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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 169: Unbearable Negotiation
After listening to a day full of nonsense, as the afternoon shift was nearing its end, Zhou Qunyi finally understood the gap between himself and Shen Lingchen. In terms of patience and attention to detail, the difference was not trivial. The experience gap caused by age was something that could not be compensated for by any means.
Yet even this Old Cop could not outsmart the Old Trafficker. The police changed their strategy, and Wang Shou also began to alter his approach. When it came to the Case Situation, he repeated everything meticulously. When it involved women, he immediately expressed deep regret, lamenting that he should not have ruined so many happy families. He was truly remorseful.
This guy's tears flowed as easily as his lies; he cried genuinely, sobbing that every time he thought of Li Qian, his heart felt uneasy. He claimed he had ruined the girl’s life and if given a chance to get out, he would work like a mule to repay her.
Who would dare believe a con artist? Just at noon, they had interrogated Yao Yuxia, who did not possess the Trafficker King's cunning. She had been easily exposed through a few tricks. She revealed that Wang Shou had specifically gone south and then brought Li Qian back. Initially, she had not come willingly but had succumbed to threats and intimidation. Furthermore, Li Qian's drug use had not started with the pink Beauty; it was only after arriving in Langxi that she gradually began using such substitutes because Wang Shou had even brought back two kilograms of drugs to support her habit.
The man before them, weeping and wailing as if he had suddenly realized his wrongdoings overnight, was merely acting again. Zhou Qunyi felt his chest tremble with anger; this con artist had managed to confuse an entire task force for how long now? They were like headless flies in matters unrelated to the Case Situation.
"Regret is your issue; let's set aside Li Qian's matter for now... I ask you about the source of the Counterfeit Money. Is there anything else you need to disclose?" Shen Lingchen asked with a pleasant tone.
"Nothing more, truly nothing more. Whatever happens is like this; the higher-ups would never let outsiders know," Wang Shou replied.
"That's true, but you do have a chance to make merit. From last night until this morning, a significant amount of contraband was seized in Bridge Village, including a printing press... Oh, this kind of Case Situation cannot be disclosed to you for now," Shen Lingchen said lightly.
Zhou Qunyi remained expressionless, knowing Shen Lingchen was speaking nonsense. He stared at Wang Shou's face; the man suddenly became solemn, his serious expression indicating he was all ears for what came next.
"How about we call it a day? There are plenty of Case Situations to sort through," Zhou Qunyi whispered deliberately.
Shen Lingchen nodded, and the two acted as if they were sharing a secret. Moments later, he reminded the prison guard to take Wang Shou away. Once he left, their expressions returned to normal. Zhou Qunyi gave Shen Lingchen a thumbs up and said, "This guy still has secrets."
"Haha, that suspect isn't going to tell you everything honestly," Shen Lingchen replied with a smile.
"Does your stopping mean..." Zhou Qunyi asked curiously.
"Just give him an itch in his heart to make him uncomfortable. Regarding Li Qian's matter, I think he wants us to understand that someone like her is beyond our reach for capture or interrogation; that's why he's changed his tactics," Shen Lingchen explained.
"What is the situation with this person? Kidnapped, threatened, abused, and even daring to provide her with drugs?" Zhou Qunyi pondered.
"It’s about time we sent someone. This mystery won’t unravel without investigating the facts; he won’t reveal it easily. Let’s wait a bit longer," Shen Lingchen replied.
The two stood up. Zhou Team Leader now showed great respect towards Shen Lingchen, opening the door and leading the way, occasionally asking a few questions. The two quickly fell into sync on the same case.
They hurried back to the task force. After dinner, updates on the case situation were compiled and placed on Zhou Qunyi's desk. Just as he scanned through them, Shen Lingchen arrived again with Guo Wei and Fan Saili. In a fluster, he found Shen Lingchen enthusiastically inviting him to join a video call. Zhou Qunyi awkwardly accepted.
Young and ambitious, he had a bit of arrogance about his talents, much like Lin Qizhao in his earlier days, but now he began to reflect on himself.
...
News from Binhai: Three main suspects were listed, with Xu Tonglei at the top. He was a jack-of-all-trades, having used aliases such as Xu Dashan, Xu Lei, and Xu Gang. Originally a small-time businessman, he was among the first batch of speculators in Binhai and later became one of the first stock investors. He had previously been sentenced to two years in prison for smuggling ordinary goods and fined. The second suspect was Sun Yong, Xu Tonglei's cousin, a wealthy individual who had also been sentenced to four years in prison for smuggling ordinary goods and fined five hundred thousand yuan. The third suspect was Wang Lishong, who had a record of participating in pyramid schemes; other details about him were still unknown.
Lin Qizhao raised a valuable point:
Wang Shou and Ge Feifei both had experience working in paper mills; it was possible that Xu Tonglei had crossed paths with these individuals in his life. The escaped lackey Qiu Guanghan also had illegal records in southern regions. This case involved another suspect yet to be revealed, Sun Yong, who opened his stock trading account in Shenzhen early on. Meanwhile, the mysterious woman Li Qian also hailed from the same province.
The question arose: could the initial crew needed for counterfeiting come from former coworkers or friends?
Finding such individuals within the circles of paper mills and printing should not be difficult. With smugglers involved, as long as there was one skilled technician in printing and an electric plate, such a criminal organization could emerge.
"It seems even more necessary to check their backgrounds," Master Shen said. "Let’s start with Wang Shou’s resume and expand outwards using Li Qian as a lead; I think that’s feasible." Zhou Qunyi interjected.
"Haha, looks like Master is steering us in that direction; I agree... On another note, regarding the hazardous materials vehicle lead provided by Aeming, we’ve just conducted a preliminary investigation with the Henan Province police here. The situation isn’t very optimistic; Henan Province is a major chemical industry hub with many chemical factories in its southern cities. Hazardous materials transport vehicles are quite frequent. Just on the Jingzhu and Jingguang expressways within our province's southern region alone, seventy-seven vehicles passed through within twenty-four hours. If we shift our information timeline back by twenty-four to forty-eight hours and sort through all hazardous materials vehicles that exited during that period, it could exceed five hundred vehicles; this will take time to investigate..." Lin Qizhao remarked, presenting a significant challenge that could only be matched against vehicle databases.
"Let’s get Aeming on the line; what’s going on over there?" Lin Qizhao asked.
Fan Saili dialed the number and switched it to speaker mode in front of the computer screen. Aeming's voice came through:
"I received information about the Case Situation... We haven't found any leads on the missing vehicle yet. The Anyang City Bureau has been using Skynet to track it for several hours. That van has already passed through three cities today, and its route is quite strange, alternating between highways, provincial roads, Expressway, and county roads. We've captured several images from the driver's cabin, and it doesn't seem like they're fleeing or in any danger... We're currently checking the vehicle's license plate registration, but it may take some time before we have any news."
Aeming reported a few details, then uploaded a screenshot showing a half-body image of the driver, Xiao Mu. The person in the passenger seat was obscured by the sun visor but appeared to be quite tall, likely Wang Lishong. The other individual was not visible; since they were both driving, it was clear that there was no immediate danger.
"What does this mean? How did they end up out of the province?" Lin Qizhao was momentarily taken aback.
Zhou Qunyi frowned and blurted out, "Could they be going for a Delivery? South of Anyang, near the provincial border, there are several cities that are hotspots for Counterfeit goods; the department has classified them as level two monitoring zones."
This statement left others confused; wasn't it a Hazardous Materials Vehicle?
After a brief thought, Zhou Qunyi elaborated further: "If it is indeed a Hazardous Materials Vehicle, that would only apply to large-scale transfers. In fact, Counterfeit production and sales operate similarly to regular goods—manufacturers, agents, wholesalers, and finally reaching individual consumers... But even the largest agents should have started from individual consumers. I believe Xu Tonglei's background indicates he is the most suitable person for this line of work."
Indeed, as a smuggler with connections across the country and friends all over, no one could be more suited for this job than him.
"That makes sense... Well, Zhou's Team, please take some time to guide us on this information analysis," Lin Qizhao said politely, feeling somewhat opportunistic.
"Please don't mention it; I'm in a bit of chaos myself," Zhou Qunyi replied with a smile.
Shen Lingchen laughed heartily, remarking that things were becoming clearer and there seemed to be nothing mysterious about it.
With their conversation flowing smoothly and discussions lively, both sides outlined several investigative plans. Guo Wei and Fan Saili were tasked with flying to Guangdong that night to dig into Wang Shou's old records. Given the complexity of the Case Situation, both parties agreed to invite more brother units to join in due course...
…………………………
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A thousand miles away, after finishing his report, Aeming turned around just in time to see the driver of a hazardous materials truck from the Anyang Sanhua Factory and factory security hurrying over.
There wasn't anything major happening; they were just passing by. This type of special vehicle was also new to the criminal police. Once introduced by the driver, the officers were left bewildered by terms like pressure, temperature, and materials—determining whether what they were dealing with was highly toxic or flammable/explosive required careful categorization. As for hazardous materials transportation regulations, that went without saying; each factory had thick manuals detailing strict management protocols from drivers to escorts and route declarations.
"Wait a moment... We're not here to investigate your factory, but we suspect that some illegal personnel might be using this kind of tank truck to transport contraband. We're just trying to understand the situation with the vehicle," Aeming said.
"Well, that's hard to say. No one dares to stop and check these trucks on the road. Some of them are completely airtight, sealed tight," Master Craftsman explained, detailing the tank's volume and thickness.
The officers grew increasingly uneasy as they listened. According to Master Craftsman's years of experience, these types of vehicles had never been stopped unless there was an accident. Whether it was traffic police or highway robbers, they all kept their distance from such Car Brands.
"Master Craftsman, if the packaging is this size... but loading and unloading from a single tank opening is quite inconvenient. You mentioned earlier that the tank walls are an average of four point five centimeters thick, which seems troublesome for operation?" Aeming asked uncertainly, trying to express that a quicker loading and unloading process would be preferable.
"It's actually quite convenient. Just make an opening in the tank, load it up, seal it with a piece of Oxyacetylene Welding, and spray a layer of paint—it doesn't take much effort. If our tank pressure fails inspection, it's scrapped anyway; cutting is very quick," Master Craftsman illustrated, teaching a few tricks. According to him, it could be done fairly quickly if the right tools were available—under an hour.
Hearing this made Aeming feel enlightened. He thanked Master Craftsman profusely and hurriedly reported the situation back to the task force. By the time he returned to Anyang City Bureau to arrange accommodations, it was already late. A local officer who was working with the criminal police kindly invited them out for dinner. As they got out of the car, the sickly individual who had been overlooked all this time hesitated to get out. Aeming waved everyone ahead and sat down next to him, patting his shoulder in comfort. "What's wrong? Talk to me."
"Nothing much, just no appetite," Sun Qinghua replied lazily.
"Look at us; we've been working like dogs all day and still have to keep going. What’s so hard about it? Compared to us, you’re doing much better," Aeming reassured him.
"Thank you, Bald Brother," Sun Qinghua said gloomily. However, this was sincere; he could feel Aeming's concern for him. He awkwardly added, "I've caused you so much trouble during such a busy time... It's nothing really."
"I know; you have to get over that mental hurdle eventually. Come on, don't sulk; I'll walk with you," Aeming said as he pulled him along after getting out of the car. It wasn't easy for anyone when they felt like they were losing both their partner and their money. Since leaving Binhai days ago, it had been rare to see a smile on Sun Qinghua's face. Aeming teased him, "Come on now; we’re too close to be confused by our own perspectives—maybe you're clearer on Langxi's situation than we are... By the way, that terrain is quite complex; how did you come up with such a brilliant plan?"
Throwing bricks into the courtyard to draw people out was something even Executioners couldn't manage. Sun Qinghua chuckled and replied, "People are like that; if it doesn't concern them, they stay aloof. But if it does involve them, they lose all shame... You can commit murder and arson without anyone caring, but if you start damaging their property, they'll definitely come after you. That day it was just us two chasing after them—so many people were hiding far away."
"That's why we let Brothers respect you; good or bad people are all just skin deep—the key is having a heart that can shine... and you have that," Aeming said.
Ruhua looked miserable enough to cry and muttered gloomily, "But when you give someone your heart, they repay you with a green hat... Damn it."
Aeming didn't dare laugh and patted his shoulder in silence as Ruhua began rambling about their marriage—how she could buy whatever she wanted before getting married but had always wanted to work afterward without him stopping her. Now it seemed that perhaps their marriage was an unequal transaction—a relationship bought with money; could one really believe in its authenticity?
"If you don't believe it's real at all, then why be sad?" Aeming asked.
"Do you really believe in ideals?" Ruhua asked.
Aeming was taken aback, blinking his eyes. It seemed he was recovering quickly. He smiled and said, "Well, having ideals is always good, whether it's about beautiful women or a bright future."
"With someone like me, is there even a future? Maybe in another life, but if I were to be reborn, she probably wouldn't look at me either," Ruhua said with frustration.
"Hey, I can help you with that. Trust me," Aeming replied.
"Really? You can make her change her mind?" Ruhua exclaimed, suddenly hopeful.
"No, no, no, don't misunderstand," Aeming clarified. "I meant I've been single for thirty years; I can teach you how to live without women."
"Damn it, you're just joking with me. Why would I need your advice?" Ruhua retorted angrily.
"Look at you; you don't need teaching... This mental hurdle, you have to overcome it yourself. Just look at Xiao Mu; he went deep into the tiger's den. I won't hide it from you anymore; he did more than just one thing for us—he's better than an undercover agent... You need to pull yourself together," Aeming encouraged seriously.
Unexpectedly, Ruhua scoffed and shook his head. "It's not the opponents that scare me; it's the teammates who are like pigs."
"That's not true; don't underestimate yourself," Aeming consoled.
That statement was misunderstood. Ruhua pointed at him and said, "I meant you guys are the pig teammates. What does that have to do with me? You didn't even involve me."
Uh... Aeming was caught off guard. He hadn't realized he appeared so inadequate in Sun Qinghua's eyes. He chuckled awkwardly and didn't explain.
Unexpectedly, Sun Qinghua sneered and asked, "Are you feeling unconvinced? I saw Hazardous Materials Vehicles like this five years ago; do you believe that?"
"You... saw them?" Aeming was stunned.
"They were leftover from coastal activities; it's not as complicated as Master Craftsman said. There are people who specialize in this business; do you believe that?" Ruhua said.
The previous Tycoon was not particularly impressive, and his experience certainly couldn't compare to Aeming's. However, Aeming found it hard to believe what Ruhua was saying. "You don't believe it, do you? Then how do you explain the abundance of luxury watches across the country? Do you think they all pay taxes? Even if they did, what profit would be left... And what about the red wine? How did those original oak barrels spread throughout the nation? This includes luxury goods, cigarettes, and even a can of formula milk from Nima La—it's all high profit."
"Are you saying it's smuggling?" Aeming was taken aback.
"Xu Tonglei is from a smuggling background; what else could he possibly do?" Ruhua challenged.
Indeed. Criminals also operate within their advantages; they consider things from their own perspective. Aeming became solemn and curiously asked, "Tell me more about how it's done."
"You don't even need to enter the market. The can is already open; it looks fine on the surface. Just pack the goods inside, and with a small bottle of oxyacetylene welding and thin steel plates, you're good to go. These trucks drive all over the country without anyone checking them. At most, they check your driver's license and operating permit... Do you know how much money one truck can make? Tens of thousands is just the low end. We have a fool in our circle who specializes in selling computer CPUs; one truckload is about a container's worth, and he got rich in just a year..." Ruhua said slyly. When it comes to making money, no one had more insight than Ruhua, surrounded as he was by the wealthiest people.
"Is it really that easy? Doesn't customs have any way of detecting this?" Aeming was skeptical.
"Brother, that's where the darkest dealings happen... Don't glare at me; you should know better than I do. If there wasn't a nationwide anti-corruption campaign, we wouldn't be having this conversation. If they don't act soon, these people will start to rebel..." Ruhua explained.
"Hey, hey... let's not discuss big-picture issues. What do you know about tankers, hazardous material tankers?" Aeming asked anxiously.
"The one that travels the longest distance, makes the most trips to crime scenes—that's the one. You can't go wrong with that. These vehicles are registered very strictly; without insider connections like yours, you can't get any leads," Ruhua said confidently. He didn't fully grasp the severity of the situation, but it was enough to leave Aeming speechless and astonished.
When this information reached Binhai, both Lin Qizhao and the Specialized Investigation Team were unable to accept it. It seemed that their backgrounds limited their thinking; however, now that they had this information, they began narrowing down their data analysis based on mileage and incident locations. Remarkably, the number of hazardous materials vehicles under investigation shrank exponentially until only a dozen remained—two of which had frequently entered and exited Mingguang City. By this point, Lin Qizhao couldn't believe that among those registered Hazardous Materials Vehicles were some specifically used for smuggling...
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