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墨書 Inktalez
Tears streamed down the old man's face like a faucet that had been turned on, unable to stop for a long time.
Jiang He could not understand such emotions, but Old Shao did. Sometimes, for many people, even crying was a luxury. From the few words of the Scavenger Elder, it was not hard to see that he was pretending to be strong. An elderly man who had reached his sixties should have a son around thirty years old, and perhaps even a grandson.
At an age when one should be sharing joys with family, he had been driven out by his own son. How tragic that was. This sorrow, which surged at every moment, might continue until his death.
Old Shao did not know what had happened to this old man, but he still spoke up: "Old brother, you and I are not much different in age; perhaps I can empathize with you. Once we finish this case, I will personally help you reconcile with your son and bring you back home."
Hearing Old Shao's words, the Scavenger Elder wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes and smiled faintly. "No need for that; it's not like we haven't tried before. Reporters and police have come by; they can manage for a while, but can they manage for a lifetime? I might live a few peaceful days at first, but then he would only hate me more. I'm old now; I don't want to stir up trouble anymore. It's fine as it is."
"That's how people are," the Scavenger Elder said as he pulled out a crumpled pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He shook it a bit and took out three cigarettes, handing one to Old Shao and reaching for another to offer Jiang He.
Jiang He shook his head.
While lighting Old Shao's cigarette, the Scavenger Elder continued, "You see, in this life, one must have some vices; that's what makes living interesting. Otherwise, life would be so dull. Don't worry; I'll keep an eye out and mention it to my acquaintances so they can pay attention."
Old Shao took a puff of his cigarette and blew out a smoke ring. "In that case, mobilize everyone here to search immediately. As long as someone finds a clue, we will reward them with one thousand yuan. And whoever finds the clue will also receive one thousand yuan from us. I'll leave you a phone number; just notify me immediately if you find the Cellar."
A smile spread across the Scavenger Elder's face, but then concern crept in. "So you're saying that no matter who finds that Cellar, I can still get one thousand yuan?"
"Yes," Old Shao nodded and added, "Of course, if you find the Cellar yourself, you'll only get one thousand yuan as well."
"No problem, no problem," the Scavenger Elder quickly nodded. "I'll inform everyone about this right away."
"Great. Contact me as soon as there’s any lead." Old Shao took a pen from his coat pocket and wrote down his phone number on the back of the Scavenger Elder's hand at his request.
The vast northwest suburbs made it difficult to locate the Cellar where the murderer was hiding; it would require significant manpower and time to accomplish this task. Old Shao knew that relying solely on the local police force would not be enough to achieve this goal.
Xu Yiman felt sympathy for the Scavenger Elder's plight, but seeing his lackadaisical and sleazy demeanor, she couldn't help but think that he might not be up to the task.
"Can he handle it? Should we arrange for the others to come over? Yuan Jun just contacted the nearby police station," Xu Yiman asked.
Old Shao glanced back; the figure of the Scavenger Elder had already disappeared into the distance. It seemed he had gone to inform others about the situation.
"There are numerous civil cases that require handling by comrades from various police stations, and each station can only spare a few people. With such a small number, it's impossible to investigate such a large area. Moreover, this place is piled high with garbage, and these people may not be willing to search thoroughly."
"However, relying on those who work with garbage is different. If you want to find a grain of sand in the desert, the best way isn't to sift through the other grains but to let the other grains help you find it. These people know this area far better than the officers at the police station."
"A thousand yuan is still an attractive amount for these individuals," Old Shao said with a smile. "That old man’s best skill right now is spreading our message to other scavengers. For him, it doesn’t matter who finds the Cellar; as long as someone does, he can earn a thousand yuan, but that's his limit."
As Old Shao walked outside, he continued, "If he wants to get that thousand yuan quickly, what’s the best way? It’s to spread this news to as many people as possible and get others to help him search. Of course, if he's clever, he might promise others five hundred yuan and keep five hundred for himself. But that’s his gamble to make."
"The more he can take home is up to his ability, but first and foremost, he must find the Cellar." Old Shao got into the car. "So don’t worry; from his few words, it’s clear he’s not a fool. However, once this case is resolved, we should still lend him a hand; people tend to have more goodwill towards their peers."
At that moment, good news also came from Captain Liu's side. According to Guan Deng's comparison in the police department's database, they had identified the woman. Although the environment in the video was dark and unclear, and her face was mostly obscured by hair, Guan Deng still managed to identify her through facial recognition technology.
The reason they could match her identity so quickly was that this woman had previously filed a case with the police. Although she had no criminal record herself, her husband did.
The woman was named Wei Linghui and was thirty-three years old. Her husband, Lu Zhengye, had been imprisoned ten years ago for rape due to his victim being a minor; as a result, Lu Zhengye received a thirteen-year sentence. In prison, due to good behavior or perhaps family connections, Lu Zhengye was released after serving ten years.
Now, six months after his release, Lu Zhengye had become untraceable. Due to his criminal record, any hotel stay or large expenditure would be flagged by the police department. Three months ago, there were occasional traces of his activities, but in recent months, it was as if he had vanished completely. Currently, Captain Liu was trying to contact Wei Linghui and Lu Zhengye's family.
The group returned to the police station where Guan Deng and Captain Liu were still attempting to find ways to reach out to Wei Linghui and Lu Zhengye's family members.
Old Shao and Jiang He were looking at Lu Zhengye's file.
Lu Zhengye was thirty-two years old this year. Ten years ago, when he was twenty-two, he raped his wife's niece, Wei Qian, who was also Wei Linghui's niece. A week after the assault, Wei Qian's family reported it to the police. After verification and with solid evidence, Lu Zhengye was imprisoned.
Lu Zhengye claimed that their relationship was consensual, but Wei Qian denied this, leading to his conviction.
At that time, Lu Zhengye had just married Wei Linghui.
Ten years had passed since the case, and the file had gathered dust. In the file, Lu Zhengye provided many details. Wei Qian and Lu Zhengye's cousin were classmates, and through this connection, Wei Qian coincidentally met Lu Zhengye.
At that time, Lu Zhengye was twenty years old, and Wei Qian was fifteen.
Although named "Lu Zhengye," he dropped out of school after middle school and wandered around society, engaging in illicit activities such as collecting protection fees and robbing middle school students. He dressed in trendy clothes and rode an old motorcycle that made a loud noise when started, disturbing the peace and drawing attention.
Lu Zhengye fell in love with Wei Qian at first sight and began pursuing her. Eventually, Wei Qian agreed to his advances.
Occasionally, Lu Zhengye would take Wei Qian to visit his aunt, Wei Linghui. At that time, Wei Linghui was twenty-one years old and worked as a cashier in a supermarket. Lu Zhengye and Wei Linghui were of similar age and had much in common. After some time, Lu Zhengye broke up with Wei Qian and got together with Wei Linghui.
The two hit it off well and prepared for marriage. Lu Zhengye took a job as a security guard at a hotel, marking a turn in his life.
Two years later, they got married.
Three months after their wedding, Wei Qian visited her aunt's house; this time she would call Lu Zhengye "uncle."
For reasons unknown, Wei Qian proposed that she have relations with Lu Zhengye. With tears streaming down her face, she claimed that after this encounter, they would part ways forever. Lu Zhengye's wife was no longer a virgin by this point, which stirred something within him as he looked at the blossoming young girl before him.
After that, Lu Zhengye and Wei Qian became involved. However, what Lu Zhengye did not expect was that Wei Qian left evidence and reported to the police a week later.
It was then that Lu Zhengye realized he had fallen into a trap, but he also understood that he had no recording of the events, and whatever Wei Qian claimed was what it was. He checked online and estimated that he would be sentenced to at least five years. Having heard many dark stories from prison during his time in the underworld, he decided to flee.
However, just as he arrived at the train station, he was captured on the spot by undercover police officers waiting there.
Coincidentally, ten years ago, Wang Chao, who had just graduated from police academy at the age of twenty-four, also participated in this pursuit.
But Wei Qian's account was completely opposite to Lu Zhengye's.
Wei Qian admitted that she had dated Lu Zhengye, but it was during a time when she was young and naive. Later, when Lu Zhengye started dating her aunt, Wei Qian wished them well.
One day, when Wei Qian visited her aunt's house, Lu Zhengye and Wei Linghui were out shopping and asked her to sit for a while. Afterward, Lu Zhengye assaulted Wei Qian.
While they were dating, Wei Qian had repeatedly indicated her reluctance to engage in such relations since she was still a minor. She never expected that Lu Zhengye would resort to such actions when he could not have her.
Xu Yiman frowned and said, "The two accounts are contradictory; one person is willing while the other is forced."
"Rashomon," Old Shao closed the file. "However, the court still convicted Lu Zhengye of rape. The woman in the video is Wei Linghui. After Lu Zhengye was released from prison, he vanished without a trace and now has ties to the hidden Criminal Consultant. I think we need to first understand who the real victim is!"
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