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墨書 Inktalez
Behind every major case, there are always countless tangled stories that are difficult to clarify...
The operation on June 22 was ultimately named the 6.22 "Thunder Action" by the Provincial Department. It was said to be for publicity purposes, as Shaanxi Province, being an inland area, rarely sees cases of this scale. Following the press conference, media from the provincial capital and across the country began to report extensively. However, the situation of the case had not yet been clarified, and numerous versions of the story had already emerged.
Surprisingly, the first person to face disciplinary action was Yang Shizhuo, the commander of the Action Team in Tongguan. He revealed to the media that the information came from undercover police and informants infiltrating the Pyramid Scheme. As soon as the news broke, he was ordered to correct his statement. The Provincial Public Security Bureau publicly clarified that there were no undercover agents involved; they were all scouts. As for informants, that was even less likely—our country does not have a system for police to use informants. However, there were indeed many reports from citizens, which proved that cracking down on Illegal Pyramid Schemes aligned with public sentiment and opinion.
The day after Yang Shizhuo was disciplined, another incident occurred. The Pyramid Scheme participants deported from Tongguan could not recover their investment money. The day after their deportation, over two hundred people returned to Tongguan, likely unable to swallow their losses and wanting to make a scene at the police station but too afraid to do so. Instead, they decided to block the city government's main entrance, demanding their money back.
In truth, this was futile; local governments had grown accustomed to being blocked and hardly anyone attended to them. After two hours of protest, they were dispersed by armed police.
This incident was far from over; it soon led to further embarrassment. The Business Smuggling Task Force negotiated with the police regarding a reasonable handling proposal for the confiscated illegal funds. In fact, between units and individuals alike, no one wanted to part with any money; they were reluctant to give it up. If they submitted it to the national treasury, they could receive rewards and allowances in return. Moreover, if it remained local, it might even help solve funding issues there. The two parties held several meetings about this matter—one side wanting something while the other side refused to give—and they ended up directly accusing each other at the provincial government level over this reward quota.
What about returning those who lost everything in the Pyramid Scheme?
That was a tricky issue; since the Pyramid Scheme didn’t issue receipts, how could anyone prove that their share of confiscated funds belonged to them? If they refunded some people, what about those who couldn’t get anything back? This attitude effectively shut out those victims trying to reclaim some of their losses.
While financial matters remained entangled, issues within law enforcement arose again. The 402 Special Task Force in Shaanxi Province gained national attention, leading various provincial units to come learn from them continuously. The task force became overwhelmed and resorted to a poor strategy: gathering writers within the police force to prepare several reports as a stopgap measure. Whenever detailed case situations were inquired about, they would simply respond with "not disclosing at this time."
A week passed in this busy haze without anyone knowing exactly what had been accomplished.
However, it was clear that the shockwaves from this major case were very limited; soon enough, this sensational story would be replaced by entertainment gossip and shameless news from various places. Those heart-stopping tales would become remnants on crumpled pages of forgotten newspapers before long...
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The pursuit ahead still showed no progress...
On June 23, the day after the operation concluded, Zhang Quan and Mulin Shen tracked down Wuchang City, which is Yang Yun's hometown—also known as Yang Menglu. Following her household registration records led them to her ex-husband. Unsurprisingly, they had not been in contact for over ten years; he had since started a new family. When speaking of Yang Yun, he couldn't help but express a sense of nostalgia mixed with lingering affection.
Yes, she was the victim. The timing of their breakup coincided with when Yang Menglu abandoned her family to join the Pyramid Scheme.
Surprisingly, the ex-husband's parents praised the Ex-Wife even more than they did the current wife. Yang Yun and her ex-husband's child was already twelve years old, living with their grandmother. Xiao Mu spent a few minutes with the child and gathered a lot of information. The child spoke of his mother, who returned every year to see him and always sent him many toys and books.
This information saddened Xiao Mu for an entire day, though no one knew why.
On June 24, at Four O'Clock in the Morning, the group arrived in Beihai, the birthplace of the Pyramid Scheme. Accompanied by Luo Guanquan, who had arrived earlier, they found the officer who had once arrested Yang Menglu and Yang Yun. The officer described a different situation; when they dismantled the Pyramid Scheme hideout, Yang Yun was so obsessed that she didn’t recognize anyone. According to this officer's subtle hints, Yang Menglu had long been financially ruined by the scheme. The only reason she remained involved was due to her looks, which made her a pawn used by the Pyramid Scheme leader to recruit others.
Further investigation revealed two records of prostitution offenses from the local police station. The stark contrast in her life left the investigators astonished.
However, it wasn't hard to understand; a woman whose dignity had been destroyed would not raise eyebrows no matter what she did afterward.
But then something strange happened—she did not end up on the streets; instead, she made a glamorous turnaround. This odd change was corroborated by information provided by Luo Guanquan about Lu Hongbo. When Lu Hongbo was imprisoned for the second time, Yang Yun was among those targeted in a crackdown on the Pyramid Scheme. They were both part of the same scheme—one a notorious godfather figure and the other a widely known female member—so they must have met during that time.
Afterward, one ended up in prison while the other fell into destitution. Those who serve time often find themselves homeless upon release; neither had a home anymore.
When fate hits rock bottom, it rebounds. Two people whose destinies had plummeted must have shared some story.
This was Xiao Mu's speculation; as a police officer, it was hard to believe such thoughts were unfounded.
On June 26, traveling from Beihai to Sanming and Xiamen, they followed a communication record linked to a phone number once used by Yang Menglu. However, searching for this lead was like looking for a needle in a haystack—trial and error led to disappointment again and again, causing team morale to plummet.
Only Xiao Mu still held onto some hope; his interest in that beautiful woman seemed greater. He found himself engrossed in old cases involving Yang Yun and Lu Hongbo from over ten years ago.
No one could have imagined how the clues would emerge. On the afternoon of the 26th, near where Signal was suspected to appear in Xiamen, Xiao Mu employed another clever tactic. He sketched an image of a gentle young woman—the image of Yang Yun—and this oil painting portrait was quickly recognized by many nearby.
She went by Gu Huatong here and had lived for many years; even the property management knew her... but why did they know her? She had recently entrusted them to sell her two-bedroom apartment here. The sale occurred just one day before the pursuit team arrived.
She was leaving; there was no doubt about it—her suspicion was gradually increasing.
On June 27, clues emerged as Zhangzhou continued its pursuit, and the missing Yang Menglu re-entered the sights of the task force. Unbeknownst to her, they had been following her closely, only to discover that Yang Menglu had not hidden her identity; she was using her real name: Yang Yun.
Zhangzhou traveled to Guangzhou, then to Shenzhen, and soon returned to Zhujiang City, making a large detour as if she were on a leisurely trip, appearing in various shopping malls and tourist attractions.
The task force understood that timing was crucial for the arrest; otherwise, capturing her would only lead to her release. Yang Yun was the informant from the June 22 operation, and there was no evidence proving her involvement in any crime. If it weren't for Xiao Mu's insistence that this woman was a key conspirator, the special project team might not have dared to focus all their efforts on her. After all, she was an informant, not a suspect. If she truly conspired with the elusive Lu the Madman, capturing her would only result in another disappearance.
Carefully tailing her, Luo Guanquan urgently called in reinforcements from neighboring provinces and followed the trail to Zhujiang City...
The prospects of the chase seemed bleak while chaos reigned at home. On this day, Fan Wenjie hurried back to the task force, taking a break from his paperwork. In the logistics courtyard where most of the security personnel had been withdrawn, he called out to Ye Tianshu. They did not go upstairs but instead strolled to a quieter area behind the building.
The case was progressing regarding the arrested general managers led by Ma Jianfeng, Ma Bufang, Dong Zhuo, and Dong Chenyuan. They were struggling to reveal how much they had done. The losses these individuals faced were more severe than anticipated; that day they had prepared a five million bonus pooled together by all the general managers. It was meant to be a show before returning to their pockets, but who could have predicted such a turn of events? The police ended up benefiting from it all. Ye Tianshu reported with delight that this dubious idea had actually come from informant Mulin Shen and had been accepted.
Director Fan couldn't help but laugh at the irony; this group of fraudsters had been outsmarted by a small-time con artist and lost everything overnight. Flipping through electronic reports, he found himself most concerned not with Tu Shenhao or He Yuguo but with a female suspect named Jia Fangfei, whose real name was Jia Yuanyuan. He instinctively glanced at her case file several times.
Ye Tianshu reminded him, "Her involvement isn't serious; she's He Yuguo's niece and was brought into the organization to handle accounts. According to her statements, her task was to distribute incoming funds according to a list. Most of Tongguan's Wei Heng Business Investment affairs were managed by her."
"Oh, then that should be easy to handle," Fan Wenjie replied, pondering whether they could let her off lightly. However, he wondered if they were missing something in terms of legal proceedings. He asked, "Have we found any evidence?"
Ye Tianshu shook his head. No evidence had been found yet; he didn't voice his doubts but felt certain there should be some—though it might be hard to locate due to the chaotic scene that day. Thousands of bank cards had been collected; if that informant had tampered with anything, it would indeed be impossible to verify.
"This... damn kid," Fan Wenjie muttered as he handed back his phone. His tone lacked anger now. Ye Tianshu cautiously added, "Xiao Mu is quite perceptive; he knows how to read people well. If Jia Fangfei really is what they call 'Boss Jia,' I doubt she could escape Xiao Mu's keen eyes. This Jia Fangfei is just an ordinary participant in this case; there seems to be some personal connection between them."
"That's good; if she were a key suspect, I suspect he'd have switched sides by now," Fan Wenjie said.
"What’s happening up ahead?" Ye Tianshu seized the opportunity to ask.
"I came to discuss this matter. Today marks the eighth day, and Luo Guanquan just sent word that they have arrived in Zhujiang City. If they go any further south, they will be out of the country. In eight days, they have traversed five cities, which is quite strange," Fan Wenjie said, his voice betraying his worry.
They were trying to capture the elusive Lu the Madman, a truly extraordinary lunatic who was not easy to catch. With no home, no job, no fixed residence, no identification, and no bank cards, having mingled in the Pyramid Scheme for twenty years, it was hard to predict what kind of monster he had become. From the police's perspective, it was difficult to grasp the situation.
"Yang Menglu, also known as the informant Yang Yun, should be a lead here... I now feel that there might be issues with the Industrial and Commercial Anti-Smuggling as well. The last information provided by Yang Menglu, the disappearance of the stolen funds, and our actions all happened almost simultaneously. The timing is just too coincidental," Ye Tianshu pondered, reflecting on how many doubts could be uncovered in hindsight.
"Indeed, this is the brilliance of Lu Hongbo. He truly lives up to his title as 'The Godfather.' If Yang Menglu is also under his manipulation and used her report to escape... then our department would surely be embarrassed to reveal such matters publicly and would only treat those captured as scapegoats. Unfortunately, with the unique nature of the Pyramid Scheme, unless we catch them in the act, there will be no evidence left behind. Relying solely on Tu Shenhao's testimony means we can't even issue a wanted notice..." Fan Wenjie remarked. It was only in retrospect that one could appreciate how formidable an underestimated opponent could be.
Everyone regarded him as a madman while he performed freely under that guise. Not only the police but even those at the top of the Pyramid Scheme were kept in the dark, believing that Professor Lu was merely a Mental Patient. Little did they know that this so-called lunatic had gained an intimate understanding of their entire organization through his lectures.
"So now..." Ye Tianshu said cautiously. As soon as he spoke, he realized it was a pointless question. Fan Wenjie immediately responded, "We can only wait. These people are masters of disguise; changing their appearances is second nature to them. I'm worried they might leave the country. If they really slip away, this case will end in confusion."
"Have we missed anything in our work these past few days?" Ye Tianshu asked. He mentally counted; aside from three members of their task force, only Director Xu knew about the entire process. Even some undercover agents had already tracked over ten thousand kilometers without involving local police support or touching upon Skynet, fearing that the omnipotent Lu the Madman might sense danger.
"Theoretically, we shouldn't have missed anything. Only a few of us know about it; all reports have placed Tu Shenhao and He Yuguo in key roles without mentioning anything about the missing funds," Fan Wenjie contemplated. This kind of deception kept outsiders in the dark while those who understood would see it as a cover-up by law enforcement agencies. After all, concealing information was a common tactic for them; anyone familiar with human relationships would understand.
"Then it seems we can only wait and hope for a miracle," Ye Tianshu said.
"Let's escalate things a bit. Compile a commendation report and make it more prominent. We should issue a commendation notice for the 6.22 Action Team, listing all personnel involved from various cities and counties so that they can report back quickly... No, let's get a commendation notice out today and let the media hype it up," Fan Wenjie instructed.
"Okay, I'll take care of it right away," Ye Tianshu replied. Such momentum would further suggest that this case had reached a successful conclusion.
With commendations on the horizon, it naturally appeared to be an ending; however, how significant this appearance would turn out to be remained uncertain.
The two continued their discussion, their faces still etched with deep concern...
"Well, the news has arrived." Zhang Quan handed his phone to Xiao Mu, who lazily glanced at it.
From the vast Northern Region to the stormy Southern Country, the two found themselves on Coastal Avenue in Zhujiang City. The sounds of crashing waves and seagulls filled the air, and a glance up revealed the Overseas Gambling City just across the sea. The humid weather was a nightmare for someone from the north; Zhang Quan had transformed from a foot-scratching brute into an itchy, restless man, covered in rashes.
The news was about a commendation from home, soon to be featured on the provincial capital's portal website. In this information age, it was all too easy to keep an eye on everything happening around. Xiao Mu tossed the phone back and watched as Zhang Quan continued to scratch in discomfort. He chuckled and said, "Don't scratch; it will only get itchier. Haven't you applied any medicine?"
"It doesn't work! This is just how I am; I can't stand a bit of humidity." Zhang Quan stopped scratching but instinctively rubbed his back against the chair.
"Fortunately, it will be over soon... I mean, Baldy, I'm starting to feel a bit reluctant to leave you," Xiao Mu joked. Upon hearing this, Zhang Quan became furious and flipped him off, cursing, "Stop getting close! The budget is already twice over; it's all because of you! I don't even know how to explain this when I go back... You eat a meal worth a thousand, and I can't even report back with a single receipt."
"You're so stingy! I've eaten meals worth ten thousand before... If I can't report it, that's on me," Xiao Mu replied.
"Of course it's on you! Do you think I can cover for you?" Zhang Quan reminded him that their relationship wasn't that close.
Xiao Mu laughed; these police officers were all alike—hardworking when it came to their duties but miserly when it came to spending money. He teased Zhang Quan further, saying, "Baldy, have you noticed that you guys have something in common with Pyramid Scheme members? Look at it this way: you're highly coordinated in action and thought, maintaining absolute authority among your ranks. You're like those at the bottom of a Pyramid Scheme who are brainwashed—chanting slogans every day while holding onto dreams and desperately trying to complete tasks assigned by the organization. Right?"
Zhang Quan fell silent and rolled up his sleeves. Xiao Mu grinned mischievously and threatened, "You better think carefully; if you provoke me now, I won't just lead you into a pit—I’ll throw you into the sea."
At that crucial moment, Zhang Quan managed to suppress his anger. He smiled slightly, sat up straight, and disdainfully said, "Go ahead and talk; I just want people now—I don't care about my dignity."
Xiao Mu assessed that they were like intertwined branches—where one was found, so was the other. Even now, Zhang Quan couldn't believe it but also couldn't afford not to believe it; this guy was beyond his understanding of police work.
Xiao Mu burst into laughter. Regardless of anything else, people with faith were always worthy of respect. In fact, this was one of the things Xiao Mu found hardest to understand about him. After pausing for a moment and stretching his arms, he said, "What a great place this is! Baldy, I'm not going to make fun of you anymore. Honestly, I'm worse off than you; at least you can return to your team... But when I go home, I have no idea how I'm going to live my life."
"Drinking and gambling—doesn't that sound like a good life?" Zhang Quan asked.
"No way! People need some spirit; if we dig deeper, we need some ideals and beliefs... For example, businesspeople dream about making money and what they want to achieve; maybe they even aspire to be fabulously wealthy or powerful. As for you police officers, you're dreaming of peace in the world and fame; perhaps you're even thinking about commanding thousands one day or something like that... Politicians dream of high ranks while scholars think about their works being renowned; soldiers hope for their names to be remembered in history... Ahh! Why do I feel so unmotivated?" Xiao Mu said lazily.
This might be the most genuine side of someone living a carefree life—never having lacked money meant they didn't dream of wealth; lacking a sense of justice meant they didn't think about peace. Yet being lazy and greedy while also being free-spirited made them intolerant of constraints. Zhang Quan chuckled and said, "I can't help you with that; you're studying psychology—your psychological issues need to be resolved by yourself."
"Ha ha, haven't you heard? A good doctor finds it hard to cure their own illness... We are a generation that has lost faith and lost ourselves," Xiao Mu said.
"I can tell, rich people generally lack nothing but one thing," Zhang Quan replied, looking at Xiao Mu with a smile. "They lack virtue."
"You think I'm lacking in virtue?" Xiao Mu was displeased.
"You're not just lacking in virtue; you're severely lacking in it... Your father spent millions on your education, and you even took advantage of him; the organization trusted you so much, yet you ended up helping a suspect; knowing that the Brothers are struggling financially, you still indulge yourself while letting them support you... A person who lives so selfishly should not talk about ideals or beliefs before learning to empathize with others," Zhang Quan scolded.
This reasoning unexpectedly left Xiao Mu speechless, and in anger, he stood up and cursed, "You brainwashed fool, I'm done talking to you."
"You heartless scoundrel, nothing more to say, right?" Zhang Quan retorted dismissively, feeling quite pleased with himself. Seeing Xiao Mu storm off, he quickly chased after him. Just a few steps later, his phone rang. He stopped to answer it.
As soon as he picked up, Xiao Mu turned back, nervously and eagerly asking, "What's going on?"
"They've shown themselves. It looks like they're about to leave; Lian Qiang and the others are on them. Let's go," Zhang Quan said as he hailed a taxi. The two of them jumped into the cab and instructed the driver to head to the customs building, which took them straight to the border inspection area.
In truth, neither of them felt as defeated as they might have seemed. For instance, Zhang Quan greatly admired Xiao Mu's depth of knowledge, cleverness, and elegance; similarly, Xiao Mu envied Zhang Quan's faith and perseverance. Unknowingly, they inspired each other and were both excited for the same goal...
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