Urban Crisis [Complete] - 26

Chapter Sixty-Three: The Female Prisoner's Strangulation in the Side Room; The Witness's Kidnapping in the Alley

; Chen Hu's hands, gripping the steering wheel, were sweating. The closer they got to their destination, the more uneasy he felt.

Why was the man in the expensive black leather jacket inquiring about Liu Xicui at the same time as me?

The tape had only reached Secretary Fang Hao this morning, and Liu Xicui had only surfaced a few hours earlier. How
could someone already be inquiring about her whereabouts, and so accurately, about her at the fast food restaurant? Who had leaked the information?

There must be an inside man.

Who could it be? Fortunately, the man in the black leather jacket hadn't yet discovered Zhang Chenggong's existence.
Was it because he was in a hurry and didn't have time to get more information from the fast food restaurant manager, or was his intelligence incomplete?

Up to this point, only Xiaoyu and I knew of Zhang Chenggong's existence. This information hadn't
leaked, which meant the man in the black leather jacket had obtained it from within the special task force and related personnel.

To keep the secret, we couldn't reveal Zhang Chenggong's whereabouts to the special task force. Once revealed, there would be no
way to keep the secret.

He remembered a friend from the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics telling him that China now had no secrets to protect. Sometimes it was so serious that
classified documents were published in overseas newspapers before they even reached the leaders' desks; it was even so serious that documents
were lost in the draft stage. It was impossible to do this without collusion between insiders and outsiders.

Chen Hu muttered to himself, "Moles!"

Jiao Xiaoyu, sitting in the back, didn't hear what he said.

"Chen Hu, what did you say?"

"Nothing."

"Should we go to Liu Xicui's house first, or to Xiao Zhang's house?"

"To Liu Xicui's house."

Zhang Chenggong pointed to the intersection on the left ahead and said,

"Go through that intersection, then turn and you'll be there. You can't turn left here. You have to go around to the underpass ahead."

"It's too late." Chen Hu turned on the siren, and the Cherokee crossed the yellow line prohibiting driving over it, turning left and passing the intersection.

"First alley, turn right, the third door is Liu Xicui's house."

The Cherokee stopped in front of the courtyard. Chen Hu, Zhang Chenggong, and Jiao Xiaoyu got out of the car. Chen Hu said, "Lead the way." Zhang

Chenggong led Chen Hu and Jiao Xiaoyu across the dilapidated threshold, past the small kitchens built in front of each house, and
straight to the east wing.

The door was tightly shut. Zhang Chenggong knocked and said, "Xiaocui, Xiaocui, open the door. It's me, Xiao Zhang."

No one answered.

Chen Hu pushed the door open abruptly. A woman was sitting in a chair in front of a two-drawer table, her head resting on the table.

Chen Hu lifted the woman's head; there was a deep ligature mark on her neck.

"Is she Liu Xicui?"

Zhang Chenggong instinctively tried to run out, but Jiao Xiaoyu pushed him back.

"...Yes...Xiaocui..."

Chen Hu released his grip. Liu Xicui's head fell heavily back onto the table.

“Death by mechanical asphyxiation,” Chen Hu crouched down, examining the ligature marks closely. “It was caused by a thin steel wire. The body is
warm; the time of death couldn’t have been more than an hour.”

Jiao Xiaoyu said dejectedly,

“We’re too late. Should we call an ambulance?”

“No need. Xiaoyu, I’ll notify Director Tao to send a vehicle to collect the body, along with a nylon body bag. The forensic doctor and criminal investigators
will come together. We’ll wait in the yard and protect the scene. Don’t make a sound before they arrive; don’t let the neighbors know.”

Zhang Chenggong was so frightened that he sat on the ground, trembling uncontrollably. Chen Hu pulled him up.

“Calm down. Xiaoyu, take Zhang Chenggong to his house immediately to get the notebook. Come on, I need to talk to you about something.”

Chen Hu led Jiao Xiaoyu out of the east wing, where there was a small, self-built kitchen. He pushed open the door, let Jiao Xiaoyu
in , followed him in, and closed the door.

“Xiaoyu, take Jing Chenggong home to get the letter copy. Don’t come back. Take him and
leave through the other end of the alley. Hand him over to Director Zhou for arrangements. Right now, no one except you and me can know about him. I said
no one, understand? We’ll talk about it after Director Zhou makes his arrangements. Zhang Chenggong’s life might be in danger. I suspect there’s
a mole. Take him away, don’t alarm the neighbors. Move out.”

Chen Hu pushed open the door and stood in the yard observing the terrain. There was no back door; the perpetrator could only enter and
exit through the front door, which meant someone would definitely see him.

Jiao Xiaoyu took Zhang Chenggong away from the yard.

Chen Hu dialed Tao Tieliang’s cell phone and explained the situation. Tao Tieliang said on the phone that he would bring criminal investigators immediately
. He hung up the phone, and a woman in her thirties came out of the north room to pour sesame paste. She was suspicious of Chen Hu, this
stranger .

"Comrade, who are you looking for?"

"I'm looking for Liu Shancui."

"She's in the east wing."

"I know. She's not up yet. I want to ask you something. Did you see anyone come looking for Liu Xicui just now?"

Chu Nong felt this woman was quite vigilant and should know something. The woman said,

"About an hour ago, an old man with a cane came by, and he was hunchbacked. I saw him knock on the door, and Xiaocui
opened it for him and let him in. Less than ten minutes later, the old man came out and said to the house, 'Don't see me off, I'll come see you again
in a couple of days ,' and then he left. He passed right by my door. Comrade, Xiaocui couldn't be still asleep; I
saw her open the door for the old man."

"How old was that old man? What did he look like?"

"Glasses, a white beard. Comrade, why are you asking so many questions? "

Before she finished speaking, the sound of sirens and footsteps came from outside the gate. The woman looked flustered. Chen Hu comforted
her,

"Sister, don't be afraid. I'm from the procuratorate." At this

moment, Tao Tieliang entered with more than a dozen armed criminal police officers and two forensic doctors in white coats.

Chen Hu greeted him, saying, "She's in the east wing. She was already dead when I arrived. I'm investigating the details."

Tao Tieliang pushed open the door to the east wing. The criminal police officers responsible for taking photos and videos entered the room to photograph and videotape the deceased from
different angles.

The neighbors were alarmed and gathered around, but were dissuaded by the criminal police. Two criminal police officers set up
yellow to prevent unauthorized personnel from entering.

Chen Hu crawled through the waist-high yellow police tape and entered the east wing. He saw that under Tao Tieliang's command, several
criminal police officers were conducting a scene investigation in an orderly manner. Some were collecting fingerprints from the doors, windowsills, tables, and chairs, while others were collecting
footprints from the ground. Some were taking photos and videos. The forensic doctor carefully examined the deceased's fatal ligature marks.

Tao Tieliang pulled Chen Hu out of the east wing and brought him to the yellow police tape.

"Chen Hu, did you come alone?"

"Xiao Yu is with me." After searching several fast food restaurants, I finally found out Liu Xicui's address. I estimate that before I arrived...
"Liu Xicui had already suffocated to death an hour ago."

A detective walked over and said,

"Chief Tao, can the deceased be taken away?"

"Take her away, to the Public Security Hospital."

Soon, a stretcher emerged from the east wing, the body already placed in a black nylon body bag. Tao Tieliang
walked to the stretcher, unzipped the body bag, revealing Liu Xicui's head.

Tao Tieliang zipped it up and waved his hand. Two detectives carried the stretcher out of the courtyard gate.

"Where's Xiaoyu?"

"She went to take care of something else."

Tao Tieliang looked at Chen Hu suspiciously.

"Did you search the east wing?"

"No. I waited for you to come. I didn't touch anything."

"Zhang Biao," Tao Tieliang called over a detective, "Chief Chen was the first person to arrive at the scene, he reported
the case. Go find Chief Chen to take a statement. Chen Hu, it's routine, please cooperate. I'll organize the search." Tao

Tieliang entered the east wing. Zhang Biao took out his notebook.

"What's your surname?"

"Chen Hu."

"What unit?"

"Anti-Corruption Bureau of the Procuratorate."

"Position?"

"Deputy Director."

Zhang Biao nodded and said,

"I've heard of you, I've heard of you. Director Chen, tell me about the situation. What time did you arrive? Why did you come here?
Do you know the deceased? Was your visit here an official act or a personal act?"

Chen Hu, with a burn scar, said.

"Comrade Zhang Biao, could you ask me later?"

"I'm sorry, this is routine procedure." Tao

Tieliang and two detectives searched the house. He moved a chair and placed it next to the wardrobe. Stepping onto the chair,
he pulled down a cardboard box.

Opening the lid, he found several old clothes inside. One detective peeked out, then turned to search the bed.

Tao Tieliang moved the clothes aside, revealing a bundle of letters bound together with thin rubber bands at the bottom of the box. He looked around, and seeing
no one was watching, quietly slipped the letters into his pocket.

Tao Tieliang put the box back on top of the wardrobe.

"There's money here." One detective pulled 20,000 yuan from a shoebox under the bed. "

Keep searching," Tao Tieliang said, stepping on the red bricks of the floor with his shoe. "If we find 20,000, we can find 100,000.
Check if any of the floor tiles are loose."

One detective tapped the floor with a small hammer, making a hollow sound when he hit the tiles under the table. "There might be something wrong here
."

"Pry it open." "Tao Tieliang gave the order.

Two detectives used screwdrivers to pry open six red bricks, revealing a large box buried underground. They then pried open the lid,
revealing it full of RMB and USD.

The detectives took it out stack by stack, exclaiming,

"This is a veritable underground bank. No thief would ever think of hiding so much money in this dilapidated house."

Another detective said,

"Chief Tao, this case wasn't about murder for money. The perpetrator didn't know anything about this house or the deceased. If they
knew the place well, they wouldn't have gone to such lengths. Even robbing a bank wouldn't necessarily yield this much money, including a considerable amount of USD." Tao

Tieliang didn't respond. He wondered to himself, was the masked man who strangled Liu Xicui this morning?
If so, he was incredibly fast. He cursed inwardly, "Idiot, why didn't they stage
a murder for money
Chen Hu have any clues he's keeping from me? That kid always holds back; I have to be wary of him."

After Jiao Xiaoyu retrieved the letter from Na Chenggong's house, she immediately led him away from the other end of the alley. She heard the sirens of police cars
behind them , but didn't turn around.

She didn't want to arouse suspicion from the neighbors, nor did she want to increase Zhang Chenggong's fear. She walked side-by-side with him, chatting and laughing
like old acquaintances.

There were no taxis in the alley. Once they left the alley... At the intersection, Jiao Xiaoyu held Zhang Chenggong's hand while waiting for a taxi.
She was wary of him, gripping his hand tightly to try and escape.

But she didn't realize danger was lurking right before her.

The man disguised as an old man with a cane, the one in the black leather jacket who went to the female manager to inquire about Liu Shancui, the masked man who had been staking out Tao Tieliang's house
in the early morning , hadn't gone far after strangling Liu Xicui at Liu Xiwei's house.

He changed his clothes, drove back, and monitored the alleyway to see what might happen and understand
the progress to decide on contingency measures.

At the other end of the alley, not far from Liu Xicui's house, he saw Chen Hu and Jiao Xiaoyu
get out of the Cherokee and enter the courtyard. He knew Chen Hu and Jiao Xiaoyu's faces very well; he had thoroughly studied his
opponents .

He... He drove to the entrance of the alley, parked on the roadside, and used binoculars to monitor everyone entering and leaving.

He saw Jiao Xiaoyu leading a young man out of Liu Xicui's courtyard and walking towards him, entering
another courtyard.

Based on his extensive experience, he knew he had failed; the situation wasn't entirely under his control.

He took a picture of Zhang Chenggong with his 300x telephoto camera. Then, he saw Tao Tieliang lead a team
to Liu Xijun's house.

He stayed to continue surveillance. When he saw Jiao Xiaoyu and the young man walking towards him from inside the car,
he knew his opportunity had arrived. He felt a sense of smugness, considering himself a true counter-surveillance expert.

He started the engine and slowly drove up to Jiao Xiaoyu. Suddenly, he pushed open the car door, nimbly got out, and glared fiercely into
Jiao Xiaoyu 's eyes. One punch.

Caught off guard, Jiao Xiaoyu fell to the ground.

He pushed the stunned Zhang Chenggong into the car, got in, and sped away.

All of this happened in a matter of seconds; bystanders had no time to react. They only saw a
girl suddenly fall.

Jiao Xiaoyu was helped into a taxi by a kind person and taken to the hospital. The powerful blow had
ruptured Jiao Xiaoyu's left eye socket, causing significant bleeding. After falling, her head hit a corner of the wall, opening a three-centimeter-long
gash, and she suffered a concussion.

An hour and a half later, Jiao Xiaoyu woke up in the hospital's emergency room. Her left eye was bandaged, and she was throbbing with
pain and dizziness.

Jiao Xiaoyu took out her phone and dialed Chen Hu's number, saying, "Chen Hu, Xiao Zhang has been kidnapped, I'm
... Doctor, what hospital is this?"

"Dongjiekou Hospital."

"I'm in the emergency room of Dongjiekou Hospital."

Chen Hu was still being interrogated by Zhang Biao in the courtyard. He said, "I'll be there soon," and started to walk out.

Zhang Biao grabbed him and said,

"You haven't finished questioning me yet."

Chen Hu said sternly,

"Zhang Biao, are you trying to stop me from carrying out my official duties?"

"What kind of talk is that? I'm also carrying out my official duties."

Chen Hu strode out of the courtyard gate.

Zhang Biao said angrily, "What kind of airs are you putting on?"

Tao Tieliang came over and asked,

"Zhang Biao, where's Director Chen?"

"He answered a phone call and turned around and left."

"Where did he go?"

"He didn't say. He seems quite angry."

Tao Tieliang ran out of the courtyard gate and saw the Cherokee drive out of the alley.

Chen Hu rushed to the East Street Hospital as fast as he could. After getting out of the car, he went straight to the emergency room.

Jiao Xiaoyu's left eye and head were completely wrapped in white gauze, and she was lying on the hospital bed receiving an IV drip.

Chen Hu stood in front of the bed and, seeing that Jiao Xiaoyu's eyes were closed, quietly pulled the doctor aside.

"Doctor, is she in danger?"

"She's badly injured. Her left eye socket is lacerated. She has a cut on the back of her right head, requiring four stitches. She also has a concussion. She's not fully conscious
right now . She'll feel dizzy and nauseous when she wakes up, but she's not in any immediate danger. The main concern is preventing infection."

"Does she need to be hospitalized?"

"At least a week. What's your relationship to her?"

"I'm her boyfriend."

"Boyfriend? How did she get so badly injured?"

"I'm wondering the same thing. Doctor, can you wake her up and ask her a few questions?"

"You'd better let her rest. "

"No, it's an emergency."

"The hospital has to be responsible for the patient. What unit are you from?"

Chen Hu showed his prosecutor's office ID.

The doctor returned the ID to Chen Hu.

"Don't take more than three minutes."

"Okay, thank you."

Chen Hu walked to the bedside and gently took Xiong Xiaoyu's hand.

"Xiaoyu, Xiaoyu, it's me, Chen Hu."

Jiao Xiaoyu opened her right eye.

"You're here... I..."

"Don't talk too much. You'll be fine after a few days of rest. Do you still have the copy of the letter?"

"Yes. It's in my shirt pocket."

Chen Hu took a photocopy of the letter from Jiao Xiaoyu's shirt pocket and put it in his briefcase. "

How did you get injured? Did the kidnappers beat you?"

"Yes. I didn't see what they looked like, it was a man."

"They hijacked Zhang Chenggong into their car, right?"

"Yes, the car was black. I didn't see the model or the license plate. I was knocked unconscious."

"Xiaoyu. You should stay in the hospital for a few days. I'll report to Director Zhou and come see you tonight."

"Will I go blind?"

"No. Xiaoyu, I love you. Even with only one eye, I love you. It's all my fault for not thinking things through."

"It's not your fault. They acted so quickly, I also felt there was a mole."

"The situation is urgent. I'll arrange for you to be hospitalized first, and I'll come see you tonight."

Tears welled in Chen Hu's eyes. Jiao Xiaoyu reached out and wiped them away.

"A grown man like you, still crying. I didn't even cry. Go on." Chen

Hu nodded, stood up, and quickly walked out of the emergency room.

Back at the Anti-Corruption Bureau, he reported to Zhou Senlin
the latest developments regarding Liu Xicui's murder, Jiao Xiaoyu's beating, and Zhang Chenggong's abduction, and showed him a copy of the letter he had obtained from Zhang Chenggong's home.

"Director Zhou, based on these sudden events, I can't help but suspect there's a mole operating within the special task force.
Despite my precautions, the mole has consistently gotten ahead of us, and Xiaoyu almost lost her life."

"What are your thoughts?" Zhou Senlin asked, reading the letter.

"I suspect the mole is within the public security, procuratorate, and judicial system, and in the middle to upper ranks. Otherwise, his intelligence wouldn't be so timely."

"Chen Hu, do you suspect me?"

Chen Hu was taken aback by Zhou Senlin's words and paused for a moment before saying,

"Theoretically, we can't rule you out. Because you've seen the transcribed content of the audiotape. Anyone who has access to
the transcribed content cannot be ruled out as a leaker."

Zhou Senlin smiled slightly and said,

"That naturally includes you, Xiaoyu, Tieliang, and the other comrades in the special task force, right?" “

Theoretically, that’s how it is.”

“This letter is very important,” Zhou Senlin handed the letter back to Chen Hu. “
How many ?”

“Me, Xiaoyu, and you. Currently, only these three people. The person who kidnapped Zhang Chenggong can find out the contents of this letter from Zhang Chenggong
. Of course, this is just my speculation.”

Zhou Senlin squinted at Chen Hu and said,

“Only you and Xiaoyu in the task force know about Zhang Chenggong. I and Tao Tieliang don’t know. It
was precisely under these circumstances that Zhang Chenggong was kidnapped. So does that mean that one of you and Xiaoyu
leaked the information? You’ll say that you definitely didn’t, then that leaves only Xiaoyu. Chen Hu, do you suspect
Xiaoyu?”

“I don’t suspect her. She was beaten.”

“What if the beating was a ruse? You’d have nothing to say then. Chen Hu, without sufficient evidence, you can’t just say there’s
a traitor. This is a serious taboo within the Party. It’s creating division and conspiracy, which is absolutely not allowed. Let’s go, let’s
ask Secretary Fang for instructions.” "I'll call him first to see if he's there."

Fang Hao's secretary called back. Secretary Fang was receiving a foreign government delegation. They were to meet at
the Municipal Bureau's guesthouse at 8 PM tonight for a briefing, with Zhou Senlin, Tao Tieliang, and Chen Hu designated to attend; other comrades were not required to attend.

At 7:50 PM, Tao Tieliang, Chen Hu, and Zhou Senlin sat down at the conference table. There was no small talk;
the atmosphere was cold.

At 7:55 PM, Fang Hao entered, accompanied by his secretary and security staff. Ensuring the leader's safe arrival
at the meeting was the secretary and security staff's duty.

"You can go now," Fang Hao said to his secretary.

The secretary and security staff left to wait in another room.

"Comrades, I already know some of the basic information. Today, we're convening
a meeting . Comrade Xiaoyu is injured and hospitalized and cannot attend. We've expanded Comrade Chen Hu's participation to discuss any unforeseen circumstances. I
also spoke with Comrade Ji Tao on the phone; he's in a meeting at the Central Committee. Let's have the meeting. Comrade Tieliang, you first talk about
the search of Liu Xicui's house."

Tao Tieliang took a few sheets of paper from his briefcase and placed them on the table. "

Secretary Fang, may I first speak about my personal situation?"

Fang Hao swallowed a pill with hot water.

“Anything related to work can be discussed. If it's not too serious, Comrade Tieliang, shall we find another
opportunity to talk?”

“My personal situation is related to work.” Tao Tieliang handed Fang Hao two documents. “One is
a list of items searched from Liu Xicui's house. The other is my report requesting the organization's approval for my resignation as head of the Honda Accord task force
. I am incompetent, my work is inadequate, and I failed to complete the tasks assigned by my superiors; therefore, I am not suitable to continue serving as the task force leader
. However, I need to explain two points. First, there is serious disunity within the task force, even
a blockade of information. After Comrade Chen Hu called to inform me of Liu Xicui's murder, I immediately led a team to
the scene . During the investigation, I asked several times what other circumstances had occurred. Chen Hu said no. I then asked him
if Jiao Xiaoyu had been to the scene, and he said she had come but then went to do other things. Subsequent investigations and events
proved that Comrade Chen Hu lied. Neighbors testified that Jiao Xiaoyu brought Zhang Chenggong into Liu Xicui's house.” Cui's family, and later took Zhang
Chenggong away. Because Zhang Chenggong frequently visited Liu Xicui's house and lived in the same alley, they all knew Zhang
Chenggong. I don't understand why Comrade Chen Hu deliberately concealed this fact from me. I am the head of the special task force and
have the right to inquire about clues related to the case. Later, the bad consequences of Jiao Xiaoyu being beaten and Zhang Chenggong being kidnapped occurred, and Chen Hu should
bear full responsibility. If he had told me at the time that Jiao Xiaoyu went to Zhang Chenggong's house, I could have sent criminal police to
protect her. Then the later events would not have happened. The so-called kidnapping of Zhang Chenggong is currently only Jiao Xiaoyu's
statement, and there is no evidence yet. Jiao Xiaoyu should bear some responsibility for Zhang Chenggong's escape.
Everyone knows about Jiao Xiaoyu's romantic relationship with Chen Hu. During the investigation, she disregarded organizational discipline, did not follow procedures, and ran a "husband-and-wife business.
" What kind of problem is this?

Chen Hu said, unable to suppress his anger:

"Comrade Tieliang, you must take responsibility for your words!"

"I take legal responsibility for every word I say. This
isn't the first time Comrade Chen Hu has blocked information from the task force and higher authorities. He took the US dollar printing plates from Jiang Yuexiu's safe without telling anyone. Whether Comrade Chen Hu
did this out of distrust of his comrades or to steal the credit, I don't know. Comrade Chen Hu is
more capable than me; perhaps he thinks he's more suitable to be the team leader. My second issue is that I suspect
someone leaked information, leading to the strange incidents of Liu Xicui being strangled and Zhang Chenggong being kidnapped. Due to these two points, I feel
I am not up to the job of team leader and request the organization to reconsider. However, I solemnly declare that as an ordinary
member of the task force, I will continue to work hard to complete the tasks assigned to me. Perhaps I'm a little agitated. Please
criticize me and please also criticize me, Comrade Chen Hu."

An awkward silence followed. No one expected Tao Tieliang to resign or to
criticize Chen Hu so fiercely.

Fang Hao broke the silence.

"Comrade Tieliang's resignation as group leader is too sudden. Your resignation as group leader is not something I
can decide ; I also need to consult with Deputy Minister Ji. So this issue will not be discussed. There is freedom of criticism within the Party,
and also freedom to respond to criticism. Comrade Chen Hu, do you have anything to say about Comrade Tieliang's criticism?
It's a good thing that we can exchange ideas."

Chen Hu lit a cigarette, took a few deep drags, and tried to calm himself down.

"I share the same thought as Comrade Tieliang; I also suspected that information had been leaked. So when Comrade Tieliang asked me
if there was anything else, I didn't say anything at the time because there were many people around. Especially after Liu Xicui was strangled to death, I
couldn't help but wonder why someone always seemed to get there before us. I still hold this view. The main responsibility for
Comrade injury and Zhang Chenggong's abduction lies with me; it was my oversight. My main concern at the time was
that another leak would lead to the same fate as Zhang Chenggong and Liu Xicui. On this point, I accept Comrade Tieliang's
criticism. As for Comrade Tieliang's criticism that I was working with my husband during the investigation, I cannot accept that. I never
mix work and personal feelings. If the organization believes that Jiao Xiaoyu and I are not suitable to be in the same task force, I am willing to withdraw from
the task force ."

Fang Hao spread his hands and said,

"Old Zhou, look at these two old classmates and friends. One wants to resign from his position as team leader, and the other wants to
withdraw from the task force. It seems that only the two of us old men are left, and we'll have to play the empty city trick."

Zhou Senlin's tone was relaxed.

"It's time to play the Empty City Stratagem. Jiao Xiaoyu is injured again and hospitalized. Lao Fang, you play Zhuge Liang in the Empty City Stratagem,
and I'll play Sima Yi, but I, the Sima Yi, am about to retire, leaving you alone to bite."

Tao Tieliang, Chen Hu, and Fang Haoquan laughed, and the atmosphere eased considerably. Zhou Senlin continued,

"I want to learn from Comrade Tieliang. He dares to offer sharp criticism to old classmates and friends face-to-face,
a courage I have none of. As for someone leaking information, I don't think that's possible. The two sides in the conflict
should have roughly the same thinking: reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance. Great minds think alike, it's not surprising at all. That was
just a prelude; let's get down to business. Let's unite and form an iron fist against crime. Chen Hu,
if you can humbly accept Tieliang's criticism, then extend your hand. Whether we can form a fist mainly depends on the two of you
.

" Senlin gently nudged Chen Hu's foot with his own. Chen Hu stood up, extended his hand to Tao Tieliang, and said,

"Tieliang, I accept the criticism." Tao

Tieliang gripped Chen Hu's hand tightly, shook it vigorously, and then placed his hand on Chen Hu's. Chen Hu returned

the gesture. Tao Tieliang, his voice sincere yet discreet, said,

"Chen Hu, please bear with me. It's a difficult time, and I have to apologize to you. But remember
this : in my heart, you will always be my best friend." "

Next, a technical discussion of the case was held. Tao Tieliang led the city's criminal investigation team to track
down the hostage-taker and the hostage, Zhang Chenggong, and to investigate the source of Liu Xicui's huge sum of money. Chen Hu was responsible for finding Shen Dongyang's whereabouts and
tracing the details of the fire at the Genyao and Forget-Me-Not Malls, as well as the counterfeit US dollar case. After Jiao Xiaoyu recovers, she will assist
Zhou Senlin in continuing the investigation of the Honda Accord smuggling case.

Before the meeting adjourned, Fang Hao proposed to take the audiotape, two black-and-white photos, and
US dollar printing plates found in the Genyao Bank's personal safe deposit box back to the municipal party committee for the experts from the central government to study. Tao Tieliang had no choice but to agree. Fang Hao's bodyguard and
secretary brought them over, signed the form for borrowing the evidence, and put the evidence into the briefcase carried by the secretary.

After shaking hands with everyone, Fang Hao said:

'You've been working non-stop for two days and one night, and it's already past midnight. Go back and rest.'"

Zhou Senlin saw Fang Hao to his car, and Fang Hao whispered, "I'll wait for you in my office."
At 1:15 a.m., Zhou Senlin arrived at Fang Hao's office at the Municipal Party Committee.

His secretary brought in two bowls of white fungus soup and quietly left.

"Here, have some. Old Zhou, I know you won't sleep well if I don't call you. You said on the phone
you had a letter?"

Zhou Senlin took out a photocopy of the letter and handed it to Fang Hao.

"It's this letter. Zhang Chenggong and Liu Xicui made a copy of it on their backs. Xiao Wu went to Zhang Chenggong's house to
pick it up. It's very interesting. Take your time reading it."

"You and Chen Hu didn't mention this letter at the meeting. Don't you two trust Tao Tieliang?"

"It's not that we don't trust him. It's just that this letter looks simple, but it might involve the privacy of a high-ranking official.
I don't think it's appropriate to spread it. Discussing the contents of this letter at the special case meeting, although it might help solve the case, also
raises suspicions of fabricating dirt on others. Chen Hu wanted to bring it up for discussion at the meeting, but I stopped him."

"You're very thoughtful. Why don't you call yourself Zhou Senlin? You
're very discreet. Old Zhou, you said at the meeting that no one leaked information. Were you using a smokescreen?"

"Nothing can be hidden from you. Someone must have leaked the information, but it's not appropriate to raise that question now. Chen Hu said that
even I can't rule out suspicion in theory. I think—the series of strange events are related to political corruption within the public security, procuratorate, and judicial system.
We need to continue to observe calmly."

Fang Hao took a file from the safe and handed it to Zhou Senlin.

"This is a top-secret document. You can only see it here, and you should see it now. This is likely a typical corruption case involving
powerful agencies; they misappropriated the name of a key military project. It involves
Longjin Company, with Jiao Xiaoyu as the legal representative, making Xiaoyu a suspected smuggler. Take a look. Same rules as before, no
statements allowed I'm going to sleep for an hour or so. I'll have the security staff come and keep you company. Wake me up when you're done; I want to hear your
opinion."

Fang Hao went to sleep in the next room. The security staff came in and poured Zhou Senlin a cup of tea. Actually, his
duty was to guard the top-secret document.

Zhou Senlin smoked seven or eight cigarettes in a row before finishing the document.

"I'm done. Please ask Secretary Fang to come over,"

Fang Hao said, returning with a weary look on his face, wearing a cotton overcoat.

"Finished reading?"

"Finished reading. My heart was pounding. Now I'm not sleepy anymore. This is a report for the Central Committee. You need
the imperial edict , my opinion is insignificant, isn't it?"

"I wanted to entrust this case to you, how can you say your opinion is insignificant? What are your thoughts?"

Zhou Senlin lit another cigarette and said:

"At the beginning of the reform, China was deeply mired in corruption due to the destruction caused by the ultra-leftist line. After sixteen years of reform, I
think corruption is now deeply entrenched. Once the military and the organs of power become corrupt, it is easy for economic corruption to turn
into political corruption. The military and the organs of power are fortresses within fortresses; if they become corrupt, our Party will really have to
destroy itself. Old Fang, I still have confidence in punishing corruption cases involving government officials. But
I have no confidence at all in punishing this kind of corruption case, because the power is in their hands, they are the state apparatus themselves.
The difficulty is unimaginable; if you deal with them, they will deal with you in return!"

"I share your concerns, which is why I submitted a report to the Central Committee, suggesting they open a case. This case involves
a wide range of issues. Although it has nothing to do with the 6036 military project itself, the military region, or the military region's enterprise bureau, there are several active-duty officers
involved who misappropriated the name of the 60361 project. And military crimes are not
tried by local judicial authorities. Longjin Company is not an ordinary company; it's a state-owned enterprise directly under the central government. Although Forget-Me-Not
Electrical Appliances Mall is a joint-stock company, Jiang Yuexiu's father is Jiang Dabing, and Wu Aikun has extensive connections,
involving customs and several coastal provinces. Only a central government-initiated case is legitimate, can it be effectively investigated, and can it be carried out thoroughly.
The 6036 military project command and the military region's enterprise bureau are highly motivated to thoroughly investigate this case. I believe this case will
attract the Central Committee's high attention. As the location where the case occurred, we will certainly have to undertake a considerable workload. Old Zhou, do you
think it's appropriate to have Chen Hu participate in the special investigation in addition to you?"

"Old Fang, I understand your thoughts. You're worried that Chen Hu and Xiao Yu are about to become one. Xiao Yu is
involved , and Chen Hu is the investigator. You're afraid that Chen Hu will be unfair in his enforcement of the law, and you're also afraid
that the relationship between Chen Hu and Jiao Xiao Yu, which they've worked so hard to mend, will be hurt again. Old Fang, we're the same; we always treat them like children. Parents' hearts are always full of love and worry. The blessings of our children and grandchildren are their blessings; the sins of our children and grandchildren are their sins. I disagreed with
Vice Minister Ji appointing Xiao Yu as the legal representative of Longjin Company , but what good did it do? We couldn't stop it. There are many things we can't prevent from happening. Let the children mature on their own in the face of adversity; we can't take over for them." Fang patted Zhou Senlin's knee and said, "You really understand me. So tell me, is it appropriate to let Xiao Yu continue to participate in the Honda Accord case team?" “What’s inappropriate about it? Unless there’s solid evidence that Xiaoyu is suspected of a crime, we can’t terminate her employment. Xiaoyu is representing the anti-smuggling leadership group in the case, and we don’t have the authority to dismiss her. Even if we want to replace her, it would require Vice Minister Ji’s approval. I suspect the woman talking to Geng Yao in the car was Wu Aikun. She was driving, which is why she didn’t notice Geng Yao secretly recording. I suggest sending Xiaoyu to question Wu Aikun and comparing the audio recordings’ physicochemical parameters. If the technical analysis confirms they are the same person, then she is at least the mastermind behind the fire. We’ll arrest her, regardless of whose goddaughter she is.” Fang Hao couldn’t help but laugh: “Old Zhou, you’re truly a man about to retire; your words are sincere. Don’t be too happy yet. The Municipal Party Committee has decided and reported to the Supreme People’s Procuratorate for approval; you’ll remain in your post for another year.” Zhou Senlin’s expression immediately darkened. "Sigh, Lao Fang, you're relentless in ruining people! I'm not talking about the sea of teaching, I'm talking about destruction. You're determined to utterly destroy me. We finally got a safe soft landing, and you insist on making this old, worn-out plane take off again, to fight again. No way, even if you don't let me retreat, I have to. Why don't you use Chen Hu?" Fang Hao sighed. "The matter of Chen Hu becoming the head of the Anti-Corruption Bureau was rejected by the Standing Committee of the Municipal Party Committee. Chen Hu has made too many enemies. You know Committee and the Municipal Government will never have peace. There's no other way but to make you work hard for another year. Actually, the organization also feels sorry for you."

" In my opinion, you should be promoted to the vice-ministerial level and given a corresponding position. But... that's enough, I won't say anymore
. You're not even vying for this anyway."

"Old Fang, frankly speaking, I never complain about the arrangements made for me. But I do
care . Those in economics, education, and Party building get promoted for their achievements. Why
can't those in anti-corruption get promoted for their achievements? I think the reason is simple: in other departments, interpersonal relationships grow thicker and thicker,
and people trust you more. In the anti-corruption department, interpersonal relationships grow thinner and thinner. The more cases you handle, the more achievements you make
, the more people you offend, and the less people trust you. No wonder some anti-corruption bureau chiefs
have also gotten involved and become corrupt. Originally, no one wanted the position of anti-corruption bureau chief, but now it's a lucrative post, everyone's
scrambling for it. They've discovered that the anti-corruption bureau is not only not a clean department, but it's also a money-making machine, with corrupt officials at all levels and
all sorts of criminals rushing to bribe it." It's even gotten to the point where if the head of the anti-corruption bureau doesn't accept bribes, your
term as bureau chief won't last long. Old Fang, there's something wrong with our system!

Fang Hao stood up, paced a few steps, and stood in front of Zhou Senlin, saying:

"Old Zhou, I think you're not only someone about to retire whose words are true; you're someone about to retire whose words are extremely true.
When our system can reach the point where 'someone in office speaks the truth,' then everything will be much easier. Old
Zhou, Political Commissar Shu from the Military Region Enterprise Bureau and I are going to the Central Committee to report on the case of the 6036 Project being illegally misappropriated. You'll have to share the work of
the special task force ."

Chapter Sixty-Four: Car Accident Leads to Death, Swallowing Pills, Throat Swollen and Red.

The East Street Hospital conducted a comprehensive examination of Jiao Xiaoyu's physical condition. The doctor told Jiao Xiaoyu a result
she never .

"She's pregnant."

She froze in surprise, like a still frame.

"Really, doctor?"

"Positive reaction, of course it's true. Don't worry, your injury won't affect the health of the fetus.
Because you're newly pregnant." "If you're still worried, come back to the hospital for a check-up later."

Jiao Xiaoyu sat in her wheelchair as the nurse pushed her back to her ward. She felt dizzy as soon as she stood up; it was a lingering
effect of her concussion .

Lying in bed, she still couldn't calmly accept the reality: how could she be pregnant? Should she tell Chen Hu
the result? The first time, they hadn't used contraception; the second and third times, they hadn't used any either. Each
time it came suddenly, impulsively. If they had prepared condoms beforehand, it would have felt more like a premeditated act of sex,
the premeditation inevitably tainting their pure feelings. Putting on the condom, even cooperating in putting it on,
felt like a deliberate ambush, a murder; she couldn't bear this rational process.

The first time they had sex felt like the earth was enduring a meteorite impact, leaving a deep crater inside her,
bleeding. The second time... The Earth opened its mouth, warmly embracing the falling meteorite.
The third act of lovemaking was Earth's complete absorption of the meteorite's energy; the extraterrestrial energy
was absorbed into every vein along with the surging magma within the Earth.

Perhaps I was pregnant the first time? Work fatigue made her neglect her body;
she hadn't even considered why her period hadn't come.

She suddenly felt sorry for the fetus in her womb; this little life had been ignored. Should she keep the child
? This thought had barely surfaced before she stopped herself. How could this little life, barely known
, immediately face a life-or-death situation? No, she couldn't tell Chen Hu this; he certainly wasn't
mentally prepared to be a father.

The ringing of her phone interrupted Jiao Xiaoyu's thoughts; it was Ji Tao calling.

"Comrade Xiaoyu, I heard from Secretary Fang that you were injured and hospitalized. Are you feeling better?"

"Mostly better. The stitches will be removed tomorrow, and I'd like to be discharged the day after."

"Don't rush to leave. The treatment must be thorough; don't leave any aftereffects. I'll see you when I get back. Goodbye. "

"Goodbye. "

Just as he hung up the phone, Zhou Senlin and Chen Hu entered the ward.

Jiao Xiaoyu tried to get out of bed, but Zhou Senlin quickly stopped her.

"Get up, Xiaoyu. You keep making calls while hospitalized, it's disturbing your rest. I'll have to confiscate your phone."

"It was Vice Minister Ji calling; he knows I'm hospitalized."

"Xiaoyu, Chen Hu entrusted his care to me; he's going to Hangzhou for an external transfer this afternoon. I'm reporting here.
Consider him half a nurse, half a parent."

Jiao Xiaoyu suppressed a laugh and said,

"Director Zhou, don't tease me. Laughing hurts my eye wound; who would dare use such a high-class nurse?"

"Not high-class at all; Director Zhou is at best a quack doctor." Chen Hu took Jiao Xiaoyu's hand. "I'm saying
goodbye; I'm going to find Shen Dongyang for an external transfer. If you need anything, just ask Director Zhou. He's not quite qualified as a half-nurse, but he's quite competent as a half-
parent ."

Jiao Xiaoyu felt a pang of sadness.

"When are you leaving?"

"I'm going straight to the airport from the hospital."

"Be careful, don't let someone blind you in one eye too."

"It's okay, you only have one right eye, I only have one left eye, so we still have two eyes."

"You're just kidding me. It really hurts."

Chen Hu glanced at his watch.

"Director Zhou, I'm leaving. My companion's ticket is with me, don't keep him waiting. Xiaoyu, I'll
be back in . Goodbye."

"Chen Hu..."

Jiao Xiaoyu hesitated.

"Is there anything else?"

"No, it's not too late to talk when you get back. Have a safe trip."

Zhou Senlin smiled awkwardly.

"I see, with an old man like me between you, you can't even have a private chat! My bad, my bad." Only

Zhou Senlin and Jiao Xiaoyu remained in the private room.

“Xiaoyu, I really shouldn’t have let you go back then. Did you volunteer to be transferred to Vice Minister Ji’s office, or did Vice
Minister Ji invite you? I didn’t mean anything by it, I just wanted to be transferred and I was unwilling.”

“Actually, it’s not really a matter of who volunteered. Vice Minister Ji and I knew each other before, I met him at my uncle’s house. We happened to be
staying at the same hospital, and we hit it off. I mentioned wanting to be transferred, and he said he needed manpower. It was
settled in just a few words.”

“You’ve progressed very quickly under Vice Minister Ji, and even became the legal representative of a company. How’s it like doing business?”

“I’m just a figurehead; I rarely get involved in the actual work. Vice Minister Ji forced me into it, I had no choice but to do
it.”

"It's because Vice Minister Ji values you. Does he interfere in Longjin Company's affairs?"

"He never does. Every time I consult him, he says I'm managing the company on behalf of the higher-ups,
and I make the major decisions."

"Then you have quite a bit of power. Xiaoyu, with great power comes great responsibility. I'm retiring,
do you want to work for your company?"

"If you really come as a consultant, then I can completely wash my hands of it!"

Zhou Senlin knew he couldn't say anything more. He absolutely couldn't reveal the details of the case involving the misappropriation of Cheng Yi's
name .

"I'll go to the doctor to understand your treatment plan and see when you can be discharged."

After showing his prosecutor's credentials to the hospital, Zhou Senlin made a copy of Jiao Xiaoyu's medical records. These were crucial evidence for convicting the kidnapper after
he caught him.

His heart sank when he saw the words "positive pregnancy" on the medical record. He thought, this child really came at the worst possible
time .

After arriving in Hangzhou by plane, Chen Hu immediately traveled by car to Dongyang—a small city famous for its wood carvings. He
learned Shen Dongyang's home address in Dongyang City, Zhejiang Province, from the employees who remained at the Forget-Me-Not Mall. Following the map, he
found Shen Dongyang's house.

Shen Dongyang's younger brother, Shen Dongsheng, was preparing to leave for Chengdu to handle his brother's funeral arrangements.

Shen Dongsheng led Chen Hu to an open space behind his house, where the foundation for a house had already been dug, and timber and thousands of red bricks
were piled up . He pointed to the foundation trench and said,

"Three rooms were to be built here for my brother's wedding. Who would have thought he would die so suddenly? Some elders in the village said that
building a house here was a major taboo; the ground is a dragon's eye, and building on it would either cause the house to collapse or someone to die. I never
thought it would happen to my brother."

Chen Hu shook his head and said,

"You're only twenty-one, and you're still superstitious? Tell me the specifics of your brother's death."

"I don't know the specifics. Yesterday at noon, my brother's girlfriend called from Chengdu and said that my
brother had been in a car accident; he was hit by a car while leaving the store and died instantly." The driver fled the scene;
we don't even know the license plate number. She wasn't at the scene either; the traffic police notified her, and she rushed to collect the body. I
have to go to Chengdu this afternoon, or at the latest tomorrow morning, to help with her funeral arrangements.”

“After your brother came back, did anything unusual happen?”

“His return was sudden this time; he had originally said he would come back after the Spring Festival. After he came back, he was always looking downcast. At
first I thought it was because he hadn't made any money. One night, he told me that it was dangerous for him to stay in Dongyang, and that he and
his girlfriend were going to stay with her relatives in Chengdu. I asked him what happened, but at first he wouldn't say. He cried for a long time.
Later, he couldn't help himself and told me some things, but they were incoherent, and I couldn't understand them.”

“What exactly did your brother say?”

“He said that the shopping mall where he worked caught fire, and he participated in the firefighting. He
rescued a metal plate used for printing money from the safe in the general manager's office. I didn't understand this part; how could a shopping mall be involved in printing money? He
said that the metal plate was stolen by someone else halfway there.” They also said the general manager burned to death. At the general manager's memorial service,
he was entrusted by everyone to offer to return the deposit. As a result, he was arrested and detained in a courtyard house.

"Did he tell you the address of the courtyard house?"

"He just said it was in an alley, but he didn't know which alley. He said it looked like an office, and the police were wearing ordinary
clothes. My brother said a high-ranking official, whose surname I don't know, took good care of him. The official questioned him several times,
mainly about the fire. My brother told him the truth. The official said my brother's life was in danger, and he wouldn't let my
brother return to Dongyang, saying that Dongyang wasn't safe either, and it would be best to go somewhere where no one knew him to stay with relatives and friends. He gave my brother some
travel money and even sent a car to take him to the train station. The ticket was to Chengdu. After my brother arrived in Chengdu, he immediately returned to Dongyang, stayed at home for
two days, and then went to Chengdu again with his girlfriend. Who would have thought that he would have a car accident in Chengdu?"

"Who knew your brother went to Chengdu?"

"Even my parents didn't know. Basically, I'm the only one who knows their address and phone number in Chengdu."

"Did you tell anyone?"

"No." I didn't mention it to anyone. A week ago, the Forget-Me-Not Mall called, and I
answered. They said they'd refund my brother's 5,000 yuan deposit and add three months' salary, requiring his signature upon receipt. I knew my
brother had been thinking about this money, so I gave him his address and phone number in Chengdu.”

“Was it a man or a woman on the phone?”

“It was a man, very polite. He said they wouldn't reimburse him if it was overdue, so I told him to contact my brother directly.”

Chen Hu immediately decided to fly to Chengdu with Shen Dongsheng.

“Little Shen, I'll go to Chengdu with you. We'll provide your plane ticket.” "

Chen Hu's trip to Chengdu was largely fruitless. He identified the deceased at the hospital morgue as
Shen Dongyang, whom he had seen at Jiang Yuexiu's memorial service.

The traffic police said there was no progress in the investigation of the vehicle involved in the accident. Shen Dongyang's girlfriend confirmed that he received
a phone call, went out in the evening, and never returned.

Before the accident, Shen Dongyang had received a call from someone claiming to be from the Forget-Me-Not Appliances Mall.

Chen Hu deduced from the dates that this call came
before , but the accident occurred after the tape was discovered.

When questioning Shen Dongyang's girlfriend, Ren Hongtao, it was confirmed that Shen Dongyang had
told her about being detained in the courtyard house.

Chen Hu asked Ren Hongtao, 'Did Shen Dongyang mention
the name of the cadre who gave him travel expenses and saw him off at the train station?'

Ren Hongtao thought for a moment and said,

'I asked Shen Dongyang. I said that since they gave him travel expenses, we should repay them in the future
. What's his name?' Shen Dongyang said that the cadre didn't want to see him again and didn't know his name.'" But he said he had a connection with this person
because this person had also participated in the firefighting. Dongyang said he would never forget this good man for the rest of his life.

"How did this person put out the fire? Did he tell you?"

"Dongyang didn't go into that much detail. Oh, right, he said that this person was injured while putting out the fire.
He didn't say anything more specific."

Chen Hu had Shen Dongsheng and Ren Hongtao sign the interrogation record, sent his assistant to the hospital morgue to
take photos of Shen Dongyang, and went to the traffic police station to make a copy of the accident scene investigation report

. Chen Hu then gave Zhou Senlin a brief report by phone. Zhou Senlin told him to return immediately and inform him that he had found
Zhang Chenggong, but he was already dead when he was found.

On the night of his return, Chen Hu attended a meeting of all members of the special task force chaired by Tao Tieliang. Fang Hao and Ji
Tao were attending a meeting at the central government and could not return to attend.

Jiao Xiaoyu had been discharged from the hospital the day before after her stitches were removed; she sat next to Zhou Senlin, while Chen Hu and Tao Tieliang
sat opposite each other at the long table. The other staff members were seated.

"Comrades, Comrade Xiaoyu was discharged yesterday, and Chen Hu was transferred back from another location just over two hours ago. Today's meeting
is very important. First, Comrade Liu Erhe will report on the discovery of Zhang Chenggong's body. Erhe, you go ahead."

Liu Erhe opened the case file.

"At 11:30 p.m. the night before last, the Municipal Bureau received a call from the railway station police station reporting that
a man had been found in the waiting room, possibly the person the special task force was looking for. Director Tao ordered me to go to the hospital to pick up Comrade Jiao Xiaoyu and
go to the scene together, because Comrade Jiao Xiaoyu had been in contact with Zhang Chenggong. We rushed to the railway station waiting room..."

Yellow police tape was set up around a bench in the waiting room to prevent unauthorized personnel from entering.
Police dispersed the onlookers. A man wearing a hat sat motionless on a bench, his eyes closed.

Jiao Xiaoyu, Liu Erhe, and two forensic doctors crawled into the yellow police cordon. Jiao Xiaoyu's head was still bandaged. She
squatted , shone a flashlight on the man's drooping face, nodded, and said, "It's Zhang Chenggong."

One of the forensic doctors examined the body and said, "There are no external injuries. The cause of death can only be
determined after an autopsy."

The police officer in charge of taking photos photographed the deceased from various angles.

Liu Erhe took out several photos of the deceased from different angles from the case file, as well as photos of the scene investigation
, including one of Jiao Xiaoyu squatting beside the deceased and another of the body being carried into an ambulance.

Chen Hu, Zhou Senlin, Jiao Xiaoyu, and others passed around the photos.

Liu Erhe continued,

“During the search of Zhang Chenggong’s personal belongings, we found a train ticket to Shanghai from that day and
3,700 . The autopsy results just came out, and this is it. No external injuries were found on the body, and blood and gastric fluid
tests showed no signs of poisoning. The problem lies with the heart; the forensic examination determined that heart failure led to death. That’s all
the information .”

Tao Tieliang took the forensic report from Liu Erhe, read it, and handed it to Zhou Senlin.

“How could Zhang Chenggong, so young, suffer from heart failure? We’ll discuss that in a moment. Now, Chen Hu will report on his
investigations in Zhejiang and Sichuan.”

"I think Comrade Tie Liang's arrangement of discussing several murder cases together was excellent, allowing us to find the internal connections between
seemingly isolated cases. This time, I was assigned by the special task force to investigate Shen Dongyang in Zhejiang and Sichuan.
Shen Dongyang was a salesman at the Forget-Me-Not Electrical Appliances Mall. He attended Jiang Yuexiu's memorial service and disrupted the funeral.
The audiotape found in Hou Dewei's bank safe deposit box also mentioned Shen Dongyang's name. According to the content
of the recording , Shen Dongyang first took out US dollar stamps from Jiang Yuexiu's safe deposit box." The copy was later stolen by Hou Dewei.
This time, I went to find Shen Dongyang to investigate and verify this situation. When I arrived at Shen Dongyang's
home in rural Dongyang, Zhejiang, his younger brother told me that Shen Dongyang had died in a car accident in Chengdu two days earlier. I then rushed to Chengdu and met Shen
Dongyang's girlfriend, Ren Hongtao. Before his death, Shen Dongyang told his younger brother, Shen Dongsheng, and his girlfriend, Ren Hongtao,
about his detention in our city. After being wheeled out of the memorial service, Shen Dongyang was immediately detained in a courtyard house, which was
a government office. He was with someone whose surname he did not know... A cadre questioned him, mainly about the situation at the fire scene. Shen
Dongyang told his relatives that he had entered Jiang Yuexiu's office to take the US dollar printing plates, was later knocked unconscious, and
had the printing plates stolen. The cadre told Shen Dongyang that staying in the city or returning to Dongyang would be life-threatening. He gave him
travel expenses and sent someone to put him on a train to Chengdu. After arriving in Chengdu, Shen Dongyang returned to Dongyang and went to Chengdu with his
girlfriend to stay with relatives and friends. A man called Shen Dongyang's home in Dongyang under the name of the "Forget-Me-Not Mall
," claiming to return the 5,000 yuan deposit and pay three months' back wages. Shen Dongyang's younger brother gave the caller his brother's address in
Chengdu . The date was before we found the tape. Ren Hongtao testified that Shen Dongyang
received the same call in Chengdu. One evening, after we found the tape, Shen
Dongyang answered a phone call and was hit and killed on the spot by a car with an unknown license plate.

Chen Hu took a photo of Shen Dongyang's body from the briefcase and handed it to Tao Tieliang, saying:

"This is a photo of Shen Dongyang taken in the hospital morgue."

"Good. Chen Hu, you've worked hard." Tao Tieliang lit a cigarette. "Everyone knows about Liu Xicui's strangulation, Jiao Xiaoyu
's attack, and Zhang Chenggong's abduction. Combined with Zhang Chenggong's death from heart failure and
Shen Dongyang's car accident, please share your opinions, comrades.
In all my years as a criminal investigator, this is the first time I've encountered such a series of deaths in the investigation of a single case or related cases. Among those present, Director Zhou is
the most senior. Director Zhou, please give us some pointers."

"Since Team Leader Tao has chosen me, I'll have to offer my own suggestions."

Tao Tieliang said with a smile,

"Director Zhou, the jade is right next to you, Jiao Xiaoyu. Xiaoyu, it'll be your turn to speak after Director Zhou finishes."

Jiao Xiaoyu giggled.

"My jade is no good; it's not only small, but it's also burnt."

A burst of laughter erupted. No one expected that Jiao Xiaoyu's words would be a warning, which would soon tragically
come true.

"Comrades, I have three questions I'd like to ask you all. Does Zhang Chenggong have a history of heart disease? If it were me,
given my long history of heart disease, it wouldn't be surprising if I died of heart failure one day."

"Director Zhou," Tao Tieliang waved his hand, "Don't say such unlucky things. I'm a bit superstitious. Don't
scare me. If you frighten me badly, then my iron won't be 'good' as in excellent, but 'cold' as in icy."

Another burst of laughter followed. Perhaps it was by some strange twist of fate, or perhaps it was destiny.
The unintentional echoed those of Jiao Xiaoyu, both becoming prophetic statements that would later come true.

"I mean, the first suspicious point is Zhang Chenggong's heart failure. Behind this suspicion lies a
terrible shadow. Ordinary people cannot create the illusion of heart failure; it requires special drugs, which even forensic
tests cannot detect. Who could possibly have such a special drug that is impossible to obtain on the market and is even prohibited from use by hospitals
? The second suspicious point is Liu Xicui's death. According to the forensic examination, the steel wire used to strangle Liu Xicui was extremely thin and
exceptionally strong, a weapon typically used by assassins. Who could possibly possess such a weapon? This is another shadow behind death.
The third suspicious point is that Shen Dongyang was illegally detained in our city, with the aim of extracting information about his role at the fire scene."
What I saw and did. The detention location was a courtyard house used as an office. Before the meeting, I exchanged views with Chen Hu. He said that
according to the accounts relayed by Shen Dongyang's brother and girlfriend, the courtyard house seemed more like an office, with at least two
people responsible for guarding it. So a third shadow appeared: who has the ability to carry out illegal imprisonment? These three
murder cases, which occurred in different locations and at different times, all have a shadow. Can this inspire us
to think more deeply about the background of the cases? I've thrown out my brick. "

Xiaoyu," Tao Tieliang said, pointing to Jiao Xiaoyu, trying to lighten the meeting, "I don't care if you're burnt or not
, you're the only piece of jade here. It's your turn to speak."

"I'll say a few words." Jiao Xiaoyu held a strand of hair hanging over her eyebrows, "Besides the detention center, does the Municipal Public Security Bureau have
a courtyard house like this! A temporary detention place?"

"No." Tao Tieliang said decisively, "During crackdowns, each branch has
places to temporarily detain prisoners, but there are no courtyard houses. As soon as the crackdown ends, the temporary detention points are also abolished. " We don't need to resort to illegal
detention . Illegal detention is nothing new; debt collectors, personal vendettas—our city has had many cases of illegal detention.
Some even resulted in criminal charges. He Kedai illegally detained Zhu Ni, and regarding Shen Dongyang's illegal detention, I think we can't rule out
internal disputes within the Forget-Me-Not Mall, nor can we rule out underhanded
tactics
by business competitors. Xiaoyu, you and Chen Hu interrogated Zhang Chenggong. It's a pity you didn't have time to take Zhang Chenggong's interrogation record or get his signature, causing us to lose important evidence. But your supplementary investigation report mentioned that Zhang Chenggong transported drugs to Hou Dewei. This is an
important clue; the large sum of cash found in Liu Xicui's house is very likely drug money. Before finding
direct evidence of drugs, it's too early to conclude that it's drug trafficking. I wonder if Liu Xicui's strangulation was related to the internal power struggles
within ? Drug traffickers are ruthless; they have all sorts of weapons to kill,
even submachine guns. Internal struggles within drug cartels are always bloody. "They probably worried about getting caught in our
investigation and causing a chain reaction, so they killed Liu Xicui and Zhang Chenggong, who were involved in drug trafficking, to silence them,"

Liu Erhe said admiringly

. "Director Tao's analysis is logically sound and clears away the fog. It also
corroborates Director Zhou's statement about three suspicious points and a shadow. The drug trafficking group has strong financial resources and power, as well as superb criminal skills, and has a nationwide
network. The serial killings to silence witnesses, with extremely brutal methods, are also consistent with the characteristics of drug trafficking group crimes. Even
the illegal detention of Shen Dongyang may have been done by them. Director Tao, I suggest that the Municipal Anti-Drug Brigade be involved in the investigation;
they have more drug trafficker leads."

Other staff members also agreed with Tao Tieliang's analysis.

Tao Tieliang was secretly pleased, finally turning the investigation around. He turned to Chen Hu and asked,

"What's your opinion? You should be the one here who knows the most about the case."

Chen Hu took a cigarette from Tao Tieliang. “

Drug trafficking is a crucial part of this case, but there's also arson, theft of US dollar
printing plates, murder to cover it up, and other unclear conspiracies. So it's not just a simple drug trafficking case.
I agree with Director Tao's approach of using drug tracking as a lead, but I'd like to add a lead:
the arson case at the Forget-Me-Not Electrical Appliances Mall. The fact that this person, Gen Yao, is involved in both drug trafficking and arson, and the US dollar printing plates,
suggests these are different facets of the same thing. I suspect the woman on the tape who spoke to Gen Yao is
Wu Aikun . Wu Aikun is the chairman of the Forget-Me-Not Electrical Appliances Mall and is a prime suspect. I suggest the task force consider summoning
Wu Aikun. Have experts compare her voice's frequency and other technical parameters with the technical parameters of the tape.
If they match, the relationship between Wu Aikun and Gen Yao will be clearer.”

Zhou Senlin clasped his hands together and said,

“With Tieliang and Chen Hu combined, our plan is complete.” Comrade Erhe's view is also correct.
Handing over drug-related cases to the Municipal Narcotics Enforcement Team for investigation will increase work efficiency and reduce
the pressure on the special task force. I agree to summon Wu Aikun. Tieliang, what do you think?"

Tao Tieliang had no choice but to agree.

"Let's do it this way."

That night, Jiao Xiaoyu stayed at Chen Hu's house. Chen Hu's request for Jiao Xiaoyu to stay was simple and clear
: "You are recovering and need someone to take care of you."

Jiao Xiaoyu said sarcastically:

"Where's your checkers? Are you going to play checkers with me all night again?"

"Checkers?" Chen Hu remembered the night Jiao Xiaoyu came with her suitcase and left with tears in her eyes.
"I threw away the checkers a long time ago. There's a description in Dream of the Red Chamber where Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu lie in bed whispering.
Let 's imitate that and lie in bed whispering too. You happen to be a piece of jade, it's just that my Jia Baoyu
looks are not as good, so please bear with it."

Jiao Xiaoyu laughed so hard she bent over. "

If you were Jia Baoyu, you'd scare the whole nation to death! If Cao Xueqin were alive, you'd be so angry you 'd
faint. Chen Hu, you're really trying to make yourself look good."

"Yes, I almost was." "

You're way off. Baoyu would kiss any sister or older sister he saw. Do you have that kind of ability?"

Chen Hu, his scarred face gleaming, said,

"Do you know what it felt like when I kissed him?"

"What did it feel like?"

"Like stealing something. Before my lips even touched it, my heart was pounding."

Jiao Xiaoyu jumped onto the bed, rolled over, leaned against the headboard, and patted the bed, saying,

"Get on the bed. Let's see what this fake Baoyu can whisper."

Chen Hu sat on the edge of the bed.

"Xiaoyu, Tie Liang thinks this is a case of double-crossing, but I think it's hard to believe. The underworld cares about
money. They killed Liu Xicui, but didn't take the money..."

"Stop, Chen Hu." "Are you a fake Baoyu? Who can stand this kind of whispering?"

Jiao Xiaoyu feigned anger and tried to get out of bed. Chen Hu quickly held her down.

"I apologize. I promise I won't talk about work at home anymore."

The police car stopped in front of Wu Aikun's villa. Two female detectives pushed Wu Aikun, who was handcuffed, into the police car.

Wu Aikun looked arrogant, a cold smile on her lips.

The police car started. The nanny ran to the police car and shouted:

"Miss! Miss, please tell me..."

Wu Aikun said to the nanny from inside the car:

"Today's menu is the same. We'll have turtle again when we get back tonight. Don't make it too fancy like last time. I left two phone
numbers on the bedside table in the bedroom. You can call them when you get back."

In the pre-trial room of the Municipal Public Security Bureau Detention Center, Chen Hu and Jiao Xiaoyu immediately began interrogating Wu Aikun. Liu Erhe
walked to Wu Aikun, who was sitting on the middle stool, and clipped a miniature microphone to the buttonhole of Wu Aikun's shirt.

A female detective unlocked Wu Aikun's handcuffs.

At this moment, Zhou Senlin entered and sat next to Jiao Xiaoyu.

After coldly scrutinizing Wu Aikun for three minutes, Jiao Xiaoyu asked,

"Name?"

"Wu Aikun."

"Age?"

Wu Aikun crossed his legs and said,

"I refuse to answer any questions other than my name. If you want me to answer questions, my lawyer must be
present. To reduce your troubles, I remind you that I am an American citizen and I am
protected ."

Chen Hu noticed that Wu Aikun's voice was dry and hoarse,
completely . He tapped the table with his fingertip and said,

“Wu Aikun, please speak in a normal voice.”

“This is a normal voice.”

“No. You should remember, we talked. Your voice was clear and crisp; now it’s hoarse
.”

“Really? Thank you for remembering my voice. Maybe I was just pretending to be innocent back then; this is my true self.
Excuse me, could I have a glass of water?”

Chen Hu nodded. The female detective handed him a bottle of mineral water.

“Thank you.”

Wu Aikun took a few sips.

“Wu Aikun, is your throat inflamed?”

“Detective Chen, your hearing is quite good. My throat is a little tight; I was going to go to the hospital, but you invited me here.”

Chen Hu smiled and said,

“Alright, we’ll have a doctor examine you. Please notify the infirmary to send a doctor.”

One of the detectives went out to find a doctor. Jiao Xiaoyu asked sternly,

"Wu Aikun, what is your actual age?"

"From now on, I will remain silent. Without a lawyer present, I refuse to answer any questions."

"Wu Aikun, behave yourself!" Jiao Xiaoyu's eyes widened. "This is China. Current law does not
stipulate that a lawyer must be present to answer questions. Your American citizenship won't protect you either; foreigners who break the law in
China will also be tried under Chinese law."

Wu Aikun remained silent, a mocking glint in her eyes.

Last night, she received a phone call informing her that she might be summoned for questioning to obtain her voice data
for comparison with the recording.
The caller also informed her that twelve pills would appear in the villa's mailbox an hour later.

Taking one would immediately cause her throat to congest, naturally changing her voice.

Although Wu Aikun had never met the caller, she recognized his voice and knew he was tasked with protecting her
.

An hour later, she indeed found a packet of what appeared to be antibiotic pills in the villa's private mailbox. She
immediately took them, and two hours later, she felt a tightness in her throat.

Facing the group of people behind the long table, she cursed inwardly: "You little punks,
trying to mess with me? Don't you even know if your boss will allow it? "

A prison doctor in a white coat entered and stood before Wu Aikun.

"Please open your mouth."

Wu Aikun opened her mouth, and the doctor used a tongue depressor to hold down her tongue, shining a flashlight into her mouth.

"Thank you."

The doctor wrote a few words on a piece of paper and handed it to Chen Hu.

Chen Hu read it and handed the note to Jiao Xiaoyu.

"Wu Aikun, the doctor's preliminary examination shows you have laryngitis. For your health, the interrogation is suspended. Take her
away ."

Wu Aikun stood up and said,

"You want me to go back?"

"I'm sorry, we have placed you under protective detention. We believe your life is in danger."

"I solemnly protest your illegal detention. You will pay the price!"

"Take her away."

The female detective re-handcuffed Wu Aikun and escorted her out of the interrogation room.

Liu Erhe took a cassette tape from the tape recorder and said,

"Should we send it for testing immediately?"

Zhou Senlin took the tape.

"Send her away immediately, the experts are waiting."

Jiao Xiaoyu said dissatisfiedly,

"We didn't get anything out of her, and then we sent her away."

"Chen Hu did the right thing," Zhou Senlin said with a wry smile, "What can you do if she keeps silent? After all,
she's an American now, it's better to be cautious. We don't need her to say anything yet, we need her voice."

The acoustics expert's assessment greatly disappointed Zhou Senlin and Chen Hu; they couldn't determine if the voice in the interrogation and
the voice on the recording were from the same person. Further identification would have to wait until Wu Aikun's laryngitis was cured.

Zhou Senlin and Chen Hu returned to the anti-corruption bureau at a loss. Fang Hao called.

"Old Zhou, have you detained Wu Aikun?"

"Yes. We just finished interrogating her."

"Did she confess to anything?"

"She even refused to answer her age. She claimed her lawyer wasn't present, and she wouldn't answer any questions." "

Has the voice been identified?"

"Wu Aikun has laryngitis. Her voice is hoarse now, and preliminary identification makes it difficult to prove that it's the same
person as the voice on the recording."

"Old Zhou, I'm informing you to release her immediately and send her home." The US Embassy in China intervened, and
we were criticized by higher-ups for arresting people without evidence, causing a negative impact. Release her first.

"I'll release her immediately."

Zhou Senlin hung up the phone and said,

"Chen Hu, we've run into a snag. Release her immediately, and have Jiao Xiaoyu send Wu Aikun back."

Zhou Senlin felt a tightness in his chest.

"Quick, give me some water."

Chen Hu poured a glass of water and handed it to Zhou Senlin.

"Director Zhou, is your heart acting up?"

Zhou Senlin swallowed a pill. After a long pause, he said,

"I'm short of breath. Release her, go and do it."

There was a knock on the door. Chen Hu opened the door, and Tao Tieliang came in. Zhou Senlin smiled bitterly,

"Tieliang, you're here to release Wu Aikun too, right?"

Tao Tieliang said casually,

"Release her then, we didn't do anything to her anyway, we just asked her a few questions. Secretary Fang called me
. I told Secretary Fang that we had grounds to interrogate Wu Aikun." "Director Zhou, that's not why I called you
here."

Tao Tieliang turned to Chen Hu and said,

"Excuse me, I need to talk to Director Zhou about something. Could you please leave for a moment?" Chen Hu

picked up his briefcase .

"Director Zhou, I have something else to take care of. Goodbye, Tieliang."

Chen Hu left. Tao Tieliang opened the door, watched Chen Hu's figure disappear down the corridor, closed the door, and said softly
, "Director Zhou, you and I must go to Anling Prison immediately. Something

serious has happened." "What is it that's so serious?" "It's not convenient for me to relay this; let's talk about it at the prison." A section chief from Anling Prison explained the case to Tao Tieliang and Zhou Senlin. Four people from the prison attended this emergency meeting. "The situation is like this. During a routine inspection, we found this photo of Jiao Dongfang." The section chief handed the wedding photo of Jiao Dongfang and Tian Congying to Zhou Senlin. The photo was sealed with a transparent plastic film. "You two directors remember this photo, right? It was given to Jiao Dongfang during your last interrogation. We examined it then and found nothing wrong. So we agreed to let you keep it for Jiao Dongfang. But during this inspection, a very experienced comrade noticed an unusual light yellow watermark on the back of the photo, so we confiscated it. After the 103 Research Institute analyzed the paper sample, it was confirmed that the back of the photo had been written on with black ink. After computer processing, it was confirmed that between one hundred and one hundred and fifty characters had been written on the back of the photo, but unfortunately, they are no longer legible. However, three characters were barely recognizable because they were written with a lot of force. These three characters are 'Don't Speak .' Obviously, due to our negligence and the fact that the criminals used high-tech methods, this photo became a tool for communication between the outside world and Jiao Dongfang. Who used the photo to transmit messages? You should know better than we do . The reason we invited you two directors here today is to discuss the strategy for interrogating Jiao Dongfang regarding this matter." Political Commissar Huang of Anling Prison had a gloomy expression on his face. "If this matter isn't resolved thoroughly, we all bear serious responsibility. Director Zhou, Director Tao, you brought the photos; the one who tied the knot must untie it." Tao Tieliang feigned confusion and asked, "Director Zhou, who suggested giving the photos to Jiao Dongfang?" Zhou Senlin said dejectedly, "It might have been Jiao Xiaoyu." Tao Tieliang tightened the lens cable. "Who had the photos before they were given to Jiao Dongfang?" "They were with Jiao Xiaoyu, I suppose . Of course, you and I have both seen them." Tao Tieliang sighed and said, "The situation is complicated. I've always trusted Comrade Xiaoyu, not only because she's Chen Hu's girlfriend, but also because of her excellent behavior. Secretly writing on photos takes a long time, so it must have been completed before the photos reached the prison. Therefore, it's difficult to rule out Xiaoyu's suspicion. But Comrade Xiaoyu's selfless is well-known; it's unlikely she would have tipped off Jiao Dongfang." The young section chief retorted, "Director Tao, shouldn't we avoid acting on emotion?" " People change, and besides, Jiao Xiaowang and Jiao Dongfang are siblings . I don't agree with prematurely ruling out Jiao Xiaoyu's suspicion, but of course, we can't be certain she did it. We need to objectively consider all possibilities." Tao Tieliang said apologetically, "I accept the criticism. I suggest we interrogate Jiao Dongfang immediately. This matter is of great importance. Jiao Xiaoyu is currently the deputy head of the Honda Accord task force. If she did it, the suspicion of leaks within the Honda Accord task force can't be ignored, and she becomes a suspect as well. Director Zhou, what's your opinion?" "I agree to interrogate Jiao Dongfang immediately and find out the truth as soon as possible. " Zhou Senlin's heart ached again; the sudden photo incident had dealt a heavy blow to his spirit. Chapter Sixty-Five: Forging a Facade, Utterly Depraved, Giving the Truth, Full of Diligence. Since being discovered using the photos to contact the outside world, Jiao Dongfang had been locked in solitary confinement as punishment, his exercise time and school privileges revoked. Two armed police officers pulled Jiao Dongfang from solitary confinement and handcuffed him. At this moment, Jiao Dongfang's biggest worry was how much of the writing on the back of the photo would be discovered, and whether it would expose his "big brother." He believed he could find the answer from the interrogators' questions. He walked slowly down the corridor, greedily breathing in the fresh air. "Hurry up!" The armed police shoved him. Jiao Dongfang was led into a familiar room. Here he had been interrogated by different task forces and different people. He immediately saw Tao Tieliang sitting in the middle chair of the long table, and felt much more at ease. Everything was under control. If "Big Brother" had a problem, Tao Tieliang wouldn't be sitting here. He firmly believed that Tao Tieliang could provide him with hints. Jiao Dongfang sat down on the stool. The armed police removed his handcuffs. Tao Tieliang, Zhou Senlin, the prison section chief, and Political Commissar Huang sat behind the long table, their gazes coldly fixed on Jiao Dongfang. "Jiao Dongfang stretched out his arm towards Tao Tieliang's head, "You think your head is too heavy on your neck , and you want us to take it off as soon as possible? That's easy. You're still not honest here. I'm telling you, you must confess the truth today. Tell me, how many times have you contacted the outside world?" "None." Tao Tieliang took out a photo from the file, held it up, and said: "Take a closer look, what is this?" "My wedding photo with Tian Congying." "Where was it taken?" "Photo studio? I forgot which photo studio." "Tell me about the circumstances of the photo shoot." "When Tian Congying and I were getting ready to take our wedding photos, we were getting our makeup done and trying on clothes. That's when you came to arrest me. The photos were taken the day I was arrested." "Strange! Why would we allow you to take wedding photos when we're arresting you? You're lying! We always make arrests swiftly and decisively; we don't wait for you to finish taking photos before making the arrest. Tell me, when were the photos taken?" "Go investigate the photo studio, or ask Chen Hu and Jiao Xiaoyu." Jiao Dongfang understood Tao Tieliang's implication: pin the photo issue on Chen Hu and Jiao Xiaoyu. He admired Tao Tieliang 's wit; starting with the photo shoot would make it easier to achieve his goal. "Who approved the photo shoot?" "Chen Hu from the Anti-Corruption Bureau. He said the arrest would be carried out after the wedding photos were taken." "How many photos were taken?" "Maybe thirty or so." "How long did it take?" "Maybe an hour, I can't remember."

"Who was present when you took your wedding photos?"

"Chen Hu, Jiao Xiaoyu, and a few police officers I didn't recognize."

"What did Chen Hu and Jiao Xiaoyu say to you while the photos were being taken?"

"Nothing."

"After the photos were taken, did they say anything?"

"I asked Chen Hu if I could see the photos, and he said yes."

"Did Chen Hu say how he would let you see the photos?"

"No. But he promised I would definitely see the photos."

"Was anyone else around when Chen Hu said that?"

"Maybe, I can't remember. Maybe not."

Tao Tieliang said sternly,

"Jiao Dongfang, you have to be responsible for your words. No making things up! No exaggeration!"

"I'm telling the truth, and it can withstand investigation and verification."

"After the photos were taken, who else spoke to you, and what did they say?"

Jiao Dongfang fell silent, pretending not to want to tell the truth.

"Jiao Dongfang, why aren't you saying anything?"

Jiao Dongfang slowly said,

"No matter what you ask, I won't say anything. I'm a person, I have humanity. Sentence me
however , a hero takes responsibility for his actions. I have nothing more to say. I'm going to die anyway."

Jiao Dongfang suddenly stood up and shouted, "Come at me then! "

Tao Tieliang was also stunned by Jiao Dongfang's impulsiveness. He thought Jiao Dongfang would be a good actor. He
believed Jiao Dongfang had already figured out how to play along. Delaying to speak was to increase the authenticity.

Two armed police officers pressed Jiao Dongfang down onto a stool.

Tao Tieliang shouted,

"Cuff him! Take him away."

Jiao Dongfang was taken away. Prison Political Commissar Huang asked in confusion,

"Director Tao, why was the interrogation suspended?"

"It's not over, it's just beginning. We'll discuss it and continue interrogating him. I don't quite believe his confession
. Chen Hu couldn't have allowed him to take photos during the arrest. Director Zhou, did this happen?"

Zhou Senlin said helplessly,

"It happened." Chen Hu and Jiao Xiaoyu reported to me afterwards that they
arrested Jiao Dongfang after the wedding photos were taken out of humanitarian considerations. "

Commissar Huang stroked his chin and said,

"Director Tao's approach to the interrogation was spot on. I never thought to start the investigation from the moment the photos were taken. This
makes sense. Jiao Dongfang knew he would be able to see the photos after his arrest, so he would have
examined them . Otherwise, he would have overlooked the secret message on the back of the photos because it's invisible. If it was agreed before the arrest
that information would be communicated through photos, then it was premeditated and involved collusion between insiders and outsiders. This is a major discovery."

Zhou Senlin took a pill. His heart ached again. He never expected that Chen Hu and Jiao Xiaoyu would be
suspected.

The section chief asked with concern,

"Director Zhou, are you feeling unwell?"

"I'm fine."

"Jiao Dongfang is obviously playing tricks," the section chief lit a cigarette, "What
humanity ? I think he's deliberately hiding something. We can't let him breathe. If he doesn't talk, we'll keep him awake."
"Let's see how long he can hold out."

"Director Zhou," Tao Tieliang handed Zhou Senlin a cup of tea, "to perk you up. Regarding Jiao Dongfang's previous
cases, such as what unresolved cases Jiao Dongfang is trying to connect with, I don't know the details. His
case was basically handled by the Anti-Corruption Bureau. You'll be in charge of the trial next, which might be more effective. I'll assist
you. Is that alright?"

Political Commissar Huang nodded and said,

"I agree with Director Tao's strategy. It'll be easier to break through if Director Zhou is in charge."

Zhou Senlin felt the situation was serious; without a clear investigation, Chen Hu and Jiao Xiaoyu's suspicions would only increase.

"Okay, I'll question him. Bring Jiao Dongfang back."

Jiao Dongfang was brought back. Because he had jumped up from the stool earlier, this time he was
shackled in addition to his handcuffs. Every step he took made a sound.

After he sat down, the armed police removed his handcuffs but not his shackles.

Zhou Senlin sneered,

"Jiao Dongfang, why were you so impulsive just now? Did you overact a bit?"

“I’m not in the mood to play along with you.” “

Tell me the truth about what happened before and after your wedding photos were taken.”

Tao Tieliang emphasized,

“Jiao Dongfang, you certainly deserve to die, but you still have a chance to redeem yourself. Don’t give up your chance
to confess atone. Tell us everything you haven’t confessed, everything you haven’t revealed!
We have ample evidence that you used the photos to communicate with outsiders. You
know and we know too. You can’t hide it. If you continue to be dishonest, you won’t be getting out of solitary confinement!”

Jiao Dongfang lowered his head and said,

“Since you already know everything, why are you still asking me?”

“Because you’ve added new crimes!” Zhou Senlin held up the photos. “Explain the whole story of the photos to
me!”

Jiao Dongfang began to look up, tears welling up in his eyes.

“You want to wipe out the Jiao family, huh? Fine, I’ll talk, I’ll talk.” "

Jiao Dongfang subtly questioned Tao Tieliang about the validity of his line of thinking. He paused after saying this,
waiting for Tao Tieliang's reaction.

Tao Tieliang said gently,

'Jiao Dongfang, why are you stopping again? Just tell me what's going on. Speak.'

'Since you all know, there's no point in me hiding anything anymore. When you came to the Horizon Hotel
to arrest me, you found nothing. You thought I would run away? I called Chen Hu from the photo studio
and he brought his men to arrest me. If I hadn't spoken, you might not have been able to find me. Chen Hu and
my sister Jiao Xiaoyu are dating, and I asked Chen Hu to let me finish taking the wedding photos for Xiaoyu's sake. With the photos,
it'll be easier to contact each other later. I don't know what Xiaoyu and Chen Hu discussed, but Chen Hu agreed to take the photos. I
noticed that other police officers objected to taking the photos, but Chen Hu stopped them. Taking wedding photos was a joint
idea of Xiaoyu and me; she also felt that using the photos was the only feasible way to contact each other in the future.'" Xiaoyu said that writing with secret ink on the back
of a photo wouldn't be visible, but the writing would become visible when exposed to sunlight.

Zhou Senlin realized that Jiao Dongfang's revelation was enough to destroy Jiao Xiaoyu. He calmly asked,

"When did you and Jiao Xiaoyu discuss taking wedding photos? And when and where did you decide to use secret ink?"
" The secret writing?"

"I don't remember the exact date. It was probably a week before my arrest. It was around 10 p.m. one night when
Xiao Wu came to my office at the Horizon Hotel. The method of taking wedding photos and using the secret writing
was discussed that night."

"Where did you get the secret writing? What brand was it?"

"I don't know. Xiao Yu said she would be in charge."

"Using sunlight to dry it, was that Jiao Xiaoyu's idea?"

"Yes, she said it. I don't know anything about that."

"Who can testify about your conversation with Jiao Xiaoyu?"

"Yang Ke. Yang Ke brought Jiao Xiaoyu in. But I asked Yang Ke to leave during the conversation."

"How many hours did you talk?"

"About three and a half hours."

"What was Jiao Xiaoyu wearing at the time?"

"Just her usual clothes, I think it was a gray fashion."

"Besides talking about taking wedding photos and the secret writing, did you talk about anything else?"

"We talked about some emotional things." Xiaoyu said she couldn't work unless she outwardly appeared to uphold justice and even betray her family,
and hoped I would understand. I said I understood, as long as she could live well.

"What's written on the back of the photo?"

"Not much. It said my father had been arrested and was being held in Anling Prison. It also said my case investigation
was over and instructed me not to say anything beyond what I had already confessed. It also said not to
mention that I had given her a Santana and money. That's all."

"How much money did you give Jiao Xiaoyu? When did you give it to her?"

"When I gave her the car, I put 100,000 RMB in the toolbox of the Santana's driver's seat. I didn't
give it to her in person."

"Did Jiao Xiaoyu say she received the money?"

"I never asked again. Later she mentioned the car to me, saying it was too conspicuous and she wanted to return it. But she
didn't mention the money. I think she definitely received it."

"Whose handwriting is on the back of the photo?"

"It looks like Xiaoyu's handwriting, but it's a bit distorted and not very clear. " "

What kind of pen was used to write the words?"

"I don't know. The strokes were very light."

"Was there a signature?"

"There's a 'five' at the end."

"Jiao Dongfang, how did you know there were words on the back after receiving the photo?"

"I remembered the promise I made with Xiaoyu."

"Where did you put the photo out to dry?"

"By the window.

" "What time did you put it there?"

"That evening."

"How long did it dry?

" "About a morning. I dried it for another morning the next day."

"Was the sunlight strong?"

"Quite strong."

"When did the words on the back of the photo disappear?"

"I didn't notice. I put the photo in a book. When I took it out to look at it again at night, there wasn't a trace left."

"Besides this photo incident, what other contact did you have with the outside world?"

"Just this one time. And you guys found out." Tao

Tieliang felt it was time to call it a day, but he still needed Jiao Dongfang to publicly confirm his confession. He
was pleased that Zhou Senlin was the presiding interrogator, thus avoiding suspicion of coercion. He whispered to Zhou Senlin, "
Director Zhou, do you have any other questions?"

Zhou Senlin replied softly, "It's good to stop here for now, we can gather evidence and then re-interrogate him."

Tao Tieliang said sternly,

"Jiao Dongfang, are you telling the truth or lying? I remind you, your confession carries legal responsibility."

"It's all the truth."

"Let him see the transcript. If you find any discrepancies between the transcript and your statement, you can raise them.
If it's confirmed to be correct, sign and affix your fingerprint."

The armed policeman handed the transcript to Jiao Dongfang, who glanced at it and said, "It's all correct."

Jiao Dongfang signed the transcript. Then he pressed his fingerprint and handprint on every page.

"Take him away." "

Jiao Dongfang's confession is classified as a confidential document and is awaiting further instructions from higher authorities. Anyone who leaks it without authorization will
face severe consequences."

Zhou Senlin clutched his chest. His vision went black. He tried to stand up, but collapsed to the ground as soon as his hand touched the table
.

Tao Tieliang quickly helped him to a chair.

"Director Zhou, is it your heart?"

Zhou Senlin nodded with difficulty.

"Quick, call a doctor!" "

A 10,000-ton ship registered in Panama entered a port in southern China. It declared '6036 Military Engineering
Electronic Communication Equipment.'

Customs verified the information against computer data, customs documents, and approvals, finding everything correct. This puzzled customs
, as they had received instructions from the General Administration of Customs and relevant central government departments that the so-called '6036 Military Engineering Electronic
Communication Equipment' import was a fraudulent scheme, suspected of smuggling. However, all the documents were legal, including
customs' investigation response, which confirmed that the import was indeed military equipment approved by all relevant central government departments,
requiring release according to military equipment import regulations.

Customs immediately commissioned communications experts to investigate the customs' communication lines with the outside world.

They discovered that customs lines had been illegally accessed, and business communications were being intercepted and altered during transmission, with the content being manipulated
in the quiet electronic transmission path." The operation was completed flawlessly during the journey.

This major discovery shocked the customs authorities. Such a perfect, high-tech, and highly intelligent crime meant the existence of
a high-level smuggling ring with collusion between insiders and outsiders! The smugglers didn't even show their faces, yet the entire crime was already accomplished.

Arresting a few small-time figures like customs brokers wouldn't touch the heart of the smuggling ring,
not even achieving the goal of cutting off a finger.

Fang Hao and Ji Tao returned after receiving their mission from the central government. Accompanying them were twelve staff members from the 6036 task force,
who were divided into two groups: one to conduct a preliminary investigation of the Great Wall Trading Group, and the other to conduct a preliminary investigation of the Longjin Company.

On the evening of his return, Fang Hao listened to Tao Tieliang and Huang, the political commissar of Anling Prison, report on Jiao Dongfang's
confession regarding the photo incident. He listened and read the interrogation record with Jiao Dongfang's fingerprint on it, while also noting down several points of doubt in his notebook
.

After listening to Tao Tieliang's report, Fang Hao said:

"Comrade Tieliang, how credible do you think Jiao Dongfang's confession is?"

"It's hard to say," Tao Tieliang said, looking puzzled. "The interrogation was conducted under the supervision of Director Zhou, because..."
Because I am not clear about Jiao Dongfang's case, it is difficult for me to make a judgment. As for my relationship with Chen Hu and Jiao Xiaoyu,
I cannot accept this reality. However, Director Zhou confirmed that Jiao Dongfang did obtain Chen Hu and
Jiao Xiaoyu the wedding photos. And later, the wedding photos did indeed serve as a secret communication
tool. We certainly cannot rely solely on Jiao Dongfang's account
; we need to investigate further. Frankly, I was shocked by Jiao Dongfang's confession. Director Zhou was
the same ; he suffered a heart attack right after the interrogation. Who wants to see their comrades and friends make mistakes?”

Fang Hao returned Jiao Dongfang's confession to Political Commissar Huang and said,

“Don't escalate this matter for now. We'll follow the unified arrangements of the Municipal Party Committee. How is Old Zhou's health?”

Tao Tieliang shook his head and said,

“He's hospitalized. The doctor said there will be aftereffects. But he's not in immediate danger.”

“That's all.” After seeing Tao

Tieliang and the prison officials off, Fang Hao immediately rushed to the cardiology hospital where Zhou Senlin was staying.

Fang Hao held Zhou Senlin's hand, his heart aching. In just a few days, Zhou Senlin had weakened to
the point . Fang Hao understood that this was a blow from the incident involving Jiao Xiaoyu and Chen Hu's alleged collusion with Jiao Dongfang.

Zhou Senlin was already having difficulty speaking.

"Old Fang…we…are about to part ways. I've thought about it carefully…Xiaoyu didn't have time to contact Jiao Dongfang…a week before his arrest
…this investigation record…can it be found out…Jiao Dongfang said Yang Ke
took Xiaoyu to…the office…that's not right…because Yang Ke had already committed suicide by poison…Jiao Dongfang said he
put the photo on the window the next morning…letting it sit in the sun all morning…that doesn't make sense…I checked…
it was drizzling that day…no sunshine…Old Fang…now, I have no other requests…please…find Chen Hu…
Xiaoyu…clearly…"

A few crystal tears rolled down Zhou Senlin's dry, dazed eyes.

"Old Zhou, please take care of yourself." Even if you feel sorry for me, and want to ease some of my burden and help me out
, you need to recover your health first. Don't worry about the rest. We won't favor anyone or wrong anyone.
The truth will always come out.”

“And… there's something else… Xiaoyu… is pregnant… Chen Hu probably doesn't know… I understand, Xiaoyu
's fate won't be good… You know that, right?”

Fang Hao was startled, but remained outwardly calm.

“And… there's another important matter… the letter Jin Chenggong copied… we haven't had time to investigate yet…”

“I understand. I'll arrange it carefully.”

“Old Fang… tomorrow, please invite Chen Hu over… I have something to say to him…”

“Okay, I'll inform him. Old Zhou, this is a sensitive time, things are complicated, we must
be careful .” Zhou

Senlin closed his eyes, not wanting to say anything.

Fang Hao silently left the ward.

Wu Aikun fastened her seatbelt on the plane to the United States, waiting for takeoff.

She prayed to God that in these last few minutes, she wouldn't suddenly face the consequences of being handcuffed.

The night before last, she received a phone call at home, the same familiar voice:

"The Central Committee has decided to open an investigation into Cheng 60361. My elder brother asked me to inform you that you must leave China in one or two days at the latest. You
cannot show your face abroad. Wait for my elder brother's notification when you can return. Understand?"

"Understood." Wu

Aikun hung up the phone and immediately changed her clothes. She had her maid put on her clothes and got into her Mercedes. This
car had been secretly monitored. After the Mercedes drove away, a car responsible for secretly monitoring her followed.

Wu Aikun, dressed as a security guard, left the villa.

She didn't use her American passport; she bought a plane ticket with her Fijian passport and boarded the plane.

Everything went smoothly. Only these last few minutes were left. She closed her eyes slightly, anticipating
the vibration of the plane taxiing on the runway.

Finally, the moment arrived. The plane taxied slowly on the runway, gradually accelerating, and soared into the blue sky.

Wu Aikun softly murmured, "Amen."

Zhou Senlin, lying in his hospital bed, answered his phone. The call was from the sentry monitoring Wu Aikun. "

Director Zhou, Wu Aikun has suddenly disappeared."

"When did she disappear?"

"Probably the day before yesterday. She used her maid to get into her Mercedes and shake us off. We just entered her
villa , but there's no sign of her. We don't know where she went."

"Idiot!"

Zhou Senlin angrily slammed down his phone. A tightness gripped his chest again.

Just then, Chen Hu walked in, carrying a bouquet of calla lilies. "

Director Zhou, Xiaoyu asked me to bring these flowers for you, wishing you a speedy recovery. She said
a team , and she couldn't come herself, so she asked me to convey her greetings."

Zhou Senlin's heart skipped a beat:

"What auditing team?" "

From the central government. She didn't elaborate, and I didn't ask."

Zhou Senlin was silent for a moment.

"Chen Hu, I just got a call. Wu Aikun has disappeared."

"Wasn't she under secret surveillance?"

"Yes. Secret surveillance can't completely restrict her freedom of movement. It's obvious without asking that Wu Aikun
must have left the country."

Chen Hu placed the flowers in a vase.

"It's strange, it seems someone always gets there first."

Zhou Senlin sighed deeply:

"Never mind. A doctor can only cure the disease, not the fate. I feel
better today than yesterday. I'll take your car back to the office. I have important work to assign you immediately." "

Director Zhou, how dare you leave the ward without permission? No, I can't take this responsibility."

Zhou Senlin's face hardened.

"The situation is urgent. I won't die. While I still have breath, I need to get some things sorted out. Enough talk, let's go."

Zhou Senlin returned to the Anti-Corruption Bureau in Chen Hu's Cherokee. Chen Hu was very nervous driving the whole way, fearing that Zhou Senlin
would have a relapse. But Zhou Senlin's physical condition was good. He knew in his heart that this was probably a final burst of energy
before 's energy is gathered before passing away to handle the most important matters. This final burst

of energy, this peculiar survival code of humankind, allows each individual to use the last
gathering of energy to reduce the regrets left behind in life. Zhou Senlin subconsciously seized this last
opportunity.

Zhou Senlin used the key to open the metal safe, took out a long strip wrapped in yellow silk, and unwrapped...
The sword was opened, revealing the gleaming King's Sword.

"Chen Hu, do you recognize this sword?"

"Yes, it's your treasure. Where's the scabbard?"

Zhou Senlin held the sword with both hands, saying,

"I gave the scabbard to Xiaoyu a while ago. Chen Hu, this unsheathed sword is for you. It's
a souvenir from the International Prosecutors Conference, symbolizing the righteous army that eradicates corruption, known as the King's Sword."

Chen Hu accepted the King's Sword with both hands, a solemn sense of mission rising within him.

"The character 'King' is very interesting. Three horizontal strokes and one vertical stroke. The three horizontal strokes represent Heaven, Earth, and Man. Whoever can connect Heaven, Earth, and Man with the
vertical stroke is the King. I believe that vertical stroke represents justice. Only with justice can there be
order. Chen Hu, you must treat the King's Sword well."

"Director Zhou, don't worry. Xiaoyu and I will definitely not let the King's Sword be disgraced."

"Keep it safe. I look forward to the day when the engraving and scabbard become one."

Zhou Senlin opened the safe, took out a letter, and handed it to Chen Hu.

"This is the letter that Xing Cheng successfully photocopied. The work I'm assigning you is related to this letter. Have you seen it?"

"Yes."

"Read it again right away."

Chen Hu took the letter.

"Director Zhou, isn't it too long since I left the hospital? Should I call the hospital to inform
them ?"

"No need. My time is running out; I can't let the doctors bother me. It's kind of pitiful, really. I
've been cautious but on my deathbed, I suddenly became bold. This time, I'm going to mess with the powerful. You read the letter first."

Wei Diru Mian:

I've received your letter and money. I'm sending you the two photos you requested. You wrote that
your sister wanted old photos, but I only found two. Give them to her.

Back then, you said you wanted to go find your sister, but I disagreed. We haven't been in touch for so many years, and now she's rich and powerful,
as if we're trying to take advantage of her. I didn't expect her to actually care about our sibling bond and help you with your business. You grew up in the
countryside, while your sister has seen the world; you should listen to her.

You and your sister, though not born of the same father, are both flesh and blood of mine.

Don't be jealous of her; it's fate that she had a father who later became a high-ranking official.

I really miss her. Ever since she was taken away by her father when she was nine and joined the military acrobatic troupe, I haven't seen her.

I'm not angry that she doesn't acknowledge me as her mother. I never had the official title of her mother anyway. If her father
had married me, he probably would have spent his whole life working in the countryside and never returned to the city.

You know all this, but you must never mention it to her. People have pride, trees have bark; it's bad to hurt her pride
, and even worse to hurt her biological father's.

Your sister has suffered enough; she still can't acknowledge her biological father. I think acknowledging him would be worse for them.

So you must keep this secret and never tell anyone.

You wrote asking who her biological father is, but I can't tell you. It wouldn't do you any good even if you did.

Wei'er, remember, never call her "sister" in front of others. If you do, you'll give yourself away. She's
so noble, how could she have a brother like you? Just be content as long as she helps you secretly. What I fear most
is that you'll be too greedy, asking her for this and that, as if I, as her mother, am extorting my own daughter.

Life is better in the countryside now; we don't need so much money. Good fortune

is earned in a past life. You should be an honest and upright person. "Finished reading? Tell me your thoughts." Chen Hu placed the letter on the coffee table and said,

" This is a mother advising her son. Although the mother who wrote the letter is a rural woman, she is somewhat educated and a fairly honest person. This letter contains a complex story. The 'Wei'er' in the letter is most likely Hou Dewei . Hou Dewei has a half-sister, and considering the content of the tape, this sister might be Wu Aikun. Hou Dewei used Wu Aikun's personal and family fate to blackmail her. I deduce that Hou Dewei asked his mother for the photos in order to blackmail his sister Wu Aikun. But before he could carry it out, he was shot dead by Tao Tieliang. Judging from the content of the tape, the sister, let's assume she is Wu Aikun, also used Hou Dewei as her accomplice. The little girl in the photo might be Wu Aikun, and the little boy is Hou Dewei. So, the photo of the little girl and a young man..." Zhou Senlin took out the two old black and white photos from the filing cabinet, pointed to the photo of the little girl and a young man, and said , "You mean this one?" “This is it. This man is probably Wu Aikun’s biological father. Judging from the contents of the letter, Wu Aikun is the child this man had out of wedlock with the woman who wrote the letter. The man mentioned in the letter who became a high-ranking official is probably this man . This young man should be a sent-down youth during the Cultural Revolution. To be honest, Secretary Fang, when I first saw this photo, I felt he looked like someone, but I dared not say anything.” Zhou Senlin smiled and pointed to the teacup. Chen Hu understood, put his finger into the teacup, and wrote two words on the glass: Ji Tao! “That’s why I brought you here. If it were a matter of personal privacy, we wouldn’t need to investigate. The Cultural Revolution caused countless tragedies. But Wu Aikun is now a suspect in smuggling and arson, and is protected by those in power at every turn, so we have to investigate. What you just said is all speculation, without any evidence. Moreover, the speculation itself has many gaps. For example, what was the relationship between her biological father and the rural woman? How did her biological father later change the child’s fate? According to the information we have now, Wu Aikun and her biological father didn’t know each other at all. How did that happen? There are still too many mysteries to be solved. We will start by investigating Wu Aikun’s background. No matter how high a person’s status is, it is impossible to completely erase their history. This investigation must not be known to anyone. If it leaks out, I’m sorry, Comrade Chen Hu, you will bear full responsibility. If we are on the right track , then we may be able to solve a mystery—why are there always people who are one step ahead of us in everything?” Chen Hu said solemnly. “I fully understand the risks involved. I’ve suspected this man for a long time, but I lack evidence and have no way to investigate him. If things go wrong, I could go to jail or be beheaded. It has nothing to do with you. It’s all for the Party’s benefit.” “Go to the address on the envelope, appearing under the guise of investigating Hou Dewei. We really don’t know much about this Hou Dewei. I think the situation is urgent; you should set off as soon as possible. Take the photos with you. Be careful during the operation.”

"Safe. If I'm not mistaken, after Zhang Chenggong was kidnapped, they must have also questioned him about what he said to Jiao Xiaoyu.
Therefore, they also possess the contents of this letter, and may have gotten there before us. In fact,
all actions have only one purpose: to destroy evidence and witnesses, attempting to hide themselves permanently."

"Then I'll leave today."

"Okay, now take me back to the hospital."

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