Chapter 6 The Scout
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Wearing a white top and blue bottom, a white brimless hat, and a crisp white coat with red collar and epaulettes, he sported a neat short haircut and a sharp, intelligent gaze that exuded a powerful aura.
Upon seeing that the source of the noise was a little girl, she relaxed her defensive posture slightly.
Chen Shengnan is a detective newly transferred from the county public security bureau to the Xiahe Town police station. She had just reported for duty in the morning when someone reported that a child had gone missing in the town.
The police station took the incident very seriously and immediately dispatched most of its officers to the scene. The station had originally planned to have Chen Shengnan, who was new to the area and unfamiliar with the local people, stay in the rear.
Unexpectedly, in the blink of an eye, she had already nimbly pushed the side of the tricycle and jumped into the engine compartment, setting off with the group.
When Chen Shengnan arrived at the police station, she discovered that the suspect was very familiar with the Xiahe Town area, and had made detailed and thorough arrangements for where to abduct children, where to meet, and the evacuation time.
The person who reported the incident said that from the time he put the child down until the child disappeared, there was only a short time between asking for directions and the time it took for Chen Shengnan to suspect that the person asking for directions and the person who abducted the child were a group working together as a team.
The child's abduction was discovered in time, and the suspect probably didn't have time to transfer the child. The bus company and the railway department have already issued a notice to strictly check every passenger boarding the bus, especially those with children.
Through extensive interviews, on-site investigations, and listening to the voices of many people, they finally located the suspects in an abandoned brick factory. The location was remote and sparsely populated, making it an ideal hiding place.
However, one of the suspects was very cunning and had a certain degree of counter-surveillance ability. When they were about to arrest him, he realized what was happening and quickly escaped through a broken window at the back of the building, injuring a colleague along the way.
A suspect has gone missing.
The good news is that the child has been found safe and sound. Apart from being unconscious due to the effects of the medication, he is otherwise unharmed.
Chen Shengnan and several colleagues were assigned to search the vicinity of Xiahe Village, while other colleagues had already entered the village to inquire whether any strangers had visited.
Chen Shengnan said goodbye to her companions, broke away from the group, and headed out of the village.
When she arrived, she noticed that Xiahe Village was located by the river, and the reeds on the bank were tall and dense, making it a good hiding place. Everyone in the village knew each other, and if a stranger suddenly appeared, everyone would be very curious. If she were a suspect, she probably would not have chosen to enter the village.
The roots of the reeds grow luxuriantly, intertwining like a net, twisting and coiling, allowing people to walk easily on them without sinking into the water.
Before meeting She Ning, she had carefully searched the reeds for dozens of meters, but found nothing. Except for a large patch of reeds on the other side of the bridge that was crooked, which was a bit strange, the reeds behind it were all normal. There were no traces of anyone walking before her.
The reed leaves have thin, serrated edges that are very sharp. Chen Shengnan didn't take any precautions when she went in to search, and now she has several bleeding cuts on her face. The cuts are itchy and painful, but she doesn't care and wipes them with her clean palms.
Chen Shengnan, true to her name, is strong-willed and always strives to be the best. She never feels inferior to men in any way, and her current job as a detective is something she earned through her own hard work.
After graduating from police academy, she was originally assigned to an internal affairs position in the Public Security Bureau. Her family felt that she, as a girl, did not need to work so hard, and that she could just work steadily and marry a good man when she reached a certain age.
However, Chen Shengnan grew up with her grandfather, who was a skilled criminal investigator. Influenced by his work from a young age, her ideal was to become an investigator. Moreover, she never believed that a girl's future path was limited to being a virtuous wife and loving mother or a housewife.
Despite her family's objections, she changed her original name, Chen An, to Chen Shengnan. Through extensive physical training and studying criminal investigation and psychology, she was finally transferred to Xiahe Town this year to become the detective she loves.
With self-reliance, hard work, and perseverance as her guiding principles, Chen Shengnan's serious expression instinctively softened when she saw She Ning, a small girl, struggling to row a boat with a bamboo pole several times her height.
"Kid, it's getting late, you should go home quickly."
The setting sun cast golden rays from the sky, falling on the river and the reeds. Her face, visible through the swaying reeds, revealed that she didn't usually smile much; the smile she showed now carried a hint of awkwardness.
She Ning stood steadily on the boat, gripping the bamboo pole with both hands. With a push, the boat steered straight toward the other person. To the other person's puzzled expression, She Ning pulled the rope tied to the stern of the boat over, and due to the angle of view, the person who had been completely blocked by the boat appeared in front of her.
The man was tightly caught in the fishing net, unable to move his limbs, and floating on the surface of the water with his eyes closed. It was unclear whether he was dead or unconscious.
The person's appearance...
As the suspect fled through the window, Chen Shengnan caught a glimpse of him from a distance. She had a good memory and vaguely remembered the man's figure, recalling the descriptions given to her by the people she interviewed.
Tall and thin, about 1.7 meters tall, he often wears dark cotton shirts and black pants. He has a slightly hunched back, deep wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and mouth, speaks softly, and always seems to be smiling.
The person in front of me matches his clothes and appearance, and the bruises on his face are from when he was beaten by his colleagues during his escape.
Chen Shengnan was certain that he was the human trafficking suspect who was being pursued.
"Police officer, this person was sneaking around in the water. When I cast my fishing net, I accidentally caught him instead." She Ning's innocent and clear voice interrupted Chen Shengnan's thoughts.
“When he was awake, he threatened me, saying he would sell me to the mountains. I didn’t think he was a good person, so I didn’t untie the net for him.”
When Chen Shengnan heard that the man had been hiding underwater, she was also shocked. If he had really been hiding until dark, once they finished their work and swam across the river, they could have easily blended into a traffic hub and caught up with the crowd.
“You did a great job.” Chen Shengnan gave her an approving look. “This is a heinous villain.”
Although he hasn't been interrogated yet, judging from his skillful modus operandi and escape experience, he must have committed this crime more than once, and there are probably countless other people he has harmed in the past.
Now that he's been caught, he'll face a fair trial under the law. If he doesn't die, he'll spend the rest of his life in prison.
After helping She Ning moor the boat at the shore, Chen Shengnan turned back to help her carry the bamboo basket ashore before returning to the stern to untie the rope, pull the man up, and put on silver handcuffs.
The moment She Ning and Chen Shengnan untied the fishing net, all three uses were truly used up, the net's magic disappeared, and it became an ordinary fishing net. At the same time, the pepper spray's effect wore off, and the person gradually woke up.
Lying on the ground, he opened his eyes and looked at the sky, still very excited, thinking that he had tricked the little girl, until Chen Shengnan, wearing a white top and blue bottom and a white brimless hat, appeared in his line of sight.
The silver handcuffs in his hands and the thick ropes binding his body were a constant reminder that he had failed this time. However, Chen Heping was not one to give up easily; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to accomplish so many major feats over the years and escape unscathed each time.
As Chen Shengnan forced him to walk towards the village, Chen Heping continued to make trouble, repeatedly pulling him away and refusing to move forward. He even accused Chen Shengnan of abusing her power and beating ordinary people.
He even lay down on the ground.
She Ning walked behind, carrying a bamboo basket. Chen Shengnan couldn't discipline him without a conviction because of her uniform, but she was different.
With a long bamboo pole, more than ten meters long, slung over his shoulder, She Ning deliberately let go of it weakly.
With a "snap," the bamboo pole slipped and struck someone precisely.
"Ouch!!!" The person lying on the ground pretending to be dead screamed in pain, almost flipping over and getting up.
"Excuse me, excuse me, policewoman, that bamboo pole was too heavy and it accidentally fell down. Did I get into trouble?" The child stood to one side, rubbing his hands, his face pale, and asked timidly.
Chen Shengnan thought to herself, "Great!"
Whether intentional or unintentional, the child's action pleased her deeply. Chen Shengnan found She Ning increasingly pleasing to the eye, but outwardly she maintained a serious expression and offered a reminder.
Be careful.
"Okay, here you go." She Ning took small steps forward, bent down to pick up the bamboo pole, and then accidentally dropped two large grass carp from the bamboo basket. The fish, weighing several kilograms, jumped and splashed onto Chen Heping's face.
Snap, snap, snap! Several fish tails were whipped in an instant. By the time She Ning picked the fish back into the bamboo basket, the man's face was swollen.
The distance from the village entrance to the riverbank was only a few dozen meters. By the time they reached the village, Chen Heping, whose head was swollen like a pig's, was too exhausted to cause any trouble.
In the village, because the police came down to check the population, the flat ground that was usually used to dry rice was already full of villagers.
Those who knew each other well gathered in twos and threes, whispering among themselves. The village was small, and it was easy to tell who had come and who hadn't.
Apart from the fact that Old Mrs. She was unable to come out due to mobility issues, She Ning from the She family was also not present.
"She family, where's She Ning? Why isn't she here?" Lin Xiufang, who didn't know what the police were investigating but was still resentful about what happened that morning, specifically asked by name when the police came to ask if everyone had arrived.
When She Hongmei returned home, she didn't see She Ning. Before leaving, she asked She Ni, but She Ni had just woken up and didn't know where her sister had gone. She Hongmei was also a little anxious because She Ning rarely went out due to her weak health.
But in front of outsiders, especially in front of Sister-in-law She, She Hongmei did not show her emotions, and just glared at her, saying, "None of your business."
"Tch." Sister-in-law She cracked sunflower seeds, a disdainful look on her face. "She's probably done something bad and is hiding away."
After returning home, she carefully questioned She Yaozu, who was standing to the side. That brat dared to hit her son with a kettle, and acted so innocent in front of the village secretary and villagers. You really can't judge a book by its cover.
Lin Xiufang has never suffered such a loss in her life. She's not Lin if she doesn't get her revenge.
“If you have evidence, then speak up. If you don’t, then we’ll go to the police station and have a go at it.” She Hongmei didn’t tolerate her and stepped forward to pull her to the police station to talk.
“This aunt is right. Making baseless accusations against others without evidence is a crime of defamation. If the person concerned pursues the matter, the serious consequences could include up to three years in prison, detention, or deprivation of political rights.”
Chen Shengnan pulled Chen Heping aside and spoke softly.
Standing next to her was She Ning, whom Lin Xiufang had mentioned was nowhere to be found.
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