Siheyuan: I am Banggeng's uncle

Chapter 976 The Case of the Missing Boss!
"Police officer! Police officer! I need to report a case." Around 8 p.m., a middle-aged man rushed into the train station police station and shouted to the police officer on duty.

The police officer on duty, upon learning that the middle-aged man had come to report a case, instinctively stood up from his desk. Looking at the panting man, he asked him sternly, "Comrade! Take a breath first, and then tell me, what case do you want to report?"

Upon hearing the policeman's words, the middle-aged man first took a few deep breaths of the slightly cool air before introducing himself to the officer on duty: "Officer! My name is Ding Li. My younger brother Ding Qiang and I work as laborers around the train station. Yesterday morning, my brother took a job to help a family on Qianmen Street, but he hasn't returned yet."

Upon hearing Ding Li's explanation, the police officer on duty immediately asked him, "Comrade Ding Li! How old is your younger brother Ding Qiang this year? Do you know who he was helping move houses for on Qianmen Street?"

Upon hearing the question from the police officer on duty, Ding Li immediately explained, "Officer! My younger brother is twenty-seven years old. Yesterday morning, a man surnamed Liu came to the train station square to hire people to move things, and my brother went with him."

“Yesterday I took a job to transport wine for someone in Shunyi, so I didn’t come back to stay overnight. When I came back today, I went to the train station square to pick up another job, but I didn’t see my brother. At first, I didn’t pay much attention to it, until tonight when my brother didn’t come home for dinner. That’s when I heard from the neighbors that he didn’t come back last night either.”

Upon hearing Ding Li's account, the police officer on duty immediately asked him, "Comrade Ding Li! According to what you just said, your brother has admitted that he has his own will. Since such a grown man hasn't come back, he's very likely at a friend's place. I suggest you go and find your brother's friends and ask them if he has visited them."

Upon hearing the suggestion from the police officer on duty, Ding Li immediately said to him, "Officer! My brother is not a talkative person, so he doesn't have many friends. Before I came to report this, I specifically went to find the person who went to pick up a job with him yesterday, but I found that the person hadn't returned either. I was worried that something might have happened to my brother, so I came to report this."

When the on-duty police officer heard Ding Li's account and learned that the person who went to pick up the job with Ding Qiang had also disappeared, he began to take the matter seriously. He asked Ding Li with a serious expression, "Comrade Ding Li! You just said that the person who went to pick up the job with your brother yesterday has also disappeared. Is that true?"

Upon hearing the question from the police officer on duty, Ding Li nodded repeatedly, like a chicken pecking at rice, and answered with great certainty: "Officer! This is absolutely true. Guo Ming, who works with my brother, hasn't gone home since yesterday."

Upon hearing Ding Li's account, the police officer on duty learned that another job-hunting boss had also gone missing. He immediately instructed Ding Li, "Comrade Ding Li! Please come with me."

The police officer, accompanied by Ding Li, quickly arrived at the door of an office. He knocked on the door before reporting to the person inside, "Chief Huang! A comrade has come to report that his brother and another boss have not returned since they went to speak with him yesterday."

Upon hearing the report from the on-duty police officer, Chief Huang immediately stood up from his desk. When he saw Ding Li standing next to the officer, he immediately asked Ding Li, "Comrade! You just said that your brother went missing yesterday while taking on a job. Do you know what kind of job your brother took on?"

Upon hearing Director Huang's question, Ding Li immediately introduced, "Director Huang! My younger brother, Ding Qiang, and his friend Guo Ming took a moving job at the train station square yesterday morning. I heard from the other workers at the square that they were hired by a middle-aged man who said he was going to Qianmen Street!"

Upon hearing Ding Li's account, Chief Huang immediately recalled a meeting he attended two days prior where the chief of the Xiluoyuan Police Station mentioned two cases of missing persons, both involving elderly men. Remembering these cases, Chief Huang's expression turned grave. Having worked in public security for many years, he had a strong feeling that this case was inextricably linked to the two missing persons cases at the Xiluoyuan Police Station.

Realizing this, Director Huang solemnly instructed the police officer on duty, "Xiao Zhou! Take this Comrade Ding Li to take a statement first. I'll call the branch office right away and report this case to them."

Upon hearing Director Huang's instructions, Xiao Zhou immediately nodded respectfully before saying to Ding Li, "Comrade Ding Li! Please come with me! I'll take your statement first."

After watching Xiao Zhou lead Ding Li away, Director Huang reached for the phone on his desk, shook it a few times, and then picked up the receiver. With a serious expression, he said, "Is this the switchboard? Could you please connect me to the Criminal Investigation Division of the branch office?"

"Hello! This is the Criminal Investigation Division. May I ask who this is?" The call was quickly connected, and a middle-aged man's polite voice came through the receiver.

Upon hearing the familiar voice on the phone, Director Huang immediately said, "Old Song! This is Huang Jingye. Who is the leader on duty at the detachment tonight? Could you please call the leader to answer the phone for me?"

Upon hearing Director Huang's self-introduction, Old Song immediately smiled and replied, "Oh, it's Director Huang! Tonight, Captain Li will be on duty personally. Please wait a moment, I'll go and call Captain Li to answer the phone for you."

"Old Huang! You're calling the brigade so late, what's the matter?" Huang Jingye waited for about a minute, and first he heard footsteps on the phone, followed by Li Xianjin's questioning voice.

Upon hearing Li Xianjin's question, Huang Jingye immediately explained to Li Xianjin, "Captain Li! Here's the situation: Our station just received a report that two men took a job yesterday at the train station square, saying they were going to help someone move in the Qianmen area, but we haven't heard from them since."

“Originally, this was just an ordinary missing persons case, but I remember that a few days ago when I went to the branch office for a meeting, I heard Lao Xie from Xiluoyuan Police Station say that there were two cases of missing persons of 'Board Master' in their station this month. I suspect that the missing persons case of 'Board Master' that happened to us may be related to the missing persons case of 'Board Master' that happened to Xiluoyuan Police Station, so I thought I would call the branch to report this case.”

Upon hearing Huang Jingye's report, Li Xianjin frowned deeply and asked Huang Jingye with a serious expression, "Old Huang! Are you sure that there have been two cases of 'Boss Ban' disappearing' at the Xiluoyuan Police Station this month?"

(End of this chapter)