Chapter 58 Jade Pendant: This is valuable; I'll give it to you for your wedding.
The sun was high in the sky.
The sun shines on the exposed skin, creating a slightly burning sensation.
Jiang Ling felt the temperature was just right.
Seeing so many vibrant lives lost or dead weighed heavily on Jiang Ling's heart, and the hairs on her arms stood on end. Now, basking in the sun, she felt the light still shining on earth, and her whole being warmed up a little.
Su Xinwan's feelings were very similar to Jiang Ling's.
However, she felt an even greater sense of guilt than Jiang Ling.
If she had discovered it sooner, if she had exposed it sooner, wouldn't these promising young people have been spared from trouble?
Jiang Ling glanced at Su Xinwan and said gently, "It has nothing to do with you, don't blame yourself."
Su Xinwan's voice was dry: "But he is my legal stepfather." Although there was no evidence to support the claim that Chu Jingen was involved in the incidents of these three people, Su Xinwan had a hunch that Chu Jingen's hands were definitely stained with blood.
Liu Haoran, who was listening nearby, couldn't help but interject, "Hey, don't think like that. Anyone who runs into a devil like Chu Jingen is doomed. What does it have to do with you?"
Li Zhenliang echoed, "That's right, there's no need to punish yourself for other people's mistakes."
Su Xinwan: "These things all happened in 1990 and 1991, after I had already graduated from police academy. If I had stayed a few more days when I returned to town, perhaps I could have saved them..."
Zhou Wei shook his head from the side: "What a joke, you're just a police academy graduate, how could you possibly be a match for Chu Jingen?"
Su Xinwan tried to calm herself down.
Yes, instead of regretting it here, we should do something useful and try to solve the case as soon as possible.
She turned to Jiang Ling: "Is there anything I can do?"
Jiang Ling asked, "Have you contacted your brother?"
Su Xinwan nodded: "I called him this morning." Chu Xinyan studies at Beijing Normal University and lives in the school dormitory. There is a phone in the dormitory building's guard room, so Su Xinwan took advantage of the early morning before he went to class to make the call.
Jiang Ling: "What did you say?"
Su Xinwan said, "I told him not to go back to Changhe Town during the summer vacation, and not to answer his mother's calls. I will help him get rid of Chu Jingen." Some things are hard to explain over the phone, so Su Xinwan could only give the result without explaining the reasons.
Jiang Ling glanced at her: "Then, what did Chu Xinyan say?"
Su Xinwan's eyes were slightly red: "My brother has always been a man of few words. He didn't ask anything, he just replied with an 'hmm'."
Jiang Ling pursed her lips: "Since Chu Xinyan has no objections, then we have no more concerns. Next, we'll split up and proceed."
Everyone said in unison: "Splitting up?"
How do we split our hair? Why do we need to split our hair?
Jiang Ling said, "Xin Wan and Hao Ran will team up and pretend to be a couple to go to the Chu family villa to see if they can find any clues related to Zhang Lei, Wen Mo, and Zhao Rui."
Liu Haoran and Su Xinwan exchanged a glance, a fleeting hint of embarrassment in their eyes.
Liu Haoran scratched his head and said embarrassedly, "Um, is it okay if we don't pretend to be a couple? I'm not very familiar with Officer Su yet, and it'll be easy for us to give ourselves away."
Su Xinwan blushed slightly: "I just went back to the villa, isn't it a bit strange that I'm going there with Officer Liu now?"
Jiang Ling shook her head: "No, your mother won't tell Chu Jingen that you visited her home. She'll be overjoyed to see you have a boyfriend, she won't find it strange. As for Chu Jingen..."
Jiang Ling narrowed her eyes, her gaze darkening: "The point is to let him see that you have a marriage partner and are about to completely break free from his control. Find a way to provoke him, observe his reaction, guide him appropriately, and see if you can discover his weaknesses and flaws."
Upon hearing this, Liu Haoran was immediately filled with fighting spirit: "Yes! I guarantee to complete the mission." Since the team was formed, Liu Haoran had always played a "support" role. Now, taking on such a mission for the first time and facing the suspect directly, Liu Haoran felt that he was being given a great responsibility.
He was good at dealing with people and was a bit of a show-off. After accepting a task, he immediately started thinking about how to provoke Chu Jingen and how to get some useful information out of him.
Suddenly, a brilliant idea struck him.
"Haha, we set up lie detector questions together a while ago, and I think we can apply those three stages to it."
"In the first stage, start with what he likes and is most relaxed about to build a closer relationship."
"In the second stage, ask some key questions to test his reaction."
"The third stage is to provoke him, make him lose control, and reveal his most authentic self."
Li Zhenliang and Zhou Wei both gave him a thumbs up: "You're awesome!"
There's no such thing as a wasted journey.
A while ago, Liu Haoran spearheaded the design of the lie detector questions, and I never expected to use them here.
Su Xinwan was a little confused.
Liu Haoran was in high spirits, so he smiled and said to Su Xinwan, "Don't rush, I'll tell you how to ask questions later. Let's get to know each other first, since we're going to pretend to be a couple. It's lunchtime, let's go over and grab a bite to eat."
The two stood together and began to discuss their next course of action.
Jiang Ling then said to Li Zhenliang and Zhou Wei, "Let's form a group of three, first go to the middle school in town to ask about the situation, then take a walk along the Shuangqu River, and finally go to Zhao Rui's house and the auto repair shop."
Li Zhenliang and Zhou Wei stood at attention: "Yes!"
Zhou Wei added, "Then, leave the car to me, I'll drive it."
Su Xinwan handed the key to Zhou Wei.
Zhou Wei took the car keys, a hint of joy in his eyes.
After being discharged from the military, I haven't had a chance to drive a car. Now I can finally satisfy my craving for driving.
Jiang Ling and the other two drove away.
First stop: Changhe Town Middle School.
This is a typical, vibrant ordinary high school. The corridors are quiet during class, but bustling with noise as soon as class ends, filled with the unique hustle and bustle and vibrant energy of adolescence.
Stepping into the school, the tall teaching buildings are painted with slightly worn beige paint, sunlight reflects off the windows, and music for morning exercises plays over the loudspeaker. The air is filled with a mixture of chalk dust, sweat, and the smell of food wafting from the cafeteria. Taking a deep breath, it really does feel like a school.
Upon arriving at the teachers' office, teachers still sighed when Zhang Lei was mentioned.
"What a wonderful child! His smile is especially beautiful."
"He said he wanted to be a physical education teacher in the future and had already planned to apply to Hunan Provincial Institute of Physical Education, but unfortunately..."
"She has a good upbringing and is very innocent. I've never heard of her offending anyone. Sigh!"
Jiang Ling asked, "Are Zhang Lei and Chu Xinyan on good terms?"
The teachers all looked bewildered.
"That Chu Xinyan who got into Kyoto Normal University?"
"Chu Xinyan is a year below Zhang Lei, so they don't know each other, right?"
"One is active and the other is quiet; they're not compatible."
After visiting around, it was found that this once sunny boy who dominated the basketball court had been forgotten by most people, but Chu Xinyan's photo is still posted on the honor roll for the college entrance examination.
No one connected Chu Xinyan with Zhang Lei.
Jiang Ling and the others walked past the basketball court, which used to be Zhang Lei's favorite place to spend his free time.
The rubber surface was worn smooth and shiny, and the basketball net was somewhat damaged. The sun shone down relentlessly, and sweat glistened on the young boys' skin. Students gathered around the court to watch the game, their cheers, the swishing of sneakers, and the thud of basketballs hitting the ground creating a vibrant symphony of youth, sunshine, and energy.
In the northwest corner of the basketball court is the sports equipment room, next to which is the school's side gate. Beyond the side gate lies a narrow, secluded alley. The ground is slippery and often puddles with water. Abandoned desks and chairs or construction debris are piled in the corners, emitting a faint musty smell and the stench of decaying garbage.
The side gate is usually locked, but some children will climb over the wall and go out through the back alley to take a shortcut.
"Meow~~"
A black and white stray cat darted past me.
Zhou Wei frowned as he examined the climbing marks on the wall.
The three of them exchanged a glance.
—This is a loophole in campus security management.
Did Zhang Lei leave from here back then?
—Who invited him?
Zhou Wei immediately took out his notebook to take notes.
Jiang Ling drew a topographical map of Changhe Town Middle School in her mind.
Li Zhenliang then took out his camera and began taking pictures.
The same process also occurred on the east bank of the lower reaches of the Shuangqu River, at Lao Zhou's auto repair shop.
The clear river water shimmered in the sunlight, and the wetlands along the riverbanks were planted with tall reeds, graceful cattails, and blooming colorful irises. Wide and clean waterfront walkways were laid on both sides, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of grass and earth.
In the open lawn area, tourists stroll, children fly kites and chase each other, and vendors selling drinks, ice cream and snacks occasionally call out loudly.
These are not the places Jiang Ling is searching for.
What she was looking for was Wen Mo's favorite quiet corner, a place that belonged to him and was completely out of place with the crowd.
He might be sitting on a small wooden viewing platform surrounded by tall reeds.
Or perhaps, deep within a tranquil boardwalk that stretches into the heart of the river, flanked by towering reeds.
Jiang Ling's gaze swept quickly across the banks of the double-curved river, imagining the scene in her mind.
—Wen Mo was quietly painting, pouring all his emotions onto the paper.
The painting doesn't depict a sunny river view, frolicking crowds, or blooming flowers. Instead, it focuses on details that are deliberately ignored or marginalized by "mainstream scenery." For example, a stubborn little grass that tenaciously sprouts from the cracks in the wooden floor of the viewing platform; and withered branches broken and bent over by wind and rain in a large reed bed.
Wen Mo was immersed in his own world, capturing these images of decay, struggle, and oblivion with charcoal or cool-toned watercolors. Sunlight fell on his pale profile, but it couldn't dispel the gloomy aura surrounding him.
The surrounding laughter and cheers seemed to be separated from his ears by an invisible barrier.
This silence deeply attracted Chu Jingen's attention.
Wen Mo's aloofness and solitary nature provided Chu Jingen with an excellent opportunity to hunt.
Zhou Wei looked around: "There are a lot of people here during the day, but in the early morning or at dusk, tourists will gradually leave, and the flow of people will become sparse. Especially those viewing platforms and boardwalks in relatively remote locations can easily fall into a brief vacuum of no one paying attention during off-peak hours."
With a camera hanging around his neck, Li Zhenliang closed his eyes and listened: "Listen, the grass rustles continuously when the wind blows, and there are also sounds of traffic, horns, and vendors shouting by the roadside. These can all mask any unusual sounds, such as short cries for help or struggles."
Jiang Ling glanced at the tall reeds and nodded.
Jiang Ling seemed to see such a scene
—On a dusk when tourists were dwindling, Chu Jingen appeared like a ghost at the end of the quiet boardwalk, silently circling behind Wen Mo, who was focused on his easel, from behind the dense reeds.
wrong!
Jiang Ling suddenly realized something: "Chu Jingen has accomplices."
Upon hearing this, both Zhou Wei and Li Zhenliang's expressions turned serious.
Jiang Ling pointed to the seemingly safe and beautiful riverbank in the distance: "Approaching Wen Mo silently and knocking him unconscious can be done by one person. But to take Wen Mo out without alerting anyone, we need an accomplice to provide cover and assistance."
Yes, Wen Mo leaves the hotel in the early morning and returns in the evening; he never goes out at night.
To take Wen Mo away from the riverbank without anyone noticing, a cart or a small boat would be needed.
Therefore, Chu Jingen must have had another accomplice.
The three people said the same name in unison: "Hu Shuifen!"
Jiang Ling was in a bad mood. Seeing Hu Shuifen at the Chu family villa, the fear and dread emanating from her very bones was heartbreaking to see.
Because of anxiety, she has a habit of biting her fingers.
Several of her teeth were knocked out.
Her back looked like it had been ravaged, and she couldn't straighten up at all.
But such a pitiful person could become an accomplice to Chu Jingen's evil deeds.
Passing by a wonton stall, the three of them stopped and ate a bowl of wontons for lunch before continuing on to Lao Zhou's auto repair shop where Zhao Rui worked.
The shop is very simple.
The filthy corrugated iron ceiling, the mottled red brick walls, and the oil-stained floor filled the air with a strong, lingering mixture of smells. This smell included not only the pungent odors of gasoline, engine oil, diesel, and brake fluid, but also the burning smell of rubber, the dust from grinding metal, and the stench of cheap cigarettes and sweat.
Shop owner Lao Zhou took off his greasy gloves and tossed them onto the makeshift table made of old tires and planks in the corner. He picked up his teacup, took a big gulp of strong tea, and then looked at Jiang Ling: "Police? What do you want to ask?"
Upon realizing that Jiang Ling was asking about Zhao Rui, Old Zhou spat fiercely on the ground. Old Zhou was from Hubei Province, and his speech still carried a local accent.
"It's been several years, why are you still investigating?"
"That guy was really loyal. He worked at our shop for two years, and his car repair skills were top-notch. He also had a great service attitude, always greeting everyone warmly. It's a pity... he's gone."
"He disappeared without even saying goodbye. What, you think I, Old Zhou, won't let him go? Although I, Old Zhou, value him and am reluctant to let him go, I still have my own preferences and I won't force anyone."
Jiang Ling asked, "On the night he went missing, did any of you see him heading towards the bus stop?"
Old Zhou nodded: "Zhao Rui was on the day shift that day. After finishing up, he handed over his shift and left. Apparently, he headed out of town and didn't take the road home."
After saying that, Old Zhou walked out of the shop and pointed to the dusty road in front of him: "See? To the north is the road out of town and into the city, and to the south is the road back into town. A few minutes to the north, there's a bus stop. It's where buses that pass through from the city to our Changhe Town stop. If you want to go to the city, you have to wait for the bus there. There are about eight buses a day, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., about once every hour and a half."
After saying that, he raised his hand and slapped his forehead again: "Oh dear, I'm so confused. Since the new bus station was built in the town in 1990, that bus stop has basically been closed. I don't know what Zhao Rui is doing there."
Jiang Ling frowned in thought.
Why don't you go home after work?
Did he discover something, or was he trying to escape something?
Or perhaps, he made an appointment with someone?
Old Zhou sighed: "Everyone in town says Zhao Rui went south to make his fortune, but I don't think so. If he was going to leave, he should at least have taken his luggage, right? He should at least have told his parents, right? How can he just run off like this out of nowhere?"
Zhou Wei asked, "Did Zhao Rui have any arguments with his colleagues the day he left?"
Old Zhou hurriedly waved his hand: "No, no."
Zhou Wei asked, "Have you said anything strange, or met anyone?"
Old Zhou thought for a long time: "I don't remember. So much time has passed, how could I remember these things?"
Zhou Wei then asked, "Does he have any close friends?"
Old Zhou shrugged: "You'll have to ask his parents. I'm just his boss; I don't care about his friendships."
As the three left, they turned and glanced at Old Zhou's auto repair shop. Several expired calendars featuring beautiful women and car posters were pasted on the wall, two worn-out folding chairs stood in the corner, and vehicles waiting for repair or already repaired were parked in the open space in front of the shop, with piles of scrapped tires, old engines, and scrap metal next to them, like a small mountain.
This is the environment where Zhao Rui works.
It was also the place where he spent the entire day before he disappeared.
Is he still alive?
Following the directions given by Lao Zhou, Jiang Ling found the passenger station.
The exposed dirt surface, over the years, has been eroded by tire tracks and rainwater, forming potholes and ruts. On sunny days, it's dusty and on rainy days, it's incredibly muddy.
It's called a platform, but it's really just a slightly raised earthen slope by the roadside with a row of low, broken cement blocks on top for people to sit on or put their luggage while waiting for the bus. Next to it stands a wooden sign with peeling paint, half-covered by small advertisements, with the words "Changhe Town Passenger Transport Stop" written in large red paint, the writing already somewhat blurred.
Although simple, it was once a hub connecting Changhe Town and Yanshi.
Changhe Town is now vigorously developing its tourism industry and has set up a passenger station in the center of the town. This station is now basically out of use, with only occasional unlicensed taxis stopping to pick up individual passengers.
Why did Zhao Rui come here after leaving the auto repair shop?
Why did Zhou Yongcheng from the police station say that someone saw Zhao Rui waiting for a bus at the town's bus stop at night, and that he was going to the city to take care of some business?
The bus stop he mentioned must be this abandoned passenger stop, right? What business does he need to go to the city for?
Too many questions flooded Jiang Ling's mind, making her head feel a little throbbing.
Jiang Ling rubbed her temples and said wearily, "Let's go to the police station again to verify the situation."
On the other side, Liu Haoran and Su Xinwan were sitting in the living room of the Chu family villa.
Chu Jingen has not returned yet.
Hu Shuifen, who was cooking in the kitchen and wearing an apron, carefully looked Liu Haoran up and down.
A spark of excitement and joy suddenly ignited in her dull, lifeless eyes, which always seemed to be covered in a layer of dust.
Although both were people brought back by their daughters, Hu Shuifen's attitude towards Liu Haoran was completely different from her attitude towards Jiang Ling.
They not only let him into the villa, but also poured him tea.
Su Xinwan's voice was cold and hard: "My boyfriend, Liu Haoran, we plan to get married at the end of the year."
Hu Shuifen asked, "Your colleague?"
Su Xinwan nodded: "Yes."
Hu Shuifen's lips suddenly twitched outwards.
She tried hard to force a smile, even if it was just a polite one, befitting a mother-in-law meeting her son-in-law for the first time. But she hadn't smiled in so long that the muscles at the corners of her mouth, like rusty hinges, twitched stiffly upwards a few times, ultimately forming an extremely strange, almost twitching arc.
Liu Haoran felt a chill run down his spine when he saw that smile.
The smile was devoid of any warmth, like a cheap mask that was barely applied and could peel off at any moment, making Hu Shuifen's withered face look even more ashen.
Liu Haoran remained relatively calm. He placed his hands on his knees, sat upright, and smiled, saying, "Hello, Auntie. My name is Liu Haoran, and I work at the police station. My parents work in Yanshi, and I have an older sister."
Hu Shuifen's throat felt like it was blocked by something; it moved dryly for a moment before she managed to utter a short, hoarse syllable: "Oh."
Hu Shuifen listened intently for a long time, making sure there was no one outside the door. Then she quickly glanced at the tightly closed door of the master bedroom, as if a ferocious beast might leap out from behind it at any moment.
Once she was sure it was safe, she quickly got up and went into the kitchen. She didn't come out for a while, and all she could hear were rustling sounds coming from inside, as if someone was searching for something.
Liu Haoran looked at Su Xinwan with confusion and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong with your mother?"
Su Xinwan shook her head, also somewhat confused.
To be honest, Su Xinwan never expected that Hu Shuifen would let Liu Haoran into the house before she came.
She thought that at most, her mother would just exchange a few words through the door and then kick her and Liu Haoran out. Unexpectedly, this time it went very smoothly; as soon as her mother heard it was her boyfriend, she immediately pulled them both inside.
Sometimes Su Xinwan really couldn't understand what her mother was thinking.
Does she stubbornly believe that a woman is only considered a person after marriage?
Is she so eager to marry her daughter off that she'd wholeheartedly agree to any man she meets?
After a while, Hu Shuifen finally came out of the kitchen.
She was holding a small tin box in her hands.
Her gaze swept quickly across Liu Haoran's face before falling back down. Then she raised her hand and slowly handed the metal box to him.
Liu Haoran hurriedly stood up, waving his hands frantically: "No, Auntie, I can't take your things."
Hu Shuifen then handed the iron box to Su Xinwan.
Su Xinwan accepted it passively.
Under Hu Shuifen's urging gaze, which resembled that of a child presenting a treasure, Su Xinwan opened the iron box.
Inside lay a roll of loose banknotes, which must have been money she had saved for a long time.
In addition, there is a jade pendant.
The water is crystal clear and emerald green, with a Guanyin statue carved on it, the carving is exquisite.
Hu Shuifen said, "This is for your wedding."
Su Xinwan's heart was once again being tugged at, and it hurt terribly.
After a long pause, Su Xinwan picked up the jade pendant: "Did my father leave this behind?"
Hu Shuifen avoided eye contact and did not reply.
The sound of a car engine came from outside the door, followed by the sound of brakes screeching on the ground.
Immediately following was the sound of footsteps.
The voice was like a cold needle, instantly piercing Hu Shuifen's numb nerves. Her body stiffened abruptly, and a trace of undisguised fear flashed across her cloudy eyes.
She instinctively and quickly stood up, wiped her hands on her greasy apron, and said in a trembling voice, "He, he's back. Quickly, quickly put it away."
Su Xinwan handed the iron box to Liu Haoran, signaling him to hide it, then stood up and stood guard beside her mother.
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-----The Survival Techniques of a Negotiation Expert------
Negotiation expert Chu Yanxi is calm, sharp, and her words are like knives, chilling criminals to the bone.
An accident caused her to lose both legs forever and shattered her pride.
She wanted to end it all.
The pungent smell of smoke, the cacophony of voices, the feel of the hard seat beneath her—she was not dead, she was in a green train carriage.
She was leaning limply against a seemingly kind-looking middle-aged woman, her head affectionately resting on the woman's shoulder. The woman told the train police officer checking tickets, "My daughter is sick, I'm taking her to see a doctor."
This is the opening tragedy of the documentary literature "A True Account of Trafficking in the 1980s".
The girl in the book was sold to a remote mountain village, where her life was worse than death.
At this moment, Chu Yanxi felt a burning pain in her throat and could not make a sound; her limbs felt like they were filled with lead.
Limbs?
She has legs again!
At this moment, there is no leverage to negotiate with the criminals; survival is the top priority.
Tip 1: Feigning Weakness
Playing the role of "perfect, harmless prey" to lull human traffickers into a false sense of security while secretly observing them.
Tip 2: Environment Marking
Prepare for the worst-case scenario and leave clues to follow.
Technique 3: Psychological Suggestion
By leveraging professional insight and language skills, we can influence the environment with the smallest possible disturbance and seek a glimmer of hope.
Each time they travel through time, they change the fate of the victims.
Chu Yanxi found the courage to live on.
When they finally returned to the negotiation that had cost her her legs...
Chu Yanxi looked at the criminal holding the hostage, a slight smile playing on her lips, her voice alluring and deep: "How about I become the hostage instead?"
So what if it's just about surviving? She knows it all!
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