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At 6:15 a.m., the conference room of the Criminal Investigation Brigade was bustling with activity.

As Cui Wei was sitting there racking his brains over the case, Xiao Ding pushed open the door and entered, carrying two heavy file folders.

"Captain, Jin Xiasheng's household registration information and the credit union robbery scene report are here." The young police officer had dark circles under his eyes. "The technical department worked through the night to recover the deleted call records from Cui Ye's phone."

Cui Wei nodded, gesturing for the team members who were coming in to sit down.

When the projector lit up, he drew the first name on the whiteboard: Cui Ye.

“I know what you’re thinking.” Cui Wei’s pen hovered over his younger brother’s name for a moment. “Why would a Go teacher get involved in a series of robberies?”

The slideshow switches to screenshots of the credit union's monitoring system.

In the video, Cui Ye, wearing a baseball cap, is operating something in front of an ATM, while the glass counter reflects the image of a man with a missing ear.

“Initially, Cui Ye’s involvement in the credit union robbery may indeed have been due to being coerced by the robbers, but the later extortion case involving Wang Hongyu is another matter.” Cui Wei clicked on the remote control to display the bank statements. “At that time, his son was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy, so he urgently needed a large sum of money for his son’s treatment.”

Xiao Ding suddenly raised his hand: "Then how did he get Qin Xiaoming's money laundering ledger?"

“That’s the key.” Cui Wei pulled up another hospital record. “Cui Ye is definitely connected with that Jin Xiasheng, so Jin Xiasheng, Cui Ye, and One-Ear may be a gang.”

A collective gasp filled the conference room.

Cui Wei moved his pen to the right side of the whiteboard and wrote the three characters "One Ear".

"One-Ear's real name is Geng Xingu, a former security guard at the escort center. His missing left ear is a result of childhood abuse." The projector displayed a close-up of the hideous ear. "This person is extremely dangerous. It has been confirmed that he has kidnapped Cui Ye's wife and children as hostages."

When the photo switched to a picture of Gao Shuhua and Yan Yan, Cui Wei's voice froze for half a second.

"Now we need to search Cui Ye's house in the hope of finding the clues we need."

……

The door lock on Cui Ye's house made a slight clicking sound in the hands of the technical staff.

As Cui Wei put on his gloves, the familiar scent that hit him made his temples throb. On the shoe cabinet in the entryway was the dinosaur model he had given to Yan Yan last year.

“The safe is in the study.” He walked straight into the inner room, avoiding the family photo on the living room wall.

In the photo, Cui Ye is embracing Gao Shuhua, and Yan Yan is sitting on his shoulders, smiling broadly.

When Xiao Ding pried open the hidden compartment, he exclaimed in surprise, "My God!"

Five bundles of unopened 100-yuan bills were prominently displayed on top of layers of documents.

Cui Wei quickly flipped through the documents, his finger suddenly stopping on a certain contract.

This is a transfer agreement for a safe deposit box store, and also a house rental contract.

"Cui Ye, what exactly are you doing?" he muttered to himself, his attention suddenly drawn to the answering machine on his desk.

Pressing play, my younger brother's voice, feigning nonchalance, boomed through the room:

"Mom, it's me. Shuhua took Yan Yan to stay at Xiaoting's house... Yan Yan has typed up to page thirty-eight of the sheet music, please don't let him mess it up..."

Cui Wei rushed into his younger brother Cui Ye's bedroom like a whirlwind and found the chess manual that Cui Ye had mentioned.

"Page 38 of the game record!" Cui Wei pulled out "Classic Go Battle Examples" from the bookshelf and flipped to the designated page. "Captain, this page is about the 'ko' tactic."

Cui Wei stared at the term circled in red, his brows furrowed into a knot.

“In Go, ko fighting is a tactic of repeatedly contesting the same key point…” He suddenly grabbed the contract and compared it with the game record. “Wait! Quickly check who lives near the house that Cui Ye rented.”

"Yes, Captain Cui."

……

The wind from the top of the tunnel carried coal dust into Cui Ye's collar.

Cui Ye was seen leaning against the cement railing, watching the train timetable on his phone jump to 6:18.

A train whistle sounded in the distance, and a green train, like a tired giant, slowly approached.

“The K7712 express train has six passenger cars in the first six cars and ten coal cars in the last ten,” Cui Ye said to the shadows behind him. “It passes through this tunnel at 6:18 a.m. and 3:40 p.m. every day.”

"What do you mean?"

"This train is key to us."

One ear emerged from behind the electrical box, its mutilated shape particularly striking in the morning light.

"Teacher Cui, are you really sure that old man Yi will obediently throw the money down?"

“The ledger contains his secret agreement with his backer,” Cui Ye explained, patting his backpack. “Five million to keep him out of jail for the rest of his life is a good deal.”

The train roared into the tunnel, causing the guardrails to tremble slightly.

Cui Ye counted the carriages: "Look at the connection between the seventh and eighth carriages, that ventilation window can be opened from the outside."

"Teacher Cui, you're not planning something, are you? Why have Su Ning and Chai Jing both disappeared?"

"They came here to help, so naturally they can't stay forever."

Suddenly, One Ear grabbed his wrist: "Teacher Cui, if you dare to play any tricks, don't blame me for being ruthless."

"Don't worry! I know my wife and children are in your hands." Cui Ye shook off his hand, his voice colder than the wind in the tunnel, "I'll be on speakerphone for the entire negotiation tomorrow, are you satisfied?"

"Hmph! You know what's going on."

On the way back to the city, One Ear was unusually silent.

Through the dirty car window, Cui Ye saw a police car drive past in the opposite lane, led by Cui Wei's familiar black SUV.

The brothers' cars passed each other at the intersection, the closest distance between them being no more than twenty meters.

But Cui Wei didn't notice him and the beat-up van. For a moment, Cui Ye wanted to shout at the top of his lungs.

……

At the home of Uncle Yi, the mastermind behind the loan sharks, Cui Ye finally appeared before them.

Liu Qinglong also roughly recognized Cui Ye as the one who had come to them last time to borrow money at high interest rates.

At this moment, Liu Qinglong, like an enraged bull, slammed Cui Ye hard against the mahogany bookcase.

"You little brat!" His thick arm tightened around Cui Ye's neck. "So it was you who was behind all this?"

"Qinglong!" Uncle Yi's cane slammed heavily on the marble floor.

The old man had just escaped death from the hospital, and he could be said to hate Cui Ye even more than Liu Qinglong.

Although his facial expression was remarkably calm and composed, only his slightly trembling fingers betrayed his emotions.

"Let him go."

"Hmph!" Liu Qinglong reluctantly released Cui Ye.

However, Cui Ye straightened his collar and pressed the speakerphone button on his phone: "Brother Geng, Uncle Yi wants to say hello to you."

A hoarse voice came from the other end of the phone: "Mr. Yi, it's an honor to meet you!"

"Speak! What exactly do you want?" Uncle Yi's face instantly turned ashen.

Taking the opportunity, Cui Ye spread a copy of the ledger on the table and said, "Page 23, the bidding record for the Zhujiang New Town plot in 2018; Page 38, the bank statement showing Director Wang receiving your technical service fees..."

"Hmph! Get to the point! How much do you want?" A thin crack appeared on the head of Uncle Yi's cane.

"Five million, old bills. Pack them into the black travel bag tomorrow morning. Then wait for further instructions from Brother Geng."

The one-eared man on the phone listened intently to their conversation; he was genuinely afraid that Cui Ye would plot against him.

As Cui Ye left, Liu Qinglong's sinister gaze felt like a knife stabbing into his back.

The moment he stepped out of Uncle Yi's house, he saw the old man's trembling hand dial a number.

……

"The actual controllers of Longxin Finance are Liu Qinglong and a man named Uncle Yi!" Xiao Ding rushed into the surveillance vehicle, waving business registration documents in his hand. "And we found this in the house that Cui Ye rented!"

The photo shows a simple observation point, with the telescope pointing directly at Uncle Yi's office window, and a notebook next to it filled with Uncle Yi's daily schedule.

Cui Wei grabbed the walkie-talkie: "Attention, Team B, Cui Ye just left Uncle Yi's house. There may be a deal between them."

As dusk fell, the light bulbs at the roadside stalls attracted moths.

Cui Ye chewed the fried noodles mechanically, his throat feeling like it was stuffed with cotton.

One-Ear suddenly slammed a beer bottle on the table:
"What the hell are you putting on that deadpan face for? I'll get the money tomorrow, and the person will be back to you the day after!"

“Yan Yan’s body hasn’t recovered yet,” Cui Ye suddenly looked up. “The tunnel is so damp, what if he gets sick again?”

One-Ear's expression suddenly turned strange.

He slowly rolled up his left sleeve, revealing a dense array of scars on the inside: "Do you know where these came from? When I was eight years old, my aunt sold me to a circus trafficker in exchange for a color TV."

Cui Ye's chopsticks stopped in mid-air.

One ear scratched the table with a bottle cap, making a piercing sound: "The human traffickers found out I couldn't learn acrobatics and almost beat me half to death. Later, I got into a fight and had half my ear bitten off."

He took a swig of beer. "Once I had a fever of 40 degrees Celsius, and that old bastard said it would be better if I died, so as not to waste food."

Under the streetlights, Cui Ye saw the distorted light in the other person's eyes: "Later I understood that there are only two kinds of people in this world—those who cut off their ears, and those whose ears are cut off."

"So you feel honored to kidnap women and children?" Cui Ye clenched his fist. One-Eared suddenly burst into laughter, drawing stares from the surrounding diners: "What makes you better than me? You still risked everything for money, didn't you?"

Then he leaned closer to Cui Ye, his breath reeking of alcohol, and said, "Once we get the money tomorrow, we'll be the same kind of people."

Inside the surveillance vehicle, the technician suddenly shouted, "Captain! The traffic cameras have captured Cui Ye and Geng Xingui at a food stall on Jianshe Road!"

Cui Wei stared at his younger brother's tense profile on the live feed, then suddenly grabbed his coat: "Xiao Ding, take your men and keep an eye on Uncle Yi. The rest of you, come with me. Remember, don't alert him yet."

"Yes, Captain Cui."

……

The air conditioner in Director Deng's office was humming softly.

Cui Wei sat on a hard wooden chair, his back straight, his hands resting flat on his knees.

This posture, which terrifies countless criminals in the interrogation room, now makes him look like a prisoner awaiting sentencing.

"Becoming the head of the criminal investigation branch at the age of thirty-two, you are the most outstanding policeman I have ever seen." Director Deng pushed a cup of tea over, the stainless steel thermos making a crisp sound as it tapped against the glass tabletop. "That's precisely why the organization must protect you."

Cui Wei watched the tea leaves slowly unfurl in the cup: "Director Deng, I guarantee that I can keep public and private matters separate, otherwise I wouldn't have reported Cui Ye's suspicions."

“In 1978, FBI agent Robert Hansen discovered that his younger brother was involved in a spy case while investigating it,” Director Deng suddenly said, recounting the case. “He chose to conceal it and continue the investigation, but ended up shooting and killing a key witness in court due to emotional outburst.”

The sound of slogans from the training field could be heard outside the window.

Cui Wei unconsciously rubbed the callus on the knuckle of his index finger, a mark left from years of handling a gun as a criminal police officer.

"I am not Hansen."

“Of course not.” Director Deng opened a drawer and took out a document. “But last week when you privately accessed Cui Ye’s call records, you used Xiao Zhang’s access card from the technical department; yesterday when you searched Yitong Building, you withheld the surveillance footage that should have been entered into the system.”

Cui Wei's pupils contracted slightly.

Those little actions he thought were discreet were actually being watched by the organization.

"According to Article 30 of the 'Regulations on Procedures for Handling Criminal Cases by Public Security Organs'," Director Deng put on his reading glasses and traced the red line on the document with his finger, "it has been decided to transfer you to an external investigation position, prohibiting you from accessing core case materials, effective immediately."

"clear."

When the pen was handed to him, Cui Wei noticed that his hand was trembling slightly.

After signing the document, I looked up and saw my photo, which showed me receiving a second-class merit award, on the honor wall behind Director Deng. The photo was being bleached white by the afternoon sun.

"The keys and identification." The old man sighed. "Don't worry, Xiao Ding and the others will handle the case well."

As Cui Wei walked out of the office building, he tripped on the steps.

……

The bureau chief's Audi A6 slowly pulled up beside Cui Wei, and the window rolled down to reveal the old man's tired face: "Get in, I'll give you a ride."

"Thank you."

The carriage was filled with the smell of mints.

Cui Wei mechanically fastened his seatbelt, watching the familiar street scene outside the window recede frame by frame.

“That serial murder case nine years ago,” the chief suddenly said, “you didn’t sleep for three days and three nights, and when you finally dragged the killer out of the garbage transfer station, you smelled like you’d been fished out of a swill bucket.”

Cui Wei twitched the corner of his mouth.

This is the highlight of his life, and perhaps his greatest honor at this moment.

"To be honest, I still don't believe Cui Ye was the mastermind." The director tapped his fingers lightly on the steering wheel. "After all, in my heart, he will always be that honest and unassuming Go teacher."

"I also find it very unbelievable! Perhaps Yan Yan's serious illness stimulated him."

The red light at the intersection is so long it's agonizing.

Cui Wei stared at a child wearing a dinosaur raincoat on the sidewalk, and for a moment he thought it was his nephew Yan Yan.

"Sigh! That's just how the world is..."

“It’s my fault.” His voice was hoarse and didn’t sound like his own. “After my father passed away, I was busy with the criminal investigation team and was indifferent to things at home. I didn’t even know that Yan Yan was hospitalized until much later.”

The traffic light turned green, and the Audi slowly started moving.

"Do you know why I asked you to stay away? It's not because I'm afraid you'll protect Cui Ye, but because I'm afraid you'll try too hard to prove you won't, and end up doing something extreme."

"..."

……

The neon signs of the electronics market blurred into hazy spots of light in the rain.

One ear dragged Cui Ye through the glass door of "Lele Digital," and the doorbell emitted a piercing electronic sound.

"It needs to be able to feed on a schedule and be remotely monitored." One-Ear patted the counter. "The more expensive, the better."

The bald man behind the counter looked up, his eyes widening suddenly behind his glasses: "Mr. Cui? The modification kit you ordered last time has arrived..."

Cui Ye suddenly coughed: "Boss, you must have mistaken me for someone else? This is my first time here."

The boss's expression froze, his gaze shifting between Cui Ye and One-Ear: "Ah...right, right! My memory is failing me, it's another gentleman with glasses..."

One ear squinted, and the damaged earlobe twitched slightly.

Cui Ye casually browsed the shelves and finally chose a smart pet cage priced at 888 yuan.

"Can this thing really simulate pet noises?" One ear poked at the packaging box suspiciously.

"High-tech, huh?" The shopkeeper wiped his sweat and quickly packed the package. "It has thirty built-in animal sounds, definitely high-tech..."

As the rain intensified, the two stood under the eaves waiting for a taxi.

Cui Ye examined the packaging box from all angles, and suddenly said, "When I was little, I kept a hamster, but my father found out and threw it in the trash can."

One-Eared looked at him sideways: "So you're going to take revenge on society now?"

"No! I would never have taken such a risk if it weren't for the need to treat my son's illness."

A taxi stopped, splashing water everywhere.

After getting on the bus, One Ear suddenly snatched the packaging box, roughly tore it open, checked every part, and finally threw it back to Cui Ye in disappointment.

"what are you doing?"

“Teacher Cui, you’d better not try anything funny.” One-Ear suddenly grabbed Cui Ye’s collar and said, “I’ll be watching you closely until I get the money tonight.”

Cui Ye's phone suddenly rang.

The caller ID displayed the word "Mother," which made One Ear release his grip: "Turn on speakerphone."

……

In the technical section of the criminal investigation detachment, forensic doctor Sun was adjusting the equipment.

Mrs. Cui sat in her chair, nervously wringing her hands: "What should I say?"

“Just like we’d have a normal chat.” Cui Wei put the earphones on his mother’s head. “Ask him about Yan Yan’s condition and whether he’s taking his medicine on time.”

Xiao Ding typed on the keyboard, and a spectrum graph popped up on the screen: "Recording system is ready, you can begin."

The moment the call connected, Cui Wei's fingernails dug into his palm.

The younger brother's familiar voice came through the speaker: "Mom?"

"Cui Ye! Why can't I get through to Shuhua on the phone?" Cui's mother's voice trembled. Cui Wei gently squeezed her shoulder. "I put Yan Yan's nebulizer in the side pocket of his suitcase, he..."

“They are all fine,” Cui Ye replied quickly. “There’s a children’s hospital near Shuhua’s family home, so don’t worry.”

Suddenly, forensic doctor Sun held up a sticky note: [Background sound: a train whistle, matching the train schedule in the Zhujiang New Town Tunnel]

Following the script, Cui's mother continued: "Your older brother said he hasn't seen you in a long time, when..."

“I’ve been quite busy with work lately! About what I asked you to tell my older brother last time…” Cui Ye interrupted.

Cui Wei suddenly grabbed the microphone: "Cui Ye! Mom's blood pressure has been unstable lately, can you come back right away?"

"Okay! I understand." Cui Ye finished speaking and was immediately smacked by the ear next to him.

When the busy signal sounded, the technical department fell into complete silence.

"..."

At this moment, One Ear looked at Cui Ye with a face full of doubt and asked, "Teacher Cui, what does your brother do?"

"Business."

"Then you're still short of money?"

"He's a son-in-law who lives with his wife's family! My relationship with him is just so-so."

"Tch! I didn't realize you had such backbone, Teacher Cui."

"..."

...(End of chapter)