When Ning Zhiheng arrived at the Yanbei intersection, Liu Datou and Chen Yanqing, along with some of their men, had been waiting there for a long time. Their police headquarters was closer to the intersection.
Upon seeing Ning Zhiheng's convoy arrive, Liu Datou and Chen Yanqing quickly stepped forward to greet them.
"Chief, what are your orders?"
Ning Zhiheng looked up at the surrounding streets and scenery, drew a half circle with his hand, and said to Liu Datong, "I have confirmed that Ji Yongyan is the Yoshida Ryusuke we are looking for. I estimate that his hiding place should not be too far from where we are now. Our mission today is to find him."
Liu Datou and Chen Yanqing were taken aback. After Ji Yongyan disappeared, they searched the surrounding area but could not find him. They wondered what the Director had to do.
Ning Zhiheng instructed Chen Yanqing, "Take me to Ji Yongyan's former residence for a look."
"yes!"
Chen Yanqing agreed. He had been monitoring Ji Yongyan for more than 20 days, so he naturally knew about it. He led Ning Zhiheng to a large courtyard in the middle section of Yanbei Road with ease.
The courtyard is very large, and most of the houses are made of wood and stone. There is a courtyard in the middle, surrounded by a semi-enclosed two-story building, with several rooms on each floor.
Chen Yanqing pointed to a room on the second floor in the northeast direction and said, "This is Ji Yongyan's residence. He rented a large house here."
At this moment, the tenants in the courtyard all peeked out of their rooms, looking at Ning Zhiheng and the others uneasily.
Ning Zhiheng rarely wears military uniform when handling cases, usually traveling in civilian clothes. However, his soldiers are strong and healthy with a fierce temperament. Even when wearing Zhongshan suits, they cannot hide their military bearing and are clearly not to be trifled with.
The residents, unaware of the purpose of these people's activities, whispered amongst themselves. Ning Zhiheng frowned, turned around, and said, "Go and find the landlord!"
Liu Datong quickly accepted the order, and soon a policeman brought a woman in her thirties to Ning Zhiheng.
This woman was well-dressed and quite attractive. Although she was older, she had a certain charm and stood out from the average woman from Sichuan.
Ning Zhiheng looked at her and asked, "Are you the landlord here? What's your name?"
The woman looked at the people in front of her, feeling uneasy. She cautiously replied, "My name is Cheng Liugu, and I am the landlady of this courtyard. Sir, what can I do for you?"
Ning Zhiheng then asked, "Do you still remember Ji Yongyan, your former tenant?"
When Aunt Cheng heard that she was looking for Ji Yongyan, she hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, "I vaguely remember him. He stayed at my place for a few months, but three months ago, I don't know what happened, he suddenly disappeared, and he didn't pay me the rent for that month."
"Who does Ji Yongyan usually interact with, and with whom is he on good terms?"
Aunt Cheng quickly shook her head and said, "I don't know about that. I only met him once to collect rent."
Ning Zhiheng's expression changed, and he said coldly, "Think carefully before you reply. If you dare to conceal anything, you will not be able to bear the consequences."
Ning Zhiheng's words startled Aunt Cheng. She quickly said, "I only know that he is from Beiping, speaks fluent Beijing dialect, is a schoolteacher, and is financially well-off. Everyone in the courtyard has a family, except for him, who rents a large room by himself. He has never been late on rent and always pays in large bills. Since he only has one person to feed, he is naturally better off than others. I just don't know why he suddenly left. He doesn't seem like someone who would run away from rent."
What Aunt Cheng said was similar to Ning Zhiheng's assessment. He then said, "Take me to his room!"
Aunt Cheng nodded quickly in agreement and led Ning Zhiheng up the stairs to the door of the innermost room, which was locked.
"This house was rented out again later. The tenants are usually at work at this time, so you..."
Before Aunt Cheng could finish speaking, Ning Zhiheng waved his hand, and Zhao Jiang behind him kicked open the door. Aunt Cheng was so frightened that she hid to the side and dared not say another word.
Ning Zhiheng pushed open the door and went inside. He saw that the house was indeed quite spacious, with a hall outside and a suite inside that served as a bedroom.
The room was fully furnished. Ning Zhiheng looked around the room and then turned to Aunt Cheng and asked, "Why isn't there a kitchen in this room?"
The photo shows that Ji Yongyan was buying groceries, but his rented apartment didn't have a kitchen. What was he buying groceries for?
Aunt Cheng was taken aback and quickly said, "The kitchens are all on the first floor. The first floor is made of stone and is fireproof. The second floor is made of wood, which is easy to start a fire on. I don't allow them to start a fire on the second floor."
Ning Zhiheng nodded and instructed Zhao Jiang, who was guarding outside the house, "Call over every resident in the courtyard. I want to question them one by one."
Zhao Jiang nodded in agreement and began to lead all the residents to Ning Zhiheng one by one. The residents were terrified when they saw the police officers and action team members in the yard. When they were brought to Ning Zhiheng, they answered his questions honestly.
Ning Zhiheng only asked about Ji Yongyan's lifestyle and daily routine, but he soon found out why Ji Yongyan was buying groceries on his way home from get off work.
It turned out that Ji Yongyan lived alone and there was no need to make a fuss. He shared his meals with a tenant downstairs every day.
The tenants were a family of four: a couple with two children. The head of the household was named Luo Gaoyi, who was also Ji Yongyan's colleague at Huanan Elementary School. As a result, the two had an extremely good relationship and a special bond.
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