Dust-covered Memories (1)
Seeing Jiang Shuiying leaning on the boss chair with an indifferent expression, Luo Yuwen held up the mobile phone with worn edges and cracked screen in doubt.
He pressed the button next to it, the screen lit up, and when he swiped upwards, he saw a paused video with a string of numbers as the title.
This string of numbers has been forever imprinted in Luo Yuwen's mind. It is the date when Luo Yuwen's younger brother, Luo Yuyi, disappeared ten years ago.
Luo Yuwen clicked on the video, the screen went dark, and a rustling sound was heard. His face, which had become haggard due to investigating the case in the past few days, was reflected in the dark screen.
The hourglass of time goes back, and the man in front of the screen has become handsome with a bit of childishness, and the light of life in his eyes lights up again.
***
Ten years ago, Luo Yuwen was 25 years old and a criminal police officer. His younger brother, Luo Yuyi, was 18 years old and had just started college.
Everyone in the Municipal Bureau and the Criminal Police Brigade was very nervous because of a case that had shocked the entire city - the June 13th live organ trafficking case.
Three nights ago, a middle-aged woman from the suburbs was washing clothes by the river. It was already dark and the river water was muddy. The woman's eyesight was not very good and she thought it was because of rain, so she hurriedly finished washing and went home.
When she got home and the lights came on, the woman discovered that her washed white clothes had turned pink. She leaned in to smell them and the smell of detergent mixed with blood was disgusting.
The woman felt strange and mustered up the courage to lead the dog towards the river. On the way, the local dog beside her became more and more irritable, keeping its head down and whining.
She shone the flashlight into the river, and with her blurred vision she could only see a red mass floating on the surface of the river, which had been dyed blood red. The moment it was illuminated, the dog beside her began to bark at the river.
The woman mustered up her courage, approached the mass, and squinted her eyes to take a closer look.
It's a corpse.
Screams and dog barking echoed along the river bank, and many people in the village came out to watch because of the noise.
The criminal police team quickly dispatched, cordoned off the scene, and collected evidence overnight. A forensic examination revealed the body to be that of an 18-year-old male. Horrifyingly, most of the body's organs were missing, including the cornea. The method used was both professional and brutal.
After comparison, the police confirmed the identity of the body. It was an orphan who had just finished the college entrance examination and was about to go to college. He suddenly disappeared overnight and no one could contact him.
The police investigated the victim's whereabouts before his death and found that he lived a simple life, had normal interpersonal relationships, and was well-regarded by people around him. It was unlikely that he had committed a revenge or love killing.
The victim was last seen at a place called Sunshine Orphanage near the village. Considering the missing organs and the professional removal method, the police suspected something fishy was going on at the orphanage.
The Municipal Bureau immediately set up a serious crime team, and Captain Guo led Luo Yuwen and other criminal police to start the investigation.
In the hallway, Luo Yuwen and new trainee detective Zhong Yun hurriedly pushed open the door to the Serious Crime Unit, carrying documents. Inside, the detectives sat in a circle. In the middle, before a whiteboard, stood a man with a slightly aggressive look. He nodded at the two men as they entered.
Luo Yuwen held up the information in his hand and said, "Captain Guo, we found it."
"This orphanage has been operating for many years and rarely accepts donations from outside. Zhong Yun visited nearby residents, and they all said they rarely saw anyone leaving. However, one villager claimed that a small truck came in and out every week."
"We've also found the actual operator of the orphanage. His name is Li Zhengzhong, he's 45 years old, and he has two sons, one 25 and the other 18. Their whereabouts haven't been traced yet."
Captain Guo nodded to the two of them and said, "Well done, come in first."
After discussion, the serious crime team decided to set up control around the orphanage first, and then Captain Guo and Luo Yuwen would pretend to be power grid personnel and enter the orphanage to investigate. If the suspect was found to have escaped, he would be arrested immediately.
It was noon when they set off. On the road, Zhong Yun was driving the police car, Luo Yuwen was sitting in the passenger seat, and Captain Guo was sitting in the back seat looking down at his mobile phone.
Luo Yuwen called Luo Yuyi:
"Luo Yuyi, I'll be busy these few days. Please take good care of Mom and Dad in the hospital."
"I know you're getting ready to start school. I'll take you there then."
"That's it for now, I'm hanging up."
Zhong Yun, who was listening at the side, hesitated to speak, "Brother Yuwen, why are you..."
Luo Yuwen turned off his phone and put it back in his pocket, then said, "Why? You mean to say that what I just said sounded like a dying instruction?"
Zhong Yun lowered his head slightly, pursed his lips, looked ahead, gripped the steering wheel tightly in his hands, and said nothing.
Luo Yuwen saw Zhong Yun, who had just graduated, standing next to him. He had bangs on his face and looked very young, not much older than his younger brother.
He patted Zhong Yun's shoulder and signaled him to relax.
"It's okay. I usually tell my brother before a major case like this. Don't worry about it."
"Drive well."
Captain Guo, who was sitting in the back seat, didn't join in their conversation, but just frowned and said nothing. Meanwhile, two silver-white vans drove past them.
When the three arrived at their destination, they discovered that the orphanage was hidden in a forest with only a dirt road leading to the neighboring village, which unexpectedly made it convenient for the police to set up surveillance.
The orphanage's main structure is an old, white building, its doors and windows tightly shut, its walls peeling. It's surrounded by a rusty iron fence and a tightly shut gray iron gate. A plaque hangs crookedly on the roof, bearing the words "Sunshine Orphanage" in large letters.
Luo Yuwen felt something was wrong as soon as he got off the car. Although they were some distance away from the orphanage and were very careful, he could only hear the rustling of the trees and no sound came from the building.
Could he have run away? Luo Yuwen felt uneasy.
Luo Yuwen and Captain Guo quickly changed their clothes, put on clothes borrowed from the power grid company, stood in front of the orphanage and banged on the iron gate, making crackling sounds.
Captain Guo shouted through the iron gate, "Is anyone there?! We're from the power grid company!"
"Is your circuit aging?!"
Luo Yuwen saw through the gap that there was no one in the yard. The entire orphanage was dead silent, which made him feel more and more uneasy.
Just as he was about to break in and question Captain Guo with his eyes, a man suddenly walked out of the small door next to the building.
The man walked towards them with his hands behind his back and his head lowered. After Luo Yuwen saw the man's face clearly, he put his hands behind his back, very close to the gun handle.
This man is the actual operator of this orphanage, Li Zhengzhong!
He lowered his head and didn't look at the two of them. One hand was holding the door, the other still behind his back. He said in a sinister tone, "Our circuits are not deteriorating. You can leave now."
Captain Guo remained calm and tried to smooth things over. "We need to conduct a routine inspection to prevent potential safety hazards. Please open the door and let us in."
"There's no safety hazard here. Please leave. You can't enter here."
"That won't work. Your circuit is connected to the neighboring village. If something happens to you, the neighbors won't be safe either. Since you're so uncooperative, we have no choice but to cut off your power."
Li Zhengzhong lowered his head and said nothing. The hand behind his back moved. Luo Yuwen thought he was going to do something and almost drew his gun.
But Li Zhengzhong only held the key in his outstretched hand, and he reached for the rusty lock with both hands. Luo Yuwen breathed a sigh of relief and retracted his hand.
"Okay, then hurry up and don't scare my children..."
Li Zhengzhong pushed the iron gate outwards, and Captain Guo and Luo Yuwen entered the yard. Li Zhengzhong pulled the door with both hands and closed it. The three people were in a blind spot of the control at this time and were blocked tightly by the gate.
Luo Yuwen was just wondering when Li Zhengzhong suddenly pulled out a slender, shiny fruit knife from behind his back and chopped straight at the two of them!
Things happened so quickly that Luo Yuwen didn't have time to draw his gun. He quickly pushed Captain Guo to the side, then stretched out his long legs and kicked Li Zhengzhong's hand, kicking the fruit knife off. He then elbowed Li Zhengzhong in the abdomen, and finally turned behind Li Zhengzhong, grabbed his hands and pushed him to the ground, pressing his knees heavily on Li Zhengzhong's back.
Throughout the whole process, Luo Yuwen's movements were agile and smooth. Before Captain Guo could even react, Li Zhengzhong had already been pinned to the ground.
Luo Yuwen raised his head, his voice a little excited: "Captain Guo! Quick! Call them..."
And the next second, a gunshot rang out.
"Bang!"
Captain Guo shot the already restrained Li Zhengzhong in the head, killing him instantly. Blood splattered across Luo Yuwen's face, his pupils trembling with shock. The smell of gunpowder in his nostrils reminded him of what had just happened.
The three of them were blocked tightly by the iron gate, and only Luo Yuwen saw the whole process.
"Captain Guo! You!"
Captain Guo ignored Luo Yuwen's reaction. He just put away his gun and started giving orders to Zhong Yun while holding up the walkie-talkie.
"Zhong Yun! Zhong Yun! The suspect who attacked the police has been shot dead! Hurry up and lead the troops to surround the scene!"
Amidst the sound of electricity, Zhong Yun's youthful voice came: "Yes!"
After putting away the intercom, Captain Guo pulled Luo Yuwen up, patted him on the shoulder, and explained:
"Just now you were almost chopped by him, I was helping you,"
"Luo Yuwen, don't think too much, investigating the case is more important."
After saying that, Captain Guo followed the police who rushed in into the orphanage. Luo Yuwen wiped his face and also went in.
Just as Luo Yuwen had guessed, the entire orphanage was deserted, with no one else there except Li Zhengzhong.
During the search, Luo Yuwen discovered that although the orphanage looked shabby on the outside, the interior decoration was very good. It was not expensive but at least warm, and the furniture was very new, which was inconsistent with the appearance of the building.
Luo Yuwen went to the kitchen and found that the remaining food was still warm, which meant that these people had not been away for long!
The next second, Zhong Yun's voice rang out over the intercom: "Captain Guo! Brother Yuwen! There's a basement here!"
They broke open the basement door, and the smell of disinfectant filled the air. The slippery and cold tiles on the floor and walls made Luo Yuwen's heart clench again.
The basement was divided into two rooms, one containing an operating table and some medical equipment, while the other housed a large number of human organs that had not been taken away.
Unfortunately, something unfortunate happened. Luo Yuwen endured the sadness and continued to collect evidence, while also harboring doubts in his heart.
Why did Captain Guo kill Li Zhengzhong? Could it be...
He didn't dare to think further.
There is solid evidence that the orphanage is selling human organs, but the suspect Li Zhengzhong has been shot dead, the clues are cut off, and only one missing registration book was found in the entire orphanage. Apart from that, there are no other useful clues.
Luo Yuwen couldn't even find out how they escaped. There was no surveillance in the suburbs and there were many trees. He couldn't figure out how so many people disappeared in just a few hours.
Luo Yuwen was exhausted from the repeated investigations, but his results were scant. At this crucial juncture, his eighteen-year-old brother, Luo Yuyi, disappeared.
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