"About half a year ago, I began to vaguely feel that he was abnormal, but I could not catch any clues. It was not until I was about to go to Hong Kong four months ago, when he pretended to be reluctant on the surface, but he couldn't hide his happy and excited attitude in private. Finally let me officially sound the alarm bell."
Zuo Qiu was different from the family members Meng Zhao received recently. She is highly educated and can be seen in her words and deeds. She wears a solid silk shirt with wide-leg pants and a silk scarf with a good drape around her neck. Although she came all night, her face still retains the expression of the day. makeup.
Meng Zhao gently placed a cup of hot water in front of her and asked gently, "When did you find out?"
"Once I asked for leave from Hong Kong to go home for the weekend - it was an impromptu surprise operation." Zuo Qiu covered his red eyes, wiped the corners of his eyes for a while, and said, "There is nothing unusual at home, my husband looks like It's also normal, and I was surprised without losing excitement and joy. We went out to eat, watched a movie, went home hand in hand, and reunited with You Sheng's newly married; When I woke up, for no reason, I found that the other side of the bed was empty, and there were faint lights and voices in the living room."
"... This matter can be big or small, you have to be mentally prepared... "
Zuo Qiu put on his pajamas and gently opened the bedroom door. He saw someone sitting on the sofa with his back to her. He was a little chunky, but his voice was very calm. a feeling of.
Li Hongxi stood by the coffee table in the living room with her hands down. She couldn't see her expression clearly from such a long distance, but the extraordinary perception between husband and wife still made her realize that her husband was rarely upset at the moment: "... how could it be possible? Why did she suddenly disappear? What should we do now, what should we do if we find out, this is on the cusp of the storm... "
"There are so many things like this, it's not so easy to find out, let alone find you." The man paused, then changed the conversation: "I'm worried about another thing."
"what?"
"She took our 'big business'."
Li Hongxi's expression was bewildered, and he didn't realize what the other party was referring to for a while, but then his face changed dramatically: "What?! What you said—how could—"
His voice stopped abruptly, and the living room fell into an ominous silence.
"It doesn't matter who you are, you can't lose 'big business'." After a long time, someone finally spoke again, with a cold and low voice: "I have arranged for people to handle this matter, try to handle it as cleanly as possible, but you Be mentally prepared as well, in case... Understood?"
Zuo Qiu held her breath. She had never seen Li Hongxi show such a strange face. It seemed that fear was mixed with a trace of disgust, resentment, and unwillingness. She nodded slightly but gritted her teeth hard: "I understand."
The visitor seemed somewhat satisfied, nodded, got up and left.
The moment he turned around, he happened to be facing the open door of the bedroom. At that moment, Zuo Qiu could see his face clearly—unexpectedly, he was not very old, maybe in his twenties or early thirties, with a pale face and a little fat. Tall, with a rump on his eyebrows. This face is the type of standard gentle and kind, but for some reason, there is a faint aura in the kindness that makes her feel frightened.
The intuition of danger in the dark made Zuo Qiu lean back and hold the doorknob tightly.
In the darkness of the night, no one could see clearly the gap in the door of the bedroom. She hid in the darkness and felt her heart pounding, but her ears subconsciously grasped the movement outside. Li Hongxi sent out the door to the elevator door, and there were vague footsteps and farewell sounds in the corridor; after an unknown period of time, she opened the door slightly with trembling fingers, and saw the dead of night outside the living room window, and the clock on the wall was still swinging, the second hand A positive tick coincides with the minute hand.
It was exactly three in the morning.
"The next day, I asked Li Hongxi side-by-side, and said that he seemed to have heard him talking at night, is it a guest? Li Hongxi's expression was very panic for a moment, but then he calmed down and told me that one of their company knew a lot of inside information. The accountant suddenly resigned, and if he applied to a competitor’s house, it might affect him and several other leaders, so the company came to him late at night to discuss the solution, but it should be resolved smoothly, so I don’t need to worry about it.” Zuo Qiu took a deep breath and suppressed the choked ending: "But the strange fear in my heart still lingers, and I didn't even dare to stay at home until Sunday night... The next afternoon, I was distraught. Boarded a plane to Hong Kong."
"This person said that he would arrange for someone to 'handle' this matter that cost them a 'big business'?" Meng Zhao asked.
Zuo Qiu nodded.
The crazy Liu Li in the interrogation room appeared in Meng Zhao's mind - "It's just that Gao Ling can't recognize reality, and she even dreamed that she has a 'big business', as long as she finishes the big business, she can make a fortune..."
Meng Zhao leaned forward slightly, stared at Zuo Qiu's eyes, and said with a serious tone: "Do you remember the night when this conversation happened?"
"March 18." Zuo Qiu covered his mouth to prevent himself from choking again, hoarse and firm: "I have a record of my flight to and from Hong Kong, and it is March 18."
March 18th was the third day that Gao Ling ran away from home!
If it is calculated from this point, it can almost be concluded that the one who has to deal with the gang of conscientious people is Gao Ling!
"Thank you very much for cooperating with us in providing clues. Please try to keep in touch during this time. If you can remember any details, please contact the police at any time." Meng Zhao squeezed Zuo Qiu's hand tightly: "If you need any help , you can also come to me at any time, don't be afraid, we will ensure your safety!"
Zuo Qiu's eyes were still red. She raised her head and let the tears flow back down her throat. After a while, she looked at Meng Zhao: "Thank you, Officer Meng, I was just too unexpected. I... My husband and I are college classmates. His family is feudal, and the conditions are not good. When he first fell in love, he was so poor that he couldn't even afford flowers. When he came to my house, he was almost kicked out by my mother. We broke through many obstacles to get all the way to this point. After so many years of love, Feelings for so many years…”
Meng Zhao patted her hand reassuringly.
"I once thought that if he really has someone outside, is it because I am too busy with work to neglect the family? Is it because I am too tough and ignore his feelings? I have searched all over the place for mistakes, but I forgot one point, scumbags won't be moved a little like a person just because you are gentle, virtuous, considerate and perfect, scums become scum all because of themselves."
She paused, with tears in her eyes, and showed a calm smile:
"If it's not troublesome, I might need you to do me a little favor right now—do you know of any great divorce lawyer who can introduce me to someone who can get that scumbag out of the house empty-handed?"
Most of the police and lawyers are no strangers. Meng Zhao blinked, leaned slightly closer to her ear, and smiled slyly:
"...I really know a few."
The door of the interrogation room was opened, and Liao Gang took off his headphones from behind the desk outside: "You're breaking the rules."
Meng Zhao put one hand in his trouser pocket and raised his chin: "Sue?"
Liao Gang didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but Meng Zhao raised his eyebrows and left with a smile.
·
"I understand, I will summarize the transcript and send it to me by email... Tell the internal staff to pay attention to the emotions of the victim's parents. Gao Wei and Xiong Jinzhi are their first time in Jinhai. They are unfamiliar with the place of life, so take care and don't be casual. Get in touch with the media…”
The sound of Bu Chonghua calling outside came from the stream of water. After Wu Yu finished brushing his teeth in front of the mirror, he rinsed his mouth full of foam with the tap, grabbed a towel, and walked out of the bathroom while wiping his face.
Bu Chonghua is a person who can strictly follow the working hours the next day no matter how late he sleeps. He wakes up at 7:30 in the morning, takes a shower, washes up, and finishes his morning run. He has put on his shirt and police pants, and stands at the floor-to-ceiling glass window. Before hanging up the phone, as soon as he turned around, he saw Wu Yu walked into the room with his upper body naked, drooping his eyelids, yawning, and thumping the towel on the messy guest house bed.
He must have put Bu Chonghua on the safe and harmless white list. He wears a pair of jeans all over his body and hangs loosely on his waist and crotch. His shoulders, neck, back, and thin abdominal muscles are unobstructed, and his feet are bare. He stepped on the carpet wet, leaving vague footprints with his steps.
"Are you ready?" Bu Chonghua looked away and asked lightly.
"No rush."
"Don't you take a shower in the morning?"
Wu Yu opened a bottle of mineral water and drank it and said, "Trouble. You are just like your literate people, you do it every morning and night, and you don't know what you're doing in the bathroom behind closed doors."
"… "
Bu Chonghua's forehead twitched slightly, he turned around, and suddenly Wu Yu snorted, "Wait, someone grabbed you on the back of your neck?"
"?" Bu Chonghua stretched out his hand and wiped it on the back of his neck. Sure enough, the right side stinged slightly, but because of the angle, he turned his head and looked into the mirror but couldn't see it. It seemed that he had smashed a piece of skin.
It should be that I didn't know which gangster slapped me in a one-on-one duel last night, but when I exercised vigorously, my adrenaline was so high that I didn't feel pain for a while, and I didn't notice it when I took a shower in the morning.
"It's swollen," Wu Yu said, "I'll give you a red potion."
Bu Chonghua's first reaction was not to use it, but he swallowed the words and acquiesced to the proposal subtly. Wu Yu called and asked the front desk of the guest house for red syrup and cotton. Bu Chonghua sat on the edge of the bed with his back collar pulled down a little. Wu Yu knelt on the edge of the bed behind him and used a towel dipped in water to cover the wound. I rubbed two disinfectants around it, then soaked the medicine with cotton, and carefully smeared it on the slightly red and swollen broken skin.
Bu Chonghua was born with light pigmentation, with amber-colored pupils and fair skin. He was healthy, firm, and evenly fair. It was two tones from Wu Yu's pallor caused by the reversal of work and rest all year round. His hair is also very thick, it shines slightly in the morning light, and it smells like shampoo, which is very different from the messy black hair that Wu Yu often cuts blindly in front of the mirror.
"It's fine-skinned and tender," Wu Yu mocked with a little pantothenic acid, "a little injury is so obvious."
Bu Chonghua said, "I envy you even more."
"Envy what?"
Wu Yu's back, abdomen and even his arms are full of fine scars, scars and scars left after the wounds healed. He would not notice it when he was wearing clothes or in a dark place, but if he looked carefully at the light during the day, it would be quite shocking. sense. Bu Chonghua moved slightly, seemed to want to turn around and restrained it, looked at the white hotel sheets in front of him and said, "Scars are the medal of a man, don't you think?"
Wu Yu couldn't help laughing: "The medal is a shit, only those who are incompetent are injured, and those who are capable can't even lose a cold hair."
"What's the meaning?"
When Bu Chonghua turned around, he saw Wu Yu threw the cotton balls away, and was too lazy to explain: "Okay, be careful not to get inflamed."
He got up to get the unfinished bottle of mineral water, but the cold water bottle was quickly taken away by Bu Chonghua's sharp eye: "Come back, the leader is asking you something."
The two of them sat on the edge of the bed, the other knelt on the mattress, and their gazes were fixed for a few seconds. Wu Yu was a little cowardly, and he lowered his head to look around himself, casually pointing to the dark growth after a small scar on his left elbow healed.
"—This, dragged out from the concrete floor. The two big brothers had a good time after drinking, and they had to see their little brothers fight fiercely. They sent a subordinate to each side. As a result, the other side's brother was a Thai boxing champion, and he was rooted from beginning to end. I can't even touch my hair. Do you think this can be called a medal? It's clearly a mark of shame."
Bu Chonghua looked at him, unable to make a sound for a while.
"The medals of those who are capable are made of gold, and the medals of those who are incompetent are made of flesh and blood." Wu Yu said: "Come on, let's solve the case quickly, maybe we can also have a collective medal of merit after the 502 case is solved. Wear it."
He withdrew the mineral water bottle, and Bu Chonghua's hand paused in mid-air before slowly dropping it.
At this moment, the phone dinged, indicating that there was a new email—a transcript of the inquiry sent by Liao Gang.
Wu Yu took a closer look while drinking water. He thought it was Li Hongxi's wife Zuo Qiu's inquiry material last night, but he opened it but Meng Zhao went to the hospital several times to inquire about Liu Li's record: "What are you looking at this for?"
Bu Chonghua tilted his head and looked into Wu Yu's eyes from a close distance: "I read Zuo Qiu's transcript last night, and I still have some doubts."
With doubts in Wu Yu's eyes, he leaned back slightly and pulled a little distance, motioning for him to speak.
"We now know that the murderer of the 502 case is no longer a single person, but an organized and large-scale group. The 'Teacher Ba' met by the print shop owner occupies a high position in this group, and may even be a Leader. On the third day after Gao Ling ran away from home, 'Mr. Ba' rushed to Li Hongxi's house overnight to tell him the news. He also said that Gao Ling had taken away a 'big business', and he would arrange for someone to solve the matter. This so-called manpower should be Gao Baokang, he charged 'Mr. Ba' 100,000 yuan to follow Gao Ling and wait for an opportunity, but because of his whereabouts, Gao Ling called the police once at the end of April."
Wu Yu nodded.
"The reason why 'Teacher Ba' arranged for Gao Baokang instead of Li Hongxi to deal with Gao Ling may be because Li Hongxi has culture and capital, and has a relatively high status in this organization. I need to go out and do the dirty work in person." Bu Chonghua changed the topic: "But what I can't figure out is that Gao Ling was killed on May 2, no matter what purpose Li Hongxi sneaked into Gao Ling and Liu Li's house, why? Does he have to wait until the police find the body on May 9th before he touches Gao Ling's house?"
Wu Yu thought for a while, then hesitantly said, "Because it's on a hot search?"
"Yes," Bu Chonghua said solemnly: "Because before the hot search, these people couldn't be sure whether Gao Ling was still alive."
- That is to say, before the hot search, they do not know whether the killer has completed the task, Gao Baokang has lost contact with the organization!
"Has he already died in the Sili River?" Wu Yu asked unexpectedly.
"Judging from the speed and water level of the Sili River on May 2, the probability of drowning is quite high, but Gao Xia reported that her nephew often swims wild with others in summer and is extremely skilled in water, so another possibility cannot be ruled out. , that he ran away." Bu Zhonghua paused and said slowly: "If this assumption is true, then the target of the police's search now is not only him, but also the... human bone helmet that he took away."
Human bone helmet.
After Gao Ling disappeared, "Mr. Ba" told Li Hongxi that people are not important, but big business cannot be lost. What does big business mean
Gao Ling trekked several kilometers to the riverbank on that rainy afternoon. What was in her bulging schoolbag, so that she believed that she could become rich overnight
Li Hongxi, who sneaked into Liu Li's bedroom late that night, had obviously bought wires, tapes, black plastic bags and a lot of detergent, but after Liu Li entered the house, she had been hiding in the closet until she was discovered. Then Liu Li went home. Before, what was he looking for
Bu Chonghua sat on the edge of the bed and turned around, Wu Yu sat cross-legged behind him, holding a mineral water bottle in one hand; the two looked at each other, and both saw the answer that was about to come out of the other's eyes.
"That human bone helmet," Bu Chonghua said softly, "maybe it was the 'big business' that Gao Ling took away."
The room was terribly quiet. For a long time, Wu Yu finally slowly screwed on the bottle cap and rubbed his eyebrows: "What is the relationship between Gao Ling and those people?"
Bu Chonghua said, "Go over the coffin."
Wu Yu didn't understand.
"You remember what I said? Most people who organize cults are inseparable from several goals: money, female sex, and desire for control. Almighty God is no exception. Passing the mortuary bed is one of their ways to win over new members. It is a method to let the brainwashed young women have relationships with people. It is hypothesized that this can convey the will of God and achieve the effect of spiritual unity. Most of those women are from the wives and daughters of members of the organization, and they have basically no education. Mostly from rural backgrounds.”
Bu Chonghua opened the transcript in the email, and the first few pages were the first time Liu Li was questioned, that is, the time when he had a drug addiction attack at the Nancheng District Branch: "I had a vague suspicion when I first contacted Liu Li, why is Gao Ling? Always scolding her parents in front of her as 'blood-sucking, uneducated, and wanting to harm her'? If blood-sucking can be barely understood as asking her to work and earn money to support her younger brother in the future, what does it mean to have no culture and want to hurt her? The accusations of family preference for sons over daughters seem to be different. After that, Meng Zhao went to the hospital to talk to Liu Li several times, and found that as long as she mentioned Gao Ling, these words were repeated over and over again. The one that comes up the most, even far outweighs the resentment of not letting her go to school."
"—What did Gao Wei and Xiong Jinzhi do to make her grit her teeth and hate them for their lack of culture? How many times did a 16- or 17-year-old girl far away in the county town have a relationship with Li Hongxi, who lives in Jinhai City, before she got pregnant? People live under the same roof, do her parents really know nothing about the strangeness of her underage daughter for so long?"
Bu Chonghua raised his hand and threw his phone on the sheet, and said coldly, "From the first time I saw the couple crying in the corridor of the Public Security Bureau, I began to suspect that something was wrong with them."
Wu Yu nodded silently, and seemed to have a headache, and asked, "Then... what should I do now, go back to examine Gao Ling's parents?"
This is impossible. First of all, the police have no real evidence and cannot use coercive means to interrogate the victim's parents; secondly, Gao Wei and Xiong Jinzhi are obviously prepared, and all the side-by-side inquiries will have no effect.
What's more troubling is that the couple only recognized their bodies after Gao Baokang lost contact and Li Hongxi was arrested, which means that the cult organization behind them has realized that they have entered the police's sight. Any investigation or even the slightest change in attitude towards Gao Wei, Xiong Jinzhi, will directly lead to the consequences!
Bu Chonghua breathed a sigh of relief and said, "We have to go back to Jinhai to continue digging, digging up Li Hongxi's financial situation, Gao Baokang's social relations, and the origin of the human bone helmet. Then a valuable thing can't suddenly appear in Tianjin for no reason. Hai Shi, no matter whether 'Mr. Ba' and others want to sell it or take it away, there must be a series of criminal acts behind it that the police have not uncovered."
Wu Yu thoughtfully moved his stiff shoulders and neck, Bu Chonghua looked at him, and after a while he stopped, sat on the bed and shook his head.
"I don't think the same way as you guys think."
"… "
"Gaoling's hometown, Jiarui County, is not far from Ninghe, and it takes up to half a day to drive there." He raised the corner of his eyebrows to Bu Chonghua, and the slender and thick eyelashes curled up at the ends, a bit of agitation: "Go and see?"