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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 155: A Heart Returning Home
May 26.
A police van sped towards the Shangtang Drug Rehabilitation Center in Luzhou's West Suburb. As it entered the rehabilitation facility's courtyard, doctors who had been waiting for some time pushed a stretcher to the back of the van. When the rear door swung open, a terrifying scene unfolded inside: a woman, seemingly out of her mind, was being restrained by three or four female officers. She kicked and thrashed about wildly, her screams resembling those of a wild beast.
"Quick, get her down," one officer urged.
"This is withdrawal; prepare for an injection..." another added.
"Her pupils are dilated; send her directly to ETU," a third officer instructed.
"Who is her family?"
The operation was swift, but once the woman was inside, the female officers trembled at the sight. When asked about family, they were left bewildered.
Xu Jian raised his hand and said, "Uh... I am—no, no, I'm not; I'm with the Task Force. This is a suspect. Her information is right here."
Xu Jian held out a stack of documents to the doctor, who looked at him skeptically. Xu Jian quickly explained, "Please don’t look at me like that; I swear we haven't done anything. We can't interrogate her."
"She has been using for quite some time; with such severe withdrawal symptoms, she should have been sent to the hospital earlier," the doctor replied.
"But she is a key informant," Xu Jian insisted.
"That's your problem now... You need to contact her family; otherwise, who will cover the costs?" The doctor flipped through the identification documents and asked curiously, "From San Shui?"
In a city in Fujian Province in southern China, the Trafficker King had a notorious reputation for his brutal treatment of women—he not only abducted wives but also targeted two drug addicts. Xu Jian nodded in frustration; he was beginning to understand why the Trafficker King claimed he had found freedom. He might have escaped his burdens, but he had thrown them all into the hands of the police. They couldn't just let her die, yet they couldn't provide her with drugs either.
The doctor called Xu Jian into his office and after a long discussion, they decided to postpone matters for a few days and have the team notify the family to come in. The rehabilitation center was also wary of any potential incidents that could lead to liability and made Xu Jian sign numerous treatment agreements.
As they drove away in their vehicle, Ren Guoliang, sitting in the co-driver's seat, chuckled lightly. Xu Jian turned to him with annoyance and asked, "What are you laughing at?"
"Why do you care what I'm laughing at?" Ren Guoliang continued to smile.
"Keep it up and see if I don't beat you," Xu Jian pretended to be angry.
"Heh, we're like two grasshoppers tied together; what good is your intimidation to me?" Ren Guoliang replied.
With that said, Xu Jian temporarily accepted the situation. Their trip to Langxi had yielded significant results; Wang Shou, Yao Yuxia, Yao Lan, and Li Qian were all suspects who had been apprehended. The case was progressing rapidly, but the only downside was that the Trafficker King had brought these two women into drug use, and Li Qian's situation was particularly severe. Unfortunately, this mess had fallen on their shoulders.
Just thinking about it made Xu Jian feel resentful. "Those economic investigation officers are all supported by some woman. As long as Wang Laoguai is around, they throw the rest of the burden onto our team... It's great; they get all the credit while we bear the consequences. How are we supposed to interrogate these two women?"
"Alright, alright, we'll handle it separately; at least we can share some of the glory... Hey, little brat, once this is over and we return to the team, let's go out for a couple of drinks," Ren Guoliang said as he lit two cigarettes, handing one to Xu Jian.
"Forget it; the team is even busier than here... You write up the situation report. I just briefed the instructor this morning, and he wants me to prepare a written document," Xu Jian replied. This was a necessary procedure; suspects who could not be questioned normally needed special handling.
"I'll write it... What’s there to investigate? Even if they’re in custody, they’ll probably be released," Ren Guoliang said. People with serious illnesses or severe drug addictions likely wouldn’t even be kept in detention centers. Thus, among the lowest of society's dregs were those who were completely unafraid of jail, law, or police.
Yes, how many years have I been using? My body is riddled with sores and sexually transmitted diseases like AIDS; I could drop dead at any moment. Who would dare mess with me?
The police also had their own helplessness; only when enforcing the law did they realize how many issues couldn’t be resolved through the legal system—better left unsaid.
The two drove along until Ren Guoliang pointed in a direction at a fork in the road. Xu Jian suddenly remembered today was the day for identifying the scene. He turned onto Changfeng Avenue and parked not far from Baohe Second Hospital. There were already hundreds of people gathered there; cars lined up for two kilometers. The sound of firecrackers echoed continuously as they saw two rows of police escorting handcuffed suspects down to identify the Savings Institution that had been smashed to pieces.
"Liangzi, are you trying to find a sense of presence here?" Xu Jian asked, understanding what his partner meant.
Ren Guoliang smiled and said, "Don’t you feel that sense of existence and honor? It’s not often we get to wear our uniforms so proudly."
"True enough, but this time the excitement is greatly diminished," Xu Jian replied.
The clues had been uncovered by an "expert," and Wang Shou was caught by that expert's assistant. Thinking back to just a few days ago when they were all struggling with this case at the crime scene compared to today’s relief and satisfaction at seeing police and citizens mingling peacefully, Ren Guoliang casually remarked, "As long as we catch them, why should we care who gets credit? Justice isn’t just about a police badge... Let’s go."
Xu Jian started the car and circled back around. He casually asked, "Where are those two? Isn’t Mr. Sun always shouting about wanting to be a cop?"
"The instructor has already taken care of it... I have to admit, the instructor is on a whole different level than us," Ren Guoliang said.
"Took care of it? How did he manage that? Is recruiting this easy now?" Xu Jian replied skeptically.
"We can handle it without recruiting," Ren Guoliang said, sounding quite intrigued.
"Oh, I understand..." Xu Jian said, glancing at his companion. Ren Guoliang grinned, and then the two burst into laughter, knowing that their unconventional Party Instructor had come up with yet another clever solution.
………………………………
The scene was hastily organized due to public pressure, but it must be acknowledged that such events were well-received by the citizens. There were over a dozen media outlets from the city present, and before one part of the event had even concluded, news was already spreading online. This time, the narrative aligned with what everyone hoped to see: within a week, most of the stolen money was recovered, and suspects were apprehended, causing the excitement to skyrocket.
The enthusiasm was palpable at the scene. The loud sound of drums echoed as merchants spontaneously began celebrating. Those migrant workers who had come with a glimmer of hope were moved to tears; one elderly worker fell to his knees in front of a police car, bowing deeply three times, startling the officers maintaining order who rushed to assist him.
This scene caught Xiao Mu's eye as he looked through the car window. He saw an elderly migrant worker covered in dust and sorrowful in expression. Something about this sight tugged at his heartstrings, making him unable to look directly at it, and he quietly turned his gaze away.
Having witnessed deception and trickery countless times, seeing such a scene made him feel as if the sky was particularly blue, the crowd exceptionally joyous, and the sunlight extraordinarily bright.
Beside him, Lin Qizhao smiled and gently patted his shoulder. "I haven't had a chance to thank you yet."
"Don't mention it; I just lent a hand," Xiao Mu replied casually. He then asked, "What brings you here?"
"We're connecting two cases. There was a car accident in Binhai involving four million in counterfeit money. We traced the vehicle's route all the way to Mingguang City in Anhui Province; that's where we set off from," Lin Qizhao explained without holding back on the case details.
However, this seemed to fail to pique Xiao Mu's interest further; he merely responded with a soft "oh" while looking at Lin Qizhao.
Lin Qizhao shifted gears in their conversation and asked, "Are you curious about Rong Ying's news?"
"Yes, you know exactly what I want to hear," Xiao Mu replied.
"There's nothing much to say, I can't really explain..." Lin Qizhao organized the recent events in his mind. Nie Qifeng had voluntarily requested to donate his organs, while Rong Ying was still working at the cake shop. However, she stubbornly continued to visit various law firms, consulting about the possibility of an appeal. Unfortunately, the outcome was unlikely to be favorable; any lawyer who had dealt with Nie Qifeng's case would refuse to take it. Lin Qizhao provided a more straightforward conclusion: "His death sentence review will be swift. Strictly speaking, he has already exceeded his detention period; he may not have much time left..."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Mu shifted uncomfortably, looking distressed. Lin Qizhao whispered, "I'm sorry, I didn't expect it to turn out this way. Master Shen and I had already warned Nie Qifeng beforehand."
"Adding unnecessary details won't change anything, but I can't blame you. Long pain is worse than short pain; short pain is better than no pain at all. Sooner or later, there will be pain," Xiao Mu said softly, his expression one of sorrowful beauty. The pity in his eyes was a longing that could pierce deep into Lin Qizhao's heart.
"What are you planning to do? Just leave it like this?" Lin Qizhao asked.
Xiao Mu looked at Lin Qizhao with a pitiful gaze and replied, "I don't know; what do you think I should do?"
"Are you trying to make it difficult for me? Let me tell you, you were right last time; my ex-girlfriend did dump me. With your keen insight and judgment, why are you asking me about this?" Lin Qizhao shrugged, admitting that in this regard, he was no better off than Xiao Mu.
"Let me think... running away isn't a solution... A good doctor doesn't treat their own ailments; I'm really at a loss," Xiao Mu said.
"Think it over carefully. Rong Ying seems quite temperamental; she came at you with a kitchen knife... How about having dinner together tonight? I've been busy these past few days and haven't had a chance to see you," Lin Qizhao suggested as he patted Xiao Mu on the back. He carefully got out of the car and turned back to see Xiao Mu still wearing a troubled expression. Matters of the heart were far more complicated than the case situation.
With such an unclear feeling lingering in his mind, Lin Qizhao climbed into the project team's vehicle and sat next to Zhou Qunyi. At this point, the on-site identification was nearing its end; no one knew that such high-level security was due to unresolved issues concerning the suspect.
"Team Leader Zhou, this con artist is surprisingly cooperative," Lin Qizhao remarked casually.
"What else can he do if he isn't cooperative?" Zhou Qunyi replied without looking up from his tablet.
"Oh right, what are you planning to do with the heroes of this case?" Lin Qizhao asked deliberately.
"I'm watching them," Zhou Qunyi said as he handed over the tablet to Lin Qizhao. The two oddballs had caused four separate incidents: burning themselves while frying dough sticks, dining and dashing, stealing a motorcycle, and threatening someone with a knife in a supermarket—not to mention how many windows they broke while chasing people down an alley.
Lin Qizhao couldn't help but laugh upon hearing this and told the remote team leader, "You should know what they did before; you'd find they've toned it down quite a bit."
"What else did they do?" Zhou Qunyi asked in confusion.
"For example: extortion, blackmail, loan sharking, pimping... even planning home burglaries and so on," Lin Qizhao explained with a smile, summarizing briefly enough that Zhou Qunyi let out several surprised gasps.
"You definitely have a problem with how you cultivate informants. People like that will eventually become a hidden danger to the Legal System... Don't take my words the wrong way; even among our team, officers who come from undercover backgrounds struggle to adapt when they return. Why is that? They're used to being free and unrestrained, and can't handle the Discipline of our team," Zhou Qunyi elaborated.
"Oh, it seems you already have an idea?" Lin Qizhao picked up on the underlying meaning.
"Let's give them some informant fees... Let them go where they need to go. This case, no matter what, has to be solved by us," Zhou Qunyi stated.
Lin Qizhao smiled brightly, understanding. However, he didn't mind this approach and nodded in agreement, "I agree. He doesn't belong to our world; he has his own matters."
At this point, when he looked at the car Xiao Mu was in, he realized it had left without him noticing. For some reason, Lin Qizhao felt a vague sense of worry in his heart, unsure if it was about the case or Xiao Mu's unfinished business...
…………………………
…………………………
Wang Shou escorted back to the detention center, the vehicle turned back towards the Task Force. Xiao Mu got out at the reception area in front of the team entrance, walking heavily into the building.
"Stop! Don't move."
A sudden shout startled him as a uniformed officer stood in front of Xiao Mu.
Upon closer inspection, it was Ruhua, dressed in police uniform and wearing a police cap, looking as imposing as a local tyrant collecting rent. It seemed he had been waiting for quite a while just to show off in front of Xiao Mu.
"Ah? Baldy actually did this?" Xiao Mu was genuinely shocked—not because Ruhua was in uniform, but because Aeming actually dared to let Ruhua wear it.
"Of course! Bald Brother is so generous; he had this tailored for me... I'm not going back to Binhai anymore; you can go back by yourself," Ruhua strutted into the reception area, calling out loudly and affectionately to Bald Brother. Then Baldy poked his head out from a room and stealthily emerged, giving Ruhua a thumbs-up.
Xiao Mu appeared troubled as Aeming chased after him, saying, "Hey hey, hero... both of you heroes listen up; Wang Laoguai has already provided details on several instances of Counterfeit Money operations and Criminals. We really need your help... That wooden one, I have updates on the Case Situation; take a look for me."
"The people have been caught; if you still can't solve the case, go bang your heads against the wall... I have things to do; I can't manage this anymore. Baldy, I'm going back tomorrow," Xiao Mu replied.
"Ah, you're leaving so soon?" Aeming was taken aback.
"Don't worry, Bald Brother, I'm not leaving," Ruhua emphasized.
"Go away... Wait, what's going on?" Aeming asked, chasing after him.
"I have some matters at home; I need to head back first," Xiao Mu replied without looking back.
"Hey, big guy, you need to aim for greater things. Why are you feeling down again? You were supposed to find fulfillment by being there in person, not wallowing in despair," Aeming shouted.
This didn't affect Xiao Mu but did touch Ruhua, who gave a thumbs up and said, "Captain, you really said it well."
"Hey, you go away... Just so you know, if you leave, don't even think about finding out Jia Fangfei's whereabouts," Aeming threatened.
These words had an effect. Xiao Mu suddenly turned around and walked back a few steps, glaring at Aeming. Aeming felt a strange sense of fear as Xiao Mu asked, "Say that again—Jia Fangfei is pregnant with my child?"
"Yeah, is there any doubt about that?" Aeming replied defiantly.
"Baldy, do you think I'm some kind of fool? I can't tell the difference after all this time? If you're going to lie, at least form an alliance... I contacted Ye Tianshu; he said there's no such thing. Jia Yuanyuan was detained for three months and got married shortly after being released. You can find her registration records online; she's currently in Han City... Did you get that image from Technical Investigation again? You found an expert to trick me like this? All this effort wasted verifying..." Xiao Mu said angrily.
Aeming looked awkwardly at him, his tongue sticking out and a mischievous grin on his face as he sheepishly said, "If I didn't do that, you wouldn't come. Only women matter in your heart; I have nothing to gain... Hey, listen to me. That Counterfeiting Case is about to progress; how about..."
"Get lost!" Xiao Mu shouted.
Aeming covered his face in embarrassment and walked away.
"What's wrong with you? At least I'm your leader now," Ruhua said bluntly.
"You idiot! Do you even know what kind of police uniform this is?" Xiao Mu scolded.
"It's a police uniform; what else would it be?" Ruhua proudly touched it.
"You fool... Look at what it says—Undercover Officer. Do you know what an Undercover Officer is? It's basically a Temporary Worker with no authority to wear a badge or carry weapons or enforce the law. There are plenty of people like this collected by the Police Force at the precinct; they could grab a bunch just like that. Look at how happy you are," Xiao Mu reminded him.
Ruhua looked at the badge and confirmed it was indeed an Undercover Officer. Then he noticed the collar flower was missing, and there was a problem with the badge. As he reached into his pocket, he found a big hole in it. Xiao Mu scolded, "You should take a good look at yourself. Do you really think the government would accept someone like you? Do you know the difference between an Undercover Officer and a police officer?"
"What difference?" Ruhua was taken aback.
"It's like your lower half—police officers are officially recognized; whether they do their job or not, they have a wife. An Undercover Officer is just someone who finds a partner casually; no matter what happens, they can never become a wife... One is registered, while the other just pulls up their pants and walks away. That's the big difference," Xiao Mu explained.
"Damn, that's too much," Ruhua fumed, turning around to run off in search of the party.
The gatekeeper didn’t stop him, knowing he was a VIP from the team. Everyone in the training ground recognized him; he usually brought laughter to everyone. Who would have thought that today would be different? This guy, dressed in that ridiculous Undercover Officer outfit, was shouting in the Courtyard:
"Bald Brother... Bald Brother, come out... I treated you like a brother, but you treat me like a lady of the night... This is too much! Come out; I won't let this go... Baldy, Baldy, come out!"
From the training field to the Training Room to the office building, laughter erupted everywhere. The Party Instructor was so scared that he hid in the restroom and didn’t dare to come out for quite some time.
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