Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Join the Qigong class and dance together
Being looked at by Tang Ci with a scrutinizing gaze, Ji Yinhe felt a little panicked.
I thought the matter of the informant was over, and I don't know why Tang Ci suddenly asked about it at this juncture.
Did he... notice something?
Ji Yinhe raised his hand and touched his nose.
The past two days of frontline casework had been intense and exciting, much more interesting than administrative work. She had already made up her mind: no matter what her parents' background was, she would keep it a secret, accept their kind gifts, fight evil and bullies, and protect Jiangtan's peace.
——Therefore, we must never let Tang Ci notice anything!
Comrade Xiao Ji smiled slowly. "No, I've been busy with cases these days. What's the matter? Do you need me to ask?"
Tang Ci retracted his gaze, "Let's get in touch if there's a chance, or you can have the informant contact me directly."
"No." Ji Yinhe said bluntly, "I have known the informant for many years, and he... will only trust me."
"……Oh well."
Tang Ci nodded regretfully, turned and walked out of the office.
"——Captain Tang." Ji Yinhe caught up with small steps, looking serious.
"I think... for a woman like Li Guoping, reaching this position must have been very difficult." She carefully considered her words and said slowly, "I read the survey report. She comes from a rural background, is unmarried, and has no children. Her greatest hobby is probably money—"
"Being single doesn't mean she doesn't have a lover. Maybe Zhang Chunbo was silenced because he discovered her affair." Tang Ci raised an eyebrow. "You wrote so many possible motives on the blackboard yesterday. How can you be sure it was just for money?"
Ji Yinhe blinked.
"——It's my intuition. How could such a powerful woman be limited to such a small amount of love?"
Tang Ci looked at her for two seconds, said nothing, then turned and walked away.
*
With a clear goal in mind, this field trip was very fruitful.
Under the scorching sun, Tang Ci leaned against the jeep with a cigarette in his mouth, squinting his eyes as he listened to Cheng Mo's report:
"The police from the Xijiao Police Station said Zhang Chunbo touched the motor because he didn't follow the instructions. Several workers at the scene testified to this, and Zhang Hongbo didn't raise any objections on the spot, so the case was closed as an accident."
"After the body was taken to the crematorium, Zhang Hongbo came back, suspecting foul play. He claimed that Zhang Chunbo had been troubled during that time and had said things like, 'Let Li Guoping release him,' in his sleep."
"But you know, talking in your sleep can't be used as evidence, and factory accidents aren't uncommon these days, so the police ignored him, saying a few words of sympathy and encouragement to live a good life, and then let him go."
Tang Ci hummed, "And then?"
"Then I checked the motor Zhang Chunbo was operating." Cheng Mo became unusually excited. "Captain Tang, guess what... there are traces of secondary welding on the motor casing, which means someone has modified the circuit!"
“…” Tang Ci frowned.
"And the night before we received the call, that motor was right there at the crime scene! Old Tian probably thought it had nothing to do with the case, so he didn't record it! What a jerk!"
"We'll talk about Lao Tian's matter when we get back."
Tang Ci put out his cigarette and walked into the assembly workshop.
"...It's been two days, and I don't know when we can find out!"
"Hey, Master Zhang is quite capable. I want to practice with him!"
"Didn't you hear the police say it was all fake?"
"Oh, the police also need to eat, maybe they took money--"
There was a lot of discussion around, but Tang Ci pretended not to hear and instructed Cheng Mo to take a few photos.
At this time, Xiao Wu ran over with sweat on his head.
"Captain Tang, a new security guard said..." He glanced at the curious workers around him and whispered, "The night before Zhang Chunbo's accident, Li Guoping's nephew walked into the workshop with a bag on his back!"
Tang Ci's eyebrows twitched.
A suspect has appeared! And he's a relative of Li Guoping!
He felt that he was getting closer and closer to the truth of the case.
"Xiao Wu, take the security guards to take statements. Have Lao Che borrow people from the branch and the police station to keep a close eye on Li Guoping's nephew." Tang Ci lowered his voice and instructed in an orderly manner, "No matter what the motive is, we must take measures against Li Guoping. Cheng Mo, notify the traffic police and relevant departments. All vehicles entering and leaving Jiangtan must be checked, including those on the water!"
"yes!"
"clear!"
Xiao Wu and Cheng Mo ran out immediately. Tang Ci walked out of the workshop, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and suddenly felt a little regretful.
A day and a night passed. What if Li Guoping got wind of it and escaped from Jiangtan?
Back in the jeep, he stepped on the accelerator and was about to visit the family area when he suddenly seemed to catch something out of the corner of his eye.
When I looked up, I saw Ji Yinhe holding a tattered steel pot and chatting and laughing with someone downstairs in the staff dormitory!
Tang Ci: “…”
She's a police officer, why is she here instead of staying in her office, enjoying the breeze and eating watermelon? Do you want to join the qigong class and do some shamanic exercises?
Tang Ci stopped the car, looked at the spot for a few minutes, and suddenly gave up the idea of going down to bring her back.
Ji Yinhe seemed quite familiar and had become friends with the workers, many of whom were Zhang Hongbo's "followers".
Maybe she could really get some useful information before them!
*
"...Your boxing skills are really beautiful!"
In the shade of the trees, Ji Yinhe gave a thumbs up to a middle-aged female worker with a sincere expression.
The latter was performing the routines he learned from TV, and his movements were vigorous.
"This is called Eight-Section Brocade. It can prolong life and help you lose weight!" Sister Jiang finished the exercise and let out a breath. "But girl, you look so slim. You don't need to lose weight. You should eat more!"
Ji Yinhe laughed happily, "I also want to keep fit! Sister, have you followed that Master Zhang before?"
Speaking of Zhang Hongbo, Sister Jiang still felt a little uneasy, but the girl's resounding, clear "Sister" made her feel particularly sweet, so she spoke frankly, "Master Zhang used to hold qigong classes at the factory, and I went to see him a few times, but he became a god, didn't he? The police said it was all fake, so who knows! Honestly, I think he's quite amazing... Oh, and I even took a picture of him!"
She turned around and picked up the calfskin bag thrown on the flower bed, pulled out a photo album from it, and showed Ji Yinhe the photos one by one.
"It just so happens that I just took them to the photo studio this morning to get them developed... Look, do I take good pictures?"
Sister Jiang showed off her masterpieces one by one, but Ji Yinhe frowned silently.
In those photos of Zhang Hongbo and his believers, there appeared a man in tattered clothes who looked a little unfamiliar.
Ji Yinhe was very sure that this was not a worker from the compressor factory, nor was it Lao Liu.
"Sister, are they all Master Zhang's disciples?"
Sister Jiang narrowed her eyes to identify him, "Well, everyone else is like that, but I'm not sure about this one... I haven't seen him practice with us, and he never speaks every time he comes."
Ji Yinhe asked tentatively: "Maybe it's the expert invited by Master Zhang!"
"That's impossible!" Sister Jiang sneered. "What master would be so unrefined?... Oh, yes, he once came to see Master Zhang wearing a work uniform with the words 'Crematorium' painted on it. Everyone thought it was unlucky!"
Ji Yinhe's mind suddenly buzzed.
——Yes, the crematorium! How could I have missed the crematorium?
Zhang Chunbo's body had been frozen, which means that after he was sent to the crematorium, he was not cremated in time, but was preserved.
This means that Zhang Hongbo definitely has helpers at the crematorium!
Moreover, it is not far from the cold drink factory and the compressor factory, which ordinary people can't imagine... There is simply no place more suitable for hiding than this!
Her heart was pounding, but she pretended nothing had happened. She chatted with Sister Jiang for a few more words, then quickly found an excuse and ran out of the family area.
A big black car suddenly stopped in front of us.
The car window rolled down, revealing Captain Tang's serious face.
"Get in the car."
Ji Yinhe: “…”
She scratched her forehead awkwardly and climbed onto the passenger seat holding the steel pot.
Tang Ci grabbed the pot and threw it into the back seat in disgust, "Why pretend to be something else than those ghost-like people? Be careful or I'll report you to Director Rao when I get back!"
"Captain Tang, please be magnanimous and spare me..."
Ji Yinhe knew that she had acted on her own without following the rules this time, so she couldn't argue: "I just changed the way I investigated and visited, hoping that everyone would solve the case as soon as possible."
Tang Ci sighed, "What did you find out?"
"Yes, yes, yes! Important clues!"
Ji Yinhe's eyes lit up as he repeated what he had learned from Sister Jiang.
Tang Ci's expression became serious.
"Walk!"
The big jeep turned around on the dusty road and headed straight for the crematorium.
*
According to Jiangtan custom, the funeral procession takes place in the morning.
It was almost noon, the big iron fence was half-closed, and it was quiet inside. Even the guard was dozing off with his fan on his face.
Tang Ci parked the car outside, and the two of them walked in so openly without any obstruction along the way.
It’s no wonder that Zhang Hongbo underestimated the enemy. After all, normal people would avoid this place.
Going around the small garden in front, the funeral hall is a two-story building, and the row of bungalows behind it are offices, morgues, crematoriums and warehouses.
After looking around, I found that the doors and windows of most houses were closed.
Tang Ci took out his baton and asked Ji Yinhe to follow him closely, and quietly went around to the back.
There was a half-open window in the crematorium. Looking out, one could see a man sitting on a stool next to the ice coffin, eating lunch from an aluminum box in big mouthfuls.
Ji Yinhe: “…” What a good appetite.
She had seen the photo before, and when he looked up, she immediately recognized him and whispered to Tang Ci, "He is Zhang Hongbo's accomplice."
Tang Ci nodded, kicked the door open and rushed in, yelling, "Police! Don't move!"
The man was startled and his lunch box fell to the ground, spilling meat and vegetables all over the floor.
"What's your name?" Tang Ci asked.
The man moaned “Ahhhhh” for a long time, then opened his mouth and pointed at his tongue.
It's half short, it turns out he's a mute!
He couldn't speak, but he understood and was quite cooperative. Tang Ci pointed his baton at him and signaled Ji Yinhe to search the crematorium from top to bottom.
Comrade Ji immediately began to rummage through the drawers in a panic. However, in the words of Comrade Ji Lao, she was "very lucky" today. As soon as she opened the first drawer under the table, an important piece of evidence fell out -
"It's his account book!" Ji Yinhe flipped the pages loudly. "Ten days ago, he received two thousand yuan. There's a bracket at the end with Zhang Hongbo's name written on it!"
Tang Ci grabbed the mute by the collar and shouted, "Where is Zhang Hongbo?"
“Ah ...
Although he couldn't speak, he still glanced towards the warehouse guiltily.
Ji Yinhe had already rushed forward.
Tang Ci handcuffed the man and locked him in the crematorium, then followed him over.
"Will the mute deceive us?"
He was running out of breath and didn't realize that as the captain, he was seeking the advice of a rookie policeman.
"No." Ji Yinhe was very sure. "They were dealing purely in money, unlike Lao Liu who was loyal. And the mute was not stupid. He kept a clear record of every single entry in his account book. This kind of person is the most astute. There's no need to lie to the police just for a casual acquaintance."
The analysis was very logical. Tang Ci couldn't help but hum, took a step forward and stood in front of Ji Yinhe.
The warehouse was dark, with room after room filled with discarded tables and chairs, coffin supplies, funeral supplies, and funeral clothes and shoes.
Even in the height of summer, there was an eerie, gloomy atmosphere, not like one where living people could live.
Ji Yinhe was a little confused. Could it be that the mute really lied to them?
The two of them took a few tentative steps inside, and the light grew dimmer and dimmer. Tang Ci stopped, felt in his pocket, and turned back to say, "I don't have a flashlight. I'll go find a candle. You wait here for me. Don't go in."
He shoved the baton into her hand and walked out.
Ji Yinhe stood in the chilly warehouse, and could hear the echo when he stomped his feet.
She didn't feel scared, she was even a little excited, and didn't want to miss the opportunity to find the suspect alone.
But without a flashlight, are we just going to grope in the dark?
The brave and hot-blooded policeman Xiao Ji pondered for two seconds, and suddenly remembered that when he caught Lao Liu yesterday, he accidentally pressed a button on the five-fold computer, which produced a bright light!
...Isn’t this just a ready-made flashlight?
She immediately took out the heavy thing from her bag, turned on the light and shone it into the corner.
Unexpectedly, the beam of light swept through the dusty air, revealing a terrified face. Then, with a series of clanging sounds, a round body crawled out from the abandoned tables and chairs.
Damn, it’s Zhang Hongbo——!
Ji Yinhe immediately gripped his baton tightly and ran after him!
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