodded: "I see."
In fact, if they were of one mind with Yuan Xingye, they might not be helpless against the Xue family. However, there were already conflicts within the company, and Xue Huaifeng's joining further intensified the conflicts, so it doesn't seem surprising that the current situation has emerged.
"It's not just the Yuan family. The Liao family, the Cui family, and the Yang family have also been restless during this period." Shen Linyue said again.
Shen Qingye looked at her: "What do you mean?"
"Liao Hongyuan and his gang have already been convicted of raping women, and the news has spread, which has had a huge impact on the company's image. In addition, the top management intends to investigate the tax situation of those companies and any non-compliance in their operations. Isn't that a big deal?"
Not to mention the Liao family, they colluded with the local public security bureau to do evil, and they will inevitably be sentenced to several years in prison. As for the Yang family and their ilk, I estimate they will bleed heavily after this incident.
"By then, the entire Pingjiang landscape will probably change."
And who benefits the most from this? There is no other thing to think about except the Xue family.
Sometimes Shen Linyue couldn't help but think that if all this was really the result of Xue Mingqi's deliberate planning, then this girl who usually doesn't show off her talents should definitely not be underestimated.
But to some extent, she quite admired this kind of girl. Dare to love and hate, have skills and courage.
Maybe in a few years, she won't be worse than her father.
Shen Qingye naturally thought of this as well, and with mixed feelings, he only said one sentence in the end:
"It's their own fault."
Shen Qingye didn't believe that Mr. Liao, as the parent, was completely unaware of what Liao Hongyuan and his friends had done.
Since the decision was made to condone crime, such consequences should have been anticipated.
The mother and daughter chatted for a few more words. After dinner, Shen Linyue was busy going back to the study to work. Shen Qingye was also thinking about the little stone, so he didn't stay downstairs for long. After washing up, he went straight back to the room.
The lights in the room were bright. Shen Qingye sat at the desk and placed the small stone on the table. He poked it lightly with his finger and asked tentatively, "Squeak?"
The room was silent for a long time, without a sound.
Shen Qingye looked at its white and smooth appearance, a smile flashed in his eyes, and he pretended to be puzzled: "Can't you speak? What, did I hear it wrong before?"
It still remained silent.
Shen Qingye sighed and said disappointedly: "I wanted to ask you if you knew any clues about the murderer. Since you can't speak, there's no point in keeping you. Oh, forget it, I'd better throw you out."
As soon as she finished speaking, she stood up, opened the window, raised her hand, and pretended to throw it down from the building.
At the critical moment, she heard a faint voice and said hurriedly:
"squeak."
Shen Qingye paused, the smile in his eyes deepened, he stretched out his hand, but his face was full of confusion: "Huh? What was that sound just now? Did I hear it wrongly?"
It held it in for a long time, and finally uttered a cry:
"No."
“You heard it right.”
It cried and said, "I, I, I, it was you who told me not to talk..."
Shen Qingye raised his eyebrows: "Now that I asked you to speak, why don't you speak anymore?"
It grumbled for a long time before saying, "I'm afraid..."
Shen Qingye was a little surprised: "What are you afraid of?"
It said weakly: "How can you hear me? Are you... a monster?"
Shen Qingye was speechless for a moment: "How can I be a monster? If you really count, you are a talking stone, so you are the monster, right?"
It clearly didn't move, but Shen Qingye seemed to see it shaking its head desperately: "No, no, no one else can hear me, only you can!"
Shen Qingye laughed: "That's fine. Don't worry, I'm a genuine person, just treat me as someone with special abilities."
Shen Qingye was very curious. So far, she had been involved in three cases and encountered a total of four talking creatures. One is Zhou Meihua’s hairpin, one is an old piece of furniture from Cai Liming’s house, one is a chopping board from Zhang Cuimei’s house, and the other is the TV from that hotel.
She really wanted to further explore what her abilities were, and it would be best if she could talk to them. But those things were either in someone else's home or the private property of the victim or their family, so she couldn't touch them casually. Or they are sealed up as evidence, making it even more difficult to investigate at will.
It was not until now that she had the opportunity to get close to these things. She felt curious but more excited.
"You, you, you, what do you want to ask?" Little Stone asked tremblingly. Shen Qingye said gently, "Don't be afraid. I just have a few questions for you."
It was about to cry: "You say, you say..."
Shen Qingye thought about it and asked the question he wanted to know most: "This morning, when we were in that wasteland, besides you, there were so many stones and mud around, but I only heard your voice. Are you the only one who can speak?"
It whispered, "I don't know. Since I became conscious, I have been alone. Except for the occasional person passing by, I could hear them talking, but I have never heard any other sound..."
Shen Qingye slowly fell into deep thought. If that was the case, was it the only conscious one in that area, or were there many like it who simply couldn't communicate?
Because of different species? Or do they not have mouths?
Or is it the only one that has become a spirit?
What is the reason? Is it related to her ability to only hear one thing at a crime scene?
The more she thought about it, the more complicated it became. Shen Qingye knew that this was not something that could be answered in the short term, so she simply shook her head and put the matter aside for the time being. She then asked her, "Did you see how the murderer killed those two people yesterday?"
It said softly, “I see.”
Shen Qingye was shocked: "Do you still remember what that person looks like?"
Little Stone said, "He was about the same height as the tall guy. He had a square face and looked quite honest, not scary at all. He was carrying a red and white checkered snakeskin woven bag in his hands and a black backpack on his back."
"Square face? Are there any features on his face? Like moles or something? Or eyebrows, eyes, nose, that are different from others?"
Little Stone thought for a long time but couldn't remember any features. He was about to cry: "I don't know. I don't think there's anything special about me. I just have a very ordinary appearance..."
It is really too difficult for a stone to distinguish such subtle differences between humans.
Shen Qingye asked again: "You said before that those two people wanted to steal his things?"
Little Stone calmed down a little and said, "Yes. They were the ones who wanted to rob first. They followed the man all the way and asked him to leave his big bag behind. The man had no choice but to obey them because they were outnumbered. But they were still not satisfied and asked him to leave the bag on his back as well. The man couldn't stand it anymore and shot them to death!"
Shen Qingye thought slowly: "That is to say, at the beginning, the man didn't actually want to kill anyone?"
Little Stone said hesitantly, "I think so... I remember he said that he didn't intend to cause any trouble, but they just took advantage of him..."
Shen Qingye paused after hearing this: "Did you hear him speak?"
Little Stone said, "I heard it."
Shen Qingye asked hurriedly: "What did his voice sound like? Do you still remember it?"
"It seems to be that kind of... low, silly, and a little depressed."
"What else did they say?"
"He also said... Oh, when those two people caught up with us, he said that he had already discovered them and that he had come here on purpose to cause trouble..."
Shen Qingye leaned back in his chair, brows furrowed.
Intentional?
"Which direction did he go after he killed someone?"
"It's in the direction you came from."
Shen Qingye was stunned.
Which direction did they come from?
She took out the city map and saw that Hongyun Bus Station was located in the south of Jiangbei District, at the junction of Jiangbei District and Huangning District. The wasteland is to the north of the station. You have to keep going north for several kilometers to get into Jiangbei District and find the village. But if we go in the direction they came from, that is, south, there are many places we can go.
Any of the possible places could be Huangning District, Lin'an District, or even Zhongyuan District or Shangyang District in the marginal urban areas.
Considering what they said, it is very likely that the murderer was targeted while he was in the car. When he got out of the car, he knew someone was following him, so he deliberately went to a remote place. After killing the person, he turned back.
She asked, "Can you tell his accent? How is it different from ours?"
Little Stone asked blankly: "What's the accent?"
"It's the tone of their voice."
Little Stone thought for a moment and said, "I don't know. I seldom see people, and even less often hear them talk. It seems to me that what they say is almost the same..."
Its voice sounded somewhat lost and frustrated. Shen Qingye came back to his senses and stretched out a finger to rub it gently: "It's okay, you have already provided a lot of clues."
Height 180-183, strong build. He has a square face, an honest and simple look, ordinary looks and a dull voice. She was carrying a red and white checkered woven bag and a black bag on her back...
The figure of a tall man slowly emerged in his mind. Shen Qingye drew a rough outline of his appearance with a few strokes on the paper, but he didn't know where to start with more details.
She asked again: "If you see him again in the future, will you recognize him?"
Little Stone said: "Yes! I have a good memory!"
Shen Qingye put down the pen and discussed with it softly: "Then when I go to work tomorrow, can I take you with me? If you see him, tell me in time."
Little Stone hesitated for a while: "If I go with you...will I be able to meet a lot of people?"
Shen Qingye thought for a moment and said, "It's not a lot of people, but it's definitely more than the people you've met before."
Through these conversations, Shen Qingye probably understood that the other party should be a talkative person who likes to be lively. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been muttering to himself for so long in the car.
Little Stone asked again: "Then, after you find someone, will you still need me?"
Shen Qingye was stunned: "Of course, even if I don't find someone later, I will still want yours. You have helped me so much!"
Little Stone chuckled, seeming a little shy: "So... does this count as you supporting me?"
Shen Qingye supported his chin with one hand, looked at it, and asked, "Do you want me to raise it?"
"Yes!" Little Stone said expectantly, "I met a dog before. He said that he was raised by someone. His owner would feed him, give him clothes to wear, and play with him!"
"Don't worry, I don't need to eat or wear clothes. Just give me a bath and put me in the sun to dry!"
Shen Qingye smiled and said, "So easy to raise?"
Little Stone seemed to nod and hummed vigorously.
"Then you're at a loss, aren't you?"
"Not at all! I'm easy to take care of, just talk to me when you have time!"
Shen Qingye finally couldn't help laughing: "Well, then, is it settled?"
The little stone dropped to the ground and said, "It's settled!"
Shen Qingye smiled and thought, raising a small stone doesn't require much effort or worry about killing it. It seems... quite interesting?
The man and the stone chattered for a long time. Before going to bed, Shen Qingye gave it a bath according to its request. He found a soft piece of clothing and placed it on the windowsill so that he could bask in the moonlight as he wished.
Have a good night's sleep.
The next morning, Shen Qingye found a rope, tied it up and hung it around his neck.
When she went downstairs to eat, Shen Linyue looked at the thing that flashed around her neck, and said in surprise: “Where did the jade come from? Did you buy it yourself?”
She was a little surprised. It was rare to see her with something hanging around her neck, and it wasn't something she bought herself.
Shen Qingye smiled: "It's not jade, it's a small stone that I picked up on the road."
Shen Linyue frowned: "How old are you, and you still pick up things from the road to play with? I bought you so many necklaces, but you don't wear them, and you wear a broken stone?"
Shen Qingye stuck out her tongue at her: "It's not a broken stone!"
The little stone also shouted in a soft voice: "I am not a broken stone!"
Chen Linyue looked at her hurriedly leaving figure, with an expression of incomprehension, and complained to Aunt Chen: "Why is she becoming more and more like a child as she grows up? I didn't see her like these things when she was a child?"
Aunt Chen smiled helplessly: "Maybe it was just a spur of the moment thing."
Shen Linyue rolled her eyes.
…
On the way to the office, Shen Qingye bought a copy of today's morning paper. Looking at the police notice that took up a large space on the page, she wondered if anyone could provide useful clues today. If not...how should she tell everyone the information she knew?
Pretend to be a passenger in that car and contact the police?
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