Urban Crisis [Complete] - 25

page views:1 Publication date:2023-03-24

Chapter Sixty-One: Stealing a Name to Donate to the Country and Harm the People; Secretly Recording and Destroying Families;

The meeting in the chairman's office of Longjin Company was chaired by Jiao Xiaoyu. General Manager Wei Ming, Deputy General Manager and
Head of the Real Estate Department Yang Yang, and six other department heads attended the meeting. A secretary was taking meeting
minutes .

Wei Ming opened the documents in his hand and said:

"Today's main agenda items are two. One is to report to everyone on the execution status of the electronic communication portion of the 6036 Project contract
, and the other is to discuss the purchase of six sets of employee dormitories. First, let's talk about the first item. Chairman Jiao, on behalf of our company,
signed import contracts with Great Wall Company and Guangdong [Company Name]. This project is progressing very smoothly and
has entered the import customs clearance stage. Our Longjin Company, after deducting all taxes payable from this service, has
a net profit 12.6 million RMB. This is the first major project personally overseen by Chairman Jiao since taking office.
Its success fully demonstrates Chairman Jiao's extraordinary work ability, and on behalf of all the company's employees, I express my gratitude to
Chairman ."

The attendees applauded. Jiao Xiaoyu hurriedly waved her hand and said,

"The work was mainly done by General Manager Wei and everyone else. I just signed the document and made no contribution. Here,
I want to remind everyone that we are a state-owned enterprise, and we must take the lead in complying with all government laws and regulations. Especially
in import and export services, we must resolutely prevent smuggling and tax evasion. We are a state-owned company run by the authorities.
If such problems occur, it will tarnish the reputation of the Party and the government."

Wei Ming nodded and said,

"The chairman's reminder is very important. Please pay attention to it in your work. The second item is that the company plans to use this
profit to purchase six residential units to solve the housing problem for senior management personnel. Let Vice Premier and Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development
Yang Yang report on the details."

After distributing the residential floor plans to everyone, Yang Yang said:

"The housing problem for senior management at Longjin Company has remained unresolved. Some comrades' personnel files and
salary records were transferred from the headquarters to the company long ago, so the headquarters no longer provides housing for them.
While some comrades' organizational affiliations remain with the headquarters, such as Chairman Jiao and General Manager Wei Ming,
the company should still provide housing to alleviate the headquarters' housing burden. This would also help ease the headquarters' burden.
The price of residential properties in our city is too high. Now there's a suitable opportunity. A foreign investor in our city, due to a shortage of funds, intends
to resell ten residential units he has already purchased, offering 20% below market price—equivalent to an 80% discount—
and they've already been fully furnished. This is an opportunity you won't find anywhere else. Whether to purchase some of them,
please discuss this, and let the chairman make the final decision. We understand that more than a dozen companies are interested in buying; we must decide quickly
to avoid missing this opportunity."

An import/export business manager asked, "Can we buy all ten units? The fully furnished units account for about 15
% make a profit by reselling them!"

“It’s too late,” Yang Yang shook his head. “Four units have already been sold. If we don’t decide today,
we won’t get any more.”

Everyone chimed in, unanimously agreeing to buy.

Wei Ming smiled and said,

“Chairman, we’re just waiting for your final decision.”

Jiao Xiaoyu glanced at the floor plan again and said,

“The location is good. Four two-bedroom units and two three-bedroom units, what’s the total price?”

“Around 5.5 million. The original price was nearly 8 million.”

“Do we have that much money on hand?”

“With the advance payment from Cheng 60361, we have more than enough to buy the houses. Money isn’t a problem.”

“Are the procedures legal?”

“Legal. We can complete the proper transfer procedures.”

Jiao Xiaoyu put down the floor plan and said,

“Since the office meeting unanimously agreed to purchase these six residences, I agree in principle. Mr. Wei, should we
go to the properties in person and have a lawyer check if the original owners’ purchase documents are
complete?”

Wei Ming asked Yang Yang, “Can we go see the properties now?”

"Yes, I'll call the owners. Let's go now."

Mr. Liu, the owner's representative, guided Jiao Xiaoyu, Wei Ming, and Yang Yang to visit six apartments in the Century Manor residential
complex . The environment was beautiful, the buildings were European-style, with two apartments per floor, luxurious entrance halls, well-designed interiors
, solid wood floors, PVC windows, and American Standard bathroom fixtures. It could be described as a high-end residence.

Jiao Xiaoyu felt the owner's asking price was indeed reasonable. She asked the owner's representative,

"Mr. Liu, judging from the apartment configuration, it seems like it's a commercial property for export?"

"Chairman Jiao saw through it immediately," Mr. Liu said helplessly. "It is indeed a commercial property for export.
If we weren't short of funds and urgently needed to cash out, we wouldn't have lost so much money. Your company has gotten a great deal. If
you want it, sign the contract and pay immediately. If not, there are many people waiting in line."

Wei Ming said unhappily,

"Mr. Liu, if you didn't want it, Chairman Jiao wouldn't have come to see the apartments in person. You can't negotiate these six apartments with
anyone else . Chairman, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; you make the decision."

Jiao Xiaoyu pulled Wei Ming to the window and asked, "

Should we report to Vice Minister Ji before making a decision?"

"I've told you many times, Vice Minister Ji never interferes in company business, and his position isn't suitable for questioning. We'll discuss it in
the office meeting; you can decide."

"Then let's buy it. I agree."

"The contract is here, and the company seal is here too. All that's missing is your signature; the contract will take effect immediately."

Jiao Xiaoyu smiled and said,

"You've prepared everything, just waiting to force me into it."

"Look at you, isn't time pressing? It should be said that everything is ready, just waiting for you to step in."

Yang Yang walked over, unfolded the four contracts, and Jiao Xiaoyu signed her name in the legal representative section of Longjin Company.

Wei Ming handed the four contracts signed by Jiao Xiaoyu to Mr. Liu, who signed and stamped them. Wei Ming
took back two copies.

"Mr. Liu, please come back to the company with me to get the check." Back at Longjin

Company, before signing the back of the check for 5,536,700 yuan, Jiao Xiaoyu
called Ji Tao. According to Longjin Company's financial regulations, checks exceeding 100,000 yuan required
the signature of a legal representative on the back to be valid; this was called endorsement. Checks under 100,000 yuan did not require endorsement from a legal representative;
Jiao Xiaoyu's seal, registered with the bank and held by the accountant, sufficed.

After reporting the details of purchasing six residential properties over the phone, Jiao Xiaoyu said:

“Vice Minister Ji, the purchase of six residences is a significant matter. Although you don't usually concern yourself with company affairs, I think
it's best to consult you. What are your instructions?”

Ji Tao's friendly voice came through the phone:

“Comrade Xiaoyu, you must be responsible and work independently. There's no need to report company affairs to me; that's a
principle. I personally think this is a good thing. Since you've been transferred here, the procuratorate won't allocate housing for you anymore,
and the agency can't solve the problem immediately. It's good that you can raise funds to solve your housing problem yourself. As far as I know,
other colleagues in the company are facing housing shortages, but you have no housing at all. I will suggest to Wei Ming that your
housing . This will also reduce the burden on the agency. Ugh, I need to return to Beijing to report and consult. For the special investigation team's
work, report more to Secretary Fang and Comrade Tieliang; for the company's business, you must be able to handle things independently, with major authority centralized and minor authority
decentralized. That's all for now. I'll visit you at your new home when I get back.”

Jiao Xiaoyu hung up the phone and signed her name on the back of the check.

Xiang Hui, Deputy Director of the Municipal Public Security Bureau and Secretary of the Municipal Bureau's Discipline Inspection Commission, went to Fang Hao's office to report on the investigation into the shooting of the man who followed her
. He presented the investigation records of the three members of the emergency response team.

Fang Hao's gaze shifted from the three records to Xiang Hui's face and said,

"Old Xiang, what's your opinion? It doesn't necessarily have to be limited to the incident of killing the suspect. You're the secretary of the bureau's discipline inspection commission,
so speak freely."

Xiang Hui took off his glasses and wiped the lenses with a cleaning cloth from his glasses case. This was a habitual action of his, as if it could
spark some inspiration.

"Secretary Fang, judging from the statements of the three members who participated in the operation to capture Yan Yao, they all agreed that it was unnecessary to fire under
the circumstances. Comrade Tang Fuyi, in particular, was even more convinced of this; he told Director Tao that
several people had already run to the alley to reinforce Chen Hu and could easily capture Yan Yao alive. However, Director Tao, citing Chen Hu's
imminent , still fired. Of course, the criminal was armed and resisted arrest, and he fired a shot at Chen Hu,
so the possibility that he killed or wounded Chen Hu and others cannot be ruled out. Director Tao is young and strong, and everyone
acknowledges his strong work ability. He has always shown a strong sense of brotherhood, sometimes taking full responsibility for police officers who make mistakes,
which shows a lack of principle. Since becoming the director, some comrades have reported that he practices nepotism and is unwilling to listen to different opinions. Apart from
these, no disciplinary violations or irregularities have been found in Director Tao's conduct. Director Tao is the top leader, and the Municipal Bureau's Discipline Inspection Commission also
works under his leadership. We cannot easily criticize Director Tao. We all hope that Director Tao can do his job well.
But for some opinions, it would be better for the higher-ups to talk to him directly; we cannot say anything."

"Alright. I suggest the Municipal Public Security Bureau Party Committee hold a life meeting for a discussion. General Secretary Jiang has repeatedly
emphasized the importance of politics, which is crucial. If leading cadres don't prioritize politics, they will lose their political direction. The meeting should
focus on implementing General Secretary Jiang's instructions on prioritizing politics. I will attend. Under the general trend of reform and opening up,
the functions and systems of the public security, procuratorate, and courts also face reform. You should study how to effectively supervise power? At
what levels can we achieve transparency in police affairs? The special and confidential nature of public security work has led some officers to develop the habit
of exceeding the Constitution, which is very dangerous. No organization, no level of government, and no organ of power can
exceed the law, especially the Constitution. Law enforcers must administer according to law. At the Party Committee life meeting, these
issues be discussed seriously, taking into account the actual situation and the leaders themselves. It would be best to compile a briefing to
set an example for other units."

Xiang Hui noted down the key points of Fang Hao's speech in his notebook.

"Secretary Fang, I'm going back. How should I report to Director Tao?"

"Report that I suggested the Municipal Public Security Bureau Party Committee hold a life meeting; don't discuss anything else."

Xiang Hui left. Fang Hao dialed Tao Tieliang's number.

"Comrade Tieliang, Comrade Lao Xiang just reported to me on the work of the Municipal Bureau's Discipline Inspection Commission. As the director, you
must support the Commission's work. I suggest the Municipal Bureau's Party Committee hold a life meeting to study and implement General Secretary Jiang's
instructions on emphasizing politics. Secondly, immediately notify the special investigation team to hold a second meeting at the guesthouse at 2 PM this afternoon.
Bring all the materials and all items left by the suspect."

"Yes, the meeting is at 2 PM this afternoon, I'll notify them right away."

The Honda Accord special investigation team held their meeting in a tense atmosphere. Tao Tieliang had already prepared his answers to
any questions from the suspect. Zhou Senlin's gaze swept across Tao Tieliang's face like a searchlight, as if to say
, "Don't insult my intelligence." Chen Hu's face was cold, preparing for a verbal battle with his old friend.
Only Jiao Xiaoyu remained calm; she knew this highly technical debate was not her place to speak. The other staff
members maintained a neutral stance.

Fang Hao smiled and said:

"From the first meeting of the task force to today, the time has been short, but the achievements are significant. In particular, the discovery
of the suspect's trail has taken a major step towards victory. While the trailman's death is a great loss, the trail has
not been broken. All the items left behind by the suspect are evidence that speaks volumes. Today, we will not debate whether killing the
trailman was more beneficial or detrimental. What has happened has its own inherent logic
and rationality ; pointless debate will only distract us. Therefore, I urge my comrades to set aside their burdens, get to
work, and study the case from a political perspective. What is politics? As I understand it, politics is
the dynamic structure of various classes, strata, and interest groups in society, and the changing relationships between them. Currently, the surge in criminal cases,
the continuous rise of corruption cases involving officials, and collusion between domestic and foreign elements..." Smuggling and organized crime fully demonstrate that the dynamic structure of
politics is being restructured. Various interest groups that prioritize their own interests over national interests
are severely damaging the economic structure of society. Political corruption stemming from economic corruption is also severely damaging the political structure of
society . The original purpose of our Honda Accord task force was to investigate a major car smuggling case.
During this time, the fire at the Forget-Me-Not Electronics Mall, the case of the missing US dollar printing plates, the case of the "hit-and-run" scheme
, and the attempted murder of the "hit-and-run" scheme by Jiang Yuexiu, along with the earlier case
of counterfeit US dollars in He Qizhang's safe, and reports of counterfeit US dollars from Guangdong, etc., all occurred. If we don't consider politics when solving cases, we cannot
discover the potential connections between these seemingly isolated cases. Adding to this the earlier cases of He Qizhang's murder,
Jiao Pengyuan's bribery, Hao Xiangshou, Li Haoyi, Jiao Dongfang, Ge Mengmeng, Qiu Siyu, and others, it is clear that
an interest group has formed in society that attempts to transcend national economic and political interests. This is the Party and...

The people absolutely cannot allow this. We are not like railway police, each handling their own section . Cases discovered during the investigation of car smuggling that endanger the national economic and political order must be investigated together. Some can be investigated separately. Comrades
, in the changing power and economic structures of society, everyone faces the choice of being loyal to the national interest,
the Party, and the people, or harming the interests of the country, the Party, and the people to satisfy only personal and small group
interests . The train of history is making a sharp turn, and some people will inevitably be thrown out. Comrades, hold on tight!
Consider these words as an introduction. Comrade Tie Liang, you can continue the meeting. I have something to ask for leave.”

Fang Hao stood up to leave, and Tao Tie Liang was the first to stand up to see him off. Fang Hao waved his hand and said:

“No one should get up, you can continue the meeting. I suggest we first study General Secretary Jiang’s instructions on politics,
and then discuss the specific details of the case. Scan the whole case with a political perspective and see through its essence. I think the case you have
is not simple, not simple at all.” After leaving the Municipal

Public Security Bureau's guesthouse, Fang Hao drove to the Military Region Enterprise Bureau. The bureau chief, Shu Shiqi, was
a classmate from the Senior Party School.

The old classmates were overjoyed to see each other. Fang Hao noticed that Shu Shiqi was wearing the shoulder insignia of a major general;
he was .

"Old Ge, I should call you General Comrade now."

"It's still more convenient to call you Old Shu. I used to be the bureau chief of the Enterprise Bureau, now I'm the political commissar. Next time you come, just say you
're looking for Political Commissar Jia. Old Fang, I know you don't have time to visit people, what brings you here? Did you somehow end up
handling ? Hahahaha!"

Fang Hao glanced at the other two officers and one soldier in the room. Shu Shiqi understood.

"You guys go out. We old classmates have a few private words."

The three left. Shu Shiqi placed a cup of tea on the coffee table.

"This is produced by the military tea processing factory itself, what do you think of the taste?"

"Old Chuan, you guessed it. I came today to handle your case." "It's too troublesome to get transferred to the military through normal
channels . Even the police and judicial vehicles can't get through your gates. I had no choice but to use your
back door."

"Tell me, I'll do my best to provide any assistance. We're one family, after all. Let's treat this as a private conversation;
there's no need to be bound by rules."

"Does your Enterprise Bureau have a Great Wall Trading Group?"

"Yes, a fairly large company. It's a joint venture with a local government, but it's not doing very well, and we're preparing to
reorganize it . Have you discovered any problems with this company?"

"We don't have conclusive evidence yet, but they might be involved in smuggling with the Forget-Me-Not Appliances Mall. We're investigating."

"Hmm, I'll check it out for you. We're just about to reorganize this company. I'll let you know if there are any developments.
If the evidence is conclusive, you should follow the normal channels. The military has always been very
supportive and cooperative with local anti-corruption efforts. If it involves active-duty military personnel, we will submit it to military law. We will never tolerate wrongdoing."

"That's great." "Old General, I have a question for you. Is there a Project 60361?
If so, will this project involve cooperation with local authorities? Of course, if it's a military secret, then I can't ask."

Chen Hu had told Fang Hao about Project 60361. Jiao Xiaoyu had told
Chen Hu about the signing of the electronic communications portion of Project 60361. Chen Hu vaguely sensed something was wrong, so he asked Fang Hao to verify with the relevant parties. Since this matter pertained to
the business activities between Longjin Company and Great Wall Trading Company, and was not within the scope of investigation, Fang Hao asked cautiously.
He added,

"Old General, this should be purely a personal matter."

Jiang Shiqi laughed heartily and said,

"What personal matter do you have? These are all major issues concerning the national economy and people's livelihood, public matters. There is
indeed a Project 60361. But this project has no direct connection with our Enterprise Bureau; only a construction department
is involved in the base construction. Old Fang, where did you hear about it?" “

It’s from one of my former subordinates. She signed a contract with Great Wall Trading Company, accepting their commission
to import electronic communication equipment for Project 60361. So I’m just inquiring.”

“Impossible, absolutely impossible. Great Wall Company has absolutely nothing to do with Project 60361. If this
is true, then someone has stolen Project 60361’s name and is doing something else entirely. If that’s the case, it’s a
big deal .”

Fang Hao was shocked. His first thought was that Jiao Xiaoyu had been tricked.

“Old Chuan, are you saying that Great Wall Company has absolutely no connection with Project 60361?”

“Don’t even mention Great Wall Company, even our Enterprise Bureau has no right to interfere with Project 6036. Who dares to steal the name of
a major military project? They’re too audacious! Old Fang, this is a very serious matter. If you keep having these
kinds of personal questions, I’ll scare you into developing neurosis. You need to quickly send a document and forward the relevant information. I
need to report to the military region leaders, and I’m afraid I’ll have to report to even higher-level leaders.” " Let's talk about the clues we've already gathered.
I was going to invite you for a drink, but I think we shouldn't. This is a big case; we can't afford to be complacent. To use
a phrase from *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, it would be a hindrance to important national affairs."

A key outcome of the second meeting of the Honda Accord task force was the decision to
start pocket. Chen Hu suspected that one of the keys found in He Yao's pocket was
a key to a bank's safe deposit box. Whether it was a bank's safe deposit box key was to be technically examined by
a lock , and each bank was asked to identify it. Another outcome was sending He Yao's photo to
public security bureaus across the country to verify his true identity.

The meeting ended at 6:30 PM. Zhou Senlin went directly to Anling Prison, where Tao Tieliang stopped Chen Hu
and Jiao Xiaoyu.

"When are you two going to invite me to your wedding? Dating isn't like solving a case; why all the secrecy?" “

Tieliang,” Jiao Xiaoyu grabbed Tao Tieliang’s hand, “Come on, let’s see the apartment I just got. I was just about to ask
Chen Hu to come with me and give me his opinion.”

“You two are looking at the new apartment, I won’t join in. I’ll wait until the new apartment to attend your wedding. I was thinking of inviting
you both to dinner, but never mind. You two go ahead with your business.”

The BMW led the way, followed by the Cherokee, heading towards Century Residential Complex.

Jiao Xiaoyu took out her keys and opened the door to apartment A on the 18th floor.

“Come in.”

Chen Hu could hear the undisguised joy in Jiao Xiaoyu’s voice.

“Wow, is it all finished?”

“The place was already fully furnished when we bought it. I was allocated a three-bedroom apartment, with a usable area of 96 square meters.
Look at this floor, it's solid wood, and the paint is so glossy.”

“This living room is over 20 square meters, right?”

“26 square meters. We'll be receiving guests here from now on. Chen Hu, do you prefer a fabric sofa or
a leather sofa?”

Chen Hu smiled and said,

“So, you're saying half of this house is mine?”

“Not half, it's all yours.”

Jiao Xiaoyu wrapped her arms around Chen Hu's neck and kissed him gently.

“This is the first kiss we've shared in our own house, it's quite memorable, isn't it?”

“Your company is really rich.”

“We also have to take a share, paying 1,450 yuan per kilometer, deducting seniority allowances, and then the property rights
are ours. Let's admire each room one by one.”

They entered the master bedroom.

“Chen Hu, look,” Jiao Xiaoyu pushed open the bathroom door, “this is the master bathroom, and the bathroom in the living room is
the guest bathroom. Two bathrooms.”

“High-class, high-class.”

“What kind of bed do you like?”

“Whatever style you like, I’ll like.”

Jiao Xiaoyu pushed open another door and said,

“This room is twelve square meters, you can use it as a study. The one opposite is smaller, I can use it as a study. When we have
children in the future, we can turn my study into a children's room, and I’ll go to your study, and we can work together.”

“You’re dreaming.”

Jiao Xiaoyu nestled in Chen Hu’s arms and said affectionately,

“Chen Hu, we should also think about our own lives. I really need a home, I need your shoulder to lean on.”

Chen Hu put his arm around Jiao Xiaoyu’s shoulder, feeling how delicate she was. He didn’t voice his doubts.
A chairman, credit cards, a BMW, and now a three-bedroom apartment—wasn’t all of this happening too fast? Was it
Xiaoyu ’s subjective pursuit that accelerated the pace of material benefits, or was it the bestowal of other forces?

“Xiaoyu, I will cherish you and protect you from harm. I also need a home, a home where you are
the lady house.”

The two kissed tightly, then rolled together in each other's arms on the empty floor. The hard
solid wood floor became a soft lawn as they rolled from one end to
the again.

This love of rolling on the ground was perhaps a remnant of their childhood. The carefree, uninhibited, and
boundless nature of their childhood had returned. Perhaps this nature stemmed from
the crawling stage before humans could walk upright. The human heart, after standing upright, endured pressures
never . Perhaps even today, our hearts yearn for the unburdened beauty of crawling on the earth
, finding primal relaxation in embracing it.

Chen Hu and Jiao Xiaoyu, a man and a woman, gained a freedom in
each that standing upright never gave them. They
had paid a higher price than others for being upright.

After examination by the Municipal Public Security Bureau, it was initially determined that one of the five keys found on the waist was likely a copper key
used in bank safe deposit boxes. Personnel were then dispatched to several banks that offered safe deposit boxes to verify its authenticity. It
was quickly confirmed that the key belonged to safe deposit box number 129 at a commercial bank in the southern district. The bank had another key in its possession
. Both keys were required to open the safe.

Following Fang Hao's instructions, Tao Tieliang, Jiao Xiaoyu, and Chen Hu simultaneously went to the scene to
open the safe deposit box.

With both keys inserted into the two locks, the small door of the safe opened. Bank staff removed a long, thin
metal box and placed it on the table.

Chen Hu, wearing white gloves, removed the items one by one from the box, while Jiao Xiaoyu registered and recorded them. Tao Tieliang,
also wearing white gloves, confirmed the items.

Chen Hu first took out a miniature audio tape and handed it to Tao Tieliang.

After inspecting it, Tao Tieliang put the tape in a plastic bag, saying,

"One miniature audio tape, undamaged."

Jiao Xiaoyu noted this in the register.

Chen Hu took out a yellowed photograph. It showed a five- or six-year-old girl and a young man
in a rural mud house. Chen Hu handed the photograph to Tao Tieliang.

After looking at it, Tao Tieliang put it in a plastic bag and said,

"A black and white photograph. It's a picture of a little girl and a man."

Jiao Xiaoyu recorded it in the register.

Chen Hu then took out another photograph. It was a family portrait, with a man and a woman who looked like a couple, each holding a
boy and a girl in their arms. Chen Hu took the photograph out of the plastic bag and compared it closely, confirming that the little girl
was the same person.

"Tieliang, look, are the girls in these two photos the same person?"

Tao Tieliang looked at it and said,

"They look like the same person, and quite pretty."

Tao Tieliang put the second photograph in another plastic bag and said,

"A black and white photograph. It shows a man and a woman, each holding a child. The girl
looks very much like the girl in the previous photo. The other one is a boy."

Jiao Xiaoyu recorded it truthfully.

Finally, Chen Hu took out the dollar printing plate he had been searching for, which was slightly deformed. He handed the printing plate to
Tao Tieliang, saying,

"I saw this printing plate in Jiang Yuexiu's safe. I didn't expect it to be here."

Tao Tieliang took the plate, examined it closely, and put it in a plastic bag, saying,

"By visual inspection, it's a US dollar printing plate, the back shows a hundred-dollar denomination, made of metal, deformed, and
has traces of baking."

Chen Hu glanced at the empty plate and said,

"Search complete."

Chen Hu said to the bank supervisors,

"Thank you, we've finished searching. I'm sorry, this key is evidence, so we can't return it for now."

"Then please sign the form for taking the items."

Tao Tieliang, Chen Hu, and Jiao Xiaoyu each signed their names and the date on the form.

The four plastic bags were put into the cipher document book.

Tao Tieliang, Chen Hu, and Jiao Xiaoyu rode together in a BMW back to the special investigation office at the city bureau's guesthouse. Cherokee and
Desert King remained in the bank's parking lot. This was done according to Fang Hao's instructions; the three of them would jointly guard the evidence.

Tao Tieliang reported the search results to Fang Hao via mobile phone from the car. Fang Hao requested on the phone that the contents
of the recording .

In the special investigation office, Tao Tieliang and Chen Hu listened to the recording and took notes of the key points. Jiao Xiaoyu and
two other staff members transcribed the contents verbatim. They listened to the recording three times, and the three people compared and
adjusted three times. By 6:00 AM, an accurate transcript was printed on the computer.

After Tao Tieliang reviewed the transcript, it was delivered to Fang Hao's home at 7:00 AM.

Fang Hao, wearing his pajamas, looked at the transcript.

Classification: Confidential

. Note: This transcript is based on a miniature recording. Judging from the noise of the street, the recording was
made in a moving car, and the sound is not very clear. A man's voice and a woman's voice. In this text, "回"
represents the male voice, and "d" represents the female voice. Punctuation marks were added by the transcriber based on tone and context.
The identities of the man and woman speaking are yet to be determined. The following is the content of the tape:

D: You have burns on your face, don't run around. Did you bring the things?

Reply: I got them. Shen Dongyang almost stole them; I had to snatch them from him.

D: Did he recognize you?

Reply: I knocked him unconscious first, then snatched them; he didn't recognize me at all. There was only one piece; I
saw a man take the other one with my own eyes.

D: Why didn't you stop him?

Reply: Too late. I didn't dare expose myself. Later, several people rushed in and carried Jiang Yuexiu and an injured
man away. Shen Dongyang was hiding behind the sofa opposite me; he took the things. I chased after him, knocked
him unconscious, and then snatched them back.

D: Idiot, you can't even handle this simple thing.

Reply: Give me a break. Setting a fire and stealing things, can one person manage that?

D: Where are the things? Give them to me.

Reply: I didn't bring them. You've met my conditions; it's not too late to give them to you later.

D: What else do you want? I've already given you the money.

Reply: Well, money and power are just a deposit. For this dirty work, I want a million. Give me that amount, and I'll give you
the stuff . If not, don't even think about taking it.

D: You brat, you dare threaten me!

Reply: You're my sister, how could I dare threaten you? With enough connections, any country, as long as it's not Asia, Africa, or Latin America,
you get me a passport and visa, and I'll return everything to you, including the photos. Sister, let me be clear,
if I get arrested by the police, I'll confess without being asked. If it really comes to that, your birth secret will
be exposed. If you fall, you'll be worse off than me. If you take me abroad, you'll be at peace.

D: You're a born scoundrel! I'm not your sister, but
the blood of that rogue village secretary flows in my veins, while the blood of the red aristocracy flows in mine. If you dare to ruin my plans, I won't have to lift a finger, and
someone will crush you to death.

Reply: I believe you. You may have that much power, but you don't have that much courage. Sister, do you know why we're both so
bad? Because even though we don't share the same father, we came from the same mother's womb. Our mother is a whore.
If anything happens to me, Xiaojun will immediately reveal the contents of the safe, and you and your father will be completely exposed!
Photos of you and your father, and our family photo, are all in my hands.

d: Don't think you can handle me. Who do you think you are? Who have I ever been afraid of? Don't forget whose
goddaughter . I'll make sure you die tonight, you won't be alive tomorrow morning. We're siblings, and I
only brought you from the countryside to the city out of brotherly love. Passports and visas aren't so easy to get, you just wait. Keep your
things safe, don't let anything go wrong. Seriously, if it weren't for me protecting you, you would have
been wiped out by now.

Reply: Who told you to be my sister? Stop at the red light, Xiaocui is waiting for me at McDonald's.

d: What's J Jun's real name?

Reply: Liu Xicui, she works at McDonald's.

Screech of brakes, slamming of car doors. The conversation in the car ended there. The section marked * is
a conversation between the same man and Xiao Cui. Based on this, it can be inferred that the man recorded the above audio in his car, and after getting out, he didn't
immediately turn off the recorder, resulting in the following incomplete conversation.

The tape idled for three minutes and forty-five seconds, recording the noise of people coming and going. The background voices will require
technical processing to be clearly discernible. In the following recording, the symbol '回' will still represent the male voice, and
'd' will represent the female voice.

回: Xiao Cui, come here.

d: Why are you here so early? It's still early before you get off work.

回: Where's the money? I need it.

d: At home.

回: Go home and get it for me.

d: I can't leave during work hours.

A male voice interrupts, saying, "Liu Xicui, you're not allowed to receive visitors during work hours! Come and clear the dishes!"

d: You can wander around for a bit. Wait for me at the door after work.

回: Damn, I forgot to turn off the machine.

The tape recorder's volume was turned off. The entire recording ended. Fang Hao

, the transcriber of the recording, tapped his fingers lightly on the printed copy. Who were this man and woman? Judging solely from their voices, it wasn't enough to determine if the man was He Yao; no one had ever heard He Yao speak before, and there was no audio data for comparison. He Yao had shouted a few times when resisting arrest, but his shouting was very different from normal speech . If the man was He Yao, then who was the woman? Was it Wu Aikun? Were they really siblings? Was the "thing" the woman asked the man for US dollar printing plates or something else? Regardless of who this woman was, she was clearly the mastermind. This woman had to be found. Fang Hao's gaze fell on the words "transcriber of the recording, Jiao Xiaoyu," and his mind became increasingly troubled. Xiaoyu was already suspected of participating in smuggling under the guise of Project 6036. Whether intentional or unintentional, as the legal representative of Longjin Company, she had signed the contract and, through a company in Guangdong, had already carried it out. Should Xiaoyu still remain working in the Honda Accord task force? Is it appropriate to hand over the investigation of the crime of misappropriating the name of Project 6036 to Chen Hu? He's in a relationship with Xiao Wu; might he favor Xiao Yu and compromise judicial fairness? If the 6036 case is handed over to Chen Hu, then Xiao Yu's awkward situation during the investigation of Jiao Dongfang and Jiao Pengyuan's cases will be repeated in Chen Hu's own life. Fate is truly cruel!

Chapter Sixty-Two: Pressing Tightly, Silent Pistol Flows Calmly, A Box of Drugs

After a night of exhaustion, Chen Hu wasn't sleepy at all. He peeled an apple for Jiao Xiaoyu.

"Eat it, get some nutrition."

Tao Tieliang, slumped on the table, lifted his sleepy eyes and mumbled,

"You only care about your sweetheart, you won't even peel one for me. Having a woman around makes a difference.
Your energy is all thanks to Xiaoyu."

Chen Hu peeled another apple. After finishing, he noticed Tao Tieliang snoring on the table. He
quietly placed the apple next to Tao Tieliang's head. He whispered to Jiao Xiaoyu,

"Let him dream of the aroma. Xiaoyu, let's go out for breakfast. Don't wake him, let him sleep a little longer."

Chen Hu covered Tao Tieliang with a military blanket, and he and Jiao Xiaoyu tiptoed out of the office, closing the door behind them.
They left the city bureau's guesthouse and went to a breakfast stall on the street. They ordered four fried dough sticks and two bowls of soy milk.

The autumn morning was chilly, and Jiao Xiaoyu shivered as she sat on the bench. Chen Hu took off his trench coat and draped it
over Jiao Xiaoyu's silk one.

"When you're sleep-deprived, you can't stand the cold. Xiaoyu, don't work anymore. After breakfast, go back to your chairman's
office and get a good night's sleep."

A bowl of hot soy milk warms her up whenever she has free time. "Chen Hu, what are your plans for today?"

"Let's eat first, or the fried dough sticks will get cold."

Jiao Xiaoyu soaked the fried dough sticks in the soy milk, looking into Chen Hu's eyes and saying,

"Your eyes are bloodshot too. This is the first time we've come out for breakfast together in this cold weather. It's so much
fun , so interesting.

" "From now on

, it'll be the first thing every day. After we get married, we'll come out for fried dough sticks and soy milk every day." "No way! What kind of life is that? After we're married, I'll get up early every day to make you eggplant sushi,
sandwiches, hot dogs, and brew coffee with Brazilian coffee beans and Australian milk." " I'll fatten you up like a little
pig."

"You're not going to turn me into Pigsy, are you?"

"Becoming Pigsy would be great. Pigsy carries his wife on his back. I'll make you carry her every day. Hehe..."

Chen Hu glanced at the person eating fried dough sticks next to him and said softly,

"Keep it down, aren't you afraid people will laugh at you?"

"What's there to be afraid of? Pigsy is an academic issue. Pigsy is a feminist enlightenment master. Look how respectful and gentle he is towards
women . In my opinion, it's similar to the European aristocratic concept of women being superior.
Pigsy bravely challenged the patriarchal consciousness. Unfortunately, all readers haven't understood Pigsy; they only see him
as a lecher. If I were a critic, I would definitely exonerate Pigsy."

Chen Hu handed Jiao Xiaoyu a tissue, wiped his mouth with it, and smiled, saying,

"I haven't understood your academic paper yet, but I completely understand my future code of conduct: be
a Pigsy, right?"

Jiao Xiaoyu's clear laughter drew everyone's attention. Chen Hu quickly pulled her hand and left the breakfast stall.

They returned to the parking lot of the Municipal Bureau's guesthouse. At this moment, Tao Tieliang walked out of the building with a tired look on his face. "

You two, you went out for breakfast without calling me."

Jiao Xiaoyu said with a smile,

"I wanted to call you, but you fell asleep at the table. Chen Hu wouldn't let me wake you." "

My old classmate still cares about me. I'll go home and sleep for half a day. If you need anything, call my cell phone."

Tao Tieliang got into the Desert King and drove out of the guesthouse gate.

"Xiaoyu, go home and sleep for half a day. Nothing will happen this morning."

"What about you? Aren't you going to sleep?"

"I can't sleep. Judging from the contents of the tape, Liu Xicui and Lu Yao have an unusual relationship. Finding Liu Xicui
will help us find out where Lu Yao came from. I'll drive around and see if there are any McDonald's near the traffic lights at the intersection."
The tape spun for over three minutes after he got out of the car, followed by a conversation inside a McDonald's, so I guess the McDonald's where
Liu Xicui works isn't far from the red light. I'll go look around and find Liu Xicui as soon as possible.

"It's too early to conclude that the male voice on the tape is He Yao

." It is a bit early. But it's not entirely without basis. The tape was found in He Yao's safe.
Although we can't rule out the possibility that he kept someone else's tape, his own tape is the most likely. Finding
Liu Xicui will reveal more clues."

"Then I'll go with you."

"Aren't you sleepy?"

"If I'm sleepy, I'll lean on your shoulder and sleep."

Looking at Jiao Xiaoyu's coquettish manner, and at her increasingly hazy eyes in her drowsy state, Chen Hu's heart fluttered
. It's so good to have a woman by your side. He opened the car door. Jiao Xiaoyu walked over and got into the car. Chen Hu used the car door to block the view of people who
might pass by and whispered,

"Xiaoyu, I love you."

"I love you too."

Jiao Xiaoyu quickly kissed Chen Hu and sat down in the seat.

Chen Hu walked around the front of the car, opened the door, got in, and sat behind the steering wheel, saying,

"If we had a day off today, it would be great. Let's go for a drive. Drive and drive, no matter where we end up,
as long as you're next to me, I'll keep driving."

"Then go ahead and drive, I'm sleepy."

Tao Tieliang returned home from the special investigation office at 7:30 in the morning. He lived in
a three-bedroom apartment on the sixth floor of Building 1 of the Municipal Public Security Bureau dormitory.

He unlocked the door and found the curtains in the living room tightly closed. He was a little puzzled; he had opened the curtains before
leaving for work , so why had they closed automatically before he even got home?

He had spent the whole night organizing the recorded materials and discussing the case with Chen Hu. The appearance of Shen Dongyang
's name on the tape had put him under a lot of pressure, so his head was a little dizzy. He didn't think too much about it and planned to go to
the bedroom to sleep for half a day.

Suddenly, a man's voice came:

"Sit on the sofa. Don't turn on the light, don't open the curtains. If you resist, this pistol of mine is silent."

Tao Tieliang's mind immediately cleared. In the morning light filtering through the curtains, he clearly saw a
man with a black hood sitting on a single sofa. He was athletic, with piercing eyes, and held a
silenced . Tao Tieliang immediately judged that the man was no more than thirty years old, well-
trained in special skills, perhaps a riot police officer, or a SWAT team member. Judging from the voice, this was the guy who had pointed a gun at him on the Desert King
and called him several times.

Tao Tieliang sat on the sofa, reaching into his coat pocket.

"What are you taking out? Slow down."

"I can tell, friend, you're in this line of work too, right? Do you really think you can keep a pistol in Shang Nong's outer pocket? You're making a mountain out of
a molehill."

Tao Tieliang took out a Marlboro cigarette and lit it.

"You dare to barge into my house? This is the police station dormitory. I can call out and you'll be arrested immediately."

"It's precisely because it's the city police station's dormitory that it's so convenient for me to come and go. How did you know I don't live in
this building? Director Tao, I've been waiting for you all night. Hey, do you want to listen to Yu's automated voicemail? I had no choice but
to listen; it's two different ladies. You're certainly busy."

"Enough nonsense. What do you want? And who sent you this time, this 'King of Kings'? I think he's not some 'King of Kings,'
but a bastard, always picking on me."

"Director Tao, if I report this to the higher-ups, you'll be in deep trouble. He's
satisfied with your killing of He Yao, but not so satisfied that you didn't immediately destroy the items He Yao left behind. He understands your predicament—
too many people participated in the operation, making it difficult for you to act. What he's most dissatisfied with is that you let Shen Dongyang go, leaving
us to clean up the mess. You're too soft-hearted; aren't you afraid Shen Dongyang will betray you later?"

“I can’t kill innocent people indiscriminately. Since you’re so omnipresent and infiltrate everywhere, why didn’t you take care of Gen Yao
? Aren’t you experts at dirty work? If he falls into my hands, I can only follow the rules.
I can’t dictate every procedure. You should understand that. I’ve already been suspected of killing Gen Yao.
The city bureau’s inspection secretary has already questioned several people about the scene.”

“The fire at the Forget-Me-Not Mall was a result of losing control. We lost control and didn’t even know Gen Yao existed.
If we had known earlier, he would have vanished long ago, and we wouldn’t have needed to use you.”

“The woman mentioned in the recording is Wu Aikun, right?”

“A recording?”

Tao Tieliang sneered:

“Hmph, it seems you can make mistakes too. After the Forget-Me-Not fire, Gen Yao
had a conversation with a woman, and he secretly recorded it.”

“Wang Zhongwang knows the situation has changed. He sent me to find out
what you found in the safe deposit box containing your personal belongings at the bank, and to discuss remedial measures with you, and to protect you to the greatest extent possible.”

Tao Tieliang stood up from the sofa, walked to the masked man, pressed his chest to the muzzle of the gun, and said:

“I’m not the kind of person who’s afraid of death, and I don’t need your protection. You’ve already dragged me into this mess, so I might as well go all the way.
Go back and tell the person who sent you that if he wants to use me, he has to create conditions for me. I want him to arrange for me
to join the Standing Committee of the Municipal Party Committee! I want to be promoted to vice-ministerial level! I know what I’m doing, and he can do it.” “Good, you have guts. He wasn’t wrong about you. He will consider your request. He’s eagerly waiting to hear your report on

what you’ve found .” "A printing plate for US dollars, two old black-and-white photographs. One shows a little girl and a young man in a rural mud house; the other shows a man and a woman with two children, a boy and a girl. The little girl in both photos is the same person. A Sony miniature cassette tape, mainly containing a conversation in a car where a man threatens a woman. We transcribed the recording last night. I have a copy; take a look." Tao Tieliang took three pages from his briefcase and handed them to the masked man. The instant the masked man took the paper, Tao Tieliang swiftly seized the silenced pistol. He stepped back, pointing the gun at the masked man. The masked man remained calm, glancing at the transcript, and said dismissively, "Fine, you're a former criminal investigator. I was tired of holding the gun, so I asked you to hold it for me for a while. If I wasn't worried about making scene, Director Tao, you wouldn't have been able to take my gun off. You're a criminal investigator, I'm Superman, you're still a step behind in terms of skill." "I can hand you over right now." "Don't bother me. I don't have time to play games with you. Can the materials still be sealed off?" Tao Tieliang pushed out the bullet, placed the gun on the coffee table, and said, "I don't like people pointing guns at me. Next time we meet, don't bring a gun." The masked man sneered, "I'm carrying a gun not for you, but to protect myself from others. My colleagues." "This morning at seven o'clock, the transcript of the recording, the one you're looking at, has been delivered to Secretary . He's looking at it now, just like you. I can't stop him. Chen Hu, Jiao Xiaoyu, and I are handling this together; this is Secretary Fang's instruction." "Where are the photos, printing plates, and audio tapes?" "The safe in the special task force office. Two officers are on duty guarding it; you can't steal it or rob it. The tape mentioned Shen Dongyang, and I'm worried Chen Hu will find him soon." "Let me clean up your mess. I noticed your fax machine can use photocopying paper; make me a copy right now. And get me a clean cloth." Tao Tieliang tossed a new towel to the masked man and went to the fax machine to make the copy. The masked man carefully wiped the paper with the towel, removing his fingerprints. Tao Tieliang handed the three copied sheets to the masked man. “Director Tao, I’ve wiped my fingerprints off the original document. Take it back. After I leave, wipe the doorknob, the phone and the floor clean. We’ll meet again. When I come back, I won’t leave without a gun just because you don’t like it. Go to your bedroom and sleep. I’ll take off my mask and leave. Don’t look back .” Tao Tieliang said to the masked man with his back to him, “Sooner or later, you’ll show your true colors.” “There will be such a day, when we drink face to face. By then, you might already be a member of the Municipal Party Committee Standing Committee.” The masked man put the magazine back into his gun and tucked it into his pocket. He took off his mask and nimbly left the room. Chen Hu was driving his Cherokee through the morning traffic. There was a traffic jam. Jiao Xiaoyu reached under the seat and took out the police light, saying, “Put the police light on. I get anxious when there’s a traffic jam.” Chen Hu took the police light, looked at it, and put it under the seat again. “There’s no rush. Let’s not use it for now.” “How long will it take to get through the queue?” Jiao Xiaoyu pouted. Chen Hu felt he should give Jiao Xiaoyu a little nudge to her sense of entitlement; he'd already noticed this . "Xiaoyu," he said, "we have the right to cut in line, but we must be careful when using any power. You just mentioned using police lights because of a traffic jam , but that's not the same as using them in an emergency. Getting used to using privileges will inflate your sense of power. Tell me, am I being too timid?" Jiao Xiaoyu gave a wry smile.

"Are you making fun of me, Xiaoyu?"

Jiao Xiaoyu couldn't stop laughing. It wasn't until the car had passed the intersection that she said,

"I remembered something you said before. Look at you, so serious just now,
completely different from when you were eating fried dough sticks. You once said that once you're in work mode, you're in a working
relationship . Your seriousness just now reminded me of what you said, and you really are like that, unconsciously
entering that state. What am I going to do from now on? Work relationship, home relationship; in bed, all
lovey-dovey, then back to being serious at your desk. Who can stand this habit? My role-switching
isn't . People aren't computers, not machines, doing whatever they're told. I think you're
hilarious."

Chen Hu, one hand on the steering wheel and the other around Scarface, said,

"You're right. I don't know how I developed this bad habit. It makes me seem so fake, does
n't it ?"

“Chen Hu, it would be better if you were just pretending. The problem is, even you can't control yourself
,
you switch automatically. You're probably the only one in all of China with this problem, and I just happened to run into you, there's nothing I can do. Logically speaking, our national conditions shouldn't have produced someone with this kind of problem; everyone uses work relationships and organizational relationships to do personal things. Are you an alien test
subject?”

“Maybe. I'm an LJFD enthusiast. Be careful, maybe one day I'll abduct you to a UFO
.”

Jiao Xiaoyu punched Chen Hu's arm and said,

“I think you yourself are a UFO, I can't get off even if I wanted to.”

Jiao Xiaoyu giggled again. Her long-suppressed nature was released by love, bursting forth
freely .

The Cherokee stopped at a McDonald's at the intersection. Chen Hu and Jiao Xiaoyu got out of the car and went into the store.
They asked the manager on duty if there was a Liu Xicui, and the answer was no. They turned around
and came out, and a McDonald's delivery truck appeared at the door.

Chen Hu walked over to the driver and politely said,

"Excuse me, sir, I'd like to ask you. How many McDonald's restaurants are there at the intersection?"

"You've come to the right person. I deliver freshly baked bread to various stores. There are nine, all at the intersection.
McDonald's is so cunning, opening all their stores at intersections. Four are in shopping malls at the intersection, some above ground and some underground.
Five are independent storefronts. Which one are you looking for?"

"Thanks. I don't know which one yet."

"Damn, buddy, they all taste the same. McDonald's all over the world tastes the same.
What ? Foreigners are all about reputation. If bread doesn't sell within a few hours, they throw it away, saying it's not fresh
anymore. Look at the bread in our store, some are over six months old, some even have green mold."

"Goodbye, sir."

Chen Hu and Jiao Xiaoyu returned to the car and said, "Let's look one by one."

Until eleven o'clock, they arrived at the last one—a fast food restaurant located in Wucai Square.

It still hadn't been demolished. The He Qizhang case and an international lawsuit actually increased its visibility, making its business
even more prosperous.

They found the duty manager, a young woman in her mid-twenties, and explained their purpose.

The female manager looked at Chen Hu's identification and said,

"Why are so many people looking for Liu Xicui today? She doesn't work here anymore."

Chen Hu immediately became alert.

"Who came looking for Liu Xicui?"

"A man came around nine o'clock, in his thirties, and said he had some personal debts with Liu Xicui. I told
him that Liu Xicui hadn't come to work for two days. Here, being absent for one hour automatically results in dismissal, so she's no longer
an employee."

Jiao Xiaoyu asked,

"Do you know where Liu Xicui lives? Does she have a phone and pager?"

"She filled out a form when she applied for the job. Please wait a moment, I'll go get it."

Five or six minutes later, the female manager returned with a form and handed it to Jiao Xiaoyu.

“You can see for yourselves. You can copy it, but you can’t take it. The man who came earlier also copied it
. He wanted to take it, but I didn’t agree.”

Jiao Xiaoyu took out her notebook and copied down Liu Xicui’s age, ID number, address, phone number, and pager number
.

Chen Hu asked softly,

“Can you describe what that man looked like? Height? Weight? What were his features? What was he wearing?
Did he come by car? Was he alone or with others?”

The female manager laughed.

“You have so many questions, let me think. He’s about 1.75 meters tall, not too fat or thin, very handsome,
single eyelids , thick eyebrows, and his eyes are very bright. There aren’t any particularly specific features. He speaks Mandarin. He was wearing a
high-end black leather jacket, like an Italian one.”

“How do you know it’s Italian?”

“My husband has one, and the buttons are exactly the same as the buttons on his jacket, embossed leather buttons. The leather is like
silk , very soft. He came alone, and it seems he drove away, but I didn’t see clearly.”

Chen Hu wrote down a set of numbers on a piece of paper and handed it to the female manager.

“This is my cell phone number. Call me if you remember anything. Has anyone come looking for
Liu Xicui A man, around twenty years old, maybe a bit older, tall and thin, who recently shaved his head; he wasn't
bald before.”

The female manager nodded.

“Yes, someone like that came. Very thin. Shifty-looking. He came more than once. He used to have long hair,
but I don't know how he became bald.”

“Do you know this bald man's name?”

“I don't know. Maybe someone does; he's the one who introduced Liu Xicui to the job interview. Wait a minute, let me see
if he comes.”

Jiao Xiaoyu dialed Liu Xicui's home phone number.

“No one answered.”

The female manager returned, bringing a young man in his twenties.

“His name is Zhang Chenggong; he's quite familiar with Liu Xicui. You two can talk.”

The female manager went to the front to serve customers, leaving only Chen Hu, Jiao Xiaoyu, and Zhang Chenggong in the office.

Zhang Chenggong seemed uneasy; his voice trembled slightly.

“I have no relationship with Liu Xicui, I haven’t broken the law, you…”

“Xiao Zhang, don’t be nervous.” Chen Hu handed him a cigarette. “We didn’t say you had any problems. We just asked you to
assist the government in investigating the matter. Please sit down.”

"How did you and Liu Xicui meet?"

"Liu Xicui and I were high school classmates and lived in the same alley. Later, her parents divorced, and her father went to
Shenzhen to do business and never came back. Her mother remarried and moved out. She was all alone at home
. I would sometimes go over to take care of her. Later, she became addicted to drugs, and we saw each other less. But sometimes she would
borrow money from me. Later, she got a boyfriend and paid back all the money she owed me. Later, she wanted to find a job, so
I introduced her to this place. I don't know why she quit after that."

Jiao Xiaowang wrote down Zhang Chenggong's confession in his notebook, wondering how many more "later"s he would use.

"Do you know the name of Liu Xicui's boyfriend?"

"Yes. His name is Hou Dewei."

"You've met Hou Dewei, haven't you? What does he look like?"

"I'm fairly familiar with him. He's tall and slender with narrow eyes."

Chen Hu pulled out a photo of his face taken after he was shot dead and handed it to Zhang Chenggong, saying,

"That's him. He looks strange, his eyes are like a dead fish."

"He's dead. He was shot dead for resisting arrest while armed. Tell me the truth about what you know."

Cold sweat immediately broke out on Zhang Chenggong's forehead.

"Later...later...later..."

"Don't be nervous. Don't just start from the later part, start from the beginning. What was the situation when you first met Hou Dewei
?"

Zhang Chenggong suddenly buried his face in his hands on the table and cried loudly:

"I didn't mean to...I didn't mean to...they used me...Oh my god..."

Chen Hu and Jiao Xiaoyu exchanged a knowing look. Jiao Xiaoyu said gently,

"Xing Chenggong, calm down. No matter how serious the problem is, as long as you tell the truth, it's easy to solve. If
you don't tell now, but tell it somewhere else, the situation will be much more serious."

"I'll talk...I'll talk...That was half a year ago, I was coming home from work..."

Zhang Chenggong had just turned into the alley on his bicycle when Liu Xicui came out of a house gate and called to him.

"Chenggong! Come here. I figured you should be off work by now."

Zhang Chenggong got off his bicycle .

"Cui, how about I treat you to a meal?"

"Put your bike up. Come to my house. I'll introduce you to a friend."

Zhang Chenggong followed Liu Xicui into the courtyard, turned a few corners, and entered the east wing. There was a
man . He sat up.

"Zhang Chenggong, my high school classmate. My boyfriend, nicknamed 'Hemp Stick,' real name Hou Dewei."

"Cui'er mentioned you to me. She said you're quite righteous. I like making friends. Sit down. This shabby house
is too small ."

Liu Xicui grabbed a handful of melon seeds from the table and stuffed them into Zhang Chenggong's hand.

"Let's have some sunflower seeds. Here's the thing. Magan and I were thinking of going to X City for a trip. I thought of you.
Let's go together, Magan will pay for the tickets. You've never been to X City before. What do you say, want to come? It'll be more fun with more people."

"That's a good thing, but I have to work. How many days?"

"Damn, we'll be back in a few days. Take a few days off."

"I'll go then. Brother Hou, I'm sorry to trouble you."

"This is a good deed that's being rewarded. You took good care of Xiaocui in the past. From now on, we're friends."

Zhang Chenggong took a puff of his cigarette and said:

"This is how I first met Hou Dewei. I wasn't too happy at the time. Because I
had been friends with Xicui for a while, and I found out that Xicui had gotten involved with someone else, I felt a little jealous. On the day of the flight, I noticed that
Liu Xijun didn't come. Hou Dewei said that Liu Xicui had an emergency and couldn't come. Hou Dewei and I flew to X City..." He arranged for me to stay at a hotel
alone, and I didn't know where he was staying. I didn't go out at all.
The next day , he didn't show up either, but called to say he was on business and couldn't come. On the morning of the third day, around 7 a.m., he
came to my hotel. He asked me to go out with him. He took me to a small restaurant and we had morning tea. He told
me to go to room 420 of the five-star hotel across the street to find a lady surnamed Wu to get a suitcase, which he said contained fabric samples.
He gave me a plane ticket and told me to take a taxi to the airport immediately after getting the suitcase. He told me to wait in the airport lobby, and someone
would come to find me and take me to the plane.

Zhang Chenggong knocked on the door of room 420. The door opened inward.

Wu Aikun stood in the doorway in her pajamas.

"Sir, who are you looking for?" "

Mr. Hou Dewei asked me to get a briefcase from Miss Wu. He said it contains fabric samples."

"Miss Wu isn't here. She went out. She said someone came to pick up fabric samples and asked me to give this briefcase to him.
What's your surname?"

"My name is Zhang Chenggong."

"Yes, Miss Wu said it's a Mr. Zhang. I'll get it for you. Come in."

Wu Aikun handed Zhang Chenggong an ordinary briefcase.

"This is it. Thank you."

"Goodbye."

Zhang Chenggong left with the briefcase. He took the elevator to the hotel lobby and got into a taxi at the entrance.

"To the airport."

The taxi stopped at the airport entrance. Zhang Chenggong got out of the taxi with his briefcase and entered the waiting hall.

Hou Dewei got out of another taxi that followed him. He pulled his hat down low
so Zhang Chenggong wouldn't recognize him.

Zhang Chenggong stood there for a while with his briefcase, wondering who was waiting for him. He queued to register his seat number.
Hou Dewei had been secretly watching his every move from a distance.

Zhang Chenggong took his ticket and walked towards the boarding gate. A man in his twenties walked up to him, patted him on the shoulder
like and said,

"Mr. Zhang, I've been waiting for you for ages. I came especially to see you off. Here, let me carry it for you."

The stranger took the suitcase from Zhang Chenggong's hand and whispered, "I'll return the suitcase to you after you've passed through the gate."

Zhang Chenggong showed his ID and ticket at the gate. The security guard checked him with a detector and let him through.

In the passenger waiting room, Zhang Chenggong sat on a chair, looking somewhat uneasy. He was worried that his suitcase would be stolen. The
man carrying the suitcase walked over and sat down next to him.

"Mr. Zhang, let's go to the smoking room for a smoke. Smoking isn't allowed on the plane, it's really suffocating."

Zhang Chenggong stood up and followed him. They turned a corner next to the smoking room and went into the restroom. The restroom was empty, so the man
opened the doors of all four toilets and looked inside. Someone was defecating in one of the stalls, and he said, "Excuse me."

The stranger placed the suitcase next to the toilet and kicked it. After Zhang Chenggong finished urinating, he picked up the suitcase and walked out of the restroom.

Zhang successfully boarded the plane, found his seat, and stuffed his suitcase into the cabin storage compartment.

Hou Dewei sat in the fifth row behind, a newspaper obscuring his face,
monitoring Zhang Chenggong and Ji Neng.

A flight attendant came over, moved the suitcase, and closed the storage door.

Zhang Chenggong took a sip of water and continued,

"Later, I returned safely. I didn't see Hou Dewei at all until I got out of the airport.
Later I found out he was on the same flight as me. That night, Xiao Cui came to my house and took the suitcase.
I had no idea what was in it. Three days later, one night, Liu Xicui called me to her house.
She was alone."

Liu Xicui closed the door, took out ten thousand yuan from the drawer, and handed it to Zhang Chenggong.

"Here you go, have a whole box."

"Give it to me? Did you rob a bank?"

"It's your hard-earned money. Magan asked me to give it to you. You went to X City with him. You can't go for nothing."

"I don't dare take it without knowing why. If it really came from robbing a bank, I'd be in deep trouble."

"Here you go, just take it. Not taking it will be bad for you. Magan will become suspicious of you."

"Cui'er, we grew up together, don't get me into trouble."

"A person can't get rich without earning extra money. If it weren't for how good you are to me, I wouldn't have been able to introduce you to such a good business opportunity, flying around and
making ten thousand yuan. Magan asked me to tell you that you absolutely cannot tell anyone that you went to X City and brought back a
box. If you don't keep your mouth shut, you'll be sentenced to death."

Zhang Chenggong was so frightened that he took the money out of his pocket and put it on the table.

"I don't want the money."

"It's too late to take it now. The job's done, whether you take the money or not, the crime is the same."

"Xiao Cui, what's in the box?"

"Ma Gan told me not to tell you. If you can keep it a secret, I'll tell you a little." "

It's a matter that could cost me my life, I can't say it even if you kill me."

"Drugs. There are drugs in your box, heroin. You absolutely can't let Ma Gan know I told you. If he
finds out, he'll definitely kill us both to silence us. People in this line of work are ruthless."

Zhang Chenggong was so anxious that he grabbed his hair.

"Why did they target me? What did I do to deserve this?"

"Don't worry. Ma Gan won't use you again. They specifically target people with no criminal record,
people unrelated to drug use, honest people. Ma Gan said it's safe to use these kinds of people to transport drugs because the police don't pay attention. And he
only uses one person at a time. What are you afraid of? Take the money, as long as you keep your mouth shut, nothing will happen. Even if
something happens to them, it won't be your problem."

Zhang Chenggong put the ten thousand yuan into his pocket.

Chen Hu was secretly delighted, having inadvertently obtained a witness to Wu Aikun and Hou Dewei's drug trafficking.

"Zhang Chenggong, how heavy do you think the box is?"

"About fifteen to twenty kilograms."

"You haven't opened the box at all?"

"Absolutely not. If I had opened it halfway and found drugs, I would have thrown it away."

"Thrown it away? You couldn't. Ma Gan has been monitoring your every move. You confessed to drug trafficking voluntarily; that
should be considered meritorious service. Try to redeem yourself through meritorious service. Do you know Ma Gan is Hou Dewei's background?"

"At first, I knew nothing, only that he was Liu Xicui's friend. Later… later from x..." After
returning from the city , we still kept in touch. But he never mentioned going out together again. One day,
the postman from our area was delivering mail and happened to run into me in the alley. Knowing that I was close to Liu Xicui, he gave
me the letter addressed to her and asked me to take it to her. I took it and saw the words "Do not fold the photo" written on the envelope, and the return
address was some village in some county of Jilin. I thought to myself, Liu Xicui doesn't have any relatives in Jilin. I was very curious, so I
gave the letter to Liu Xicui. I asked her, "I haven't heard that you have any relatives in Jilin Province." Xiao Cui said that the letter was for
Hou Dewei . Hou Dewei didn't have a mailing address, so his family sent letters to her, and she would forward them to Hou Dewei. She also said
that she could only receive the mail, not open it first. Hou Dewei had to see it before she could open it. I said, "We should be careful with people
like , let's open it first." She agreed.

"I covered the seal with a hot towel, so it would be easier to open if it got damp." Later, I carefully opened the envelope and
took out two black and white photos. One was of a man and a little girl. The other was of a couple and two
children , a boy and a girl. The two little girls looked like the same person. There was also a letter inside. I read it, and the tone
suggested it was a mother writing to her son. The letter began with "Wei'er" and ended with "Mother's letter." I thought for a moment and said to
Xicui , "Shall we make a copy? In case Magan bullies you in the future, we can show it to scare him." She agreed, so I
went out and made a copy of the letter, which I left at home. Later, I put the photos and letter back into the envelope and glued them together
.

Chen Hu took a deep drag on his cigarette and said,

"Where did you put the copy of the letter?"

"In a notebook."

"Where's the notebook?"

"At my house."

Chen Hu stubbed out his cigarette.

"Zhang Chenggong, take us to Liu Xicui's house immediately, and we'll go to your house to get the copy of the letter. Please get in the car,
I'll ask the manager for leave for you." Jiao

Xiaoyu asked the female manager for leave for Zhang Chenggong, only saying it was for official business, without specifying anything else.

Chen Hu helped Zhang Chenggong to sit in the passenger seat, attached the police light to the roof, and Jiao Xiaoyu, sitting in the back, called
Liu Xicui's house again, saying helplessly,

"No one answers."

The Cherokee sped towards the alley where Zhang Chenggong and Liu Xicui lived, cutting in front of others and running red lights.
The appearance of the man who had inquired about Liu Xicui at the fast food restaurant around nine o'clock in the morning gave Chen Hu a premonition: something
might .

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