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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 89: A Joyful Encounter
A week later...
Binhai, South Suburb, Tianwu Binhai Area.
Shen Lingchen and Xu Fei waited at the intersection for over twenty minutes before they finally saw the elderly man brought by Police Officer Xiao Chen. The two hurried over to greet him.
This was the old site of Haigang, now developed into a residential and commercial area, with towering buildings stretching for several kilometers. The high furnaces and factories of Haigang were long gone, and only a handful of the tens of thousands of workers remained. The elderly man brought by Police Officer Xiao Chen was one of them.
Tan Zhiwen, the former head of security at the Steel Plant, had retired from his position at the district branch.
The old man appeared to be in good spirits as he shook hands and exchanged pleasantries with everyone. After a few casual remarks, they got straight to the point. Shen Lingchen handed a group photo to Old Tan, who examined it closely.
It featured Old Cripple, Widow Ma, and Mourning Hair—those troublemakers. Tan Zhiwen recognized them immediately after a few glances. "Yes, that's right. They are all children of the Steel Plant. I've caught them more than once. Have they committed another crime?"
"Well, it's not confirmed yet... Uncle Tan, could you tell me about them?" Shen Lingchen asked curiously.
The old cop frowned as he returned the photo and said, "It's just the usual thefts and scams. Back in '99, when the Steel Plant faced massive layoffs, thousands lost their jobs overnight. It felt like the sky had fallen. Those who could fend for themselves managed to survive; those who couldn't were forced into desperate measures. This led to significant public security issues—fighting, stealing, robbery, and even smuggling all surged at once. About seventy to eighty percent of the public security problems in South District were related to the Steel Plant."
That was a chronic issue from an era when enterprises took on social responsibilities; it collapsed overnight, causing pain not just for individuals but for society as a whole. Xu Fei glanced at Shen Lingchen; she had hoped to find some clues here but realized it would likely be disappointing. In a community plagued by security issues, no individual stood out.
Shen Lingchen shifted the focus back to the individuals in the photo and asked, "So Uncle Tan, do you have any deep impressions of these people? Ma Yubing and Mao Shiping have both served time."
"Haha, some have even been executed. A significant portion of organized crime cases in Binhai involved people from the Steel Plant. It took many years to address that social problem... I remember Ma Yubing; he was clever and initially dealt in stamps and antiques when collecting became popular. Back then, there was a surge in collectibles around foreign trade areas where good items gathered from all over the country. Naturally, some scams emerged along with it; eventually, it turned into trafficking cultural relics." Tan Zhiwen reminisced casually before adding, "These guys are probably in their forties now? I haven't seen them in years... At that time, Ma Yubing and Mao Shiping weren't even among the most famous; You Bisheng and He Shi were more notable."
"Is that He Shi?" Xu Fei asked.
Shen Lingchen replied, "That's the Cripple."
"Oh, I didn't see that coming," Xu Fei said, surprised.
"Heh, there were many interesting figures back in the day. Speaking of which, He Shi's family is quite notable. His old man, He Xingsheng, was around during the liberation. He was part of the Steel Plant's military management back then, one of the first-generation workers. Later, during the anti-counter-revolutionary movement in the sixties, He Xingsheng somehow got labeled as a hidden enemy agent. He spent nearly twenty years in prison, and by the time he was exonerated, it was already the eighties. He ended up guarding the gates at the Steel Plant. He Shi is his adopted son," Old Tan explained with a chuckle.
Finding thieves led to uncovering enemy agents; Xu Fei laughed at the absurdity of old stories reflecting a ridiculous era. Shen Lingchen curiously asked, "So was He Xingsheng really an enemy agent?"
"Oh, he was wronged! He graduated from a literacy class; it would have been hard for him to become an agent. Perhaps before liberation, he had no choice but to mix with the White Gang for survival... Back then, they were arresting people left and right. By the amnesty in the seventies, they didn't even catch the real hidden agents who later turned themselves in," Tan Zhiwen said with a laugh.
"White Gang?" Xu Fei didn't understand this term.
Shen Lingchen explained with a smile that it referred to gangs that deceived and exploited people in the old society. They occasionally engaged in kidnapping and human trafficking and had quite a reputation around Binhai back then. After explaining, he turned to Old Tan and asked, "I heard this Cripple—oh, I mean He Shi—has some skills? Is it family tradition?"
"Yes, He Xingsheng was ruined because of that. He could climb walls barehanded; if they were catching spies and didn’t catch him, who would they catch? I guess He Shi learned a bit too; he won awards in martial arts competitions with his Long Staff. But later on, he went down the wrong path, often leading a group of delinquents to fight with local thugs. His reputation grew; everyone knew about He Changgun," Tan Zhiwen said, then curiously asked, "By the way, I haven't seen him in years. How did he end up lame?"
"Heh, we don't know either," Xu Fei replied with a laugh.
Old Cop Tan Zhiwen wasn't surprised by this and said with a smile, "This path leads nowhere good eventually."
"Uncle Tan, do you remember who was in their little gang back then?" Shen Lingchen probed subtly.
This made Tan Zhiwen fall into memories, and after a long while, he said, "Quite a few. Back then, the families in one Courtyard were tightly knit, with dozens or even hundreds of children. They had several small groups among them, the well-known ones being He Shi, Ma Yubing, Mao Shiping, Pan Shuanglong, Ge Tianhui, and Wang Tianxu... Oh, right, Ge Tianhui has been taken out. Some of the others have done quite well; many have become Bosses and made their fortunes."
As he spoke, Shen Lingchen recorded everything. Tan Zhiwen was an insider; seeing the situation, he asked suspiciously, "Did they commit some major crime again?"
"There are a few Theft Cases related to them. You wouldn't be surprised, would you?" Shen Lingchen replied with a smile.
"Well, that's not surprising. Those troublemakers had only two things going for them back then: fighting and stealing. They made a mess of the Steel Blanks in the factory and often sold them off," Tan Zhiwen said.
"This group was quite formidable in fights; I heard they were pretty skilled," Xu Fei asked.
"Of course! They were almost born for it. Think about it; back then, Steelmaking was all manual labor. How much strength did the previous generation have? Among the kids, some could pick up steel slag by five years old and had already practiced stealing Steel Blanks from a young age. Do you know how they stole? They tied hundreds of pounds of steel bundles with ropes and hoisted them out. Their bodies were trained for it; it would be hard for them to lose in a fight," Tan Zhiwen explained.
Xu Fei and Shen Lingchen couldn't help but chuckle at this story. The sad tales from those years unfolded countless joys and sorrows that were hard to grasp. But from the police's perspective, amidst the waves of reform, many remnants remained; these second-generation workers who had lost their jobs and no longer had opportunities to secure stable livelihoods could be expected to cause trouble.
Tan Zhiwen, who had been a police officer his whole life, spoke about these troublemakers without much hatred. He reminisced about the hardships faced by those who lost their jobs—some returned to their hometowns, some started small businesses to make ends meet, and some even resorted to desperate measures. It seemed that his lifetime in law enforcement left him with little glory but more sighs of regret—even for those criminals.
After walking a bit with Old Cop Tan Zhiwen and learning about some old stories, Police Officer Xiao Chen sent him back. Old Tan was also busy with petitions regarding compensation for the demolition of old houses; it was quite distressing.
After sending Xiao Chen off, Shen Lingchen got into the car and replayed the recorded audio. Sitting in the car, he wrote down each name mentioned on a piece of paper. Captain Xu Fei glanced at him; he found Shen Commissioner’s obsessive attention to detail somewhat puzzling and reminded him, "Old Shen, I feel like we're going in circles here."
It was indeed a bit circular. The investigation into Wang Zihua and Kang Zhuang led to a Female Suspect whose identity couldn’t be confirmed within a week. Shen Lingchen was particularly focused on these two suspects related to You Bisheng but wouldn’t reveal that an informant had provided this information. He smiled and said, "Widow Ma and Mourning Hair are currently in my jurisdiction; it's not harmful to gather more information."
"But investigating these old matters seems pointless," Xu Fei remarked.
"No, there is still something. A crime pattern cannot reach a certain peak all at once; there must be a process of escalation. A person doesn't just become a thief for no reason; there is always a transformation process involved. This is called incentive and motivation," Shen Lingchen said.
"Do you think this gang of thieves is among the people left behind at the Steel Plant?" Xu Fei asked.
"You know very well that I can't make such a conclusion. However, I can say for sure that Ma Yubing and Mao Shiping haven't been engaged in any legitimate business in Suzhou and Hangzhou. For people who have developed such behavioral habits since childhood, getting rich through hard work is shameful," Shen Lingchen replied with a smile.
The conversation felt scattered to both of them, failing to focus on any key points. Xu Fei, losing interest, started the car and said, "It's not that I'm trying to undermine you, but Director Zheng is pushing again. We haven't confirmed the identity of a Female Suspect in a week; it's time to bang the table and curse."
"We can't rush this. Someone who dares to commit such a major crime wouldn't easily let us find them. Don't you think that's unrealistic?" Shen Lingchen said with a pained expression.
Xu Fei bit his lower lip, almost forcing the words out: "But Political Commissioner Brother, how come I feel like you've lost your mind? You're fixated on unrelated Widow Ma and Mourning Hair while limiting the investigation scope to social security personnel. If word gets out that our Ten Squad is investigating public officials from several cities, I'll become a pariah."
"So, you need to keep everyone's mouths shut and not let them talk nonsense," Shen Lingchen chuckled as he put down his casual notes.
As the car started moving, they continued their aimless search. Several leads remained scattered: the elusive Female Suspect, the still carefree Ma Yubing and Mao Shiping, along with the unknown theft suspect. Today added another old case from the Steel Plant to their list. Among them, there wasn't even one point of convergence, and Shen Lingchen's frown deepened...
……………………………
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When the last high-speed train arrived at its destination, Panzi was rushing alongside Old Cripple. They hadn't had time to book tickets in advance and bought them directly at the window, hurrying through the ticket check to board.
There weren't many passengers on board, so they chose a quiet spot to sit down. Old Cripple glanced at his watch; it was already seven o'clock. He was puzzled about being forcibly pulled back to Binhai and finally asked with some irritation, "Panzi, what on earth were you thinking dragging me back here at this hour?"
"Wait a moment, let me sort this out and explain it to you..." Panzi said. Young Master Mu startled him; not only was his aim precise, but his skills were exceptional. Upon hearing about the stolen luggage at the airport, how Xiao Mu had been teaching a group of thieves, and even rehearsed the thefts twice, Old Cripple was furious. He slapped Panzi across the face and scolded, "Are you out of your mind? Do you have any idea how foolish those idiots are? If you handed them a gun, they'd dare to rob a bank."
"Calm down... I was just joking around after having a few drinks. Who knew they would take it seriously? I rushed over there, didn't I? Guess what? I bet you can't guess," Panzi said seriously.
"I can guess just fine. If Xiao Mu had been there, it would have been a piece of cake, right?" Old Cripple asked.
"Yeah, looks like you understand... it really would have been," Panzi replied in surprise. As he explained the techniques for stealing luggage to Old Cripple, who hadn't witnessed it firsthand, Panzi shared some clever tricks. Even Old Cripple couldn't help but laugh, saying, "Hmm, this sounds like Xiao Mu's style. The more skilled the master, the simpler their methods... that kid is born for this."
"You're right about that; we need to make use of such a genius."
Panzi explained to Old Cripple that he had been testing these people for days and ended up getting himself stuck. At the airport, he could organize a team to steal things back; when it came to high-end hotels, he had no idea how to flirt with a girl and sneak upstairs quietly; even stranger was when he met a few foreigners at an exhibition. He chatted with them so energetically that they ended up confused while Big Gourd took their luggage and camera away.
Panzi's eyes sparkled with excitement as he spoke; such talent was rare in a hundred years.
Old Cripple scoffed again and retorted, "Have you lost your mind? Do you know what he's really doing? Those lowlifes call him Wood Master; wherever he goes, it's like being at home."
Indeed, just because he had sharp instincts didn't mean he could easily navigate through any situation. However, Panzi didn't see it that way. He asked Old Cripple, "Then why waste someone like him here? Letting him go would be like having a money tree."
Old Cripple's expression darkened as he asked displeasedly, "Are you saying... you're interested in him?"
Recruitment—this was recruitment—but it was mostly limited to minors. Young Master Mu was clearly past an age where he could be easily managed. Old Cripple hadn't thought of this angle and shook his head. "Panzi, that's not appropriate. He's too inexperienced now; he won't be able to develop further. Besides, he's seen too much of the world; it's not safe."
Recruiting Rascal meant finding someone younger for better control and greater potential for development; also, their worldview couldn't be too broad or they might get distracted by other opportunities. Panzi had considered these factors and leaned in closer to whisper, "You're right; he's not suitable for being a thief anymore. But don't you think he would be perfect for..."
"What are you doing?" Old Cripple asked, puzzled. He had never found a more suitable position for Xiao Mu.
"Can't be a thief, but can be the leader of thieves... Didn't you notice he has leadership qualities?" Panzi inquired.
Old Cripple chuckled lightly but quickly composed himself. After a moment of contemplation, scenes of Xiao Mu's actions flashed through his mind. First, he was out on the street soliciting customers, then he quickly got into a heated conflict with the Gourd Brothers. Soon after, he rallied the Liuying Guerrilla Team. When the crackdown on illegal activities began, the Liuying Guerrilla Team reinvented itself and shifted to running illegal lotteries. Even the unemployed were sent to the temple to collect money, making that place incredibly safe; Buddhist affairs had nothing to do with law enforcement, and no one bothered them.
"See? I was right," Panzi said, his face lighting up with joy.
Old Cripple pondered for a while but still shook his head, uncertain. "Panzi, you're too hasty. It's hard to know a person's heart just by looking at their face. It's only been a short time; do you even know where he comes from? Do you understand his background?"
"Isn't it better to bring you along to check? How hard can it be to investigate You Bisheng's group?" Panzi replied.
That revealed the purpose of their visit. Old Cripple said, "Alright, let's check it out. It's just too unbelievable; I can't understand it. You Bisheng isn't any better than him; that guy is a master at extortion and blackmail. He doesn't even have to think to make money... By the way, what's Xiao Mu's last name? Oh, I don't even know; I need to ask Widow Ma—he's the one who sent him to me."
Panzi looked equally puzzled and asked wide-eyed, "You don't know either? I thought you would."
"How would I know? Widow Ma said he was sending someone my way; Black Steel brought him over. I assumed he knew," Old Cripple explained.
"Damn it, how come neither of you knows?" Panzi exclaimed. He mentioned that Widow Ma told him to ask Lame Brother.
At that moment, they exchanged bewildered glances and realized that such a person with leadership qualities had been overlooked for so long because his brilliance overshadowed his background.
So where should they start looking?
The two of them deliberated for a long time and decided that it was better to keep things confidential. The two closest gourds were a bit foolish; if they let something slip, it would be troublesome. They also discussed what kind of background this person could have.
Indeed, what kind of background could produce such a poisonous seed? So clever, so sinister, always making money in places where others couldn't see.
"I think he must have come from a KTV background; otherwise, he wouldn't have such insight. It's impressive. He could probably steal anything," Panzi concluded.
"I used to think that too, but now that you mention it, I have my doubts. Let me ask you, what kind of place is that KTV? The people who come out of there are usually the most cunning... Just look at him! I've asked several times about the money he brought in; it doesn't seem like he's done anything shady. I swear, I feel embarrassed just taking it," Old Cripple said, finding a problem in Xiao Mu's honesty.
"But he has no reason to lie, right? In your place, there are only two types of customers: either police or scum," Panzi replied.
"Right, so he is... Striped Uniform?" Old Cripple's eyes narrowed as he spoke.
"That's even less likely. If Striped Uniform had this level of skill, would we still have a way out?" Panzi countered.
This rebuttal effectively dispelled Old Cripple's doubts, but curiosity only grew stronger. The two chatted all the way until they reached their stop without coming to any conclusions. As they got off at Binhai Station, Panzi began contacting those lowlifes hiding in the corners to gather information on one thing:
Find old acquaintances of You Bisheng—those who hadn't been implicated in the case yet—with the added condition that the more, the better.
After all, with someone as capable as Xiao Mu under his command, it was impossible for him to remain anonymous...
At ten o'clock in the evening, Shen Lingchen finally returned to Ten Squad. The case involving Prince Hua Kangzhuang had kept him occupied, and the resting area was located within Ten Squad. As he entered, he noticed that the lights on the second floor were still on. He turned a corner and walked in.
The detectives involved in the case had already finished their shifts, leaving only two officers on duty: Guo Wei and Guan Yiqing.
Shen Lingchen had grown fond of these two; he often saw reflections of his younger self in them. Upon entering, he found them eating instant noodles and jokingly remarked, "Oh, looks like life is treating you well."
"Master, are you mocking us?" Guan Yiqing replied with a smile.
"Just a bit of self-mockery. So, any progress?" Shen Lingchen asked casually.
"Well, there is some progress, but it won't be quick. Expanding to six cities means the social security information database is over ten times larger than our crime database. There are over two million pending checks for individuals matching the age description... The facial recognition software is slow too; it's been over a week and we haven't even completed half of the searches," Guo Wei said with frustration.
Hearing this discouraging news nearly drained Shen Lingchen's confidence as well. He sat down dejectedly and said, "There's nothing we can do; we can only treat a dead horse as if it were alive... I never expected that finding an ordinary person with no criminal record would be so difficult."
"The main issue is that we have too little information. The two landlords we contacted only care about money and not faces. If it weren't for the handwriting analysis, their descriptions would differ," Guo Wei explained.
Guan Yiqing tossed aside his takeout container and retorted, "If we had all the necessary information, we wouldn't have to work so hard; Field Duty would have already apprehended someone."
"It's easy to apprehend someone; finding them is the challenge... All theft cases have their difficulties rooted in the clues; capturing suspects isn't hard," Shen Lingchen said thoughtfully. He opened the case file database instinctively to look for old cases. There were old cases involving Ma Yubing and Mao Shiping, and all related suspects were listed. Interestingly, none of the suspects from these old cases seemed connected to Ma Yubing or Mao Shiping at all; it appeared that those two had truly turned over a new leaf.
Lost in thought, Shen Lingchen casually asked, "Yi Qing, has the stolen information provided by our informant been organized and sent out?"
"It has been sent out. Since it's suspected information, we can't issue a formal cooperation notice or publish it as a case situation. We could only provide an informal list of stolen items to see if our brother units have received similar reports. So far, there hasn't been any news," Guan Yiqing replied.
After asking the question, there was no further response. The investigation had reached a critical point; either they would find a breakthrough or remain stuck. After pondering for a long time, Guo Wei finally mustered the courage to voice his concerns: "Master, may I ask a question?"
"What question?" Shen Lingchen asked without turning around.
"Is there something wrong with our current direction? One line of inquiry is based on information from an informant; another direction regarding the stolen goods also comes from the informant. How accurate can this be? Is it really worth having over ten members of the Police Force working in shifts to investigate?" Guo Wei said, his words tinged with frustration.
Guan Yiqing shot him a glare, and Shen Lingchen turned back to look at the two exhausted individuals. He felt reluctant to scold them. After a few moments of silence, he finally managed to say, "Perhaps we are indeed mistaken, but this is the only lead we have. Unless we pursue it, what other options do we have? The vehicle used in the crime can be sold off, scrapped, or turned into a black market car. Only this Female Suspect holds some investigative value; she might just be the key to finding these thieves."
"But regarding our direction... I've been studying behavioral patterns these past few days, trying to identify the Female Suspect based on her attire. Isn't that too hasty? I don't doubt there might be some truth to it, but this affects how the Police Force allocates resources and determines our investigative direction..." Guo Wei continued, hesitating to say anything more as he noticed Shen Lingchen's expression darkening.
"I can tell you what distinguishes a skilled person from a master; it's quite simple—luck and intuition. To become skilled involves an element of luck; however, becoming a master is about possessing an instinct that no one else has—intuition," Shen Lingchen explained.
This theory left both disciples speechless, staring at him blankly. Not wanting to elaborate further, Shen Lingchen added, "Don't look at me like that; I'm not boasting. I may have had some luck to get where I am today, but some people absolutely do not... like Xiao Mu."
He chose not to say more and left the investigation room, advising both of them to rest early. Once he was gone, Guo Wei and Guan Yiqing lost their motivation to argue further. Guan Yiqing knew Guo Wei had been on duty for several days and urged him to take a break. Guo Wei shook his head with a sigh and left; with no leads on either the vehicle or the person involved, he felt utterly exhausted.
Another sleepless night began as ten computers scanned through layers of information. Each screen displayed different faces while the constant hum of machinery filled the air. Surrounded by tension and irritation, compounded by the oppressive heat outside, it wasn't long before Guan Yiqing slumped over her desk and fell into a restless sleep.
After an unknown amount of time passed, Guan Yiqing found herself in a strange dream. She saw vibrant entertainment venues filled with lights and music, where Xiao Mu wandered aimlessly. For some reason, this made her very angry. As the scene shifted, she saw numerous police cars with their sirens blaring. Many officers apprehended Xiao Mu, handcuffing her and escorting her toward a police van. Guan Yiqing was terrified; she wanted to scream and pull her back but felt powerless as she watched helplessly.
Suddenly jolted awake, Guan Yiqing gasped for breath, drenched in cold sweat. As her surroundings came into focus, she realized she was still in the Criminal Investigation Division's Ten Squad office, having fallen asleep at her desk. Just as she regained her composure, she heard an alarming beep from the main computer.
Startled, she jumped up and rushed toward the source of the alarm. When she looked at the screen displaying a locked face profile, excitement surged through her—she was almost brought to tears.
She found it, she found it... After two years of suspense surrounding the cold case, a clue finally emerged from millions of personnel records.
In a frenzy, she picked up the phone to notify Shen Lingchen, her voice a jumbled rush of words: "Master, hurry, hurry, I found it, I really found it!"
Even after she sat down, her heart was still racing. On the locked screen, a face appeared that matched the crime scene with an astonishing 22 points of similarity. The contours and triangulation were nearly identical; one could even discern with the naked eye that it was the same person.
But the most shocking part was not just that. It was the identity displayed.
Song Lijuan, female, 36 years old, employed at Binhai City, Jiadian District, Anping Town, Human Resources and Social Security Service Center.
Her position: Social Security Inspector.
That's right, a civil servant.
A civil servant engaged in serious work.
Guan Yiqing was left speechless by the results that took over a week to verify...
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