in2ebook Chapter 395 A Bizarre Case!
Chapter 395 A Bizarre Case!
Just as they were preparing to return to their unit, an uninvited guest arrived—an old acquaintance, Liu Daqiang, now the executive deputy director of the Xicheng branch. He'd climbed the ranks quickly these past few years, just one step away from being promoted to deputy director. A few more years of hard work and he'd be able to shed that title.
He's officially hired, that's a done deal!
He wasn't really 'welcoming' to this person; there was no other reason than that this person always came to consult him about case-related issues.
This time was no exception. They invited the person inside, and after a few brief pleasantries,
Liu Daqiang was annoyed by the person's lukewarm attitude.
"Who are you trying to fool with that long face? It's been over a year since we last saw each other, hasn't it? Is this how you treat an old friend? Go get me a cup of tea."
The two were old acquaintances. Zhong Yuemin laughed and went over to make tea.
"Here you go, Director Liu, have a drink, but be careful not to burn your mouth."
Liu Daqiang blew on the tea leaves, took a sip, and said, "Hmm, this tea is not bad."
"This is top-quality Longjing tea. It was a gift from one of my dad's comrades-in-arms from the south. How could it taste bad?"
"Really? This is my first time drinking it. I'm so glad I did, kid."
Zhong Yuemin's laughter,
"Brother Liu, you're a deputy director of a branch office, and in such an important place as the capital. In ancient times, you'd be considered a leader of the Imperial Guard, right? How come you're living such a miserable life?"
Liu Daqiang put down his teacup, waved his hand, and sighed:
"Stop flattering me. What's a deputy director of a branch office? Like you said, this is Beijing. Seriously, if you took a brick and threw it into a crowd on the street, you might just hit a few ministers or deputy ministers..."
Keep a low profile, keep a low profile!
The posture was very low.
"As for you, kid, your performance in the counterattack against Vietnam made you a great hero. Your reputation is well-known. Even our branch is calling on everyone to learn from you. A while ago, your picture was on the front page of all the major newspapers in Beijing."
Zhong Yuemin spoke calmly.
"This thing can't be eaten or drunk, and it can't be exchanged for money, so what's the use?"
"People fear becoming famous, just as pigs fear growing fat; a tall tree catches the wind, which is never a good thing."
"Ha, you're a bit too realistic, huh? Fine, I'll get practical then..."
He pulled a red envelope from his pocket and handed it over.
"I knew you got married. I was out handling a case at the time and didn't have time to come over, so I'm sending you a red envelope as a make-up gift."
Zhong Yuemin took it, opened it in front of everyone, and said jokingly, "20 yuan."
"That's all? You, a deputy bureau chief, are too stingy."
Liu Daqiang was annoyed.
“I know you, Boss Zhong, are rich and powerful. I only get a fixed salary every month and have to support my family. I can’t compare to you. You think it’s too little? Then give it back to me. We’re not short of money.”
Zhong Yuemin stuffed it directly into his pocket and said:
"So, tell me, what tricky case have you encountered this time?"
"We haven't seen each other for quite a while, can't we catch up and have a chat?"
Liu Daqiang insisted on the lie:
"Don't think of me as such a snob, only thinking of you when there's a difficult case. It makes me sound like I'm some kind of sly fox."
"Brother Liu!"
Zhong Yuemin also took a sip of tea and said directly:
"Look, you're a deputy bureau chief, you must have a lot to do and be very busy. As for me, I'm about to go back to the army, so I don't have much free time either."
Let's be honest, just say what you need to say. Don't beat around the bush. If I leave, I won't be able to help you. I could smell the case the moment you walked in, and you're still trying to pull this stunt.
"You kid..."
He wasn't embarrassed when he was exposed; he just chuckled, pulled a brown paper document bag from his old leather bag, and his expression became more serious.
"You were absolutely right. There's a case, not a big one, but it's strange. I've been thinking about it for days, and it's really unsettling."
"Knowing that your thought process is different from others, and you even managed to capture a division commander of the enemy army alive, maybe you can figure out something."
"awkward?"
Zhong Yuemin raised an eyebrow, took the file bag, but didn't open it immediately.
How to perform individual twisting?
Liu Daqiang leaned forward and lowered his voice.
"It was a theft. A family in an old alley in Xicheng District lost a few old items, nothing worth much money."
"Is this old lady someone special?"
"No, he's just an ordinary old man, what's wrong?"
“…No,” Zhong Yuemin said, quite puzzled.
"It's just an ordinary old man, and the stolen items aren't worth much. It's just a common theft case. Why do you, the deputy director, have to personally intervene? Isn't that taking it too seriously? It's like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut."
Liu Daqiang gave a bitter laugh.
"Do you think I wanted this? This case is still unsolved, and this old lady comes to our branch office every day, sits down on a small stool, and complains that we police are not doing our job and are not solving her case. She won't leave and keeps complaining at the entrance, which is affecting our work. Do we not care about the image of the branch office?"
This old lady is quite old; you really can't do anything to her. If she falls or gets hurt, it'll be even more troublesome. There's really no other way. Our chief has given me the responsibility to solve the case within a limited time.
Most importantly, this case is indeed somewhat strange and awkward.
Zhong Yuemin nodded, signaling to continue.
Liu Daqiang said:
“The scene was frighteningly clean, with not a single trace left. The key point is that the old lady insisted that on the night the things were stolen, she said she heard someone singing opera in her house, specifically the scene of Yu Ji from ‘Farewell My Concubine’.”
Zhong Yuemin stopped brushing the lid of the teacup, looking at Liu Daqiang.
"Singing opera?"
The casualness in his eyes vanished instantly. Interesting.
What kind of sound was that?
"The old lady said it was a woman's voice, faint and plaintive, and she couldn't tell which direction it came from. It was like there was a layer of water behind her. She was singing, 'I urge the king to drink wine and listen to the Yu song...' Just a few lines, repeated over and over."
As Liu Daqiang spoke, he himself felt a little uneasy and rubbed his arms.
“We checked, and there are no opera houses in that area. Young people these days don’t listen to that stuff. Besides, the doors and windows were bolted from the inside, and there were no pry marks.”
Zhong Yuemin didn't speak, but pulled out the scene photos and transcripts from the file folder, flipping through the pages rapidly.
My gaze lingered for a long time on several black-and-white photographs of the interior layout, especially that empty corner where, supposedly, the sounds of opera could be heard.
"Brother Liu, this thief probably wasn't after the old lady's valuables, was he?"
Zhong Yuemin suddenly said.
Liu Daqiang nodded, and then said:
"Did you notice it too?"
“Look at this.”
Liu Daqiang's finger poked at the photo.
"The jewelry on the top shelf of this chest of drawers—the gold rings and silver bracelets of any value—remained untouched. The unassuming old wooden box next to it, which supposedly contained a few old stamps the old lady had saved up in her youth, is gone."
And this bookshelf—the old magazines underneath are gone, but the transistor radio next to it is still there, perfectly fine.
Having said that, he raised his head, his eyes shining with a captivating light.
"This thief wasn't after the money; he was after the word 'old,' an antique. And his goal was very clear."