Chapter 60

Chapter 60: Shan Zhuo (20)

Fengcheng Anna continued to show her fear and panic. “Officer Hai, I really don’t understand what I did in all of this. I just introduced Brother Yao to Jenny. If that’s enough for their deaths to be blamed on me, then just arrest me and put me in jail.”

Hai Shu of course couldn’t arrest Fengcheng Anna, but she did notice a very subtle change in Anna’s expression when she heard the name Liu Xing.

Since there was no concrete evidence, the Criminal Investigation Team One could only temporarily release Fengcheng Anna, but she couldn’t leave Huiyong City at will, and police would be monitoring her movements.

Elsewhere, after thinking for a while, Jie Yang told Hai Shu that Fengcheng Anna’s involvement was just a coincidence. He didn’t believe that his encounter with Tang Jinli was part of Anna’s plan, nor that he had become a pawn in Anna’s murderous scheme.

“Anna is just a child. She’s simple and kind. I never told her Tang Jinli’s name. She must have been sympathetic to the fan and, from my perspective, called Tang Jinli a bad woman out of concern.”

Hai Shu didn’t say anything more. The case had reached this point, and Jie Yang began to sedate himself—he refused to admit that the goddess he worshiped was a complex, malicious woman, and he even less wanted to admit that he was a puppet in a woman’s hands.

Three lives were already on his hands. Since he couldn’t escape the harshest punishment anyway, he could convince himself that everything had been his own decision. He was still the master of his own body and mind.

Hai Shu packed some things and headed to Guibai District. The Tang Jinli case was now basically clear, and the final clues were in Liu Xing’s hands. She had to “report” to Liu Xing and uncover the scars in Guibai Village that had been silent for more than ten years.

Wen Xu set off with her, chatting about their thoughts on the way.

“Fengcheng Anna and Liu Xing must have some kind of relationship.” Outside the office, Hai Shu felt freer to speak. “I even suspect they had emotional entanglements. Liu Xing liked Tang Jinli, Anna found out, and then plotted to get back at the two of them. Her encounter with Tang Jinli may have been deliberate or coincidental, but her later contact with Tang Jinli was definitely intentional. Tang Jinli died, Liu Xing suffered, and her goal was achieved.”

Wen Xu said, “If we said this to Captain Qiao, he would criticize us for being too imaginative.”

Hai Shu said, “Then let Captain Qiao give us a line of thought. What exactly does Fengcheng Anna want?”

After a while, Hai Shu shook her head again. “Even this doesn’t quite make sense. At first, Liu Xing didn’t know that Jie Yang and the other two were being influenced by Fengcheng Anna. He only realized it after seeing the photos I gave him. Then he should hate Fengcheng Anna, right? So why won’t he say it?”

Wen Xu said, “It shows that we’re still not imaginative enough. Sometimes reality is far more absurd than fiction.”

“True.” Hai Shu allowed herself to gradually relax, staring at the road ahead for a moment. When they arrived at Guibai Village, she and Criminal Investigation Team One were about to face another big battle.

The police car entered Guibai Village, didn’t stop on the road, and went straight to the police station. Hai Shu noticed fewer villagers on the street; many stayed in their yards, their faces showing fear and wariness as they watched the police car pass.

Liu Xing seemed to have taken the police station as his home, completely putting away any foolish behavior. Upon seeing Hai Shu again, he even courteously saluted her. “Hello, Officer Hai.”

Hai Shu said, “It seems you’re well aware of why I’m here today.”

Liu Xing smiled. “Here to tell me good news?”

Hai Shu took a deep breath. “Jie Yang has confessed to the killings of Tang Jinli, Zhao Ruocheng, and Yao Wei.”

Liu Xing said, “I knew it. The police are still trustworthy.”

Hai Shu squinted slightly. “Jie Yang also gave me a clue. He met Tang Jinli through Fengcheng Anna. During his intent to kill Tang Jinli, it was Fengcheng Anna who influenced his emotions.”

The smile at Liu Xing’s lips faded slightly, but he was still smiling.

Hai Shu said, “I’m really curious—what is your relationship with Fengcheng Anna? Before seeing the photos, you seemed unaware of her existence. Later, you understood but refused to speak. Jie Yang and the other two were the killers, but Fengcheng Anna may well be the mastermind. I don’t understand why, having chosen to avenge Tang Jinli, you’d cover for the real instigator?”

Liu Xing looked at the ceiling. A few minutes later, he met Hai Shu’s gaze again, then lowered his head and bowed. “All I can say, Officer Hai, is thank you for fulfilling a wish of mine. The murderer has been brought to justice. Everything else is none of my concern.”

Hai Shu said, “Even if Tang Jinli’s death was indirectly caused by Fengcheng Anna, it’s still unrelated to you?”

Liu Xing spoke with an enlightened tone, “Indirect? How do you define indirect? Why does a person die? If you trace it, there could be endless indirect causes. Can you arrest and execute everyone related to each indirect cause? If there had been no Fengcheng Anna, Tang Jinli wouldn’t have died. Then if Anna’s parents hadn’t given birth to her, would Tang Jinli have been safe? Are you going to arrest Anna’s parents too?”

Hai Shu said, “That’s sophistry.”

Liu Xing shook his head. “Officer Hai, you can seek the answer yourself. I won’t stop you, but until you find it, I won’t voluntarily reveal it.”

Hai Shu asked, “Why?”

After a long pause, Liu Xing said quietly, “Because I owe her.”

Owe her? Fengcheng Anna? Hai Shu leaned against the corridor of the police station and thought: did her wild guess actually turn out correct? But where exactly did Liu Xing intersect with Fengcheng Anna?

At that moment, Sui Xing’s voice came from below the stairs, “Who posted this?”

Hai Shu hurried downstairs. “What is it?”

Sui Xing handed her the phone. “Look!”

A post signed “Little Si” shot up the local trending topics list, quickly reaching first place. “Little Si” used the discovery of a corpse at the Guibai Village Flower Viewing Festival as a pretext to recount the massacre that happened there ten years ago, and he himself was the surviving child of the Si family.

Hai Shu’s heart raced as she read. The police had previously investigated that before tourism developed in Guibai Village, the Liu, Li, and Si families had left and disappeared without a trace. Hai Shu suspected their disappearances were connected to Guibai Village, but there was no evidence.

Now someone called “Little Si” had appeared online! Was he the Si family’s lost child? Or—

Hai Shu immediately thought of the recent investigation at Yue Sheng Manor, when Sui Xing had received an anonymous email. The sender clearly had access to information unknown to the police, seemingly helping them but likely exploiting them. Was the force behind “Little Si” the same one?

“Little Si” described the tragedy of the three families in simple words. Placed alongside the increasingly popular Flower Viewing Festival, it felt like a cursed joke.

Village Chief Liu Buquan and the disappeared Liu family shared the surname Liu, but were not related. Liu Xing had always been more successful than Village Chief Liu’s family. The Liu family occasionally helped struggling villagers and provided minor medical care; the Si family had benefited the most from the Liu family’s kindness.

“Little Si” said his deepest memory of Guibai Village was the constant smell of Chinese medicine at home, and the Liu family’s warm sweet soup—they took pity on him and often invited him over to eat something good.

Because of the Liu family’s kindness, the villagers had once favored them, but Village Chief Liu, out of selfishness, destroyed it all.

Ten years ago, Village Chief Liu intended to change Guibai Village’s poverty, learning from villages that prospered through tourism, turning Guibai Mountain, covered in flowering trees, into a scenic spot. But in planning, Village Chief Liu clashed with the Liu family.

Village Chief Liu knew his influence in the village was far less than the Liu family’s, so he recruited a few accomplices to spread rumors: that the Liu family feared losing status if the village developed, so they resisted change; that the Liu family’s good life was due to unequal resource distribution in the past, benefiting them at others’ expense. Why should the Liu family prosper?

The villagers were not fully stirred, but some resentment grew. At that time, the Liu family’s two sons had a business problem in another city, and the Liu family planned to go check. This gave Village Chief Liu a perfect opportunity to eliminate them.

Soon after the Liu parents left Guibai Village, they were killed—by Village Chief Liu and his accomplices. The Liu brothers, unaware of their parents’ fate, were still struggling in Jianglu City. Village Chief Liu’s group then went to Jianglu under the pretext of looking for them and killed the Liu brothers.

The Li family, business partners of the Liu family, fully supported them and likewise became targets of Village Chief Liu.

As for the Si family, the village’s poorest, they should not have been on Village Chief Liu’s radar. But because of the Liu family’s care, the Si family was very loyal to the Lius, making them a threat to Village Chief Liu. Thus, the poor father and daughter dying in the wilderness appeared to villagers as if they had despaired of illness and taken their own lives.

After eliminating the three obstacles to development, Guibai Village successfully transformed into a tourist town. The once remote, impoverished village became a paradise crowded with visitors. But is paradise only beautiful? No—it grew from the suffering of three families and the vile massacre!

At the end of the post, “Little Si” said he was the last bloodline of the Si family, hoping citizens would see Guibai Village’s crimes and that the killers would face the law.

As the post spread rapidly, discussions about Village Chief Liu grew online. Some netizens were outraged by “Little Si’s” story; others began digging into Village Chief Liu.

Hai Shu refreshed the page and saw someone mention Liu Village Chief’s digital store, claiming to have paid a high price for gray-market or refurbished devices, verified by experts, but the store refused a refund. Others suspected the store’s business was less important than its potential for money laundering.

Hai Shu asked, “Can we trace who ‘Little Si’ is and the IP location?”

Sui Xing stared at the screen. “Checking, it will take some time.”

Hai Shu nodded. “The content of this post roughly matches what I expected, but whether ‘Little Si’ is really the Si family child is still uncertain. Perhaps someone is just using that name. After all, the perspective of ‘Little Si’ makes it easier for people to empathize.”

The sound of typing filled her ears as Hai Shu leaned against the desk, arms crossed, thinking: if “Little Si” really is the child, how did he learn all this? He was lost as a small child, vaguely remembered visiting the Liu family, vaguely remembered home circumstances—so why never return? When did he start investigating his family’s disappearance? When did he uncover the truth?

It must have been a long process. Why choose this moment to post?

Objectively, the post’s appearance made the police’s next actions easier. So is he helping the police?

But if “Little Si” is not really “Little Si,” the question becomes far more complicated.

By now, Guibai Village had erupted over the post. Villagers rushed to the police station, claiming the online statements were false and that someone was deliberately trying to destroy the hard-earned Flower Viewing Festival.

“Cutting off people’s livelihood is like killing their parents,” Hai Shu said quietly, quickly leaving the office. At the police station entrance, Cheng Wei was once again surrounded by villagers.

Sweat covered Cheng Wei’s forehead. “We will investigate carefully. Everyone, please stay calm!”

Hai Shu patted his shoulder. He turned sharply, his expression slightly strange. “Team Leader Hai.”

Hai Shu said, “Come with me to Liu Buquan’s house.”

Village Chief Liu seemed to know the police would come. He had changed clothes and brewed tea in his yard, while his workers stood on guard, eyes fixed on Hai Shu.

Hai Shu smiled. “Village Chief Liu, is this your way of receiving me?”

Village Chief Liu forced a simple smile. “Children don’t understand. It’s infuriating—mainly that I, an old man, have done so much for the village and yet am slandered online by young people, and now I have to face your investigation. It’s unfair to me.”

Hai Shu said, “You seem calm.”

Village Chief Liu shook his head wryly. “What can I do? But if I didn’t do it, I didn’t do it. So I just watch less and argue less.”

Hai Shu asked, “Did you finish reading that post?”

Village Chief Liu said, “Yes. Utter nonsense! Let me tell you about ‘Little Si.’ The Si family did lose a son, but a child that small wouldn’t likely survive. So where is he appearing from now? If what he says is true, how did he investigate it? It doesn’t make sense, Officer Hai. This must be fabricated to smear me, to smear our village! And if he’s so sure of himself, why hide online? Make him come out and confront me directly!”

Cheng Wei swiped a few times on the tablet and found the issue with the digital store. “Some customers reported that the products bought in your store were not genuine or brand new. How do you explain that?”

Village Chief Liu said with a grim face, “I’m just an old man. I don’t understand these things. Whatever goods the supplier gives me, I sell. If there’s a problem with the goods, what use is it to come to me?”

“That’s not how it works,” Cheng Wei said coldly. “The store is yours, the goods are sold by you, and you are responsible for every item that leaves your store. Otherwise, tell me, if your store sold poisonous drugs, would you also say it was the supplier’s fault and not yours?”

Village Chief Liu’s face immediately changed, and the young villagers around him closed in. Hai Shu felt Cheng Wei was a bit impulsive today and instinctively held him back. “We will quickly find out who is behind ‘Little Si.’ The matters he mentioned in the post, we will investigate thoroughly. During this time, police will monitor your every move. Is that okay, Village Chief Liu?”

Village Chief Liu sighed. “I wasn’t planning to leave the village anyway.”

Hai Shu asked again, “Now let’s talk about the digital store. Who do you contact? From whom do you get the goods?”

Village Chief Liu hesitated for a moment. “Mr. Wang.”

“Mr. Wang?” Hai Shu asked. “Who?”

Village Chief Liu went inside and took out a notebook with contact information. Hai Shu took a photo, then looked at him in the same way, signaling Cheng Wei to leave.

On the way, the villagers’ gazes were even less friendly, as if all the online smears were the police’s doing.

Cheng Wei had been staying in Guibai Village recently. After walking a stretch, Hai Shu asked, “What do you think about that post?”

“The content of the post matches our analysis closely. The disappearances of the three families must be related to people in the village,” Cheng Wei said. “If ‘Little Si’ is still alive, he’s not like the police, operating openly or bound by procedural justice. He could use many methods and time to deduce the most accurate conclusion. So I think he didn’t lie.”

Hai Shu stopped walking. “You’re assuming ‘Little Si’ is still alive. But what if he died long ago and someone else is posting under his name?”

Cheng Wei also stopped and met her gaze for a moment. “Sorry, I jumped to conclusions. I hadn’t considered that possibility.”

At the police station, Sui Xing had yet to uncover the real identity of “Little Si.” Hai Shu brought the latest progress to see Liu Xing.

“The Si family’s son?” Liu Xing showed a hint of surprise, then calmed, shaking his head. “He’s probably long gone.”

Hai Shu asked, “Then who do you think is most likely behind the post? Is what he said the truth?”

Liu Xing stared at Hai Shu for a while before saying, “Officer Hai, you still want to dig for clues from me. But the Tang Jinli case is solved. I have no more clues to give you.”

Hai Shu knew very well that this man was still hiding something.

“All I can tell you is that everything I did was for Tang Jinli. It has nothing to do with the Flower Viewing Festival or the disappearances and killings,” Liu Xing’s eyes showed an inexplicable coldness. “I didn’t do it for my parents or brothers.”

Hai Shu held her hot tea, thinking about why Liu Xing was so cold when mentioning family, when suddenly a pair of hands silently appeared before her.

Hai Shu: “…”

Someone quietly tried to cover your eyes from behind? Someone quietly reached out their hands from behind? To cover or not to cover?

The missing Xie Jingyu seemed to appear out of nowhere. “Officer Hai, long time no see.”

Not really long. Hai Shu looked up. “What were you just doing?”

Xie Jingyu: “Trying to cover your eyes.”

Hai Shu: “You didn’t succeed.”

Xie Jingyu: “A person of my high moral standard wouldn’t do anything to make a lady uncomfortable. Just the gesture is enough.”

“…Hai Shu said, getting back to business: “Have you seen the post online?”

Xie Jingyu nodded. “I came back to report the investigation results. Li Yunting and the Si family’s young son are both still alive.”

Xie Jingyu, a special agent, had recently been assigned by Hai Shu to investigate the whereabouts of the Li family and the Si family child. Criminal investigation and special operations differ, but Xie Jingyu found it amusing—it was investigation either way.

The adults of the Li and Si families could not still be alive. Since Village Chief Liu had gone as far as to murder, and then boldly continued tourism development, he must have ensured all obstacles were eliminated. The Si family daughter had disappeared with her ailing father, likely killed together. The Si family son had gone missing at age five or six. Li Yunting had left Guibai Village early, so she had a higher chance of being alive.

Confirming this, Xie Jingyu first checked welfare institutions in Huiyong City and surrounding areas.

Villagers said Si Xiaowei was abducted, but this claim was questionable. Twenty years earlier, no child had ever been abducted from Guibai Village. Such a place was more likely to have children brought in from outside. Then why didn’t any other child go missing, only the poorest family, the Si family, lose their son?

After Si Xiaowei went missing, the Si family’s daughter-in-law grieved excessively and died within a year. She had been the family’s pillar; with her gone, the Si family suffered even more. Xie Jingyu had mingled with villagers and heard how much the daughter-in-law suffered, but never heard about the suffering of the ailing father and grandparents.

This was unusual. In Guibai Village, boys were considered far more important than girls. Losing a boy would mean the family line ended; the ailing father shouldn’t have been indifferent.

Unless the ailing father knew why his son was lost, and that for the son, being away from the Si family was better. The Si family was so poor, the ailing father didn’t even know how long he could survive. For years, he had relied on women to sustain him, and he likely felt guilty toward his wife. He had burdened his parents and wife, and now his daughter, but he didn’t want to burden his only surviving son.

If he had voluntarily sent Si Xiaowei away, it could explain why this was the only “child abduction case” in decades in Guibai Village.

So where would he have sent Si Xiaowei? How far could his abilities reach? The Liu family had helped the Si family, but if he had told them he wanted to send his son away, they most likely would not have assisted with such a task.

He would never have sold Si Xiaowei to traffickers. What he could do was leave Si Xiaowei near a welfare institution, where naturally someone would find him. He might have learned about welfare institutions through television—healthy, well-looking children were easily taken in by wealthy families. This was the best possible path he could provide for his bloodline.

But searching welfare institutions now was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Xie Jingyu, not lacking patience for meticulous work, obtained orphan files from over thirty welfare institutions, some of which had disappeared over time. The records of these vanished institutions were even harder to trace; some were lost, others stored at the local streets or new welfare institutions.

After gathering this massive amount of information, he analyzed it one by one. The Guibai Village police station kept a photo of Si Xiaowei, brought by the crying Si parents when reporting his disappearance. Having a photo was good news, but the bad news was that Si Xiaowei was only three years old in it. Children change so much in a year, making it harder to locate him based on the photo.

The special operations team was now on standby in Huiyong City. Xie Jingyu unceremoniously delegated tasks to the captain and teammates, and finally found a child suspected to be Si Xiaowei at Ping’an Welfare Institution.