Lin Heyu and Yuan Maoqiu followed Sheng Guoning into a small mountain that wasn’t marked on the map. Because its peak was gentle and resembled a turtle shell, local villagers referred to it as “Turtle Back Mountain.” Songtan Village was scattered along the mountainside and foothills of Turtle Back Mountain. The mountain was covered with farmland cultivated by the villagers themselves, with the village distributed among the fields, cattle and sheep roaming the paths, and cooking smoke rising, creating a simple and peaceful rural scene.
According to the village police station’s household registration records, Songtan Village had only 54 agricultural households, with 20 households on the mountain and 34 at the foot of the mountain. Most villagers were honest farmers; the young people had legitimate jobs, while the elderly raised livestock and farmed. Only one household was highlighted as a concern—at the head of Turtle Back Mountain, Zhu Xiuying’s family.
Records showed that Zhu Xiuying, a 76-year-old woman, had become the household head after her husband died. The household register still listed one other person—her son, Pang Nengshui, 43, an unemployed drifter.
Clearly, the problem lay with this man. When the police mentioned him, their expressions turned grim, some even rubbing their temples.
“Pang Nengshui is quite a troublemaker. He’s nicknamed ‘Pang Daozi’ and is a thug. He’s had a violent temper since childhood, never obeyed rules, and engaged in petty thefts. As he grew older, he became worse—robbery, assault, jail time was like coming home for him; his criminal record is this thick,” the old policeman said, showing a thick gesture with his fingers. “At over forty, he’s achieved nothing. To be honest, everyone makes mistakes, but after serving time, he should work hard to reintegrate into society. He could learn a trade and make a living, right? Am I right, comrades?”
Yuan Maoqiu nodded in agreement, while the household registration officer added, “Lao Wang, don’t mention it. If Pang Daozi really thought like that, we’d have fewer problems! Remember the time he came to get his release certificate for the household registration? His attitude was so arrogant, complaining about the paperwork and saying he’d be back in prison anyway. He made it seem like we were eager to see him!”
“Exactly. He’s been to jail; what’s there to be proud of? Does he think he’s a genius contributing to the country’s research? He doesn’t even look people in the eye,” a colleague rolled his eyes.
Officer Wang waved his hand. “Get used to it. He’s been in and out of jail three times, an old hand at this. The Party and the government can’t reform him, so what can we do?”
“We’re better off. Aunt Zhu is the one suffering—her age and poor health with no one to care for her, and she has to worry about her son.”
“Eh, don’t expect Pang Daozi to turn into a decent person. I just hope he doesn’t cause too much trouble in our jurisdiction.”
From their conversation, Lin Heyu and Sheng Guoning could sense how much trouble this “Pang Daozi” had caused the local police. Yuan Maoqiu bent over, holding the mouse, and scrolled through the household registration records, revealing Pang Daozi’s face. “Hey, as expected, a typical appearance of someone from the underworld.”
“Wow, you can read faces?” Sheng Guoning asked, stroking his chin.
Yuan Maoqiu humbly replied, “A little. You see, the depression and dark discoloration under the eyes indicate a person who is scheming, treacherous, and engaged in bad deeds.”
The three officers gathered around, seemingly fascinated by the so-called “yin zhi gong,”1“阴骘宫” (Yīn zhì gōng) is a term from traditional Chinese face reading, a practice that involves interpreting facial features to assess personality or predict fate. The term refers specifically to the area beneath the eyes, known as the “阴骘宫” or “Yinzhigong.”
In face reading, the “阴骘宫” is believed to reflect a person’s internal emotions, mental state, and potential for deceitfulness. A sunken or darkened “阴骘宫” is often interpreted as a sign of someone who is scheming, underhanded, or has a complex personality. Conversely, a well-developed or clear “阴骘宫” might suggest straightforwardness and honesty. This area is part of the broader practice of physiognomy, where different facial features are analyzed to infer character traits. expressing their amazement. Sheng Guoning, standing next to Lin Heyu, asked, “Is it true?”
“Of course it is! Captain Sheng, if you have time, go to the prison and see. Many notorious criminals have such features.”
“I always thought it was just a sign of not sleeping well!” Sheng Guoning whispered to Lin Heyu, “You guys in Haijing are impressive, with such specialized skills. You’re becoming more well-rounded.”
“…” Yuan Maoqiu wasn’t sure about the accuracy of reading faces for determining criminals, but he was always quite accurate in choosing targets.
Given that there was such an “old-timer” who shuttled between prison and home, he had to be their primary target for investigation. It wasn’t about prejudice; based on their experience, people with criminal records were more likely to commit crimes again. The vehicle carrying the kidnapper had lost track in this direction, so it was possible they had entered Turtle Back Mountain.
After discussion, they decided that Officer Wang would lead Lin Heyu and the others, dressed in plain clothes, to Pang Daozi’s home. Officer Wang carried a blue folder with several pages of documents, leading the way.
“Although Turtle Back Mountain is small, it has beautiful scenery. I’m not bragging; the air quality is definitely better than in the city!” Officer Wang pointed to the mountain top. “The temperature inside the mountain is low, and you don’t even need an air conditioner in summer. The view is excellent; you can see the Milky Way clearly!”
“Really? You make this small mountain sound like a paradise,” Yuan Maoqiu said with a smile.
Sheng Guoning spread his hands. “Well, I only found out about this ‘treasure land’ today.”
“I never lie. We have good mountains, water, and scenery. There hasn’t been any trouble here for many years…” Officer Wang’s voice dropped, “Except there was a major case years ago.”
Hearing “major case,” Lin Heyu suddenly asked, “What kind of case?”
“It happened a long time ago, at least twenty years. There was a mechanical factory next to Turtle Back Mountain that suffered a major explosion…”
Lin Heyu frowned, “Mechanical factory” and “explosion” sounded familiar, easily connecting to the ongoing case. He was about to ask more when Officer Wang had already started chatting with an old man wearing a straw hat who was out for a walk, inquiring about the old man’s health.
The old man, carrying a cane, looked at the three unfamiliar young people and asked a question in a dialect, smiling. Yuan Maoqiu and Lin Heyu were puzzled, while Sheng Guoning laughed and said, “He’s asking who we are.”
“New leaders,” Officer Wang waved the folder. “Wu Daye, you should go home and rest. We have some matters to attend to. We’re leaving now!”
Wu Daye waved his hand, strolling slowly along the field paths. Yuan Maoqiu looked at the old man’s retreating figure and said, “Officer Wang, you really get along well with the residents.”
“Being a community officer means doing such work. We’re different from you detectives, who are busy with cases. Our daily interactions are with the neighbors, dealing with trivial matters. Turtle Back Mountain is so small, only a few dozen households. After visiting them a few times, we get to know their situations. If we don’t maintain a good relationship with the people, the work from above won’t be carried out smoothly, and in the end, we’ll suffer.”
Yuan Maoqiu felt what it truly meant to “go to the masses.” Officer Wang was right; these grassroots police officers were the most in touch with the people and often dealt with the most personal and mundane issues. Compared to the grassroots police station, their municipal bureau seemed “far away from the sky,” especially the criminal investigation department, which rarely interacted with the public unless dealing with cases, always a step removed.
“Just ahead is Zhu Xiuying’s home,” Officer Wang said, pointing to a small tile-roofed house a few meters away. “That’s it. There’s a motorcycle in the yard, so Pang Daozi should be at home.”
“Perfect timing. We need to find him,” Sheng Guoning said, stopping in his tracks. “I’ll stay here and ask a few neighboring households.”
“Why aren’t you coming, Captain Sheng?”
Sheng Guoning lightly tapped his own cheek. “Officer Wang, this is Nanyi! My face has been in the papers a few times!”
He suddenly remembered that Pang Daozi, being a repeat offender, might recognize him as the head of the criminal investigation team. If Pang Daozi knew his identity, their undercover visit wouldn’t be very covert. If Pang Daozi was involved in the kidnapping case, he might flee the moment they left.
“…” Yuan Maoqiu thought Sheng Guoning was overly confident. It wasn’t like Pang Daozi had been arrested by him personally. In this information age, how many people would actually read the newspapers carefully?
With Sheng Guoning gone, the remaining three stood at the small tile house’s wooden door. Officer Wang cleared his throat. “Auntie! Auntie Zhu! Are you home?”
The wooden door had poor sound insulation, so they could hear the clatter of pots and pans inside. It was impossible to pretend no one was home. Footsteps approached, and a rough voice came from inside, “Who’s there?”
“It’s me, Officer Wang.”
Lin Heyu, upon hearing the voice, sensed a hint of anxiety in the tone. “… Officer Wang, who are you looking for? Are you looking for my mother?”
Officer Wang, with his typically good temper, found an excuse. “Yes, I’m here for Auntie. We have some documents from above to update her information. It’s probably for adjusting her benefits.”
“What? Wait a moment, let me ask… my mother.”
“Why ask? I just need to get her signature,” Officer Wang insisted, knocking again. “Pang Nengshui! Open the door; it’s just a matter of signing!”
But the door remained shut. Yuan Maoqiu circled around and returned, shaking his head at Lin Heyu, confirming there was no back door and the windows were shut tight. The house had only one entrance: the front door.
After waiting for at least five minutes, the wooden door finally opened halfway. A burly man in a short-sleeved shirt stood in the doorway, a white towel draped over his shoulder, and his hair damp as if he had just showered.
“Pang Daozi, why did you take so long to open the door? What are you hiding for?”
Pang Daozi grumbled, “I was taking a shower! I haven’t even dried my back yet!”
Something was off. Lin Heyu’s eyebrows twitched. The voice wasn’t Pang Daozi’s; it was someone else. Although the voice was similarly rough, it sounded different. Lin Heyu, trained in these nuances, could tell there was a different person behind the door.
The face matched the household registration photo, and since Officer Wang knew his area well, he wouldn’t mistake the person. This meant someone else was in Pang Daozi’s house.
“Open the door. I need to see Auntie and get her signature.”
Officer Wang insisted, but Pang Daozi blocked the door with his solid build, extending his hand. “My mother is sleeping. Just give me the documents, and I’ll get her to sign.”
The hand was large, calloused, and covered with cracked wounds, rougher than sandpaper. Lin Heyu could tell these were the marks of hard work, but in Pang Daozi’s case, likely from “forced” labor.
Officer Wang was adamant, waving the folder. “No, it must be signed by her personally.”
“Then give it to me. I’ll get her to sign it when she wakes up,” Pang Daozi, showing impatience, reached to take the folder. “You’re running around for such a small thing, so idle.”
Lin Heyu swiftly pulled the folder away.
Everyone paused, their eyes on Lin Heyu. Officer Wang looked approving, relieved that Lin Heyu had taken the folder. If Pang Daozi had gotten it and flipped to the second page, he would have seen it was last year’s document and already signed, which would be problematic.
“Are you two… also police?” Pang Daozi’s brows furrowed, his tone now full of suspicion.
Yuan Maoqiu remained calm. “No, we’re from the village committee.”
“Village committee? I haven’t seen you before.”
Lin Heyu met his gaze and answered steadily, “We’re new.” Yuan Maoqiu nodded repeatedly, noting that they were indeed unfamiliar faces, hence the need to go door to door with Officer Wang to get to know people.
“Oh…” Pang Daozi was still skeptical and didn’t open the door any wider, clearly intent on not letting them in. Seeing his stubbornness, Lin Heyu didn’t press further but asked, “Mr. Pang, could you come out and chat for a moment?”
“Cannot,” Pang Daozi refused without hesitation. “I need to watch over my mother.”
“…” Yuan Maoqiu wanted to point out that this behavior made it obvious there was something suspicious going on in the house.
Officer Wang, straightforward as ever, insisted that Pang Daozi open the door to check if Auntie was really asleep. Pang Daozi refused adamantly, and the two were at an impasse. Seeing Pang Daozi’s impatient expression, Lin Heyu pulled Officer Wang aside. “Lao Wang, it’s not urgent to get the signature. We can come back another time.”
Pang Daozi glanced at Lin Heyu. “This leader makes sense. It’s not a big deal! Come back next time, preferably in the afternoon. Don’t come when my mother is still asleep.”
With a thud, the wooden door was closed.
Officer Wang was embarrassed. Yuan Maoqiu reassured him not to take it personally, saying they would definitely come back and would not break their word.
Lin Heyu slightly lowered his head and walked around the yard, stopping at some shoe prints. Yuan Maoqiu whispered, “Do you want to collect them?”
Lin Heyu glanced at the tightly shut windows. Collecting evidence under someone’s watchful eye would be too obvious. He only wanted to determine how many people were currently in Pang Daozi’s house by examining the shoe prints.
“Are we just leaving like this?” Officer Wang seemed disappointed. He had hoped to see the criminal investigation team’s skills in action.
“Yes, let’s head back.” Lin Heyu took a photo of the shoe prints and put his phone away. Yuan Maoqiu followed, whispering, “Should we keep an eye on him? Pang Daozi seems problematic; my intuition is usually accurate.”
“There’s definitely something going on.” Lin Heyu’s gaze was tinged with pity. Such blatant resistance and avoidance are obvious to anyone—no need for intuition.
“Have someone keep watch. There’s someone else hiding in his house; we need to find out who it is.”
