Chapter 181 181 Doesn't that mean Ning Ping'an is very likely to...
It was late at night when we left the Nanping Branch, and when we returned, it was already bright.
As Guan Xia got off the bus, she saw Captain Zhou and a few others coming out from the cafeteria, carrying several plastic bags. They looked at Guan Xia and the others from a distance and greeted them, "Expert Guan, Captain Xu, you're back! I knew you'd be back around this time. How's it going? Did you also hear the news that the fake Wu Yingze has been successfully apprehended?"
On the way back, Xu Nian did receive a call. He smiled and nodded. "Finally, we've caught the guy. After so many days of hard work, the arrest of the main culprit means the case is finally coming to an end."
The two of them were still quite a distance apart, yet they managed to raise their voices in pleasantries. As they got closer, Guan Xia suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way, Captain Zhou, have all the missing persons who were used as bait been rescued?"
Captain Zhou casually handed the breakfast to Qi Bai and Jiang Yingyao, and said with a happy smile, "Just received news that everyone has been rescued. A few of them were injured, but fortunately, they are only minor injuries and will be fine after recuperation. They are the police comrades who participated in the capture of the imposter..."
Captain Zhou was happy one second, but his expression became gloomy the next.
Guan Xia and the others really didn't know about this. The task force leader who called Xu Nian didn't give very detailed information. Upon hearing this, they were a little surprised and asked, "What? There are casualties? Is it serious?"
Captain Zhou shook his head with a somewhat gloomy expression. "They're all alive, but their injuries are quite specific. Even if they're healed, they'll likely never be able to serve on the front lines again. Luckily, the technical team discovered the imposter's true identity quickly enough and immediately dispatched the armed police. Otherwise, there might be even more people injured."
Guan Xia was a little happy on the way back, although it was unexpected, because the case was finally about to be over. Now her mood was heavy again, and she couldn't help thinking, no wonder spies need special departments to deal with them, because they are different from ordinary criminals, and they can still hurt people even if so many people are chasing them.
While going upstairs, Captain Zhou briefly explained what he knew. According to the information he received, a total of six people were injured in the team that participated in the capture of the fake Wu Yingze. The fake Wu Yingze had a variety of skills. Not only could he cover up his whereabouts, he could also set traps during his escape, which greatly slowed down the pursuit of the capture personnel. He was not only good at disguise, but also had good skills, especially with a knife. The angles and positions of his attacks were particularly tricky. They were not fatal, but they could make people lose their ability to move. Except for two people who unfortunately stepped on the trap and were injured during the initial capture, the other four were injured in vulnerable parts such as the wrists and eyes.
According to Captain Zhou, three of them are fine and have undergone surgery. Even if they cannot serve on the front line, they will most likely continue to stay in the police force. However, one of them has both eyes severely damaged. Even with the full efforts of medical staff to treat him, he is likely to become blind.
After hearing the news, everyone fell silent, their expressions were heavy, and they were so upset that they were completely speechless.
Guan Xia participated in solving several cases, but this was the first time someone was injured. She knew it was not her fault, but she couldn't help thinking that she already had a cheat. If she had discovered earlier that Wu Yingze was an impostor, would everyone be the same as before, with no one injured and everyone able to go home safely?
This thought only appeared in Guan Xia's mind for a few seconds before disappearing. She knew that she was just daydreaming. Although this was a world that integrated criminal investigation and literature, it was still a world after all. Everyone was real, and there would always be people who got hurt and sacrificed. All she could do was to reduce it a little, but she could not completely eliminate it.
Because of this unexpected news, everyone was in a bad mood. They gathered together for a quick breakfast and then separated again, each doing their own thing.
While Xu Nian and his team were investigating the buyer who took Ning Ping'an away, Guan Xia found the task force and asked for the surveillance videos inside the building and some nearby streets on the night Wu Xingxian was murdered.
Although he knew that the murderer was most likely in disguise and that nothing could be found, Guan Xia still wanted to give it a try. After all, if he really used the conventional method that the leading detective of the task force had suggested, it would be too late in terms of time.
So for the next two days, except for sleeping, Guan Xia sat in front of the computer almost every moment. For meals, Pang Le either brought them back from the cafeteria or ordered takeout. Xu Nian and the others had all made some gains, but Guan Xia still hadn't discovered anything.
September arrived quickly, and the weather in Shangshuang City was noticeably less scorching than before. One afternoon, Guan Xia was concentrating in her makeshift office when Xu Nian and his men suddenly opened the door and announced excitedly, "We've checked! We've contacted the Baofeng police, and they've confirmed that the buyer who appeared in Liu Xiang's video is now in Baofeng."
Guan Xia's spirits lifted after hearing this. She simply stood up and said, "Then what are we waiting for? Is there any flight to Baofeng City tonight? Let's pack up and go now."
Wang Yu walked out from behind Xu Nian and said, "I've checked. There are only three flights a day from Shangshuang City to Baofeng City: one in the morning, one in the afternoon, and one in the evening. The departure time is 9 a.m., so we'll be in time."
Without waiting for Guan Xia to speak, Xu Nian said, "I've already reported this to the higher-ups, and they've approved our investigation plan. Let's go back to the hotel and pack up now."
They quickly tidied up the messy temporary office, collected all the USB flash drives containing surveillance videos to ensure that nothing was left out, and returned them to the task force. Then, everyone hurried downstairs.
On the way back to the hotel, Xu Nian called and asked, "By the way, Guan Xia, I forgot to ask you, have you found anything in the surveillance video of Wu Xingxian's murder these days?"
Guan Xia couldn't help but sigh at the mention of this. "That criminal organization was truly well-prepared. I spent several days in front of my computer the first time, but I didn't notice anything. It's not that I didn't notice anything, it's that I could recognize the killer, but in the surveillance footage, the killer was always disguised, and he was very skilled at avoiding the camera. I took a lot of screenshots, but none of them showed his face straight on. I also tried to manually remove his disguise and sketch him based on the direction of his exposed facial features, but after submitting them to the Nanping Branch and running the database, I found nothing."
Seeing Guan Xia's somewhat lost expression, Pang Le and Zhong Xiaoyu, who were sitting next to her, reached out and patted her to comfort her.
Ji An said, "Judging from the criminal organization's style of doing things, it's foreseeable that they would be so cautious. Perhaps when they first decided to silence Wu Xingxian, they were prepared to perish together and prevent us from finding any clues."
Guan Xia nodded. Although she had expected this, it was her first time to return empty-handed. She wasn't discouraged, but just a little uncomfortable.
The flight was at 9 o'clock, and by the time they landed in Baofeng City, it was almost dawn.
Compared to the journey from Yongquan City to Shangshuang City, Baofeng City is not that far from Shangshuang City. However, because it is further south, the weather is indeed a little hotter. Guan Xia and the others had finally managed to cool down for a few days, but after changing places, they immediately felt the rolling heat wave again.
After checking in at the hotel that had been booked in advance, everyone did not go to bed immediately. Instead, they followed the old rules and came to Wang Yu's room, where they held a brief meeting, either standing or sitting.
Xu Nian first introduced the identity information of the buyer who took Ning Ping'an away.
After posting the high-definition photos in the group, Xu Nian spoke quickly but clearly, "This man's name is Gao Chengye. He's similar to the first buyer apprehended by the Nanping Branch. He appears to have a normal job as a personal assistant, but our investigation revealed that he's actually doing some private work for others, like setting up accidents for his boss's competitors, or using threats and bribes to coerce or bribe someone his boss likes. In short, he's getting high wages for doing work similar to Geng Jing's thug-like job."
Ji An and the others already knew about it, so only Guan Xia and Pang Le widened their eyes in surprise.
"Good boy, another lawless outlaw," Pang Le said. "What about his boss? Who is he? There is clear evidence to prove that he is an accomplice. Is his boss the main culprit?"
Xu Nian shook his head and said, "So far, there's no evidence. From the clues we've found so far, Gao Chengye is a very low-key person. His daily routine is completely reversed, and he has virtually no connection to his actual boss. Furthermore, his salary is paid entirely by someone else. If we want to confirm their relationship, we have to conduct an in-depth investigation."
Guan Xia took a deep breath and said, "It's the task force's job to conduct an in-depth investigation. Our goal is to find Ning Ping'an's whereabouts as soon as possible, whether it's a person or a corpse."
Lu Tingfeng thought for a moment and said, "Ning Ping'an was brought to Baofeng City by Gao Chengye five years ago. According to the storage regulations for surveillance footage, the five years are still valid. So, let's do the same as before and split into two groups. After we get the surveillance footage, Guan Xia, you guys track Gao Chengye's movements after he returned to Baofeng City from Shangshuang City five years ago, while we investigate Gao Chengye. Someone like him who has a reputation but actually does thug work is definitely not as low-key as he lets on. He must have some cronies or some reputation in the underworld. Maybe I can find out some things that happened five years ago."
Guan Xia wasn't surprised. After all, Lu Tingfeng had been away from the police force for several years, and in order to investigate the case, he had already taken some unconventional approaches. Besides the police, there must be other sources of information. Pang Le, on the other hand, looked at Lu Tingfeng with a bit of surprise for a few more seconds before nodding and saying, "That's good. Splitting our forces into two groups will be more efficient."
Pang Le glanced at Guan Xia and said nothing, but his expression seemed to indicate that he wanted to say something but was hesitant.
Guan Xia knew her so well that she naturally understood what she wanted to do at a glance, but after thinking for a moment, she felt it was a bit dangerous, so she pretended not to see it.
Instead, Zhong Xiaoyu couldn't help but chuckle twice, put her arm around Pang Le's shoulders, and said, "What? You want to follow me and Brother Lu to investigate Gao Chengye? I'm not bragging, but I always like to do this with Brother Lu. After all, not only can we fight, but it's also very stress-free, which is perfect for us to relax from time to time."
Bewitched by Zhong Xiaoyu, Pang Le's eyes became even more eager, and he looked at Guan Xia with a bit of pity.
Guan Xia had no choice but to agree, "Okay, okay, you can go if you want, but be careful and don't come back with injuries."
Pang Le was happy then, and raised a few fingers as if swearing, saying: "Don't worry, I will protect myself. If I get hurt, I will absolutely obey you from now on. If you say east, I won't go west."
Zhong Xiaoyu achieved his goal in disguise. He chuckled again and happily high-fived Pang Le.
Regardless of the two people making a fuss nearby, Guan Xia looked back at Xu Nian and asked, "By the way, you haven't mentioned Boss Gao Chengye's situation yet. Is it similar to the boss of the buyer we first discovered?"
Xu Nian nodded, then posted a high-definition photo in the group chat and said, "This person's name is Xi Weihong. He's the chairman of a local brick-and-mortar company. They make home appliances, furniture, and some smart home products. Unlike Wu Xingxian, who started from scratch, his companies are inherited from his ancestors, and only the smart home sector can be considered a project developed under his leadership."
"He's a third-generation rich man," Pang Le said, stroking his chin. "He's also a local, so he must be another local tyrant. But since we were able to track down Gao Chengye so easily, it means he's far inferior to Wu Xingxian. It looks like it won't be long before we can find Ning Ping'an's whereabouts."
Because there were not many clues at the moment, the meeting did not last long. In less than an hour, everyone dispersed and went back to their rooms to rest.
In the next two days, everyone went out early and came back late as before, but it was indeed as Pang Le said, it was much easier than investigating the Kangjian Physical Examination Center in Shangshuang City. Not only Guan Xia, but Lu Tingfeng and his team also quickly made some progress.
It was early in the morning again, and everyone gathered in Wang Yu's room again, wolfing down their dinner while sharing their discoveries of the past two days.
Guan Xia was the first to arrive. While the food was still hot, she distributed a few screenshots from the surveillance video to the group and said, "Sister Ji and I watched the surveillance for two days. Perhaps because of their trust in the criminal organization centered around the Kangjian Physical Examination Center, or perhaps because they relaxed their composure after returning to their own territory, Gao Chengye didn't do anything complicated to cover up his whereabouts. We were able to find his tracks relatively smoothly. As of this afternoon, we tracked him all the way and watched him drive Ning Ping'an into Anjiang District, Baofeng City. Time was tight, and we didn't have time to see the scene. But after a quick look at the navigation map and online, I found that Anjiang District is a new district in Baofeng City. It was the last to be developed in the entire city, and it is relatively close to several tourist attractions. Therefore, in recent years, not only have many high-rise residential areas been built, but also several villa areas have been built on the edge of the mountains near the scenic areas. Not to mention the demolition of some old residential areas. It can be said that the personnel environment is somewhat complicated. However, fortunately, when Ning Ping'an was brought here five years ago, most of the roads were already installed with surveillance cameras. I believe that with a few days, we will be able to easily find the location where Ning Ping'an was finally brought.
After Guan Xia introduced the situation on his side, he quickly started to fill his stomach.
Lu Tingfeng put down his half-eaten takeaway, wiped his mouth and said, "We're doing pretty well here. We're catching rabbits by robbing grass. We've found out that Gao Chengye's actual boss, Xi Weihong, has an illegitimate child who is one year older than the legitimate child. It's said that he was born to Bai Yueguang, with whom he was forced to break up. He hid the child well on the surface, but he doted on him privately. But this illegitimate child fell seriously ill when he was 8 years old, it seems to be leukemia. He had a bone marrow transplant at the age of 14 and recovered well. He lived like a normal child for a few years. We don't know how old he was, but he relapsed a few years later." But the kindhearted person who had previously donated bone marrow refused to donate again. I heard that Gao Chengye even did some dirty work for this. Then the illegitimate child underwent another operation. It was quite successful, but the recovery was not as good as the first time. He was always a little sick. Then, a few years later, around 19 years ago, for some reason, he suddenly became normal. He really was like a normal person, racing cars, fighting, and frequently going to entertainment venues. Some people privately speculated that there had been new breakthroughs in medical technology in this area abroad. After all, before he recovered and could frequently go to entertainment venues, Xi Weihong's illegitimate child did have several accidents.
Leukemia, suddenly recovered, 19 years. Upon hearing these key words, Guan Xiameng's eyes lit up and he looked at Ji An with a bit of excitement. If the buyer bought Ning Ping'an from the fake Wu Yingze in order to have an illegitimate child, then doesn't it mean that Ning Ping'an is very likely still alive?
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