Chapter 16 The Disappearing Companion (Part 3)
The three of them walked slowly through the narrow alleys of the community. The atmosphere here was damp and depressing, and the air was filled with sultry air. Even the sunlight could hardly penetrate the thick haze.
The surrounding residential buildings are arranged so closely that it is almost suffocating, so much so that the kitchen exhaust fans in the opposite building seem to be able to blow directly onto the neighbor's balcony.
Ye Bai's eyes fell on the tiny figures moving around in the sewers. They were busy big rats and cockroaches.
What is even more chilling is that they have to walk carefully in the alleys that are only wide enough for two people to walk side by side, and always be on guard against the rats crawling on the messy wires above their heads, for fear that if they lose their footing, they will fall from the sky and land directly on them.
Han Jianye stepped into a grocery store, took out photos of Zhong Menhuai and Huang Ziyuan, and asked the owner if he had seen them.
The shop owner took the photo, looked at it carefully, then shook his head regretfully, indicating that he had never seen it before.
After they walked out of the grocery store, Han Jianye pondered for a moment, then turned to Zhu Ni and asked, "How many entrances and exits are there in this community?"
Zhu Ni quickly replied: "There are only two gates to enter this community."
Ye Bai immediately agreed: "In this case, we just need to arrange for people to guard the front and back doors of Baitao Community."
Zhu Ni also agreed with Ye Bai's suggestion. After all, the community has a complex population and the difficulty of finding someone can be imagined.
At this time, Han Jianye's cell phone rang. It was Su Wan calling.
Su Wan told Han Jianye that they found a taxi driver. According to the driver's recollection, Zhong Menhuai and Huang Ziyuan did leave in his taxi on the night of May 15, and their destination was Baiyun Mountain.
"Baiyunshan?" Han Jianye repeated the name.
Su Wan confirmed, “Yes, Liao Wei, Team Song and I are on our way to Baiyun Mountain.”
After hearing the news, Ye Bai and Zhu Ni realized the seriousness of the situation.
They went to Baiyun Mountain at night, and when they came back, only Zhong Menhuai was there. Zhong Menhuai also used Huang Ziyuan's bank card to withdraw money. This seemed to confirm their previous inference that Huang Ziyuan might really be in danger.
Zhu Ni is very familiar with Baiyun Mountain. She explained: "Baiyun Mountain is located in the suburbs and the mountain is steep. It is a popular spot for many mountaineering enthusiasts to watch the sunrise. Although some people go there at night, the number of people is smaller because there are wild animals such as snakes in the mountain, so it is puzzling why they go there."
Han Jianye has his own speculation: "If you want to get rid of a burden, what is the best way?"
Ye Bai immediately replied: "That is to make him shut up forever and then disappear."
Han Jianye nodded in agreement: "So, if you push a person off a cliff or kill them on the spot in a foreign land, in the vast mountains, unless someone finds the body, no one will know about it in the wilderness."
"Just like the deceased found in the river, all the clothes on his body were stripped off. As long as no one looks for him, they won't know that the deceased was killed."
Seeing the two of them analyzing the situation, Zhu Ni interrupted their conversation and asked, "So, what are your plans next?"
Han Jianye said: "Send a few more people here to take turns to wait, and send people to Boyun Mountain to look for him. If my guess is correct, Huang Ziyuan must have been killed, and his body must be at the foot of Boyun Mountain."
During the evening meeting, Han Jianye expressed his views, which were immediately recognized by everyone.
Su Wan then reported the day's investigation: "We went to Baiyun Mountain today and found that there is only one stone stairway there. It is said that it takes 2,000 steps to reach the top.
Of course, in addition to the stone steps, there are other mountain roads to choose from, but Baiyun Mountain is vast, and we cannot be sure which path they chose that night. Therefore, we plan to use drones to conduct aerial reconnaissance of the mountainous area tomorrow. ”
Ye Bai also shared his analysis: "I think it is unlikely that they went too far. We can calculate the time. They set out for Baiyun Mountain around 7pm and need to return before 10pm to collect the money.
The round trip takes at least half an hour, not including the time waiting for traffic lights, which means they only have two or three hours. Considering the time constraints, I speculated that they did not reach the top of the mountain, but were at most halfway up the mountain. ”
Song Zhi felt that what Ye Bai said was very pertinent, but no matter what, he had to send someone to look for the person first if he was dead or alive.
After the meeting, Han Jianye and Ye Bai led the team to the entrance and exit of Baitao Community to wait.
Under the night sky, the Baitao community is still bustling with people, and food stalls are lined up along the streets, making it very lively.
Han Jianye held a box of fragrant grilled cold noodles in his left hand and a cup of refreshing lemon tea in his right hand. He easily blended into the lively atmosphere of this snack street.
In comparison, Ye Bai's choice was simpler. He only picked a box of fruit salad, which was the only snack he was interested in on the entire street.
“Han…”
Ye Bai almost blurted out the words "Captain Han", but stopped himself in time.
"What's wrong?" Han Jianye turned around and asked curiously.
Ye Bai's eyes fell on the roasted cold noodles in his hand. He wanted to remind him that it's better to eat less of this kind of snack, but when he saw him eating with relish, he changed his mind: "You haven't taken your vitamin supplements today."
(ω)! ?
Han Jianye raised his chin slightly, looked at Ye Bai quietly, and did not respond immediately.
Such a look made Ye Bai feel a little uneasy. He wondered in his heart if his words had made Han Jianye unhappy and if he thought he was too nagging?
Then my plan to return to my original unit will be ruined?
However, to Ye Bai's surprise, Han Jianye's mouth corners slightly raised, he stretched out his palm, and said calmly: "Give it here, you are so busy, it's hard for you to remind me to take vitamins."
"Oh, okay." Ye Bai responded, feeling surprised at Han Jianye's changeable attitude.
Working with Han Jianye, Ye Bai felt that every moment was testing his heart's endurance.
Just as Han Jianye swallowed the vitamin tablet, Qi Xiaolei called.
"Captain Han, we investigated Zhong Menhuai's social connections and found that he has a cousin named Xiao Lu, who is his aunt's son. Xiao Lu works in Yunlai City as a decorator. An insider revealed that Xiao Lu's home is on the 8th floor of a unit building in Baitao Community, and there is a wonton shop downstairs."
"Wonton shop?" Han Jianye repeated to confirm.
"Yes." Qi Xiaolei answered affirmatively, "I specifically asked about this detail because the insider lived in Xiao Lu's dormitory when he went to Yunlai City to find a job. He went downstairs to have breakfast, so he is very familiar with the surrounding environment."
Han Jianye's tone revealed a hint of excitement: "Xiaolei, well done, your message comes at the right time."
"Do we need to contact Xiao Lu?"
"Not yet. We are not sure whether Zhong Menhuai will go to find him. Let's not alert him yet."
"Got it, Captain Han."