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

Chapter 500 County Bureau Chief (Vote for a chance to win a prize)
The former Beixian County Public Security Bureau was indeed much more formal than the police station in Shacao Town; at least it was no longer so shabby and simple.

There's a main gate and an office building. Although the sign at the main gate isn't flashing, at least it hasn't been stolen.

When the driver parked the car at the entrance of the county bureau, Zhou Yi noticed that the hood was smoking again.

The driver calmly said it was nothing, just overheated, and then prepared to open the car door and get out.

Zhou Yi told him to wait for him in the car, and to move the car to the side of the road so as not to block the police station's way.

After saying that, he escorted Zhang Gensheng out of the car and walked towards the entrance of the county bureau.

In the guardhouse, there was an elderly policeman wearing reading glasses, who looked like he was about to retire, reading a newspaper.

Looking up, I suddenly saw two people approaching, the one in front of me bound hand and foot with rope.

The old policeman thought he was seeing things, so he took off his reading glasses and looked again. He immediately became alert and ran out of the guardhouse as if facing a major enemy, asking, "Stop! What...what are you doing?"

Zhou Yi remained calm and took out his ID card, handing it over.

"Excuse me, this is my identification. I'd like to see the leader of your county's criminal investigation team. I just arrested a murderer."

Upon hearing this, the old policeman was stunned for a moment, looking at Zhou Yi in surprise, then at Zhang Gensheng.

He then took the identification, checked it repeatedly to confirm it was genuine, and then asked, "Young man, are you saying this person is a murderer?"

"Ah."

Who did he kill?

"Ten years ago, a high school student in Huangniu Township was murdered at home and his body was dumped in the cowshed. It was him who did it."

In small places, there aren't many murder cases, and even fewer unsolved cases.

When Zhou Yi mentioned the case in Huangniu Township, the old policeman naturally knew about it.

His eyes widened, his face full of disbelief.

Zhou Yi added, "Of course, he also tried to kill me today. So, could you please call your superiors?"

The veteran policeman returned Zhou Yi's identification and led him inside. Once inside the service hall, he immediately called out to his colleagues, "Xiao Meng, Xiao Yang, come and lend a hand! Take the man to the interrogation room first. We've solved the case!"

Two uniformed police officers ran over, the older one asking, "Old Zhao, who are we taking into custody?"

Old Zhao nudged Zhang Gensheng and said, "Of course it's this one. Didn't you see he's tied up? This young man is one of our own."

"Thank you both for your hard work," Zhou Yi said, handing the person over to the two police officers.

He added, "This man is named Zhang Gensheng. He is a villager from Tuanjie Village, Huangniu Town. His house is the ninth one going west after entering the village. They raise chickens, so they are easy to identify. Please send someone to Tuanjie Village as soon as possible. There is a sickle at the scene with his fingerprints on it. He intended to use that sickle to kill me."

Zhou Yi's series of words left the two police officers somewhat bewildered.

The younger man asked, "Why...why did he want to kill you? Did you two have a grudge?"

"No, he wanted to kill me because I discovered that he was the murderer in the case of the high school student in Huangniu Township who was killed ten years ago."

"What?" All the police officers in the hall were shocked.

Everyone in the county bureau knows about this case; it's been sitting on the backlog list for ages.

Old Zhao said, "Let's detain them for now and see what to do when Captain Zhou comes back."

"Okay." The two police officers were still somewhat skeptical, but they still took Zhang Gensheng inside first.

At this moment, Old Zhao spoke up: "Young man, you just said you wanted to see the leader of our criminal investigation team, right?"

"Hmm, is this the Captain Zhou you mentioned earlier?"

"Yes, Zhou Xiangdong, the captain of our bureau's criminal investigation team, but he's out on a mission right now, he's not here."

Zhou Yi asked, "Are we going to Xipinggou in Shacao Town?"

Old Zhao was startled again and asked, "How did you know?"

Zhou Yi was not surprised at all, because the Shacao Town Police Station could no longer handle the case in Xipinggou. Even if Director Chen had grievances against the people in the county bureau, he must still know right from wrong.

"Well... how about I wait here?" Zhou Yi thought to himself, Zhang Gensheng can't just be arrested for nothing!

Old Zhao hesitated for a moment and said, "How about this, our bureau chief is here, I'll go ask him if he's free to see you?"

Zhou Yi quickly expressed his gratitude, as it would be best to meet the county bureau chief directly.

"Sit down for a bit, I'll call you later," Old Zhao said, and hurriedly ran inside.

So far, the whole plan has been going smoothly, as long as the county bureau chief is easy to talk to, things will be fine.

He had already thought of his explanation.

The county bureau has significantly more business than the local police stations, and the service hall is always bustling with people.

He waited for a long time, but Old Zhao didn't come out, and no one came to take care of him, which made him a little confused.

What's going on? It's been almost an hour. At least give me an answer about whether you're going to see me or not.

Only one police officer poured him a glass of water, and then no one paid any attention to him.

Zhou Yi couldn't help but take out his phone and check. It had been exactly one hour, and he decided to ask.

But as soon as he stood up, he saw two people walking quickly out of the room and heading towards him. One of them was Old Zhao.

The man next to Lao Zhao looked relatively young and refined; he was probably only in his early forties at most.

He seems more like a young and promising local official.

However, upon closer inspection, Zhou Yi recognized from the man's shoulder insignia that he must be the former director of the Beixian County Public Security Bureau.

Old Zhao pointed at Zhou Yi from afar, so even before Zhou Yi arrived, his hand was already outstretched.

"Comrade Zhou Yi, hello, I am Li Linglong, the former director of Beixian Public Security Bureau."

Zhou Yi quickly lowered his posture and shook hands with the other party: "Hello, Director Li."

“Comrade Zhou Yi, I apologize for keeping you waiting. This long-standing case in Huangniu Township is of great importance, and we need to handle it with caution. Our criminal investigation team was away on a mission, so I just conducted a surprise interrogation of Zhang Gensheng, which took up a little time,” Li Linglong said with a smile. “I hope you didn’t feel neglected.”

Zhou Yi was quite surprised. Firstly, Director Li gave Zhou Yi a very different feeling; he was polite and approachable.

Secondly, the person's efficiency was so swift and decisive that it completely exceeded his expectations.

"Director Li, you're too kind. I'm flattered." Zhou Yi had gotten used to Zhao Liang and the others' style these past few days, so Director Li's politeness made him feel uncomfortable.

"No, no, come, come to my office." She gestured for him to sit down.

Old Zhao tactfully greeted Zhou Yi and then returned to his post.

Zhou Yi followed Li Linglong inside, and the two chatted as they walked.

"Director Li, has Zhang Gensheng confessed everything?" Zhou Yi asked.

This hour, neither long nor short, should have been enough for him to give his instructions, which is why the bureau chief personally came out to greet him.

However, whether an hour is enough to explain everything that happened back then, and whether Zhang Gensheng put up any resistance, remains to be seen.

Li Linglong nodded: "Although it took some effort, we managed to get the basic facts of the crime out of the open. I've had some people follow up on the details."

Since Zhang Gensheng has backed down, all my hard work and effort haven't been in vain.

The case in Huangniu Township, which occurred at least ten years ago, was solved by a series of unexpected events, and we no longer need to wait another twenty years to solve the problem through the DNA database.

"Come this way, please." Li Linglong smiled and ushered Zhou Yi into his director's office.

It was a very ordinary office. After he asked Zhou Yi to sit down, he busied himself brewing tea. Unlike Ni Jianrong, he didn't have to call on Xiao Wang for everything.

"You're from Hong... Hongcheng?"

"Yes, I'm from the Criminal Investigation Division of Hongcheng City Public Security Bureau. Let me show you my identification." Zhou Yi said, reaching into his pocket.

Li Linglong immediately said, "No need, Lao Zhao told me he's already seen it. Please sit down and have some tea."

"Thank you, Director Li."

"Why did you travel all this way to Yuanbei County?" Li Linglong asked curiously as he sat down.

Zhou Yi told the truth that he had accompanied his girlfriend back to visit her parents, who were sent-down youth who had settled in Yangjiatun, Shacao Town, etc.

"So, you're practically our son-in-law here?" the other person asked with a smile.

"I suppose so." From this, it's clear that Director Li is a local.

"That's great, that's great. If you come again in the future, remember to visit us."

Since the other party was being polite, Zhou Yi naturally reciprocated with a few polite words.

"By the way, Yangjiatun and Tuanjie Village, where Zhang Gensheng lives, are quite far apart. How did you end up there?" Li Linglong's expression showed no suspicion, only pure curiosity. The logic behind this was actually quite simple: Zhou Yi was only in his early twenties, and the case occurred ten years ago when he was still a junior high school student. Moreover, he wasn't a local; he was far away in Hongcheng, thousands of miles away. No matter how much suspicion was placed on him, it wouldn't fall on him.

Therefore, normal logical thinking would naturally lead one to believe that this is a coincidence.

Zhou Yi had certainly considered this as well. If the case had just occurred and he had solved it inexplicably, it would have been easy for him to arouse suspicion.

But it's a case from ten years ago, so he can make up lies without a second thought.

Of course, the lie can't be made up too far-fetched.

He said that his future father-in-law bought a chicken from a roadside vendor when he passed through Huangniu Township more than half a year ago.

After making the purchase, they hadn't gone far when they discovered that the change was incorrect; it was counterfeit.

He went back to confront the other party, but the other party refused to admit it and even accused him of extorting money.

The old educated youth was furious. When he came back this time, he heard about this incident. It just so happened that his future father-in-law had heard someone call out the other person's name when he passed by, and remembered that it was Zhang Gensheng.

He happened to overhear his father-in-law mention this matter again, and he figured that this person was probably a repeat offender, so he wanted to go and confront him.

Of course, if they happen to discover that Zhang Gensheng has done anything illegal or disorderly, they can also vent their anger on behalf of their father-in-law.

So today I went to the farmers' market in Huangniu Town. I'm a criminal police officer, and I know the person's name and that they are involved in raising and selling chickens, so finding someone is very easy. That's why I went to Tuanjie Village.

"When I arrived in Tuanjie Village and saw Zhang Gensheng, my heart skipped a beat," Zhou Yi said, frowning dramatically.

"Oh why?"

"The first look this man gave me was full of wariness. This is not the normal reaction of a small vendor who is greedy for small profits. It is more like the reaction of a fugitive. So my professional habit came out and I tried to probe him with my words."

Zhou Yi said sincerely, "Director Li, to be honest, I really didn't connect it to the case of the high school student who was murdered in Huangniu Township ten years ago. Although I had heard the villagers in Yangjiatun talk about it."

Li Linglong nodded. This case in Huangniu Township was quite famous in their area, so it was normal for Zhou Yi to have heard of it.

“I was just testing him normally, but the more I tested him, the more suspicious I became. I was convinced that this guy had committed a crime, so I pretended to buy chicken to keep him quiet and then called the police. But I didn’t expect that this guy would actually try to kill me to silence me and try to kill me with a sickle. Luckily, I found out.”

Zhou Yi suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way, did you send anyone to his house? The murder weapon is still at the scene."

"Don't worry, I've already gone." Li Linglong nodded and said with a smile, "That's quite a coincidence. You've done me a big favor by chance."

Zhou Yi's excuse was a mix of truth and falsehood, detailed in fact, and aside from being quite coincidental, it made no problem.

After all, if Zhang Gensheng denies giving counterfeit money as change more than half a year ago, it will be defined as not remembering it. Anyway, it's not surprising that someone like him would do such a thing.

Moreover, this matter is unrelated to the case itself, and there is no need to call Lu Guohua in to give a statement.

As for my contact with Zhang Gensheng today, I was telling the truth.

So logically, there's nothing wrong with this.

Moreover, Li Linglong's last words just now made Zhou Yi realize something was amiss.

"Director Li, if I may ask, are you still relatively new to this position?"

This startled the other person, who asked, "How did you know?"

Zhou Yi smiled and said, "I heard it from the common people."

But in reality, of course not. Before this, Zhou Yi had no idea what the surname of the county bureau chief was.

Back then, it was difficult for ordinary people to know this information. Most people didn't even know the name of the police station chief, let alone the county bureau.

He asked that question because the other person had just said, "You've done me a huge favor."

This case is from ten years ago. Unless he was the bureau chief or the head of the criminal investigation team ten years ago, he cannot be held responsible for this case.

But Director Li's demeanor is clearly not that of a veteran criminal investigator.

So it's highly likely that it's the newly appointed county bureau chief.

Moreover, given his age and refined demeanor, he is likely a high-achieving student whom the authorities are grooming for advancement.

The saying goes that a new broom sweeps clean, but Zhou Yi had no idea what kind of three fires this Director Li would set off.

However, one thing is certain: if a new leader takes office in the public security organs, they will definitely pay attention to the work on long-pending cases.

Solving a ten-year-old cold case so soon after taking office is certainly a remarkable breakthrough.

The key point is that it was accomplished without firing a single shot; where else can you find such a good deal?

"And you must be a top student who graduated from a prestigious university, right?" Zhou Yi said with a smile.

Li Linglong was even more surprised: "Is this what ordinary people say?"

"No, not at all." Zhou Yi pointed to a photo frame on the bookshelf behind Li Linglong and said with a smile, "I saw it."

Li Linglong turned around, suddenly realized what was going on, and burst into laughter.

Because the photo frame Zhou Yi was pointing to contained his graduation photo from university.

Li Linglong stood up, took the photo frame off the bookshelf, and carefully wiped it clean, saying, "So many years have passed in the blink of an eye. Back when I graduated, I was a spirited young man, but now I am no longer the same."

Li Linglong said with emotion, "If only we could look back on our lives again, how wonderful that would be."

He spoke very sincerely, and Zhou Yi knew he wasn't joking.

Zhou Yi deeply understands this question, but he cannot answer it.

"Director Li, you're a top student from the Public Security University?" Zhou Yi asked, looking at the photo.

"Yes, from the class of '82."

“We have a colleague on our team, who should be from the class of '95, and he is your junior.”

"Really?" Li Linglong said in surprise. "That's such a coincidence. I'd like to get to know this fellow disciple sometime."

Because of his connection with Chen Yan, a junior at the Public Security University, Director Li became even closer to Zhou Yi and they talked a lot.

Of course, the other person is naturally reserved, so we didn't talk about anything too sensitive.

But at least they had gotten closer, and Zhou Yi knew the time was about right.

"Don't worry about Zhang Gensheng's case. I will definitely report to the higher-ups on the important role you played in it, and I will also keep in touch with the leaders in Hongcheng."

Zhou Yi immediately waved his hand and said, "Director Li, I won't trouble you with this. I'm not here to take credit. You see, my original intention in going to Zhang Gensheng was actually for personal reasons. Besides, I didn't use my police identity when I was testing Zhang Gensheng. I only revealed my identity after he attacked me and I subdued him to deter him."

Zhou Yi's words implied two points: First, I did not violate any regulations or use my position as a public official for any purpose; I know my limits.

Secondly, because I didn't reveal my identity, I was just an ordinary citizen at the time, so there's no need to include me. Therefore, all the credit belongs to you.

Another point is that he was somewhat wary of Wu Yongcheng. The explanation he gave to Li Linglong could not fool Wu Yongcheng.

If things get blown out of proportion and become about assisting in solving a case, Wu Yongcheng will inevitably question him when he gets back.

"You're quite sensible, young comrade," Li Linglong said with a smile. He was a smart man, so he took it as tacit agreement.

"Director Li, I happen to have a small request. I don't know if it would be presumptuous of me."

Li Linglong was not surprised at all by Zhou Yi's words. He was a smart man, and when Zhou Yi declined the credit, he knew that the other party must want something from him, so he waited for him to speak.

Zhou Yi himself certainly wouldn't need to ask him for anything; he guessed it was his future father-in-law in the area who had run into some trouble.

“Tell me, as long as it’s not something that violates discipline or principles, I will definitely help.”

"You know Xipinggou, right? It's in Shacao Town under our county."

When Zhou Yi asked this question, Li Linglong's heart skipped a beat. Wasn't Xipinggou the place where the case had just occurred?

"I know, what's wrong?"

Zhou Yi stood up solemnly and said, "I dare not hide anything from you. I know the basic facts of the disappearance case in Xipinggou. So I would like to volunteer myself and hope that you can approve my participation in the investigation of this case."

"How did you know..." Li Linglong suddenly realized, "I know, you have acquaintances at the police station, right?"

Zhou Yi nodded.

As if suddenly remembering something, Li Linglong asked again, "A couple of days ago, Chief Chen of the Shacao Town Police Station suddenly hoped that our county bureau could investigate child trafficking cases in the surrounding area to screen and determine the nature of the cases in Xipinggou. Was this your idea to him?"

Zhou Yi replied, "Yes!"

"Oh... no wonder their investigation process suddenly became so much clearer."

Seeing Li Linglong's attitude, Zhou Yi couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

But the next second, the other person looked up at him and said seriously, "I'm afraid I can't agree to this."

(End of this chapter)