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墨書 Inktalez
Upon hearing the Boss's words, the three of us exchanged glances. Just yesterday, we had clearly seen that Hao Ren's house had been reduced to ashes, and now, at the Edge Internet Cafe, we had stumbled upon useful clues. The Boss mentioned three thieves who had attempted to demolish Hao Ren's home; could it be that they were responsible for this incident?
With this thought in mind, I said to the Boss, "IFI told me I should handle this matter."
I sent a message to Mary, asking him to provide me with some information about the thieves.
While waiting, I looked around the internet cafe.
Today was New Year's Day, and I was surprised that the Boss hadn't gone home but was still open for business. There weren't many people using the internet, just a few scattered individuals. As for why they chose to spend New Year's Day in an internet cafe instead of reuniting with their families, I couldn't say.
Before long, Mary sent me information on three thieves. We looked over the details, and it turned out that these three had committed a staggering number of thefts. Despite appearing to be in their twenties, they had started engaging in criminal activities while still minors.
The most notorious among them was named Zhang Bin, twenty-two years old and unemployed. The other two were his younger brothers and accomplices: one named Zheng Shuai and the other Cheng Yimin. They were twenty and eighteen years old respectively, also unemployed.
None of these three were locals; they drifted around the area without any ties. With no roots in the community, they became increasingly reckless. They stole whenever they could and resorted to robbery if caught. Zhang Bin always carried a spring knife with him; when confronted by those who would rather risk their lives than part with their money, that knife became a deadly weapon.
However, after years of wandering, Zhang Bin had never encountered anyone who wasn't afraid of death. Each time he threatened someone with his knife, they typically chose to abandon their valuables to save their lives. Little did Zhang Bin know that the first time he met someone unafraid of death would also be the first time he used his knife.
Yet, Zhang Bin was taken down, and we confiscated his knife.
According to the information we gathered, none of the three had a fixed residence; they moved from east to west as they pleased. If they stole more on one side, they'd shift to the other side. Most of the time, victims of theft wouldn't report it to the police because they understood that their belongings were unlikely to be recovered.
In our country, penalties for theft are based on the value of stolen goods; typically, stealing a phone or an electric bike results in only a few days' detention before being released. The reason we detained these three for fifteen days was due to their public intimidation of others.
But did these three really have such power that merely being detained for fifteen days would lead them to burn down someone's house? Where exactly had Hao Ren gone? Was Fang Qi's suicide connected to these three?
The records indicated that Cheng Yimin had worked on construction sites before becoming unemployed. While hanging out with Zhang Bin and Zheng Shuai, he had lived in a cheap rental in the west side of town. The three often frequented that area; perhaps we could find clues there.
"Do you really think this incident warranted burning down someone's house?" Guan Zengbin remarked as he gazed out at the passing streets from the car window. "It's like stepping on someone's foot and having them chop off your arm in retaliation—does it really need to be that extreme?"
Though two months had passed since then, I could still vividly recall Zhang Bin's ferocious expression and threatening words during his time at the police station. If it were Zhang Bin behind this act, it wouldn't be entirely surprising. He claimed that as long as he was fed, his family wouldn't go hungry; thus, burning down someone's house might not give him pause for thought at all.
It might have been just a momentary act of revenge, but little did they know that the wooden structure would catch fire so quickly, reducing the entire house to ashes. Perhaps they were fully aware of their actions and intended to eliminate all witnesses.
Gu Chen drove while continuing the conversation with Guan Zengbin. "How could it not be possible? That guy doesn't seem like a good person at all. He threatened the crowd right in front of the police. If he had any power, who knows what he would do? I bet it was those guys who did it."
Guan Zengbin frowned and looked at me, sitting beside her. "So, are you saying that the Fang Qi suicide case and the Hao Ren house fire were all done by the same group?"
I shook my head. "I don't think so. On the way back, I compared Fang Qi's suicide note with her usual writing style. A person's writing habits—how they form letters, their language use, and layout—constitute their overall writing style. Based on these three aspects, it's clear that the suicide note was indeed written by Fang Qi."
Looking at Guan Zengbin, I continued, "Moreover, from what Fang Qi wrote in the note, it's easy to deduce that the person she couldn't bear to face was someone familiar to her. These three thieves definitely weren't her acquaintances. For now, we should follow basic criminal investigation protocols and start our inquiry from people to objects."
We drove to the vicinity of the cheap rental houses.
I soon realized that these low-cost rentals were completely different from what I had seen in Dongxing City; they were essentially houses made from stacked shipping containers. The roads around were littered with garbage, and everywhere I looked there were signs of neglect. We asked several people before finally finding someone who knew Zhang Bin and his companions.
We didn’t reveal our identities; we merely said we were friends of Zhang Bin. Surprisingly, the person didn’t suspect us and led us to where Zhang Bin was staying.
It turned out that the three of them actually lived here. The rent was only three hundred yuan a month, which was incredibly cheap. As we walked along the street, I noticed many young people who looked thin and haggard. Seeing this place stirred a different feeling within me.
Finally, we arrived at Zhang Bin's place.
I pushed the door and found it wasn’t locked.
As soon as I opened it, a musty smell wafted out. Inside was cold and lacked heating. The space was formed by two large shipping containers with three beds inside, each covered with thick blankets. At the far end was an old television set.
Empty bottles and takeout boxes were strewn across the floor, leaving hardly any space to step without stepping on something. The leftover takeout had already begun to smell foul. Next to one bed was a spittoon filled with an unidentifiable disgusting liquid floating with cigarette butts. Although the three thieves appeared clean when dressed, seeing their living conditions revealed their true nature.
Indeed, appearances can be deceiving.
I reached out to touch one of the blankets and found it completely cold, indicating that these people had been gone for some time. Yet it was only around eight in the morning; where could they have gone so early? Judging by the mess everywhere, they certainly didn’t seem like diligent individuals.
I would never believe that they get up every seven hours. So, what have they been doing today?
I glanced at the white powder on my hand and frowned.
As Gu Chen was about to say something, I raised my hand to stop him.
I turned to the person who brought us here and said, "Zhang Bin asked me to find him. Where has he gone?"
The person shrugged. "I wouldn't know."
"Do they all leave this early?" I asked.
He burst into laughter. "Just look around this place. Those three never get up before noon. They can't even be bothered to throw their lunch boxes outside; how could they possibly be up this early? I don't know what those three are up to, but since you already know this, I won't bother you any further. Feel free to sit; I have no idea when they'll be back."
"They didn't even lock the door; aren't they afraid of losing anything?" Gu Chen muttered.
"Haha." The person laughed again. "What valuable things are there in this house besides that television? That old TV is probably worth just a few dozen bucks..."
As he spoke, he walked away.
Only then did Gu Chen ask, "You three aren't thinking that they might have fled in guilt after seeing the house turn to ashes, are you?"
"That's not entirely impossible," I replied, looking at everyone. "When we walked in just now, did any of you notice anything interesting?"
"Interesting?" Gu Chen shook his head.
Guan Zengbin looked outside the container and said, "If it weren't for Mary bringing the information, who would believe there are places like this in Yumu City? We've seen quite a few people here; look at them—all thin and walking unsteadily. I suspect this place is mostly a gathering spot for addicts."
I snapped my fingers and looked at Guan Zengbin. "Exactly! You and I are on the same wavelength."
Gu Chen pondered for a moment and said, "However, drug use is not a crime; it is considered illegal and at most, they would be sent to a rehabilitation center. The problem is, these people are gathered here. Where did they get the drugs?"
I replied, "Looking at Zhang Bin and the other two, they don't seem like drug users. I think we need to send someone to stake out here. As soon as we spot the three of them, we should notify the rest of us immediately."
Gu Chen said, "Alright, I'll call Captain Shao now and have him send someone over."
"What should we do next?" Guan Zengbin asked.
I thought for a moment and then said, "Hao Ren is missing, and Fang Qi has committed suicide. However, Du Ziguo and Wang An are still in Yumu City. Let's find Du Ziguo first. He’s older and can cooperate with our investigation. As for Wang An, this eight-year-old child..."
At this point, I couldn't help but worry about this friend. If Hao Ren is missing, who would take care of Wang An?
Guan Zengbin glanced at the information and said to me, "Du Ziguo is currently working as a mechanic at Ten Tong Auto Repair Shop, which is about an hour's journey from here."
After a moment, Gu Chen finished his call.
I took one last look at the room before turning to leave.
Zhang Bin, as a thief, wouldn’t have the capacity to deal drugs. So what was he doing with that little bit of powder hidden away?
Where had these three gone off to?
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