The three returned to the village police station. The household registration officer, a woman, looked up and asked, “How did it go?”
Lao Wang waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t mention it. Pang Daozi was like a porcupine, wouldn’t even let us in.”
“He’s nervous, so of course, he wouldn’t let you in,” Yuan Maoqiu said while checking his phone. “A colleague from our bureau will arrive soon. Please send a police officer from your side as well to take turns keeping watch.”
The local officers tensed up immediately. Officer Wang’s face darkened. “Comrades, does this Pang Daozi have anything to do with the Haijing kidnapping case?”
“Currently, it’s uncertain, but it can’t be ruled out,” Yuan Maoqiu replied.
The household registration officer slapped her thigh. “It’s most likely. I mentioned it a few days ago, right? Qiantang has been investigating recently. Looks like our district’s troublemaker is causing a ruckus. See, I told you so.”
Officer Wang clasped his hands together. “Please don’t jinx it. We haven’t had serious cases here in years. Even if Pang Daozi gets caught, it’s for crimes committed in another district. Overall, Songtan Village is still a simple and harmonious rural area.”
Lin Heyu recalled the previous major case mentioned. “Officer Wang, was the mechanical factory case very sensational?”
Hearing the mention of an old case, Officer Wang’s tone became exaggerated. “Sensational? It shocked the whole society! Over a dozen people died, half the factory was destroyed, and it wasn’t even at night, but broad daylight! Houses within several kilometers were shaking…”
“Lao Wang,” the household registration officer suddenly interjected, her tone solemn as if to stop him from continuing.
Indeed, Lao Wang slapped his forehead. “Oh, never mind, it’s so late. I still need to check if the sheep from the Qian family at the village entrance have returned.”
He put on his police hat, stuffed his teacup into his coat pocket, and was pulled by Lin Heyu. “What happened next?”
“Hey, Heyu, you can’t delay people’s work even if you’re doing research,” Yuan Maoqiu pulled his hand away, wondering why Lin Heyu’s observational skills seemed so lacking lately. Didn’t he notice that others weren’t keen on continuing?
Officer Wang hopped on an electric bike and vanished in the blink of an eye. Lin Heyu watched his back with hesitation and then turned his gaze to the household registration officer.
It was this officer who had stopped Officer Wang’s words earlier, hinting at some old case with a mysterious air that piqued Lin Heyu’s curiosity. Unfortunately, the officer didn’t even look at him, continuing to check household registration records. Yuan Maoqiu leaned in and whispered, “Do you need to know about this?”
“It’s useful.”
Yuan Maoqiu was taken aback. “…Does it relate to our current case?”
Lin Heyu neither confirmed nor denied it. Yuan Maoqiu covered his mouth with his hand and whispered, “Well, it’s been so long. How many people remember it clearly? Such major cases are definitely in the internal network records. If you want to learn more, we can check when we get back.”
“That’s not necessarily the case,” the busy officer mumbled quietly.
“?” Yuan Maoqiu was intrigued, leaning closer to the table. “Officer, what do you mean?”
“Nothing, I just talk to myself when I’m working.”
Yuan Maoqiu sighed. “Officer, that’s not helpful. You’ve started something but are keeping it vague, making us even more curious.”
Finally, the household registration officer looked up at him and said slowly, “Actually, there’s really nothing much to say. It’s just that this case is unusual. We rarely mention it internally. You’d better stay away from it; it’s unlucky.”
“How is it unusual?”
“No, it’s that they’ve never been found,” the officer said nonchalantly, clipping the documents with a small metal clip. “First, we received news from Haijing that everyone was dead, including our officer from Nanyi who died in the line of duty. Then, it was said that the police team returned without finding the criminals. Later, the hostages were found, but the criminals were still missing. We don’t know what’s true or false; a few police officers died, and whether the criminals are dead or not, the case hasn’t been mentioned since.”
Died in the line of duty?
Lin Heyu was lost in thought, the words “mechanical factory” and “explosion” forming a blurry image in his mind, unsure if these were real memories or just imagined. He felt a growing unease, thinking of the explosion case in Yi Shi. Having met Yu Xue during his youth, he wondered if this was similar to Nanyi twenty years ago.
Yuan Maoqiu waved his hand in front of Lin Heyu, who did not respond. He shrugged, said goodbye to the officers, and dragged his distracted friend along as they left.
Under the banyan tree, Sheng Guoning stood smoking, looking like he had been waiting for a while. On the way down the mountain, Lin Heyu remained silent, walking ahead, while Sheng Guoning and Yuan Maoqiu followed, speculating about what might be troubling him.
“What’s going on? Did you find some crucial lead?”
“It’s unrelated to the kidnapping case,” Yuan Maoqiu said. “It’s an old case from twenty years ago.”
———
At the Nanyi City Bureau, after office hours had passed, Shen Ruirui stayed behind. Recently, she hadn’t been assigned fieldwork and was instead in the office, reviewing surveillance footage from various locations in Nanyi. As the only female officer in the frontline criminal investigation team, the male officers, when there were enough of them, often left the easier tasks for her to ensure their delicate flower didn’t wilt under the sun.
The computer screen remained bright, Shen Ruirui’s eyes fixed on it, a telephone receiver cradled in her neck, her left hand on the keyboard, and her right hand on the mouse, multitasking without delay.
“Hmm, come to the bureau, I’m here early, can’t leave before eight!”
“Then just bring your homework and we’ll save a desk for you. What’s for dinner today?”
“Wow! Pine nut corn stir-fried shrimp! I love it! Auntie loves you!”
In the office, Yan Runping from the pre-trial team was also working overtime, organizing and revising the accumulated case records. Hearing Shen Ruirui’s exaggerated tone, he joked, “Hey, Ruirui, are you exploiting your middle school nephew? Is your sister okay with that?”
“This isn’t exploitation! More capable people do more work. Besides, A-Xue’s cooking skills weren’t developed by me, but by my sister,” Shen Ruirui replied, hanging up the phone. “When he was just starting school, he had to wake up too early, and my sister wanted to sleep in. She couldn’t get up to make him breakfast, so he cooked fried rice, instant noodles, and soup himself, and later even prepared breakfast for my sister.”
“…” Yan Runping was astonished. “Your sister’s way of raising kids is eye-opening.”
It wasn’t just neglect; it was complete free-range parenting!
Shen Ruirui took it in stride. What’s wrong with teaching self-reliance from a young age? If she had a son in the future, she would do the same, hoping to raise an equally outstanding young man.
Yan Runping pointed to the computer screen. “Wake up, your target hasn’t been reached. Captain Sheng asked you to review the surveillance footage.”
Shen Ruirui rubbed her eyes, feeling disgruntled. Supporting her chin with one hand, she complained to Yan Runping, “Not all women need to be pampered. I really don’t want to stay in the office watching surveillance footage; my eyes are going blind! Every year, my eyesight worsens.”
“Hey, young lady, you don’t know how lucky you are,” Yan Runping said, lightly tapping her on the head with a folder. “You don’t know what Xiao Shao said when he came back yesterday—he was dizzy all morning in the crowded tourist area. When will he get a chance to stay in the office?”
“That would be great! As soon as Captain Sheng returns, I’ll request a transfer. Please let me go on fieldwork and swap Xiao Shao to the office!” As she finished speaking, someone entered the room.
“Is there something you want to tell me?”
Shen Ruirui quickly stood up. Sheng Guoning walked in, followed by Lin Heyu and Yuan Maoqiu. Sheng Guoning, having heard that Shen Ruirui wanted fieldwork, nodded. “We originally wanted to protect our flower, but since you’re volunteering, we’ll switch you with Xiao Shao. He’ll handle the surveillance tomorrow.”
Shen Ruirui’s eyes sparkled as she saluted. “Yes, sir! Thank you, Captain Sheng!”
Lin Heyu and Yuan Maoqiu each found a seat. Although they hadn’t come up with a complete solution, locating Pang Daozi had given them a clue about the whereabouts of the kidnappers. Before leaving, Yuan Maoqiu had already informed the local police station. Upon hearing this, Sheng Guoning had eagerly offered to transfer someone from the Nanyi team to help, trying hard to make a good impression in front of Lin Heyu.
Yuan Maoqiu, seated in the back, reflected on the difference that a promotion made. Just a few days ago, even if Lin Heyu had piled up evidence in front of Sheng Guoning, he would have questioned it. Today, however, he was cooperating fully. With a criminal investigation team leader like Yuan Maoqiu so attentive, Lin Heyu was able to navigate the Nanyi City Bureau with ease.
Not long after they sat down, Shen Ruirui’s smart and capable young nephew arrived. He came with a stainless steel lunchbox to feed his aunt and also carried a school bag on his back.
Yu Xue was very well-behaved, greeting all of his aunt’s colleagues as “Uncle” whether he knew them or not, showing no sign of shyness. After handing the lunchbox to his aunt, he found a table, sat down, and started on his homework.
Yuan Maoqiu muttered softly, “I’m not even thirty yet, how did I end up in the ‘uncle’ generation?”
“Want yourself to be called brother?” Lin Heyu said coldly. “You’re quite shameless.”
“…” Yuan Maoqiu was left speechless, wanting to silence Lin Heyu. If you can’t speak, then just don’t!
Realizing that dinner was still unplanned, Sheng Guoning took out his phone and began to order takeout. He sat down opposite Lin Heyu and asked what he wanted to eat. Lin Heyu casually replied, “A rice bowl.”
“Great, there’s a place near our bureau that serves excellent rice bowls. What kind do you want?”
“Anything.”
“Then I’ll order their signature braised eggplant for you.” He looked at Yuan Maoqiu. “Gardner, what about you?”
Yuan Maoqiu, already actively opening the takeout app, decided to try something different. He had seen a KFC place while buying milk tea for the policewoman yesterday, so today was a perfect opportunity to try it out.
Yan Runping was astonished by Sheng Guoning’s sudden display of enthusiasm and asked Shen Ruirui, “What’s up with Captain Sheng? His attitude towards Captain Lin has changed completely. Is he a different person now?”
Yesterday, they were rivals, and now in just one night, it’s like a completely different story.
“Yes, the rivalry is a thing of the past,” Shen Ruirui said with her hand over her mouth. “Now, Captain Lin is officially Captain Sheng’s future big brother-in-law!”
“Big brother-in-law?” Yan Runping was surprised. “Captain Lin is that girl’s brother?”
“Isn’t it a coincidence? It’s like something out of a soap opera,” Shen Ruirui said.
“…” Lin Heyu, with his keen hearing, was both speechless and annoyed by the conversation. Yuan Maoqiu, holding back laughter, reminded Shen Ruirui, “Policewoman, you shouldn’t say that. We haven’t even gotten to that point yet. Our Lao Lin doesn’t quite measure up to being a big brother-in-law.”
Sheng Guoning quickly interjected, “He is, absolutely! Lin Zhizhi’s excellence is evident from her brother’s genes!”
Yuan Maoqiu stifled his laughter, finding his own words amusing as he continued to ponder whether to add tteokbokki to his fried chicken order.
Sheng Guoning, with an ulterior motive, cleared his throat and asked seemingly casually, “Captain Lin, since you’re working late at the bureau, is your sister… home alone?”
Before Lin Heyu could respond, Yuan Maoqiu answered, “You’re overthinking it. She was alone before, but now she has company.”
Sheng Guoning was taken aback. Life is full of unexpected surprises. Seeing his face change colors, Yuan Maoqiu sighed inwardly. “Look at how surprised you are. It’s just Xiao Shitou. Didn’t Zhizhi take him away this morning?”
Sheng Guoning’s emotions were like a roller coaster, dropping to a low and then soaring high. “Oh—I know, I know! I was just wondering if it’s safe for a girl like Zhizhi to be home alone with a child. Should we give her a call?”
Lin Heyu glanced at him, his look clearly conveying his irritation. Zhizhi was an adult; what could possibly go wrong at home? Moreover, she lived in an upscale apartment complex with strict management. Lin Heyu had inspected it beforehand and was confident in leaving her there alone.
Also, “Zhizhi”? Since when did you start calling her that? Just this morning, she was still “Miss Lin.”
Lin Heyu was too lazy to respond, leaving Sheng Guoning a bit dejected: the future brother-in-law was indeed a tough nut to crack, a significant obstacle in his pursuit of the beautiful woman.
After getting approval, Lin Heyu opened a computer, connected to the internal network, and searched with keywords like “Nanyi,” “mechanical factory,” and “explosion.” The results were not what he hoped for.
He thought for a moment, adjusted the date range and province, but was met with “No search results found.”
Yuan Maoqiu leaned over and asked, “Hey? No results on the internal network? Is the case really that mysterious?”
“What kind of case are you trying to find?” Sheng Guoning also leaned in and, seeing the keywords, was taken aback. “If you’re looking for this, the system really doesn’t have it.”
Both Yuan Maoqiu and Lin Heyu turned around in unison, “Why?”
“Well, it’s because there are no results—it’s been treated as an unsolved case,” Sheng Guoning shrugged. “I heard that all the investigation materials from back then have been sealed. If you really want to find something, you’ll need to go to the archive room and look through the files.”
Without hesitation, Lin Heyu stood up and asked, “Which floor is the archive room on?”
“?” Sheng Guoning was surprised. Was he actually planning to go? He checked the time and said, “Lao Pan, who manages the archives, is already off work. Lao Yan, do you have a spare key?”
“Hey, as it happens, I have a spare key since I was working late today and got one from Lao Pan,” Yan Runping stood up. “Captain Lin, shall we go?”
Lin Heyu nodded, and the two of them left the office, heading to the archive room on the fourth floor. As soon as they left, Yuan Maoqiu called Sheng Guoning over and quietly gave him some advice.
“If you can’t get through to Lao Lin, why not send a message to Zhizhi yourself? You need to take the initiative with your significant other! Be attentive, check in regularly, and build up some rapport. If you can’t find a topic, give her some security tips; if you’re worried about her safety, offer to teach her self-defense techniques; if she’s tired of hearing about heroic police stories, share some gossip from the precinct. There are countless ways to approach it! Have you heard of ‘Heaven rewards diligence’? The early bird catches the worm!”
Shen Ruirui, who was eavesdropping with her ears perked up, started coughing from the peanuts she was eating. Sheng Guoning opened his mouth, and after a moment, clasped his hands in gratitude. “Master, I understand! Please write a book; I’ll be the first to buy it!”
“Alright, I’ll write one after I retire.”
