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

Chapter 455 Let's Go to Wuguang
"What?" Zhou Yi was taken aback and immediately slowed down the car to ask, "Didn't Director Xie tell us not to write that 3,000-word self-criticism? Why are you resorting to such underhanded tactics behind our backs?"

"Cough cough cough..." Wu Yongcheng quickly said, "Why are you in such a hurry, kid? I didn't say I was dismissed."

"Not dismissed? Then what's going on?"

Wu Yongcheng said, "Ni Jianrong is about to be transferred, and the position of branch captain will be vacant. Director Xie talked to me this morning and told me to be prepared."

"Oh," Zhou Yi replied indifferently, and continued to concentrate on driving.

Wu Yongcheng was stunned: "Oh? No, aren't you surprised?"

"What's so surprising? I knew he was being transferred from the task force the day he was transferred; it was bound to happen sooner or later. Besides leaking information about several cases at the drinking party that night, he's probably also involved with Chen Gengyun's notebook, right? Although I don't think he's cut out to be a corrupt official, with such a keen interest in connections, it's no wonder he got his shoes wet when the flood comes," Zhou Yi said calmly. "So, the position of team leader is definitely going to be yours, Captain Wu."

“What if someone else is transferred here from above?” Wu Yongcheng said.

"Forget it, with the frequency of our crimes, who would dare to come here to face their tribulations?"

Wu Yongcheng nodded. That was indeed the truth. Judging from these recent cases, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that they were going through a tribulation.

"So you actually knew what I was going to say from the beginning?"

Zhou Yi chuckled: "I guessed a little bit."

"In short, that's the gist of it. If I really get promoted to a full-fledged position, I won't be able to hold the position of captain of the three major brigades anymore. But for the time being, I plan to leave this position vacant." Wu Yongcheng turned to look at Zhou Yi, leaving the point unsaid.

Zhou Yi's biggest problem right now is that he is too inexperienced.

Although he performed brilliantly and gained the appreciation of some people, the rules are the rules.

It's not that we can't break the rules to promote him quickly, but doing so would actually be detrimental to him.

The price of breaking the rules is becoming the target of attacks from those who have not benefited from them.

So Wu Yongcheng's idea was simple: even if he no longer served as the captain of the Third Brigade, he would do his best to keep the position vacant until Zhou Yi was qualified to take it.

"Captain Wu, I have a question."

"You ask."

"If you become the branch captain, do you still plan to go back to your hometown?"

Wu Yongcheng was taken aback. He thought Zhou Yi would ask about his position, but he didn't expect him to care about that.

He lit another cigarette, and this time, fearing the wind might blow it away halfway, he rolled the window down to just a crack.

He took a drag of his cigarette and calmly replied, "I'll definitely go back. It's not that I'm going back to my hometown out of spite because I didn't become the branch captain. It's about returning to one's roots. My parents are getting old, and I don't want to be unable to take care of them when they're no longer there."

Just as Zhou Yi had guessed.

The biggest problem with the saying "fallen leaves return to their roots" is not that Wu Yongcheng's roots are not in Hongcheng, but that his home is not in Hongcheng.

People need a home, otherwise they are like rootless duckweed.

Home is where your family is, and your roots are where your home is.

"But don't worry, I won't leave until I've settled you in properly."

"Thank you, Captain Wu."

"So you still remember that cross-regional joint law enforcement support team?"

Zhou Yi nodded: "I remember. Is this mechanism confirmed to be activated?"

"That's right, the provincial department has finalized this mechanism. However, it has changed slightly from the original plan."

"Variety?"

Wu Yongcheng explained that the initial idea was to establish a special task force, select a group of elites to join, and provide support wherever there were major cases.

However, it was later discovered that this mechanism actually overlapped to some extent with the functions of the Provincial Public Security Department's Major Crimes Investigation Division, which was headed by Liang Wei.

The role of the Major Crimes Unit is to be responsible for investigating major cases throughout the province.

When the Major Crimes Unit is dispatched, it generally falls into two categories.

One scenario is that a lower-level public security agency is unable to solve a case, feels that the case is complex and serious, and encounters difficulties in the investigation process. Therefore, it takes the initiative to apply for support from higher-level departments. After the provincial department approves the application, it will send the Major Crimes Division to the scene.

The second type involves cases within the province that have a significant social impact and are egregious in nature, in which the provincial department will proactively intervene according to relevant mechanisms. For example, the Hongda case.

The Long Zhiqiang case happened too fast and ended too quickly. By the time the provincial department intervened, it was already the final stage of the arrest operation.

However, this situation is actually affected by various factors, and in reality, many cases are not reported to the provincial department immediately.

Take the Anyuan case, for example. Theoretically, if more than two people die in the same case, it should be reported to the provincial authorities. But local authorities often find excuses to delay, and the reason is actually very simple and self-evident.

Therefore, after weighing the options, the provincial department decided that the support team should be distinguished from the major crime squad, and that it should not be hindered or affected when carrying out its work.

Therefore, it was finally decided to adjust the focus of the support team to talent training and the construction of the public security team, which was originally a secondary direction in the plan: the off-site rotation system.

Wu Yongcheng had already submitted the applications for Zhou Yi and Chen Yan's places.

"So Yan and I are going to take turns on duty in another city?" Zhou Yi asked.

Wu Yongcheng nodded, "Not immediately, but the arrangements should be finalized within the next two months."

"Oh, okay, I have no objection."

"Is there any city you'd like to visit? I can put in a word with Captain Liang."

Zhou Yi thought about it and realized that Luohe was actually a good place because Lu Zhengfeng was there.

However, Luohe is too far from Hongcheng, and it's inconvenient to go home on weekends when there are no cases.

"Captain Wu, how about letting me go to Wu Guang?"

"Wu Guang? Why?"

“My mom is from Wuguang, and my maternal grandma’s family lives in Wuguang. When I was in school, I would go to Wuguang every summer vacation, so I’m quite familiar with it.”

Wu Yongcheng nodded, "Yes, that's fine. Wu Guang is right next to Hongcheng. If anything happens, we can help you out."

Wu Yongcheng snapped his fingers and said, "Then it's settled. I'll call Liang Wei in a bit. You guys should get some rest until the official notification comes down. But there's one condition: you'd better stay home as much as possible. Even the sappers on the battlefield aren't as good at clearing mines as you."

Zhou Yi smiled but didn't say anything, though his mind was already trying to recall what cases Wu Guang had been involved in.

……

In June, the weather in Hongcheng was already getting hot, but the streets and alleys were filled with people waiting for work, mainly men, but also some women, mostly over forty years old.

They hid under the shade of trees and under the eaves, their expressions showing some anxiety and confusion.

Zhou Yi and Lu Xiaoshuang walked hand in hand along the roadside, and Lu Xiaoshuang couldn't help but glance at the people on the roadside.

Then she asked in a low voice, "I feel like there are a lot more people on the street lately. What are they doing?"

Zhou Yi said in a somewhat heavy tone, "Laid-off workers."

The emergence of the Hongda case, to some extent, slowed down the wave of layoffs in steel mills.

But what was bound to happen would happen. In late May and early June, a large number of workers at No. 1 Steel and No. 2 Steel lost their jobs, leaving less than 10% of the workers unemployed.

However, those "lucky ones" who weren't laid off had nothing to be happy about, because the factory didn't pay them any wages at all.

Almost overnight, tens of thousands more people in Hongcheng became unemployed.

Some bold young people, seeing no hope here, packed their bags and headed south to find work. But for those who had families, had responsibilities, and especially the elderly, the future held a sense of fear and helplessness.

As a result, the streets suddenly became much more crowded.

It seems that only those who "made trouble" with Zhou Jianguo back then fared relatively well, receiving some compensation, which was many times better than what those who came later.

That's all Zhou Yi could do, and it was only with the help of his father and third uncle.

After all, human resources are limited, and no one can fight against the wheels of time.

With a large number of workers laid off, public security suddenly became much more serious.

However, this pressure is mainly placed on the grassroots level. Zhou Yi visited the Nanhu Street Police Station last week and learned that they now have to patrol in shifts 24 hours a day to ensure that nothing happens in the jurisdiction and to arrive at the scene as soon as possible to deal with any situation and prevent it from escalating.

This shows how worried the city leaders are.

Zhou Yi has been thinking about when he should ask his third uncle to come back, because there are still some things he needs to rely on him for, and he also needs to introduce him to Qian Hongxing.

As Zhou Yi explained what had happened, he led Lu Xiaoshuang into the No. 1 Steel dormitory.

"Do I really not want to buy anything for my uncle, aunt, and grandpa?" Lu Xiaoshuang asked.

Zhou Yi said nonchalantly, "It's not like this is your first time visiting my parents' house. What do you need to buy? Besides, why are you, a student, bothering with these social niceties?"

Lu Xiaoshuang bit her lip and said, "This time is different, isn't it?"

Zhou Yi immediately understood and said casually, "What's the difference? You know my mom, she's already treated you like her daughter-in-law."

Lu Xiaoshuang smiled a little shyly. Although Zhou Yi's mother was a bit nagging and liked to talk to herself, she felt a long-lost sense of warmth from her, who had been away from her parents since she was thirteen.

"By the way, Brother Zhou, something happened in our girls' dormitory recently."

"What happened again?" Zhou Yi now has a bit of a stress response to places like universities because many things are hidden from him under the university system, leaving him unaware of the truth.

"Actually, it's nothing serious. It's just that a girl's roommate found out she was pregnant and told the school. Later, the school found out that the girl was dating two boyfriends at the same time, and she didn't even know who the father of the children was." Lu Xiaoshuang said with a shocked expression, because for her, this was something that shattered her worldview.

"Mo Youyou told you, right?" Zhou Yi asked.

Miss Lu asked in surprise, "How did you know?"

“This kind of thing, as soon as you hear it…” Zhou Yi suddenly thought of something.

Regarding Xu Liu's pregnancy, the police later conducted a further investigation, starting with the pregnancy test.

The police asked all the pharmacies selling pregnancy tests within a few kilometers of the school, but no one remembered Xu Liu.

However, this does not necessarily mean that Xu Liu never bought it.

Therefore, Qin Beihai personally took charge and conducted a second autopsy on the body parts in the major case, mainly to find evidence that Xu Liu was pregnant.

Unfortunately, it wasn't found either.

However, Chen Gengyun repeatedly emphasized that Xu Liu did indeed produce a pregnancy test, but he later burned it along with the bed sheets and blankets.

So where this pregnancy test came from remains a mystery.

Another thing is why Xu Liu suddenly pressured Chen Gengyun on April 27th. Zhou Yi remembered that he had made a phone call to Lu Xiaoshuang in Anyuan on the night of April 26th.

A possible answer was obtained through specific questioning of the six roommates.

When Lu Xiaoshuang went out to answer the phone after hearing the dormitory supervisor's announcement, there were three other roommates besides Xu Liu, not including Mo Youyou.

The three roommates offered their heartfelt comments and blessings regarding the changes in Lu Xiaoshuang's life, noting that she had become much more cheerful.

No one was sarcastic or made veiled accusations.

Only one girl said this: "It turns out that meeting the right person really does make you a better person."

Zhou Yi felt that it was probably because of this sentence that Xu Liu's mentality completely collapsed.

Because in the previous life, there was no Lu Xiaoshuang who became a better version of herself.

So when Zhou Yi heard Lu Xiaoshuang mention this, he suddenly wondered if the pregnancy test that Xu Liu forced Chen Gengyun to use was actually from the pregnant girl.

Perhaps the girl left it in the public restroom on that floor, and Xu Liu just happened to see it.

That sentence was just a spark; this pregnancy test was the fuse that truly ignited the bomb.

"What's wrong?" Lu Xiaoshuang's voice pulled him back to reality.

“It’s alright. I’m just starting to understand the weight of those eight words, ‘Do good deeds and don’t worry about the future.’” Zhou Yi said, pulling Lu Xiaoshuang along. “Let’s go. Let bygones be bygones. Let’s look forward.”

"Oh, okay." Lu Xiaoshuang followed Zhou Yi upstairs, seemingly understanding but not quite.

"Mom, we're back!" Zhou Yi called out from a distance in the direction of home.

……

In the Zhou family's living room, several women were making dumplings. Zhang Qiuxia and Zhou Aihua chatted about everyday matters, while Lu Xiaoshuang patiently taught Zhao Min how to make dumplings.

"Sister-in-law, are you and my brother really together this time? I just saw you come in holding hands," Zhao Min asked.

Before Lu Xiaoshuang could answer, Zhang Qiuxia and Zhou Aihua immediately fell silent, even slowing down their movements and listening intently.

Lu Xiaoshuang hummed in agreement and nodded.

The two elders immediately exchanged a glance, raised their eyebrows, and smiled.

Zhao Min asked curiously, "So how did my brother confess his feelings to you?"

Lu Xiaoshuang said somewhat embarrassedly, "Why don't you ask your brother?"

Zhao Min didn't stand on ceremony and called out directly to the second bedroom, "Brother, come out quickly, I have something to ask you!"

Zhou Yi, who was chatting with his grandfather inside, came out. "What's all the shouting about? What's wrong?"

"Brother, how did you confess to my sister Xiaoshuang?" Zhao Min asked with a mischievous grin.

"You're just a kid, don't ask about adult things. Have you finished your homework?"

Zhao Min immediately retorted, "Who said I'm a child? I'm seventeen this year, okay? I'll be eighteen next year, and the law stipulates that I'm an adult."

Zhou Yi laughed: "Trying to argue with your brother about the law? The law states that anyone under the age of eighteen is a minor, so come back and ask again when you turn eighteen next year."

Zhao Min pouted and said, "You stingy person."

Then he turned around and tugged at Lu Xiaoshuang's sleeve, saying, "Sister-in-law, if my brother won't tell, why don't you tell me?"

Lu Xiaoshuang looked at Zhou Yi and smiled, saying, "Actually, what he said isn't important. What's important is that I know he cares about me a lot because I've heard him nagging me."

Zhou Yi was taken aback for a moment, then muttered to himself?
When will I...

Suddenly, he remembered that he had indeed nagged Lu Xiaoshuang.

While she was still unconscious and receiving treatment in the provincial capital.

Could she hear herself speaking at that time?
Could it be that she already knows about my rebirth?

Zhou Yi looked at Lu Xiaoshuang's gentle smile, somewhat bewildered.

(End of this chapter)