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墨書 Inktalez
,. Chapter 153 The critical moment. With the sound of footsteps, a group of police officers rushed to the office of the Economic Investigation and Management Team. The leader is Lin Qizhao. He was surprised in the evening. The Counterfeiting Case was brought out by the car accident in Binhai. The vehicle also came from Anhui Province. He led the team here to communicate with each other Case Situation, the car accident was serious, and the injured died after being sent to the hospital. The only suspect who had contact with Counterfeit Money, Wang Shou, became the top priority of the entire Case Situation. Captured from yesterday We started investigating the clues of Yao Yuxia across the province, but we didn’t expect that we would have clues in just a few hours. "Where?" Lin Qizhao asked Zhou Qunyi excitedly. "Langxi City, Fifteen Li River Road, Haiheng Community... This house has nine floors." Zhou Qunyi said. "Your data research and judgment are great. Didn't you say that the information database cannot find the information of Yao Yuxia?" Lin Qizhao possessed the computer screen and finally locked the accurate target hundreds of kilometers away. . Unexpectedly, Zhou Qunyi suddenly said: "We didn't find it." "What?" Lin Qizhao was stunned. "It was found by Party Instructor. Based on the characteristics of Female Suspect, they set a very narrow scope of investigation and only investigated in the two cities of Mingguang and Langxi," Zhou Qunyi said. Lin Qizhao's eyes widened, and then he quickly understood who it was, and said strangely: "It's just two cities, it can't be so fast." "They only check women's clothing stores, beauty salons and Entertainment and leisure place... She changed her name and place of origin, but she couldn't change her face. Even the Police Officer at the police station knew her as a driver of Mahjong Parlor, named Zhou Qunyi. "That's right? Is it that simple?" Lin Qizhao asked cautiously. "This time, it's hard to make a mistake." Zhou Qunyi said. Technical Investigation is playing back the image, and there is already a Scout wandering around the chess and card room, taking pictures of facial features. The coquettish female boss is greeting a group of card-playing guests, and is in contact with the police household registration system The original photos of Yao Yuxia and the surveillance findings of the location of Chao Lake Pickup completely overlap. A simple clue that led from Luzhou to Chao Lake and from Chao Lake to Langxi finally found the real owner. The police officers who had been fighting for months were all excited. As he spoke, Lin Qizhao looked at Fan Saili with a smile. The two of them were thinking the same thing and smiled at each other. "Have you discovered that Wang Shou is reconciled?" Lin Qizhao asked.
"Not yet. According to the local police station, this Yao Lan moved here in 2003 after buying a house. Her husband is Li Dayin, who works as a caretaker in the Tianmu Mountain Scenic Area, about twenty-one kilometers from the city center. He is a Temporary Worker and is said to be humble, with good relations with the neighbors... Oh, right, the Police Officer also reported that Li Dayin is balding. We ruled out Wang Shou's photo, and he didn't even recognize it," Zhou Qunyi said.
On the computer screen, a photo of Li Dayin, along with his ID number, Address, and date of birth, slowly appeared. When compared to Wang Shou's crime scene image, the only similarity was their face shape; they were clearly two different people.
Upon checking Li Dayin's household registration, it was found that he moved to Langxi when he bought the house. His original residence was in a submerged area of the Three Gorges. The officers present immediately recognized the trick; placing a household registration in such a submerged area was the best cover for having no evidence.
"No wonder he's so fearless. The Trafficker King has mastered the art of disguise. Everyone around knows he's balding; if they put up a wanted photo right in front of him, I doubt anyone would suspect he is the Trafficker King... There can't be any mistake, right?" Lin Qizhao still had some doubts. They had tracked down their target purely through investigation but had no solid evidence yet. He murmured and asked Zhou Qunyi: "When are we making our move?"
"We were originally planning to act on the way there, but it seems... there's another person at home," Zhou Qunyi replied. The Technical Investigation team was monitoring the situation; the lights were on at the house, and they had seen shadows moving several times but couldn't determine who it was. In this case, the Field Duty team dared not act rashly.
"What’s their plan?" Lin Qizhao asked.
"They're waiting for the mahjong parlor to close and for Yao Yuxia to return home before blocking her at her house... Right now, they are working with the Police Officer on her neighbor," Zhou Qunyi explained.
The operations of the Field Duty team had their unique methods; those from criminal investigation were out of their depth. After pondering for a moment, Lin Qizhao suggested: "Let them act according to circumstances. If they catch someone, they can interrogate them on the spot; if not, they should keep watch. If our judgment is correct, once this hideout is exposed, the Trafficker King will reveal himself."
"Okay, I'll notify them," Zhou Qunyi said.
A capture operation was far more complicated than imagined, especially with such significant informants involved. They needed to maintain utmost secrecy. A group of officers meticulously designed every possible detail that could lead to oversight for those on-site as references. Seizing this opportunity, Lin Qizhao quietly called Fan Saili outside. Unaware of what was happening, Fan Saili curiously followed him out. However, Lin Qizhao asked with curiosity: "How did you convince that person to help you?"
"You mean Xiao Mu?" Fan Saili replied.
"Don't tell me it was Aeming who found the lead; I know he doesn't have that capability. At least this bold investigation plan isn't his style," Lin Qizhao remarked.
Fan Saili laughed and said: "I really don't know; I don't understand men's relationships... Oh right, it's not just Xiao Mu. There's another one who came along?"
"Another one?" Lin Qizhao asked in surprise.
"That one who jumped off a building," Fan Saili replied.
"Ah? Bring him along too? Isn't that ridiculous?" Lin Qizhao was taken aback, recalling the eccentric individual from the stock market who had lost everything.
"I think it's absurd too, but the clues came from them. The big data from the Information Center hasn't found anyone yet. I'm not trying to be cynical, but given our population base and law enforcement capabilities, the effectiveness of big data is significantly reduced. It's not like in Europe or America where you get a tax ID as soon as you're born," Fan Saili explained.
"Is that so? Does Party Instructor still use that phone number?" Lin Qizhao asked, clearly showing that he had come from an academic background and was starting to adapt to practical environments.
Fan Saili provided him with a working number. Not knowing what personal matters were involved, Lin Qizhao directly contacted Aeming. The way he dodged made Fan Saili's superior suspicious...
As the time ticked down, the sound of alerts in each group's earpiece signaled that the operation was entering its final countdown.
The flamboyant Yao Lan locked the door to the game room and walked into the residential area. The game room was right at the entrance of the community, and she was surrounded by acquaintances, chatting and laughing along the way. Occasionally, someone would crack a risqué joke, and their boisterous laughter echoed distinctly in the night.
The Field Duty officer stationed in the car reported softly: "Heading towards Building Three."
The rooftop observer relayed: "Entering the unit."
In his line of sight, the woman in a skirt leisurely opened her door and said goodbye to her mahjong friends, completely unaware of what was about to happen.
"Prepare, she's entering the elevator," Aeming whispered from across the door on the ninth floor.
The main force was gathered here, led by Xu Jian, while local police calmed the residents of the unit. One family sat silently in their bedroom, afraid to make a sound.
Ding! The elevator arrived at their floor. Through the peephole, Xu Jian saw Yao Lan stepping out, rummaging for her keys to unlock her door... This was a perfect opportunity. With a loud bang, the door burst open, and a group surged in. Yao Lan let out a startled scream as she was cornered. As she opened the door, the arrest team flooded into her apartment and quickly spread out to control the environment.
Aeming stepped inside last, greeting the local officers while gently closing the door behind him.
"There's no one here," someone shouted from the bathroom.
"No one in the storage room either," came another voice.
In the bedroom, a voice asked, "Huh? Who are you?"
Two armed officers quickly stepped out, and Aeming gestured to a female officer on loan from the local precinct. She rushed forward and subdued another person, swiftly putting handcuffs on them. The Action Team members in the room were taken aback.
It wasn't Wang Shou; it was yet another woman.
"Yao Yuxia, we are from the Criminal Investigation Team of the Municipal Bureau. We are here to search your residence under orders... or you could tell us where you were on the 17th," Aeming asked.
Yao Lan didn't correct them about not being Yao Yuxia, while another person was screaming frantically, "Let me go! Who are you... How dare you break into my home... Get out, get out, all of you!"
Aeming leaned in for a closer look at the disoriented woman. Standing back up, he thought to himself, this is bad... she's on drugs.
"Search!"
With a wave of his hand, the team began their search. He then picked up his phone to report this bizarre situation back to the command center in the Provincial Capital.
The woman had clearly just used drugs and was still high, completely out of it. Before long, she began showing symptoms as well. Still in handcuffs and unable to say a word, she collapsed to the floor with a thud, gasping for breath and staring blankly at her bag. The female officer in gloves rummaged through it and quickly found something resembling red powder. She held it up to her nose for a sniff before handing it to Aeming.
It was indeed drugs—glittering pink powder inside a lip balm container, confirming it as high-purity synthetic drugs.
"Quickly notify the Anti-Drug Team to come and handle these two," Aeming urged the female officer. At that moment, someone from the bathroom shouted, "Instructor, we found something!" Meanwhile, another voice from the bedroom called out, "There's something here too!"
In the bathroom, they pulled out a package hidden in the ceiling and another bag concealed in the toilet tank—drugs.
In the bedroom, Ren Guoliang pointed out evidence that had not been hidden at all to Aeming. Underneath a wardrobe were two boxes of instant noodles; inside them were neatly stacked Renminbi bills. The cash matched the surveillance footage from an intercity bus they had obtained earlier—ill-gotten gains that hadn’t even been transferred to different boxes.
"Instructor, you've lost... Hehe, that expert is incredible, he hasn't even left the province while we've been searching the whole country," Ren Guoliang said, laughing at Aeming, who had lost but seemed quite amused.
Aeming chuckled and replied, "He is a benefactor in my life... But he didn't guess it wasn't just one woman; it was two... Huh? Who is the other one? She looks quite mature, not like a relative... Both of them are using aliases and have no ties to family."
"Wow... Could this guy be playing with two women at once? Look..." Ren Guoliang pointed to the wardrobe, which contained three sets of pajamas—one large and two small. The bed was nearly three meters wide with three pillows and three blankets; it certainly sparked the imagination.
Aeming suddenly laughed and playfully slapped Ren Guoliang on the back, saying, "Not bad, you're catching up to Mr. Sun's analytical level."
The joy of the breakthrough overshadowed everything else, especially the two boxes of stolen money, which brought a sigh of relief to Sigh of Relief back in the Provincial Capital. At least this time, the fraud case could provide a satisfactory resolution for the victims. The entire room had been meticulously searched, and once again, the Trafficker King astonished the pursuing detectives. Half of his study's books were about psychology, while the other half contained police-related materials—from training manuals to investigation methods. It seemed he had been studying for quite some time; the pages were already dog-eared. This prompted Aeming to lecture his team: "See? No wonder we can't catch the Trafficker King; he's studying harder than you all during training... Oh my gosh, there are even English versions."
Moreover, in a compartment of the bookshelf, they found several stacks of different versions of U.S. Bills, along with handwritten notes detailing various counterfeit U.S. Bills and Renminbi defects. Aeming couldn't help but be astonished; this was no ordinary con artist—his diligence was truly remarkable.
Soon after, the Anti-Drug Team arrived to clear out drugs and administered slow-release medication to two drug users. As their minds began to clear up slightly during questioning, one of their identities was confirmed: Li Qian from Anhui Province was a registered drug user. Surprisingly, both women were wives of Wang Shouhe.
However, Li Qian claimed she didn't know her husband was Wang Shouhe and insisted that his name was Li Dayin. As for Yao Lan, she said she was her sister.
Yao Lan had a different story; she knew more but refused to disclose Wang Shouhe's whereabouts. As for Li Qian, she claimed Yao Lan was her younger sister.
Well then, these two sisters were using drugs together while sharing a husband and somehow managed to coexist peacefully.
The police began to feel a headache coming on—one didn't know anything while the other knew but wouldn't say. The long night dragged on as questioning progressed painfully...
...
At four o'clock in the morning, Li Dayin's workplace was searched. He worked as a manager in Tianmu Mountain, a scenic area known for its three-star rating, where he directed tourists and checked tickets. He had been a temporary worker there for quite some time and received good evaluations from superiors. This person skillfully combined disguise techniques with his environment; who would suspect that an escaped suspect could be such a dedicated and honest worker in a tourist area? Moreover, this place itself was a blind spot for investigations.
The search at his office yielded results as well—thick volumes of reference books on printing techniques, patterns, gold stamping, and more. The Economic Crime Investigation Unit quickly realized that this trafficker was diligently learning how to print money.
The second stakeout point was set up here, waiting for Wang Shou and the others to appear.
At four o'clock in the morning, Yao Lan's gaming room was found to contain illegal substances. There was a lounge inside, with sofas, tea tables, and traces of drugs and paraphernalia scattered on the floor. It seemed that place had long been a hideout for group drug use.
Faced with increasing evidence, Yao Lan broke down and began to confess about Pickup. However, the detectives were not interested in the known case; they directly asked about Wang Shou's whereabouts. Yao Lan wasn't deliberately hiding information; she simply didn't know.
She was aware of what Wang Shou was doing—she had always been his capable assistant in laundering money—but she had no way of knowing his exact whereabouts. According to her, Wang Shou was always cautious and acted alone, at most informing her when he returned to Langxi.
The task force could only resort to a waiting game now...
At six o'clock in the morning, both the train and bus stations had surveillance set up, waiting for the Trafficker King to make an appearance after his rounds.
By eight in the morning, the investigation into Li Dayin yielded nothing. The task force began to suspect that the Trafficker King had cut ties. From the Provincial Capital to Langxi, several police teams started to feel anxious...
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At nine o'clock in the morning, at the Langxi Grand Hotel.
Xiao Mu and Ruhua emerged while yawning. They were not qualified to participate in the actual arrests and had been assigned to stay at the hotel. After waking up early, a yawning Ruhua grumbled about how ungrateful these police officers were; despite Brothers working hard, they were sidelined at a critical moment.
"Trust me, it's better not to witness that scene," Xiao Mu comforted him, saying little more.
Ruhua chased after Xiao Mu, becoming curious again. He had always thought Xiao Mu was part of the Black Society but didn’t realize he was actually part of an organization. He tugged at Xiao Mu and asked, "Come on, tell me more about how you two met."
"I already told you last night," Xiao Mu replied lazily.
"You didn't explain it clearly! How did Bald Brother end up in a mental hospital? And you said Lu the Madman really has mental issues but is also a Cult Leader—how does that work?" Ruhua pressed on; the story Xiao Mu had shared was too bizarre.
"With your IQ, you shouldn't even try to understand," Xiao Mu scoffed.
"That's true; your IQ is indeed flawed, so it's hard for normal people to comprehend," Ruhua misunderstood.
Xiao Mu felt a slight stomach ache and decided to ignore this self-satisfied roughneck.
He hailed a cab and asked the driver about local delicacies. The friendly driver was quite talkative, introducing the best spots for local snacks, successfully diverting Ruhua' attention. The cab took them to Daylight Street, which turned out to be a great place, with breakfast stalls lining both sides of the street, welcoming the leisurely passersby.
Checking the time, Xiao Mu realized it was Saturday. In a rush, he had been tricked by Aeming into going from Luzhou to Chao Lake and then to Langxi. In the blink of an eye, more than a week had passed. Hesitantly, he turned on his phone, feeling a bit anxious about whether anyone had tried to reach him or if no one had at all. After waiting for a while, he found no messages or missed calls. The disappointment of having no one reach out was somehow worse than if someone had.
In the past year, Big Gourd and Lezi had become his closest companions, but they also had their own lives now. He had been tirelessly promoting Liu Yang's tattoo studio, and it seemed that Liu could manage on his own most of the time without needing Xiao Mu's support anymore.
A deep sense of loss and loneliness washed over him as he absentmindedly scrolled through his phone for a long time. He came across a familiar number but lacked the courage to dial it. After hesitating again, he zoomed in on several photos in his gallery—each one featuring Rong Ying or selfies of them together. In those pictures, she smiled gently, laughed joyfully, appeared relaxed in a cake shop, looked clumsy in a supermarket long ago, and even wore a troubled expression from even earlier days.
He sighed repeatedly as he gazed at the images; this feeling was strange—reunions and farewells had morphed into longing. Was this what they called that difficult-to-understand kind of love?
He couldn't articulate it clearly; there were even more tangled emotions at play. As he looked at that familiar face on his phone screen, Xiao Mu quickly withdrew his hand and put away his phone. Ruhua smirked at him: "I knew it! Just a few days without seeing a girl and you're already getting restless."
Talking to him was like playing music to cattle; discussing feelings with Tycoon was similarly futile. Xiao Mu chuckled and replied, "Fair point; you figured that out... What should we eat?"
"The driver mentioned there's a place called Old Wang Shrimp Dumplings that's pretty good... How about there?" Ruhua suggested as they walked side by side through the bustling morning market and entered the small shop.
They ordered shrimp wontons, crab soup dumplings, and scallion pancakes—several servings of each. The unfamiliar surroundings and thick dialect made Ruhua feel intrigued everywhere she turned. Soon enough, she discovered something new and whispered to Xiao Mu: "Hey, hey! Look over there... doesn't that woman in the kitchen look like Bald Brother's mom?"
When Xiao Mu glanced over at the cook serving food—who was stout with an intimidating face—he couldn't help but chuckle and nodded in agreement.
Southerners are typically slender and attractive while Northerners tend to be stocky; Xiao Mu stood out like a crane among chickens. As they chatted idly about breakfast, their food arrived quickly. The unique flavors made them savor every bite. While eating, Ruhua remembered Aeming and wanted to call him but was stopped by Xiao Mu, who advised her: "Don't disturb them; they're probably busy. Once they're done with their work, they'll contact us."
That made sense; those Official Enforcers certainly didn't have the luxury of being as relaxed as they were. Ruhua put away her phone with a sigh: "It's not easy for them; they probably haven't even taken off their clothes to sleep these past few days. I bet they slept in their cars again last night."
The detectives were incredibly impressive, able to fall asleep in any position at any time—leaning against a wall, sitting in a car, or slumped over a desk. They would wake up the moment they were called. "You know," Xiao Mu said with a smile, "the environment shapes a person. Just like how wild grass grows straight without support; mud and sand turn black when mixed with ink. Brother Hua, there's something I really don't understand."
"What is it?" Ruhua asked, staring at him wide-eyed.
"From what I know of you, you'd be able to take it easy even if the sky fell. So what happened that day that made you jump off a building?" Xiao Mu asked curiously.
Ruhua's expression stiffened. After a long hesitation, he sadly told Xiao Mu, "Actually, that morning before the police and the others came to my house, Shishi returned."
"Ah? Qiong Shi came back? Then why the hell did you jump off a building... Oh wait, you two..." Xiao Mu was taken aback; this reunion likely wouldn't end well.
"She came with a lawyer to discuss divorce... I said I didn't want to divorce, and she said it wouldn't work out either way. I asked her if she married me just to get divorced, and guess what she said?" Ruhua's eyes were filled with anger.
"What did she say?" Xiao Mu asked sternly.
"She said I could consider it as selling myself to you for a few years; we both knew how things were going to end up eventually," Ruhua gritted his teeth as he spoke.
"And then... you didn't sign?" Xiao Mu inquired. Knowing Ruhua, he was stubborn and wouldn't easily back down.
Ruhua sighed and wiped his nose. "No. I couldn't bear to."
"Then are you willing to let yourself go?" Xiao Mu felt frustrated. Was it really worth considering suicide?
"I honestly don't care. If I had jumped that day, I could have sold the house to pay off the bank and leave her some money—a little something to remember me by... But if I'm alive, all I can do is annoy her; she'll just avoid me," Ruhua said, his face heavy with sorrow.
This line of thought changed Xiao Mu's perception of Ruhua significantly. He pondered for a moment and said, "I'm far from you; you're the real romantic... Eat up, don’t dwell on it. Change your mood; worst case scenario, we start over."
"Forget it; I've come to terms with it. It doesn't mean anything to hold someone down if their heart isn't there. Forcing someone not to leave... Heh, it's just about holding onto the green hat I'm reluctant to take off," Ruhua said as he lowered his head to eat, trying to mask his feelings.
In truth, no one was foolish; everyone had their own thoughts. Xiao Mu slowly scooped some food and took small bites while gently patting Ruhua's shoulder in comfort. Ruhua changed the subject and said, "I really envy you; you're not relying on your parents anymore... These cops treat you like royalty."
"Ha ha, many things are forced out," Xiao Mu said.
"This time no one is forcing you, and you didn't leave," Ruhua looked at Xiao Mu, seemingly searching for the motivation that Xiao Mu had been so dedicated to. Xiao Mu smiled and replied, "Aren't you the same? Being together with these people gives a strong sense of security; everyone has a hero dream. The profession of a police officer is the closest to that dream... I can tell you've been influenced too."
"That's right. My biggest realization is that a person's spirit doesn't necessarily come from money," Ruhua enlightened, probably finding a sense of superiority and existence from the tough life of a detective. Thinking of this, he excitedly reached behind his waist, and with a clank, a shiny pair of handcuffs appeared in his hands, startling Xiao Mu, who exclaimed, "Where did that come from? Can we just play with police equipment like this?"
"They left them in the car, so I took them to play around. We're police now... Damn it, if we run into Wang Laoguai, we can just cuff him right away; how cool would that be?" Ruhua said, showing that his ideals and interests were starting to shift.
Speaking so loudly with bravado made Xiao Mu feel embarrassed, and he quickly pressed down on him, fearing that Brother Hua would say something reckless and attract trouble. Just then, a woman who looked like Baldy's mother shouted from inside the restaurant: "Hey, who hasn't paid and just ran off?"
The two turned their heads just in time to see a customer wearing a sun hat hurriedly exiting the door. They had barely eaten a few bites when this customer came in.
Police, handcuffs... they were positioned perfectly to see the two of them. As soon as Xiao Mu saw the customer moving their chopsticks on the table, he shouted urgently, "Hey! Stop! Police!"
The person bolted away immediately. Xiao Mu reacted quickly, grabbing the handcuffs and sprinting after him. Ruhua's excitement skyrocketed as he grabbed an empty bowl and yelled while following suit. The diners became chaotic all at once, and the cook was furious too; wielding a large ladle, he rushed out shouting in a thick accent:
"A bunch of little dogs better stop! You haven't even paid for your meal!"
One person ran while three chased after him, quickly merging into the bustling city...
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