Chapter 40 Chen Mu: He was lucky to have met me.
Yuan Yi took Chen Mu back to the Municipal Public Security Bureau, while Li Zhenliang and Jiang Ling returned to the police station.
Before leaving, Li Zhenliang picked up the daisies he had forgotten on the seat. Such beautiful flowers, it would be a shame to throw them away; he might as well take them back to the police station and put them there as decoration.
On the way back, Li Zhenliang asked Jiang Ling, "How did you know that kid was involved in drugs?"
Although the urine test results weren't back yet, Li Zhenliang had already accepted Jiang Ling's judgment. If Jiang Ling said the young man in black was involved in drugs, then he definitely was.
Jiang Ling said calmly, "I can smell it."
Li Zhenliang's mouth gaped open: "No way, you can smell it just by smelling it?" This was the first time he had ever heard of someone being involved in drug trafficking being identified from a crowd just by smelling it. That was incredible!
Jiang Ling nodded.
Firstly, she does have a very keen sense of smell; secondly, she has dealt with many drug addicts in prison and has a wealth of experience, which has formed a special memory in her mind.
Although the hospital was filled with the strong smell of disinfectant, and the delicate fragrance of the daisies masked it, Jiang Ling immediately noticed the unique caramel almond scent on Chen Mu.
The scent was faint and hard to pinpoint. But Jiang Ling saw his face, a face that awakened the dormant criminal files in her mind, which led Li Zhenliang to make the arrest.
Perhaps this is what they call destiny.
Li Zhenliang was unaware that Jiang Ling had memories of her past life, and his admiration for her was like a surging river, never-ending: "My God, you can smell drugs just by smelling them, isn't that even more amazing than a drug-sniffing dog?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, he felt that comparing Jiang Ling to a drug-sniffing dog seemed a bit disrespectful, so he quickly smiled and flattered her, "Little Jiang, you're awesome!"
Jiang Ling was not pleased by Li Zhenliang's praise; she pursed her lips and frowned.
Seeing that her reaction was a bit off, Li Zhenliang quickly asked, "Xiao Jiang, what's wrong? Is something the problem?"
Jiang Ling sighed softly: "Chen Mu and Ying Yuhua have a very close relationship."
Li Zhenliang gasped, "Ying Yuhua usually helps out at her parents' rice noodle shop, how could she know a drug addict like this? Even though this kid is good-looking, once he gets involved with drugs, he's no longer human. Ying Yuhua's brother is a policeman, she should have that much awareness. Wait, wait, that guy in black was carrying a bouquet of flowers, could they be dating? Ying Yuhua's gone mad! Of all people to date, she had to pick someone like this."
The more Li Zhenliang talked, the more terrified he became. A policeman's sister dating a drug addict—it was too shocking.
Jiang Ling's expression was solemn, and she remained silent.
Li Zhenliang glanced at the daisies in his hand: "Pah! I must be out of my mind to have picked up this bouquet. Flowers belonging to drug addicts, no matter how pretty, are still poisonous flowers!"
Before he could finish speaking, Li Zhenliang raised his hand and, in a graceful arc, tossed the bunch of daisies into a roadside trash can.
Although he threw it away without hesitation, Li Zhenliang couldn't help but glance into the trash can.
That once vibrant and hopeful bunch of daisies is now mixed in with a pile of household garbage and black and red plastic bags. The petals are slightly curled up, as if crying silently, and the green stems and leaves look dull and lifeless.
The delicate fragrance of chrysanthemums was completely masked by the stench of the trash can; even the air seemed to lament its fate.
Li Zhenliang clicked his tongue twice: "What a pity, they were such pretty flowers."
Jiang Ling sneered, "What's a pity?"
The thought of Chen Mu sitting on a hospital bench, head in his hands, too ashamed to visit her in the ward, filled Jiang Ling with rage. Such a promising young man, yet he's involved with drugs. No matter how he met and fell in love with Yu Hua, no matter how deep their love was, Jiang Ling was determined to ruthlessly break them up.
When I got back to the police station, it was lunchtime.
The aroma of food wafted through the backyard of the police station, successfully pulling Jiang Ling away from the unpleasant caramel almond smell. She took a deep breath and felt truly refreshed.
Jiang Ling went back to her office with her aluminum lunchbox, got her food at the cafeteria, and glanced around to see that Li Zhenliang was already sitting with Liu Haoran and Zhou Wei, even faster than her.
This time, Jiang Ling did not choose to sit alone in the corner, but instead went to sit down at the table with Li Zhenliang and the others.
Liu Haoran was a little flattered: "What brings you to sit with us today?"
Li Zhenliang, who had spent the most time with Jiang Ling, took the initiative to speak up for her: "Of course it's because Xiao Jiang found her parents, so she's in a good mood."
Zhou Wei watched Jiang Ling from the side, smiling without saying a word.
Li Zhenliang was right. Jiang Ling's previous reluctance to interact with people and dislike of lively atmospheres stemmed from the psychological trauma left over from growing up in an orphanage. Now that she has found her family, her heart is warmed, and she has naturally become more approachable.
Liu Haoran continued, following Li Zhenliang's words: "It's a pity that I can't find Officer Lin's photo in the newspaper. I don't know if Xiao Jiang looks like Officer Lin or Teacher Xiao."
Li Zhenliang said without hesitation, "She definitely looks like her father! Otherwise, Xiao Jiang wouldn't have become a policeman. That's called genetics, you know?"
Jiang Ling was actually quite curious as well.
In her previous life, she had looked in the mirror countless times, wondering whether she looked more like her father or her mother.
Now the opportunity has arrived.
Although my parents can't come back to China to see me for the time being, this question will be answered as soon as I see my grandmother and sister.
Thinking of this, Jiang Ling smiled, her lips curving upwards and her eyes slightly arched.
Seeing Jiang Ling's smile, Li Zhenliang knew she was in a good mood, so he took the opportunity to ask the question that had been bothering him: "Little Jiang, after you acknowledge your parents, you won't leave us, will you?"
This is actually a problem that Liu Haoran and Zhou Wei are also worried about.
Jiang Ling has found her family, and as her partners, they are certainly happy for her. However, the next problem is very real—Jiang Ling's father, Lin Weidong, is a well-known expert in the field of criminal investigation, and the whole family lives in Kyoto. Will they try to transfer Jiang Ling to Kyoto?
After being separated for 21 years, Lin Weidong must want to make it up to his daughter.
Isn't it only natural to keep your daughter, who has outstanding criminal investigation skills, by your side to nurture her and help her reach new heights?
Now that Li Zhenliang had asked the question for them, Liu Haoran and Zhou Wei exchanged a glance, then nervously looked at Jiang Ling, waiting for her answer.
Jiang Ling remained silent in thought.
Jiang Ling hadn't yet considered whether she would leave the police station after finding her biological parents. But since her colleagues were so anxious about the answer, she had to take it seriously.
Li Zhenliang suddenly felt that the food didn't taste good anymore.
Even though Chef Hu's braised pork was fatty but not greasy and the broth was thick, and the hand-torn cabbage was savory and spicy, and the tiger-skin green peppers and poached eggs were his favorites, Li Zhenliang was so sad that he couldn't eat anything when he thought about Jiang Ling possibly leaving the police station.
He put down his chopsticks and said with difficulty, "Xiao Jiang, don't worry about our feelings. Think more about your future. Go to Kyoto, and you'll definitely get more merits and get promoted faster by Officer Lin's side. You can also enjoy the warmth of a family. I was just asking casually. If you want to leave, go ahead. We'll be fine."
Liu Haoran forced a forced smile: "Liangzi is right. Although I'm a little reluctant to part with you, your future and happiness are the most important. Whatever choice you make, I will fully support you."
Zhou Wei quickly ate all the food from the lunchbox, wiped his mouth, and grinned sheepishly: "Yes, Xiao Jiang, don't worry about it. It's not too late to make a decision after you've met your parents."
Looking at her three colleagues who were so considerate of her, Jiang Ling felt a surge of warmth in her heart.
Without their help, without the all-out efforts of the Yanshi police, and without the proactive contact of enthusiastic citizens, she could not have found her parents so quickly.
Jiang Ling said, "For the time being, I don't want to leave Yan City, nor do I want to leave Jinwu Road Police Station."
"Ah, really?" Li Zhenliang became excited upon hearing this. The food that he had previously found bland suddenly tasted delicious again. He took a big bite of rice soaked in the braised pork broth and chewed it with relish.
Liu Haoran's smile brightened considerably: "Why?"
Jiang Ling felt good looking at her partner who was so devoted to her. The friendship she lacked in her past life was found at the Jinwu Road Police Station.
"Firstly, I was born and raised in Yanshi, and I have received help from many people here. This is the environment I am most familiar with, and I don't want to leave."
"Secondly, I have no experience in getting along with my parents, grandmother, and sister. Leaving some space and maintaining the status quo is better for everyone."
"Thirdly, I want to get promoted on my own merits, not by relying on my father's influence."
Actually, the most crucial point is that in her previous life, Jiang Ling worked entirely in Hunan Province, and the criminal files she had stored in her mind were limited to Hunan. This was her secret weapon for solving numerous bizarre cases. If she went to Kyoto, her greatest asset would disappear.
However, Jiang Ling couldn't say this.
After hearing Jiang Ling's words, Li Zhenliang and the other two burst into cheers at the same time: "Yay! That's great!"
The other colleagues at the police station all turned to look at them.
Wei Changfeng rolled his eyes at them: "What's going on? Why are you so excited about having a meal!"
Li Zhenliang suddenly stood up and announced loudly, "I have good news for everyone: Xiao Jiang said she will not leave our police station!"
Everyone cheered.
"Very good!"
"Xiao Jiang is our police station's lucky star. With her around, we've received so many banners of appreciation."
“I’m also reluctant to see Xiao Jiang go. Don’t let her quiet demeanor fool you; she has a kind heart, and many residents in the area like her.”
The cheers were so loud that Jiang Ling stood up to express her gratitude: "Thank you, thank you everyone."
Jiang Ling never expected that the police station where she had only worked for half a year in her previous life would be so warm and humane.
They were so happy just because they made the decision to stay.
Back in the case team's office, Li Zhenliang fawned over her, brewing her a cup of hot tea and presenting it to her, saying, "Xiao Jiang, have some tea."
Jiang Ling said helplessly, "I'm not leaving. Don't get agitated. Calm down."
Li Zhenliang asked with a smile, "Your grandma and sister are coming tomorrow. Should we, the officers from the police station, line the streets to welcome them? Or perhaps we should put up a welcome banner?"
Jiang Ling quickly waved her hand: "No need, no need. They will take a plane and arrive in the provincial capital around 2 pm tomorrow. They will then take a bus from the provincial capital, which will probably be just in time for dinner. We can just ask the cafeteria to prepare meals for two more people."
Liu Haoran couldn't sit still any longer: "Xiao Jiang, eating in the cafeteria? That's a bit too much of a neglect. Even though it's not your father, Officer Lin, coming in person, I reckon the provincial department will send someone to pick you up. Reuniting with family after a long separation, fulfilling a dream of finding loved ones—this is such a meaningful event! You're being far too calm, aren't you?"
Jiang Ling didn't like to trouble others, so she changed the subject: "Let's get down to business first."
Having found her family and knowing she wasn't an abandoned child, Jiang Ling felt content. Instead of worrying about what to say or do upon seeing her loved ones, she decided to keep this joy in her heart and channel her gratitude into the motivation to solve the case.
Zhou Wei was very enthusiastic about his work and immediately took out his small notebook: "What important matter is it? Tell me."
Jiang Ling looked at everyone and said, "I'm going to be busy with a case next. It's related to drugs and it's quite dangerous. Are you all willing to participate?"
Li Zhenliang and the other two exchanged glances and said in unison, "We're willing."
Knowing what Jiang Ling was busy with, Li Jianliang asked directly, "Little Jiang, are you talking about the case of that handsome young man today?"
Jiang Ling nodded: "That's right, it's him."
Li Zhenliang was still somewhat puzzled: "A young kid, at most he'll be detained for a few days and sent to a drug rehabilitation center for compulsory detoxification. It's not a big case. Do you really need all four of us to investigate him? Are you trying to use him to trace the drug trafficking network?"
Jiang Ling shook her head: "Not entirely."
There are some things that cannot be said in advance, and all of this is related to the criminal files extracted from Jiang Ling's mind.
Not only did Chen Mu use drugs, but his father, Chen Zhigang, was also involved in drug use and was a key technician in drug production.
Chen Zhigang's criminal file contains a detailed record of his crimes.
Case No.: Public Security Criminal Case No. (1998) 048
Case Name: 1998 Yanshi Chemical Plant Drug Manufacturing Case
Name: Chen Zhigang
Gender: Male
Date of birth: July 22, 1945
Former Occupation: Deputy Section Chief of the Technical Department, Yancheng Chemical Plant
Nature of the case: Crime of manufacturing and transporting drugs
Chen Zhigang was a chemical plant technical engineer. His family's finances were affected by his son's drug addiction, so he developed a poisoning process at home and embarked on the path of drug manufacturing and trafficking.
After Chen Mu committed suicide by jumping off a building in December 1997, Chen Zhigang surrendered himself to the police in 1998, uncovering an underground drug trafficking network in Yanshi.
It is now 1994. Chen Mu has only recently come into contact with drugs, and Chen Zhigang should not have started manufacturing drugs yet. Intervening as soon as possible may be able to destroy the drug trafficking market in Yanshi and uproot this network.
Thinking of the drug addicts he had encountered in his previous life, Jiang Ling's eyes darkened. Those people were all emaciated, like walking corpses. When their withdrawal symptoms kicked in, they howled and rolled around like wild beasts. They were willing to sell their bodies and souls just to beg for a little bit of drugs.
It's fair to say that once someone gets involved with drugs, their life is ruined.
A small number of people with strong willpower and the supervision and care of their families can successfully quit drugs and reintegrate into society, but because of their history of drug use, they find it difficult to find ideal jobs and have to endure various doubts and alienation.
Most people, however, do not have a good end; they either die young or turn to crime and spend their lives in prison.
If we can solve the problem at its source, we can definitely save many people!
Li Zhenliang's words interrupted Jiang Ling's thoughts: "Not entirely, what do you mean by 'not entirely'?"
Jiang Ling said, "Following Chen Mu's lead, we might be able to find more people involved in drug-related matters. But right now, the most urgent task is to find out the real reason for Ying Yuhua's suicide and help her resolve her inner conflict."
Liu Haoran, who was listening from the side, was completely confused and interrupted their conversation: "Hey, what are you two talking about? What's with Ying Yuhua's suicide and Chen Mu's drug involvement? I don't understand at all."
Jiang Ling gestured for Li Zhenliang to explain.
Li Zhenliang's storytelling skills are getting better and better. From the moment the two met Yuan Yi at the Municipal Bureau, all the way to the moment the young man in black was arrested, his storytelling was full of ups and downs and vivid descriptions.
Liu Haoran and Zhou Wei listened intently.
After the story was finished, the two of them took turns speaking.
Liu Haoran asked curiously, "What kind of person is Ying's sister?"
Li Zhenliang thought for a moment and carefully chose his words: "Well, she's deaf and mute, quite pretty, but she looks a bit dull."
Liu Haoran was even more curious: "Ying is such a smart person, he even pursued a master's degree while working, and his forensic identification skills are among the best in the entire provincial public security system. How could someone as smart as him have a dull sister?"
Li Zhenliang glared at him: "It's probably because she hasn't recovered mentally yet. She doesn't want to communicate with anyone, and she won't even eat the fragrant pig's blood and pig's liver soup that her mother brought. She looks dazed."
Liu Haoran said "Oh," and then asked, "Wasn't she afraid of the pain if she tried to cut her wrists? What troubles could she have that made her want to give up her life?"
Liu Haoran is a sunny and cheerful young man. Although he was often beaten by his father when he was a child for popping bubbles, his family treated him and his sister equally and respected their choices.
He wanted to be a policeman, and his parents supported him unconditionally, never uttering a word of objection. He's now twenty-six or twenty-seven and still unmarried, but his parents haven't pressured him to get married.
Liu Haoran feels he is a happy person because his parents fully respect his choices.
Because he was happy in his life, Liu Haoran could not understand or approve of Ying Yuhua's decision to give up her life: "My mother told me a long time ago that nothing is more important than life and death, so why would I be so upset?"
Zhou Wei patted Liu Haoran on the shoulder: "She may have encountered some difficulties. She is also quite introverted, and being deaf and mute, she has no way to communicate normally with people. She has become stuck in a rut and can't get out of it."
Li Zhenliang nodded repeatedly: "Yes, Dawei is more thoughtful and considerate. Liu Haoran is too self-centered and lacks empathy."
After spending a lot of time with Jiang Ling, Li Zhiliang and his friends would occasionally use psychological terms. The term "empathy" was still very new in the 1990s.
Liu Haoran felt a little wronged: "Don't I have empathy? I'm a very soft-hearted person. I feel sad when I see others cry, and I feel happy when I see others laugh."
Jiang Ling raised her hand: "Don't get off-topic."
Li Zhenliang quickly steered the conversation back on track: "Actually, I've been thinking about what happened today. How did you immediately notice that the boy in black sitting in the corridor with the flowers was acting strangely? And how were you sure he was there to visit Ying Yuhua?"
That's a really good question.
Jiang Ling hesitated for a moment, just as she was about to answer, when the phone rang.
Jiang Ling answered the phone, and Yuan Yi's voice came from the other end: "Hello."
Jiang Ling politely replied, "Hello, Captain Yuan."
Yuan Yi's voice was filled with barely concealed excitement: "Xiao Jiang, you're amazing! That kid's urine test results are in, and it's positive."
The voice on the phone was loud, and Li Zhenliang heard it clearly. He immediately waved his hand excitedly: "Right? I told you Xiao Jiang's judgment was absolutely correct!"
Jiang Ling put a finger to her lips, signaling Li Zhenliang to shut up.
Li Zhenliang quickly raised his left hand to cover his mouth, making a zipping motion with his left hand to indicate that he would only listen and not speak.
Jiang Ling continued, "What about his personal information?"
Yuan Yi said, "His name is Chen Mu, he is 24 years old and works as an appliance repairman. He used to work in the repair department of a chemical plant, but later he started his own business, taking on appliance repair jobs from the neighborhood."
Jiang Ling asked again, "Where are his parents?"
Yuan Yi said, "His father's name is Chen Zhigang. He works in a chemical plant as a technical engineer. His mother used to work in a chemical plant as well, but she was laid off and is now a full-time housewife."
Everything matches the records.
Jiang Ling asked, "Did you find all this information out yourself?"
Yuan Yi scoffed, "That kid is very tight-lipped and wouldn't say anything. We had to find his ID card on him, have the household registration department comrades retrieve his file, and then ask the community to find out his information."
Jiang Ling is currently most concerned about Chen Mu's relationship with Ying Yuhua: "Did you ask him why he went to the hospital?"
Yuan Yi said, "That kid said he would go to the hospital to sit when he was in a bad mood. The smell of disinfectant there gave him a clean and comfortable feeling. He also said that seeing all kinds of patients in the inpatient department made him feel that the pain he had experienced was nothing."
He has such a silver tongue; no wonder he can charm girls so easily.
Jiang Ling asked, "Does he know Ying Yuhua?"
Yuan Yi said, "He said he didn't know him."
Jiang Ling snorted coldly: "Don't listen to his nonsense. They definitely know each other, and their relationship is quite close."
Yuan Yi asked curiously, "How can you be so sure?"
Jiang Ling said, "The bench in the corridor where he was sitting was about 10 meters away from ward 303. You could see him as soon as you looked up. The kid was sitting there with his head in his hands, not moving at all. Even when we were talking in the corridor and I walked towards him, he didn't look up. That made me a little wary."
Liu Haoran and Zhou Wei listened intently to the conversation between Jiang Ling and Yuan Yi.
Jiang Ling continued, "Girls of Yu Hua's age are very likely to be troubled by love, so I am a little wary of the men who appear around her."
Yuan Yi had to admire Jiang Ling's keen insight.
Even Ying Songmao, her older brother, hadn't realized the reason for Ying Yuhua's "being troubled by love," but Jiang Ling had already begun to screen all the men who appeared around Ying Yuhua.
Yuan Yi did not interrupt Jiang Ling.
Although there are many people in the inpatient ward who sit blankly on the benches in the corridor because they are worried about their family members' health or feel depressed, it is right to remain vigilant.
Jiang Ling glanced at Zhou Wei, signaling him to write down what she had said. Zhou Wei nodded, took out a small notebook, and began to take notes.
“When I got closer to him, I smelled a harsh, caramelized almond scent, which is the distinctive smell of amphetamine-type drugs, so I stopped to observe him. When he looked up at me, I confirmed that the scent was coming from him.”
Upon hearing this, Yuan Yi exclaimed, "Ah! Your nose is incredibly sensitive! Wait a minute, how long have you been working since graduating from school? You shouldn't have dealt with many drug cases, so how could you distinguish the smell of drugs?"
This question stumped Jiang Ling.
She can't very well say that she used to work as a record clerk in a prison and had come into contact with many drug users and dealers, so she has a vivid memory of the smells of different kinds of drugs, can she?
Jiang Ling thought for a moment: "When I was in school, the provincial criminal investigation team came and gave a drug prevention lecture. I came into contact with several types of drugs, so..."
Yuan Yi exclaimed "Ah!" again. Truly, outstanding people are outstanding from childhood to adulthood.
To remember the unique taste of drugs after only one exposure is truly amazing! Such a talent should be sent to the anti-drug task force.
However, upon considering the dangers faced by narcotics officers, Yuan Yi immediately dismissed the idea: "Comrade Xiao Jiang, you're really amazing. You can smell the drugs just by smelling them. Chen Mu was just unlucky to run into you."
Jiang Ling shook her head: "No, he was just lucky to have met me."
If he hadn't met Jiang Ling, he would have been arrested this August, and from then on, he would have given up on everything and gone down the path of drug use with no turning back, successfully ruining his girlfriend, then his father, and finally causing Ying Songmao's death.
Now that he has been caught, Jiang Ling will absolutely not allow him to harm Ying Yuhua again, nor will he allow him to drag his father down with him.
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