Reborn in 97, I solved a cold case at the Municipal Bureau

Chapter 420 His Heartbeat (Seeking monthly votes, extra chapters starting tomorrow)
On the morning of May 11th.

When Zhou Yi went to buy steamed buns, he passed a newsstand and noticed that many newspapers and magazines had front-page headlines about the massive case.

Most of them are small newspapers and magazines, because the content published by big newspapers goes through layers of review. It's not that they don't allow reporting, but they usually only release information in the later stages of a case investigation.

Small newspapers often rely on seemingly sensational headlines to attract readers, but their main purpose is to mislead readers and engage in deceptive practices.

These tabloids prefer three kinds of news: murders, ghost stories, and celebrity gossip.

Zhou Yi casually flipped through two documents; the headlines were indeed sensational, but the content was utter nonsense.

The newsstand owner saw him flip through several copies but leave without buying anything, and he glared at Zhou Yi's retreating figure with a furious stare.

Zhou Yi crossed the street while munching on a steamed bun, because he had received news from the bureau that morning that the application to remove Lu Xiaoshuang's criminal suspect status had been approved and that Lu Xiaoshuang could leave.

When he received the call, he and Chen Yan were still yawning in their office, which was piled high with documents.

That's right. After receiving the tip from Wu Zhonghua yesterday noon, the task force began checking the files.

Fortunately, Liang Wei directly called the two school leaders in charge and asked them for their assistance and cooperation.

So the task force, along with the people sent by the school, totaling more than seventy people, all plunged into the huge archives room and began to examine each document one by one.

The screening criteria are: female, with a height of not less than 1.6 meters and not more than 1.75 meters.

Those whose surname is Lu, or whose given name contains the pronunciation of the character "露".

He has a dignified appearance.

Pay special attention to the fact that the family member information does not include the parents' information.

When Fang Gexin found the information of the eligible students from the School of Foreign Languages, he opened each drawer, and everyone coughed as the dust rose up.

Because these materials are all over ten years old.

The information on these graduates from previous years is actually different from the information on Xu Liu that I checked earlier.

The information of current students is a sealed file folder, which will be transferred to the corresponding local department after graduation and will not remain at the school.

What the school keeps is the student's academic record card, which is a form containing all sorts of information.

These tables are usually stored together in their own boxes, so the longer they are stored, the more difficult it becomes to preserve them.

For Zhou Yi, a professional archivist in his previous life, it was only a matter of flipping through the documents that he discovered that the student affairs office led by Fang Gexin was, at least in this respect, quite unprofessional and unsuccessful.

Many documents were damaged by moisture and mold due to improper storage, and ended up stuck together.

Fang Gexin explained that these are generally not needed.

Zhou Yi said expressionlessly, "Isn't this where it comes in handy?"

Fang Gexin gave an awkward laugh.

Based on the screening criteria, we first checked the information of all students from the 1982 to 1985 graduating classes of the School of Foreign Languages.

The people sent by the school were only responsible for picking out people whose names sounded similar and handing them over to the task force for further matching.

The task force members separated the highly suspected targets and handed them over to Xiang Jie and Zhou Yi for analysis.

Finally, Chen Yao scanned the highly suspicious samples and sent them to Wu Zhonghua's email address for him to review.

Because it was daytime on the other side of the ocean, Wu Zhonghua's feedback was very quick, but the result was that none of them looked like the description.

After struggling until the wee hours of the morning, they received a negative result and sighed helplessly.

But we had to keep looking, since the School of Foreign Languages ​​didn't have a match, so we had to expand the search to the entire university.

And this workload is ten times that of before.

So when Zhou Yi received the call in the morning, she was so sleepy that she could barely keep her eyes open.

However, I was still very happy to hear that Lu Xiaoshuang's application was approved so quickly.

He rushed back to the municipal bureau alone, because Chen Yan was already asleep there.

On the way, he called Qian Hongxing, who told him to tell him the license plate number and that he would instruct the property management to let him through.

I had just arrived at the bureau and was about to walk into the office building when my stomach suddenly started growling.

Zhou Yi didn't pay attention and continued walking inside.

But then it occurred to me that Lu Xiaoshuang was probably hungry too.

So he went back out, ran to the opposite side of the road, and bought breakfast.

He bought Lu Xiaoshuang meat buns and soy milk.

After receiving the approval documents, Zhou Yi went to the detention room to pick up the person.

He hasn't had time to go back to the station to see Lu Xiaoshuang these past two days, and he doesn't know how she's doing.

The colleague in charge opened the door, nodded to Zhou Yi, and turned to leave.

Lu Xiaoshuang, who was inside the house, turned around and saw Zhou Yi standing at the door.

Before she could react, Zhou Yi reached out and smiled, "Xiao Shuang, come on, I'll take you home."

Lu Xiaoshuang's nose tingled, and tears welled up in her eyes, but she replied with a bright smile, "Okay!"

Zhou Yi was driving the Santana, and Lu Xiaoshuang was sitting in the passenger seat.

The passenger-side window was fully open, and Lu Xiaoshuang rested one arm on the window with her chin on it.

In her other hand, she held the meat bun and soy milk that Zhou Yi had given her.

Zhou Yi didn't drive too fast, afraid that the wind would be too strong and hurt her, after all, she had just recovered from a serious illness.

However, perhaps because she had vented her pent-up emotions after seeing him the day before yesterday, she looked much better today than she did on the day of the interrogation.

Zhou Yi turned his head and glanced at Lu Xiaoshuang. Sunlight shone on her face, creating a thin halo.

A breeze blew, and her beautiful hair danced in the air.

On May 11th of her previous life, Lu Xiaoshuang was chopped into more than 300 pieces and placed in the cold freezer of the morgue.

On May 11th of this life, Lu Xiaoshuang was sitting in Zhou Yi's car, feeling the sunshine, the breeze, and the breath of life.

But Zhou Yi quickly snapped out of his elation.

The major case remains unsolved, and the murderer has not yet been caught.

Although Lu Xiaoshuang is still alive, the sharp blade hanging over her head is still there!

As long as this case remains unsolved, Lu Xiaoshuang will always be in danger.

"Brother Zhou." Lu Xiaoshuang called softly.

"what happened?"

"Did you know I was in danger a long time ago?"

Lu Xiaoshuang's voice was soft and her tone was calm, but it still made Zhou Yi panic.

Because he didn't expect Lu Xiaoshuang to suddenly ask such a question.

But in fact, it's not surprising that she asked this question, because Zhou Yi had expressed concern for Lu Xiaoshuang's safety on several occasions before.

She might not have thought of it before danger occurred.

But now, she will inevitably think of Zhou Yi's previous reactions.

Zhou Yi panicked because he hadn't anticipated this situation.

In his original plan, the best outcome would be that Lu Xiaoshuang would not encounter any danger and that he would be able to find the murderer in the huge case.

When the crisis is over, even if Lu Xiaoshuang has any questions, we can find an excuse to brush it off.

But now, in this uncertain stage, Lu Xiaoshuang's sudden question caught him off guard.

"I……"

“It’s okay.” Lu Xiaoshuang turned to look at him, her eyes reflecting the sunlight. “You don’t need to explain to me. No matter what you do, I believe you.”

Lu Xiaoshuang's words stunned Zhou Yi instantly.

At that moment, if he weren't driving, he really wanted to hug her.

Lu Xiaoshuang leaned back against the car window, gazing at the bright sky and murmuring, "Brother Zhou, do you know? In the pitch-black darkness, I thought of the question you asked me that night in the hospital room."

"If I died today, would I have any regrets?"

“You took me out for Western food and you also took me to an orphanage.”

"But...but I haven't bought a hearing aid for Grandma yet."

"I haven't seen the sunrise yet. You said the sunrise at Yunxia Mountain is beautiful, and I really want to see it."

"I still……"

"I have not……"

Zhou Yi noticed that Lu Xiaoshuang's voice sounded off. He turned his head and saw that Lu Xiaoshuang's face was already covered with tears.

Zhou Yi reached out a hand and patted her head. "Silly girl, I know. Don't cry, I know everything."

……

In Hongcheng Baodi, theoretically, the most famous wealthy villa area in Hongcheng would not have a car like the Santana.

However, when Zhou Yi stopped at the door, he discovered that the person standing with the security guard was actually the property manager in a suit.

Zhou Yi rolled down the car window, and the property manager came up and said respectfully, "Officer Zhou, do you remember me? I'm Xiao Qin."

Zhou Yi nodded and greeted, "Manager Qin."

"Mr. Qian has given instructions. I'll open the door now, please wait a moment."

Lu Xiaoshuang asked in confusion, "Brother Zhou, where is this place?"

She hadn't asked Zhou Yi where he was going before; it was either back to school, back to his grandmother's, or to Zhou Yi's house.

Moreover, she rarely has the opportunity to ride in a private car, so she is not familiar with the road conditions.

It wasn't until the villa area appeared and Zhou Yi drove up to the gate that she realized something was wrong.

At this moment, the automatic door at the main entrance opened, and Manager Qin waved to signal it from the side.

Zhou Yi stepped on the gas, and the car slowly drove into the villa area.

"Xiaoshuang, you already know about Xu Liu's murder."

Lu Xiaoshuang nodded. From the beginning of the interrogation, Qiao Jiali had already told her the reason according to regulations.

Initially, she thought the police were investigating her kidnapping, since she had given a statement to the police after the food street incident.

But when Qiao Jiali said that she was suspected of being murdered by Xu Liu, she was stunned.

Wasn't it you who was kidnapped, brutally murdered, and almost killed?

How could it be that Xu Liu was murdered?
And why would the police believe that they are suspected of murdering Xu Liu?
Her mind went blank for a moment.

She didn't even notice when Qiao Jiali walked over until Qiao Jiali asked her to confirm the contents of the summons, at which point she looked up.

At the time, Qiao Jiali had her back to the camera and other people, so only Lu Xiaoshuang saw the look Qiao Jiali gave her.

Her gaze was gentle yet firm, as if telling her that everything would be alright. It was Qiao Jiali's gaze that encouraged her, calmed her mind, and allowed her to face the upcoming interrogation rationally.

But whether during the interrogation or on the way out of the municipal bureau, she never dared to ask Xu Liu what had happened to her.

First, she knew that the case details were definitely confidential and she couldn't ask about them casually.

Secondly, she was afraid to hear the harsh truth, even though Xu Liu had inexplicably been hostile towards her and had done excessive things.

But those were just minor squabbles, and she couldn't possibly feel schadenfreude about them, because she knew how precious life was.

"I can't tell you the specifics," Zhou Yi's voice rang in my ears.

“Brother Zhou, I understand, you have discipline.”

"In short, you could be in danger again at any time before this case is closed. So I've entrusted you to a friend. You'll stay here until I catch the killer. As long as you don't leave this villa area, no one can hurt you."

As soon as Zhou Yi finished speaking, the car stopped right in front of Qian Hongxing's villa.

Lu Xiaoshuang peered through the car window at the luxurious villa in front of her, a little bewildered: "Then... then it's not good for me to not go to school for so long..."

Zhou Yi was both amused and exasperated. What kind of time is this to be thinking about studying hard and making progress every day?

Learning any further isn't just about progressing; it's about going to heaven.

"It's okay, I won't keep you waiting too long."

As Zhou Yi spoke, he got out of the car, and Lu Xiaoshuang followed suit. Looking at the villa, she felt somewhat apprehensive.

Because she had never lived in such a nice house before.

As she lay in that little attic, she dreamed that once she got a job, she could rent a small single room, and that would be enough for her.

If I get married in the future and have a small house of my own with my husband, that would be the greatest wish of my life.

Such a big villa, I never even dared to dream of it.

Zhou Yi walked up the steps and rang the doorbell.

After a while, the door opened.

Upon seeing Zhou Yi, Qian Hongxing smiled and said, "Officer Zhou, please come in quickly."

Then, noticing the person next to Zhou Yi, he asked, "Is this Miss Lu?"

Lu Xiaoshuang bowed obediently and said, "Hello, Uncle."

"Alright, alright, please come in."

Qian Hongxing ushered the two of them in, and Lu Xiaoshuang looked at the interior of the villa with a mixture of curiosity and restraint.

Just then, a small figure rushed over and shouted, "Uncle Zhou, Uncle Zhou!"

Zhou Yi picked up Qian Lailai and pinched his cheek, saying, "You've gained weight."

"Hehe, Uncle Zhou, here, have this." Qian Lai said, peeling a Ferrero Rocher and stuffing it into Zhou Yi's mouth.

"Okay, thank you." Zhou Yi thought to himself, "Being rich really makes a difference. These days, Ferrero Rocher is a treasure that Wu Yongcheng keeps like a precious gem, but in the Qian family, it's just a snack for the kids."

At this moment, Yao Yuling, wearing a fringed vest, walked over gracefully and greeted Zhou Yi with a smile.

Then she said to Qian Lai, "Come here, what did your mother teach you? You must be polite."

Qian Lailai slid off Zhou Yi and ran to Lu Xiaoshuang, calling out, "Hello, sister."

Lu Xiaoshuang patted Qian Lailai's head and said with a smile, "Hello, what's your name?"

“My name used to be Qian Lailai, but I changed it to Qian Jin. Uncle Zhou gave it to me.” Qian Lailai said, then took out a chocolate and handed it over, saying, “Sister, this is for you.”

"Thank you."

Yao Yuling smiled and said, "Miss Xiaoshuang is really beautiful."

Lu Xiaoshuang quickly greeted her with a smile, "Hello, sister."

Zhou Yi's lips curled into a slight smile. Hmm, it seems the Qian family's generational hierarchy is in disarray; it gets chaotic no matter who calls out to them.

Fortunately, the Qian family's generational naming system is a bit messy, but it's much better than the Zheng Guangming family's, which is truly chaotic.

"Xiao Shuang, let me show you your room." Yao Yuling took Xiao Shuang's hand and led her upstairs, with Qian Lailai following happily behind them.

Lu Xiaoshuang suddenly remembered something and turned to Zhou Yi, saying, "Brother Zhou, should I go back and get some clothes and daily necessities?"

Yao Yuling smiled and said, "No need, we have everything here, all new."

With that, the three of them went upstairs.

“Officer Zhou, everything Miss Lu used is new. My wife specially bought the clothes a couple of days ago and had Sister Yang wash and dry them,” Qian Hongxing said.

"Thank you, Mr. Qian. You and your wife are very kind."

Qian Hongxing waved his hand: "It's nothing."

Qian Hongxing looked upstairs and said, "As long as everyone is alright, that's good. That's good."

Zhou Yi nodded: "Yes, it's good that you're alright."

"Anyway, I've already told Yuling that if there's anything needed, she or Sister Yang can buy it. Don't let Miss Lu leave the community. I've also spoken to the property management, telling them to be vigilant and not let strangers sneak in. Oh, and there's Xiao Sun at home. I've told him to patrol more at night," Qian Hongxing rambled on.

"It's alright, your neighborhood is quite safe. If it weren't safe, those guys would have come in and kidnapped people long ago."

Qian Hongxing said sincerely, "Hey, you've entrusted this person to me, which means you trust me, so I have to ensure the girl's safety one hundred percent."

These words touched Zhou Yi deeply. Now, as long as he could ensure Lu Xiaoshuang's safety, his biggest worry would be over.

Concern leads to confusion. During the time when Lu Xiaoshuang's fate was unknown, his mind was like mush, and every thought felt like struggling through a swamp.

"Mr. Qian, I have an uncle who does business in the south. Next time he comes back to Hongcheng, I'll introduce you two. He has a deep understanding of the general direction of the times and the changes in the future situation. Maybe you can cooperate in business and have the opportunity to reach a higher level."

Upon hearing this, Qian Hongxing nodded repeatedly and agreed.

For business people, no one ever thinks they're making too little money; of course, the bigger the business, the better.

Moreover, for Qian Hongxing, this also allows the two families to become even closer and their relationship to take another step forward.

He was a successful businessman with many connections in various fields. After the kidnapping, he asked around to find out about Zhou Yi's situation.

Until two months ago, Zhou Yi was just a local police officer. In less than two months, he transformed into a television reporter and became a representative of the new generation of Hongcheng Public Security.

He was certain that either Zhou Yi had powerful connections or possessed astonishing strength.

Regardless, he believed that Zhou Yi had a bright future ahead of him.

For Zhou Yi, it wasn't just gratitude for Qian Hongxing's strong support.

Furthermore, it lies in the fact that one's initial plan requires the assistance of business people to complete it.

After all, that batch of steel coils only addressed the symptoms, not the root cause.

Although his third uncle runs a company, it's not very large at the moment, and it's located far in the south. In comparison, Qian Hongxing is a more suitable candidate.

Although I don't understand business, I know about the trends of the times. If I let my third uncle act as my mouthpiece, and he and Qian Hongxing's business can accurately catch the trend of each era, then maybe in the end it really will change the fate of tens of thousands of laid-off workers.

At this moment, Yao Yuling led Qian Lailai down from upstairs: "Officer Zhou, everything is settled. Would you like to go up and take a look?"

"Okay, I'll just take a look and then leave. I have a lot of things to do." Zhou Yi walked upstairs, patting Qian Lailai's head as he passed by.

Yao Yuling said, "It's on the third floor, the guest room on the left after you go up the stairs."

"Okay, thank you."

Zhou Yi went upstairs, and Yao Yuling walked over to Qian Hongxing, poked him with her finger and said, "In a little while, you should move down the things you need from the study on the third floor yourself. Don't go up to the third floor anymore. She's a pretty young girl, you old man should avoid suspicion, understand?"

"I understand, that's Zhou Yi's boyfriend, I definitely have to avoid suspicion. Besides, your husband isn't that kind of person."

Upon hearing this, Yao Yuling suddenly pinched Qian Hongxing and scolded, "Not that kind of person? Then what's with that nightclub VIP card in your bag?"

"It hurts..."

Zhou Yi went up to the third floor. To the right was a study with the door open. The mahogany bookshelves were filled with all kinds of classics and historical texts, all of which were unbelievably new.

As expected, all business people have similar tastes.

There is a computer on the desk, and opposite it is a tea table filled with all kinds of tea sets.

The guest room Yao Yuling mentioned is on the left; the door is ajar.

At the end of the spacious corridor directly opposite the staircase is a glass door through which you can see a large terrace.

"Xiao Shuang," Zhou Yi called softly from the doorway.

But there was no response from inside.

"I'm coming in," Zhou Yi said, pushing open the door.

The guest rooms are spacious and clean, fully furnished with all kinds of furniture, and each has a separate color TV.

The bedding was obviously newly changed, and there were many neatly folded clothes on the bench at the foot of the bed. Zhou Yi glanced at them casually.

Ironically, every single new piece of clothing Yao Yuling bought for Lu Xiaoshuang was better than the wool sweater that had been cut up before.

So money really can make people different.

It can also make some people less human.

Lu Xiaoshuang was not in the room, but the bathroom door was closed and the sound of running water could be heard from inside.

"Xiao Shuang?" Zhou Yi called out as he walked to the bathroom door.

“Brother Zhou.” Lu Xiaoshuang’s voice came from inside. “Wait for me a moment. Sister Yuling took my old clothes and said I should take a shower. I’ll be right there.”

"It's okay, no rush, take your time washing."

Zhou Yi was both amused and exasperated. Yao Yuling still had that not-so-bright personality. Although Lu Xiaoshuang hadn't taken a bath in a long time, only she would force her to take a bath as soon as she arrived.

But I didn't see her carrying old clothes when I went downstairs just now, nor did I see Sister Yang go upstairs.

She didn't just throw away Xiaoshuang's old clothes, did she...?

In the bathroom, Lu Xiaoshuang finished showering and came out of the shower room wrapped in a bath towel.

On the shelf to the side, there were neatly folded pajamas, pajama bottoms, and underwear.

She picked up the pajamas and looked at them. They were light pink with scattered small, pale yellow floral patterns. The pajamas were made of very smooth and soft silk; she remembered Yao Yuling saying they were real silk.

She took a sniff; the pajamas smelled wonderfully of sunshine.

After changing her clothes and drying her hair, Lu Xiaoshuang opened the door and came out.

"Zhou Da..." Lu Xiaoshuang stopped speaking immediately after only calling out half of the name.

Zhou Yi was leaning against the headboard and had fallen into a deep sleep.

He was clearly quite exhausted; he didn't wake up and was even snoring softly.

Lu Xiaoshuang walked over and softly called out, "Brother Zhou."

But Zhou Yi showed no signs of waking up.

Lu Xiaoshuang bent down and slowly rested her head gently against Zhou Yi's chest.

She heard his heartbeat, like a war drum.

(End of this chapter)