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墨書 Inktalez
Old Shao knew that no matter how many questions he asked Huang Zhengqing, there would be no answers.
He adjusted his white hair and said to Jiang He beside him, "Huang Zhengqing has been locked up, and Feng Gaofei would rather die than reveal the person behind this. There’s something fishy going on here. Why do you think Huang Zhengqing is in this situation?"
Jiang He didn’t understand. In matters of such intricate calculations, he was quite clueless. Without direct evidence, he couldn’t draw any conclusions.
Old Shao recognized Jiang He’s confusion. He placed his hand against the wall, closed his eyes, and avoided looking at anyone else. "Because that person needs Huang Zhengqing to tell us something, like the village where Feng Gaofei used to live."
"Are you saying this is also a message deliberately left for us, similar to the streets in the first game?" Jiang He stood beside Old Shao and spoke softly.
Old Shao withdrew his hand and nodded heavily, a hint of worry crossing his face. "That’s exactly it. However, this time leading us to that village might not be so simple. We still don’t know the true purpose of this Criminal Consultant. If he is acting out of a self-righteous sense of justice, then this person must be captured."
"Why?" Jiang He couldn’t comprehend.
Old Shao turned to face Jiang He seriously. "Because as long as he raises that banner, he will influence many people. Ten thousand perverse murderers are not as terrifying as one like him. What was that saying? A rogue isn’t scary; what’s scary is a rogue with culture."
Jiang He shook his head.
Old Shao explained, "Under the guise of legitimacy, he does things more despicable than a rogue, hiding deep intentions. Can someone like that not be frightening? When he reveals the true sinister purpose behind his facade of virtue, that monstrous face is what truly chills and terrifies people."
Jiang He nodded slightly, somewhat understanding.
Old Shao looked at the nearby detective and asked, "Did you find any clues just now?"
The detective handed a document to Old Shao and said, "This is the file Captain Ma asked me to deliver to you regarding Aunt Wang's descendants."
Old Shao glanced at the clock; it was already six in the morning. It seemed that Captain Ma was indeed efficient.
From this document, Aunt Wang's information had already been uncovered.
Aunt Wang's real name was Wang Cao. She had two sons and one daughter. If her two sons were still alive, they would both be over eighty years old this year. Aunt Wang's daughter was seventy years old and in poor health, spending her days in bed, suffering from dementia and no longer recognizing anyone.
However, this elderly woman had a unique hobby: she loved to tell stories from the past. In her dazed state, she recounted the tales her mother once told her, including how Old Lady Wang taught Qiuju Niu the methods and routes for abducting children for sale.
According to Aunt Wang's fifty-year-old son, a young man claimed to be the son of a child who had been abducted by Qiuju Niu back in the day. His father had always wanted to find out where his hometown was. This wasn't unusual; Aunt Wang's son chatted with the young man.
They talked for several hours. Initially, Aunt Wang's son thought his mother was just rambling; he had never heard of his grandmother doing such things. However, upon meeting this young man, he realized that everything was true. The elderly woman detailed the story to the young man, who left after listening.
In the records, several people mentioned the young man's appearance, but none could provide a clear description because he was unremarkable—an ordinary person blending into the crowd made it difficult to identify him among countless others.
As time had passed, the hospital's surveillance footage had been updated several times, and there were no images of this young man. Thus, he remained a vague figure; relying solely on people's words would not help locate him.
The young man claimed his name was Xu and had not been seen since that afternoon when he left.
He had an average build and height—essentially very ordinary.
After reviewing this information, Old Shao realized it was nearly useless. It appeared that this fellow had anticipated this outcome; he had sought out the elderly woman long before the game began. This matter would definitely remain concealed until the game started, and by the time the project team investigated this lead, the surveillance records would have already been cleared.
This person was indeed difficult to deal with.
Old Shao decisively said, "Now that it's bright out, Qiuju Niu should call the police. Instead of waiting for her to do it, let's go find her directly."
On the morning of August 24th, at six o'clock.
Qiuju Niu lay on her bed like a character in a large letter. She reached out to touch something but realized something was missing. She stretched her hand further but still felt nothing. Opening her eyes, she discovered that her grandson was nowhere to be found. She tugged at her red undergarments and hurriedly shouted, "Wenhua, Wenhua, where are you?"
But no one answered.
As Qiuju Niu pulled on her clothes, she muttered angrily, "That crazy child, where has he run off to now?"
She searched the yard and the house inside and out but saw not a single person. Panic set in; although Zhang Wenhua was only seven or eight years old and mischievous, he would never sneak out without telling her.
Standing in the not-so-large yard, sweat suddenly dripped down from her forehead.
Last night, in a daze, Qiuju Niu had heard some noises but was too exhausted to get up and check. She remembered hearing Zhang Wenhua mumbling about something; he was never still while sleeping, kicking off blankets and thrashing about.
Could it be...
At that moment, Qiuju Niu was disheveled and had no mind to tidy herself up. Having once been a victim of human trafficking herself, she immediately thought of the worst-case scenario: that her grandson Zhang Wenhua had been abducted. But kidnappers usually took children when they were unguarded outside; who would come into a house to snatch a child away?
Her face was drenched in sweat.
Standing in the yard, she shouted desperately, "Has anyone seen my grandson? Has anyone seen Zhang Wenhua? Where did you go?"
At six in the morning, while every household was still nestled in their blankets, a loud shout from Qiuju Niu roused everyone from their slumber. As they listened to her cries, they began to understand what had happened. The entire village searched high and low, but not only was Zhang Wenhua missing, there wasn't even a trace of him.
Qiuju Niu was truly frightened now. She never imagined that something like this could happen to her; it was all too strange. The dogs in the village were usually so alert, yet they hadn’t barked at all last night.
With no sign of Zhang Wenhua in the village, a sudden thought struck Qiuju Niu. She hurriedly dragged herself toward the village entrance, where her shop was located. However, her last hope was dashed—there was no sign of Zhang Wenhua anywhere. It was clear: he was lost.
Qiuju Niu collapsed at the village entrance, staring blankly at the endless loess road, feeling as if she were nothing more than a heap of discarded flesh.
"My child, my Wenhua, where have you gone?" she cried out, her voice rough and raw.
At that moment, a car approached from the direction of the village entrance.
"I have an eighty percent probability that the person sitting on the ground is Qiuju Niu," Jiang He analyzed. "Look at her; her clothes are disheveled, her shoes are missing, and she's sitting next to her shop surrounded by villagers. Given the time frame, Qiuju Niu must know that her grandson is missing. And judging by her appearance, she looks to be in her fifties or sixties—just about right for Qiuju Niu's age..."
Xu Yiman waved his hand dismissively and said, "No need for analysis; even a fool can see that."
Wang Chao parked the car nearby, and everyone got out.
Old Shao walked over to Qiuju Niu and reached out to help her up, but given her weight, he found it impossible to lift her. After several attempts, Old Shao chose to give up.
He slowly squatted down beside Qiuju Niu and said gently, "Old sister, I’m from the police department. I’m here to tell you something important: your grandson's name is Zhang Wenhua, right? Unfortunately, it seems he has been abducted."
Upon hearing Old Shao's words, a glint of desperation flashed in Qiuju Niu's eyes. "You know my grandson has been kidnapped? Where is he? You need to bring my grandson back!"
Qiuju Niu stared wide-eyed at Old Shao, her hand gripping his arm tightly, almost pulling him off balance. Her mouth was agape, as if she intended to swallow him whole.
Wang Chao approached and pried Qiuju Niu's hand away, saying, "We are the police. We just learned about your grandson Zhang Wenhua being abducted. But you, you know what you did when you were younger..."
Old Shao nodded slightly, gently stopping Wang Chao from continuing. He stood up, and Qiuju Niu followed suit.
Old Shao spoke, "I believe this is something you wouldn't want others to know, so why don't you open the shop door? We can discuss this in detail inside."
This matter had always been a deep secret for Qiuju Niu, but now that the police knew about it, she stood there in a daze. She rummaged through her pockets but found no keys.
Just as Old Shao thought they should talk in the car instead, Qiuju Niu kicked the wooden door of the shop open and walked straight inside.
This sudden action left the surrounding villagers stunned.
Wang Chao, Jiang He, and the others were equally taken aback.
Old Shao had already followed her inside.
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