The Devil in the World (2)

Meng Siqi just wanted to get back to the police station as soon as possible to confirm the truth. She went straight home after the visit yesterday afternoon, so she might not have heard some news at the first time. If Li Muxiao really changed his confession in court, then everyone in the police station should know about it today.

On the way from the police station gate to the office, she could sense the worry on everyone's faces as they hurried along, but perhaps that was just her psychological effect.

As she stepped into the office, the first thing she saw was Feng Shaomin's desk, where Han Changlin was talking to him. Both of them had serious expressions. They must be discussing a case, possibly about Li Muxiao.

She walked towards her desk and looked at Zhao Leiting deliberately. Zhao Leiting raised his head and noticed her steps. He looked at her with worry in his eyes.

After Meng Siqi sat down, she found that her fingers were trembling as she opened her notebook and took out her pen. She didn't know why this happened. Was it because she was under too much pressure in the past few days?

After a while, Zhao Leiting came over on tiptoe, laid down on the pile of books on her desk, and said in a low voice with a serious expression, "There is something. Don't make a fuss after hearing it. Li Muxiao changed his confession in court."

Meng Siqi had been mentally prepared, but when he heard this accurate news, he still felt a slight tear in his heart.

It's not just a matter of the suspect changing his confession, but also because the case could be heading in a completely different direction.

Zhao Leiting said: "On March 25, the day when the medical examiner confirmed Ruan Mengying's death, Li Muxiao was not in Jinyang City. He had physical evidence, very clear physical evidence, and the judge could not convict him."

Meng Siqi didn't say anything, but Zhao Leiting could see what she was thinking. "Don't worry, the bureau is trying to find a solution now. The court announced a postponement of the trial, and the procuratorate has probably returned the case to the public security agency for additional investigation. This case will be reopened, and we just have to wait for news."

"Zhao Leiting, can we still continue to handle this case with Lu He?" Meng Siqi almost blurted out.

She had been involved in the Li Muxiao case almost from beginning to end. Now that the suspect had changed his confession in court, it meant that there must be a huge hidden story behind it. She wanted to follow up and find the truest truth, not the truth that Li Muxiao told her.

Zhao Leiting licked his lower lip, with some hesitation in his eyes. Meng Siqi urged: "Speak."

"To be honest, we should wait for Director Liu's notification. We are currently investigating the missing female worker case at the textile factory. Director Liu may not request a joint investigation. Let's wait. There will definitely be news today."

"Zhao Leiting, I want to fight with the Korean team..." Meng Siqi stood up suddenly, almost with a gust of wind. The stubbornness in her bones was sometimes beyond her control.

Just like when she was in high school, facing her father Meng Xinghai, she was stubborn, rebellious, and eccentric, and she did things that gave Meng Xinghai a lot of headaches.

However, she thought that her character would change with the death of Meng Xinghai, but today she did not really change. She didn't know whether it was because of the case itself that she had to follow up, or because of the sadness that Lu He had revealed in his eyes.

"Siqi, don't be anxious..." Zhao Lei Ting called out from behind her.

Meng Siqi had already walked quickly in front of Han Changlin and Feng Shaomin. She stood up straight and said firmly, "Captain Han, Master, can our second team apply to handle Li Muxiao's case, even together with Team One?"

Han Changlin and Feng Shaomin both looked at her silently. Feng Shaomin's expression was slightly gloomy and he didn't speak. After a while, Han Changlin showed a slightly relieved expression, "Xiao Meng, let's wait for Director Liu's opinion on this matter. We will listen to the organization's arrangements."

Meng Siqi insisted, "Because Lu He was previously in charge of the Li Muxiao case, Director Liu will definitely give the case to Team One, Team Han, so can we apply for a joint case investigation?"

Han Changlin pursed his lips, as if he was organizing his words, and after a moment he said, "Xiao Meng, listen to me. This is not my decision. This is the decision of the bureau. Regardless of whether the case is reopened in the end and handed over to Lu He or me, we should obey orders."

"Team Han," Meng Siqi's eyes were red, "I want to handle this case."

"You still have a missing persons case to solve," Han Changlin reminded.

"We can do this together."

"People don't have that much energy, Xiao Meng, go back first."

"The Korean team?" Meng Siqi asked again.

"Xiao Meng!" Feng Shaomin interrupted her, "Come with me to the conference room."

Feng Shaomin turned and walked towards the door. Meng Siqi knew that this matter could only be resolved through her master, so she followed Feng Shaomin out the door.

Zhao Leiting looked at Meng Siqi's thin back and felt a little uncomfortable. He knew that Meng Siqi must be unwilling to accept it, and anyone would lose some reason at this time.

In the conference room, Feng Shaomin sat down with a calm expression, "Please sit down."

Meng Siqi was sitting next to him and was about to fight for it again when Feng Shaomin said, "Disciple, I have to criticize you today. Next time, you can't talk to the Korean team like this. This is not a question of discipline, but you have to understand why he did this."

"Master, I am wrong, but can we apply for a case?"

"Why do you want to investigate Li Muxiao's case so badly?"

When asked this by Feng Shaomin, Meng Siqi was speechless for a moment. She couldn't tell the reason, but it might be that she was just hot-headed. At this moment, she seemed to calm down a lot.

Feng Shaomin said, "I know you are unwilling, but the police station is not an individual, it is an organization and a collective, and no one person has the final say. I can tell you clearly that this case will most likely be handled by one team after it is reopened. You know the reason. Lu He is the deputy leader of Thunder Operation. He has been following us all the time, and you also know his ability to solve cases. Of course, we still have a missing person case now, and Director Liu also attaches great importance to it."

He admonished and taught, speaking slowly and softly, "The Li Muxiao case has a great impact. The case of the missing female workers in the textile factory is equally important. You have also seen the fate of five girls in the past few days. They fell in their prime. What happened to them? Are they dead? All of this requires us, the people's police, to uncover the truth and give comfort to their parents. Disciple, you have always been excellent. Master hopes that you will remain calm at all times."

When Feng Shaomin talked about those girls, those well-known young girls, and the tears in their parents' eyes, their longing for their daughters, Meng Siqi suddenly felt that she had not recognized her own heart, that she was too impulsive, and her eyes were filled with bitterness, "Master, I'm sorry, I was wrong..."

"It's okay." Feng Shaomin stood up, his eyes raised, full of comfort, "Xiao Meng, Master has always been optimistic about you, and Captain Han is also optimistic about you. You are the hope of our second team and the hope of our police station. You will be better. Let's go back to the office. Don't think too much about this matter, and don't think about Captain Han's thoughts. He is actually more anxious than you."

"Master, I understand," Meng Siqi slowly stood up and said gratefully, "Thank you, Master."

That afternoon, Meng Siqi heard the news announced by the bureau that the Ruan Mengying case was handed over to a team.

She was very calm when she heard the news, because she knew that no matter whether the case was assigned to Team One or Team Two, the bureau had considered it carefully, and Lu He was so capable that he would definitely be able to restore the truth and find the real murderer.

In the evening, Han Changlin convened a meeting and everyone gathered in front of the crime board. Tang Xiaochuan collected the information from the interview. He had already written down various clues about the missing female workers in the textile factory on it with chalk.

He said: "During this period of time, we have conducted a hard investigation and now have some clues. I will summarize them with you."

There were five female textile factory workers missing, and they all disappeared at almost the same time.

In addition to visiting the family of the missing girl, the police also visited some female workers who used to work in the textile factory. These female workers are now either married and have families or have stable careers, but none of them cooperated with the police to recall that history.

In other words, even if someone has participated in hostessing, they are unwilling to disclose it for various reasons. After all, it is a shameful past. With the passage of time, no one wants to be associated with that matter again. They are even less likely to "confess" their sisters, so there are almost no more clues about the hostessing incident.

When asked about the whereabouts of Ding Yinghong and the other five female workers during that period, they all said they had no idea.

In fact, this line is broken.

There were five leaders involved in the drinking incident at the textile factory. The factory director Gui Wenjin learned from various channels that he was not directly involved in the incident because he was not in good health at the time and died shortly after the textile factory went bankrupt.

There were five other leaders, including Deputy Factory Director Yao Renjun, Factory Assistant and Sales Director Liao Yuqiang, Workshop Director Huang Guibin, and Office Director Gui Xiangyang. Surprisingly, there was also a female leader, the Factory Women's Director Ma Jinlian.

Gui Xiangyang was the youngest leader. He had participated in the banquet, but he had not participated in the conspiracy of the drinking companion incident. His confession was very solid and he had always said so. The conspirators he mentioned were the four leaders other than him.

According to Gui Xiangyang's recollection, deputy factory manager Yao Renjun was the mastermind, Liao Yuqiang and Huang Guibin were helpers, contacting investors and soliciting investment, and women's director Ma Jinlian was mainly responsible for ideological work among the female textile workers.

Factory assistant and sales director Liao Yuqiang and workshop director Huang Guibin have passed away. Deputy factory director Yao Renjun entered a nursing home two years ago as he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Factory women's director Ma Jinlian was in a car accident last year and is now in a vegetative state.

This means that the only person who might know the truth now is Deputy Factory Director Yao Renjun.

After Tang Xiaochuan finished introducing all the information, Han Changlin said, "Old Feng, take Xiao Meng and Xiao Zhao to meet Yao Renjun. Although he suffers from Alzheimer's disease, I don't believe he really doesn't remember anything."

Feng Shaomin said: "Among these people, Yao Renjun is in the middle of the pack, and should be in his 65s or 66s this year. It is not surprising that he suffers from Alzheimer's disease at this age, but it cannot be ruled out that someone is using mental illness to evade legal responsibility."

In fact, this kind of thing has happened in previous criminal cases, and it requires an appraisal by a mental appraisal center.

Feng Shaomin said: "Let's go get in touch with him first and see if we can gain anything."

"Okay," Han Changlin nodded, "Does anyone have anything else to add?"

Han Changlin's gaze swept across Tang Xiaochuan and Zhao Leiting's faces, and finally fell on Meng Siqi's face.

Meng Siqi actually had some ideas in her mind, but they were not mature yet. She pursed her lips and hesitated to speak. Han Changlin seemed to see her hesitation and asked, "Xiao Meng, do you have any ideas?"

Everyone looked at her, and Meng Siqi had to speak out her immature thoughts: "Team Han, there is one thing I still don't understand. Why did they say they were going to the city? What does the drinking incident at the textile factory have to do with the city?"

During the interview, the families of the five girls said that they wanted to go to the city to find work. At the time, this decision was normal because the textile factory closed down and they lost their jobs, so they had to find new jobs. However, the abnormality was that none of the five girls told their families the specific information, which showed that this matter was difficult to accept.

What kind of thing would make them conceal their itinerary and embark on a path of no return?

Meng Siqi's question was simple, but it stumped everyone. Everyone's expression froze in an instant.

In fact, Feng Shaomin had read all the interview records and had the same doubts, but he had always believed that the drinking incident was the cause and the disappearance was the result. He did not make an independent comparison between the two events. After Meng Siqi asked this question, he suddenly realized that the two events might not be just a cause-and-effect relationship.

While he was thinking, he also felt that Meng Siqi's criminal thinking had matured. Her thinking ability was comparable to that of an old detective. He was very pleased. When doubts arose, he said lightly: "Xiao Meng, your question is very good. It is precisely because we don't know the truth here that we can't miss any possibility. So, let's visit Yao Renjun first. Maybe during the visit, you will come up with new ideas."

Facing Feng Shaomin's calm gaze, Meng Siqi nodded emphatically. In fact, every time along the way, she had been exploring while moving forward, and she believed in her master's judgment.

"Okay, that's settled. We can meet up anytime." Han Changlin said, "Xiaochuan and I will go visit Ma Jinlian. Although she is a vegetable, we can see if we can find some clues from her family members."