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

Chapter 525 The Child is Safe and Sound (30,000 words updated today - please vote!)

"Miao Genhua, on the afternoon of July 26th, what did you say to Shi Jian when you called him to the hospital?"

“Your previous statement no longer holds water, so why are you looking for Shi Jian at this particular time?”

“I… gave Shi Jian an envelope,” Miao Genhua said.

"An envelope?" Zhou Yi and Yang Chuan exchanged a glance, because they hadn't found any envelopes at Miao Dongfang's house or on Shi Jian's body.

Zhou Yi hurriedly asked, "What's in the envelope?"

“A document… with Uncle Dong’s fingerprint on it.”

"A written agreement? What does it say?"

"It's nothing, I just had Uncle Dong write a written agreement for me. If the police find out about this, all the charges will be against Uncle Dong. He forced me to do it..." As she spoke, a sudden flash of inspiration appeared on Miao Genhua's face.

She asked anxiously, "By the way, did you find that document? If you have it, will I be alright?"

Zhou Yi and Yang Chuan were both amused and exasperated by her stupidity; to make matters worse, she even forced the mastermind to write a "disclaimer" for her.

"Miao Genhua, do you really not understand the law at all? Do you think that by having Miao Dongfang write this document for you, you can get away with anything you do without punishment?"

The other party asked with a hint of doubt amidst their naivety: "But he also had Ma Weichang write a written agreement for me back then. Uncle Dong himself said that with this written agreement, I am guaranteed that even if we go to court, the judge will have to be on my side."

Now Zhou Yi finally understood where Miao Genhua's "genius" idea came from.

It turns out he was just copying Miao Dongfang's style.

It really is a case of learning from the barbarians' superior techniques to subdue them.

"Then why did you suddenly hand over this document to Shi Jian?"

“I don’t feel safe carrying it on my body. I’m afraid it might get lost or stolen. Besides, the police have come to question me several times. I’m afraid you’ll search me.”

"So after thinking it over, I decided to give it to Shi Jian. I told him to take it back and put the envelope containing the note into the inner pocket of the bag Fangfang carries her clothes. Fangfang is still young and can't read, and neither can Shi Jian's mother."

"Didn't you think of the fact that Shi Jian can read?"

Miao Genhua said, "I told him not to open it and look inside. I sealed the envelope with glue."

Zhou Yi was completely speechless. If that were the case, anyone would be curious and want to open it to see what was inside.

Zhou Yi pointed at Miao Genhua and said, "You, you drove Zhao Guangping to his death, and now you've sent Shi Jian to his doom."

Although Shi Jian had only himself to blame, after watching the video, he actually went to blackmail Miao Dongfang.

But if Miao Genhua hadn't been so clever, Shi Jian wouldn't have done this.

This document was undoubtedly stolen and destroyed by Miao Dongfang after he killed someone.

However, the deeper problem is that when Miao Genhua made him write this document, she was actually pushing herself to the guillotine.

No matter how long Miao Dongfang can live, with this written agreement, he won't be able to die in peace.

Humans are strange creatures. The closer a person gets to death, the more they care about their reputation, or what is known as their posthumous fame.

Later, a joke circulated online saying that a man has to clear his browser history and delete his E drive before he can die.

Although it's a joke, it's essentially the same thing.

Zhou Yi had also personally witnessed an old man who ate coarse food and wore simple clothes, all for the purpose of having someone say, "So-and-so left so much money to their children after they died."

Therefore, human thought is very strange.

If I hadn't gotten involved in this case, if I had just let it be treated as a missing person case, it would have ended up gathering dust in a corner.

It's highly likely that Miao Dongfang will have to get rid of Miao Genhua in order to obtain this written agreement.

Miao Genhua's sudden inspiration was tantamount to a declaration of death.

After listening to Miao Genhua's words, Yang Chuan couldn't help but say, "It seems I'll have to give Director Li some advice later. The task of popularizing legal knowledge in our county is arduous and has a long way to go."

The significance of legal education lies not only in understanding, but also in deterrence.

When people subconsciously understand the consequences of breaking the law, they will naturally weigh the consequences when they have criminal motives, and change from passively obeying the law to actively obeying it.

Instead of trying to get away with something like this now, they actually tried to get away with it using a written agreement.

When Zhou Yi told her that Shi Jian was killed because he had secretly looked at the envelope you gave him and then went to blackmail Miao Dongfang, she was told that Shi Jian was silenced.

Miao Genhua's reaction was rather indifferent; she simply said, "It was my fault that he was harmed."

This shows that she truly had no feelings for Shi Jian; she was just a tool to be used.

To be precise, she was actually an extremely selfish, ruthless woman.

She loves no one but herself.

She married Ge Hongqi only for the bride price.

She was only with Ma Weichang because his money could bring her a better life and self-respect.

She kept saying she had feelings for Zhao Guangping, but in reality she was just enjoying the physical pleasure that his young body brought her.

The miscarriage that Miao Tiejun mentioned did indeed happen, and the child's father was Zhao Guangping.

At that time, Zhao Guangping had not yet gotten into trouble. After learning that she was pregnant, he insisted on marrying her, saying that he wanted to take responsibility for her, and he didn't care even if his mother disagreed and severed ties with him.

But without saying a word, she went to have an abortion accompanied by her mother.

She thought no one knew about it, but there were actually rumors circulating, though she didn't know how the news had leaked out.

So it sounds so ironic that she says she has feelings for Zhao Guangping.

She didn't love her mother either, thinking she was a mean-spirited old woman, though they were blood relatives.

She had no feelings for her younger brother either, thinking he was just a useless good-for-nothing.

Even her own daughter was just a tool for her to vent her dissatisfaction with life, a tool she could use for her own greed.

Her only bottom line is that she hasn't gone so far as to kill her own child.

Of course, it might also be due to superstition, or the fear that if she did this, Ge Fangfang would "haunt her" like Zhao Guangping.

After hearing Miao Genhua's case, Zhou Yi felt inexplicably calm.

Because he knew it wasn't worth wasting his emotions on a woman like that.

For an extremely selfish person, the judgment of the law is the best punishment, because when the knife falls on such a person, she will know what pain is.

The rest are just some details.

For example, some suggestive hints, such as Ma Weichang being very close to the child and bathing the child, were all taught by Miao Dongfang, laying the groundwork in advance.

After Ma Weichang died, they claimed to have seen him stealing and kissing a child, said some very perverted things, and mentioned that the child's genitals were red and swollen, all to further mislead the police into believing that Ma Weichang was a pervert.

If we add physical evidence such as the underwear and shoes that we prepared in advance, then we can confirm that Ma Weichang committed suicide out of fear of punishment.

This means that, in addition to the people in the case, there is another accomplice, namely Hu Shuzhen, whom her daughter described as sharp-tongued and mean.

Because the suggestion to bathe the child was provided by her.

Of course, the mastermind behind all of this is Uncle Dong.

It must be said that he was indeed wasting his talents as a village chief. The things he made the people say were indeed in line with the speakers' identities and positions.

Instead of impatiently and forcibly guiding.

This included having Miao Genhua feign illness and be hospitalized, all in preparation for staging a suicide scene to deliver the final "kill."

Isn't driving a mother who has endured humiliation to the point of "suicide" the most powerful indictment of Ma Weichang, this "beast"?

Zhou Yi began to wonder how Uncle Dong had managed to "cultivate" himself to this level.

In this kind of environment, he was able to pull off such a big case. If he were to gain control of wealth or power, what would become of him?

Just as the interrogation was about to end, Miao Genhua was confirming the statement and signing it.

Yang Chuan suddenly remembered something he had forgotten to mention.

"By the way, Miao Genhua, do you know why Zhao Guangping got into trouble back then?" Yang Chuan asked.

Miao Genhua, her left hand gripping her trembling right, finished signing the document and looked up nervously, saying, "I don't know... He was a very stubborn man, and he never said why, even until his death."

Yang Chuan sneered, "Let me tell you the truth, this was all the work of your Uncle Dong. He's the one who had Miao Tiejun send Zhao Guangping to a dangerous place, which led to Zhao Guangping's accident."

"And let me tell you, Miao Dongfang was hoping from the very beginning that Zhao Guangping would die from the fall. It was just that Zhao Guangping was lucky and didn't die on the spot."

"Alas, what a pity, Zhao Guangping's life has been too bitter. He dodged Miao Dongfang, but in the end he couldn't escape you, this harbinger of death."

Yang Chuan said ominously, "Don't worry, Zhao Guangping will die with his eyes wide open; he won't let you off the hook. Whether Miao Dongfang dies of illness first or is executed first remains to be seen. Once he's dead, Zhao Guangping will follow you for life!"

Looking at the fear in Miao Genhua's eyes, Zhou Yi felt that Yang Chuan's words had really hit Miao Genhua where it hurt most.

In this case, she was an accomplice and did not participate in the actual murder, so she is unlikely to be sentenced to death, but she will definitely spend a long time in prison.

Yang Chuan's words were tantamount to adding another sentence to her sentence outside of the law.

Moreover, this sentence is for life, like a maggot clinging to a bone, like a shadow following you.

The older Miao Genhua gets, the more she believes in superstitions and the more she fears "Zhao Guangping," who has been with her all her life.

Although Zhou Yi is a materialist and believes in science, sometimes he really wishes that souls exist in this world, so that the wronged spirits of the victims could haunt the murderers who were not sentenced to death for life!
Then the two put Miao Genhua back in the detention cell. Miao Genhua had already confessed and accepted her punishment, and the facts of her crime were clear. After Li Linglong returned and approved the case, she could be transferred to the detention center and wait for the public security organs to officially close the case before entering the judicial litigation process.

After Yang Chuan locked Miao Genhua inside, he snapped off the outside light switch, plunging the detention cell into darkness.

Miao Genhua inside let out a scream, rushed to the door, and cried out through the iron bars, "Please, don't turn off the lights, I'm afraid of the dark, please!"

Zhou Yi knew that Yang Chuan was trying to psychologically torture her, but it was at least against the rules.

Of course, he also knew that this was a very common thing in the former Beixian County.

But he still gently advised in a low voice, "Brother Chuan, I think it's better not to turn off the lights. It's against the rules. The main problem is that if you really upset her, she might do something self-harming like banging her head against the wall, which would be troublesome."

"What you just said is enough to terrify her for the rest of her life."

Seeing Zhou Yi's words, Yang Chuan nodded and said, "You're right."

Then the lights in the detention room were turned on.

The seedling inside finally breathed a sigh of relief and kept crying and saying thank you.

The two turned and left. After taking a few steps, Yang Chuan suddenly reached out and pressed another switch next to him.

Suddenly, the corridor lights outside the detention room went out.

Yang Chuan chuckled: "Turning off the corridor lights won't violate any rules."

The work at the county bureau has finally come to an end.

Next, Miao Dongfang was arrested, and there were some other evidence-gathering tasks that Zhou Yi didn't need to worry about.

Zhou Yi looked out the window and realized that it was already evening without him noticing.

Today is July 30th.

Nine days ago, around this time in the evening, Ge Fangfang "disappeared".

Nine days have passed, and the child has gone from "missing" to "suspected death," then to "raped and murdered," and finally to "still alive."

A six-year-old child unknowingly experienced life and death, and the ups and downs of life.

It's truly heartbreaking.

As Zhou Yi gazed at the setting sun, his mind filled with countless thoughts, he saw a police car drive in at the entrance of the county bureau downstairs.

He immediately recognized the driver as Li Linglong.

"Brother Chuan, Director Li is back."

The two immediately ran downstairs, just as the police car stopped.

Under the dim glow of the setting sun, the two men looked at the police car with bated breath.

After getting out of the car, Li Linglong immediately went to open the back door.

A female police officer in her forties carefully carried a child down from the back seat.

Director Li's plan was indeed thorough; he brought a policewoman with him. After all, it was a child, and women are more likely to make a child feel safe than men.

"Director Li, is the child alright?" Yang Chuan asked anxiously.

Li Linglong immediately made a shushing gesture: "Shh, he's asleep, don't scare the child."

Zhou Yi saw a petite girl tightly hugging the policewoman's neck, her head resting on the policewoman's shoulder as she slept soundly.

Seeing that the child was safe and sound, Zhou Yi was finally able to breathe a long sigh of relief.

At least, this is a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.

"Director Li, are you alright?" Zhou Yi asked in a low voice.

Li Linglong nodded and replied softly, "The child is fine, nothing's wrong."

The policewoman whispered, "Chief Li, shall I take the child to the break room first?"

"Okay, thank you for your hard work. Stay and work overtime tonight to look after the child. If she wakes up, have someone buy her some noodles or something light. Children are prone to stomach cramps when they are nervous or scared, so they need to eat something light and easy to digest," Li Linglong patiently instructed, clearly a good father.

"Okay, I'll go now." The policewoman carried Ge Fangfang away.

Zhou Yi watched as the setting sun shone on the tender face of the six-year-old girl.

The little girl seemed to sense something, and groggily opened her eyes to glance at him before closing them again and going back to sleep.

"Director Li, is there still no sign of Miao Dongfang?" Yang Chuan couldn't help but ask.

Li Linglong shook his head, patted the two of them on the back, and said, "Come on, let's go inside and talk."

……

In the director's office, Li Linglong could not hide his exhaustion.

But at the same time, he was very excited.

In any case, Ge Fangfang is safe and sound; she was neither raped nor murdered, which is the best possible outcome.

Li Linglong was about to pour water for the two of them when Yang Chuan immediately ran over, grabbed the thermos, and told the bureau chief to sit down and rest for a while.

“Sigh…” Li Linglong suddenly let out a long sigh.

Zhou Yi quickly asked, "Director Li, what's wrong?"

“When we arrived at Zhuyuan Village and found Shi Jian’s mother’s house, I spotted Ge Fangfang from a distance. She was sitting on a small stool at the door, neither crying nor making a fuss, just staring at the road in front of the door.”

These words were like a needle, pricking Zhou Yi's heart.

It was obvious that Ge Fangfang was waiting for her mother to pick her up.

Zhou Yi could even picture the scene, and the helplessness, expectation, and disappointment in the little girl's eyes.

It is said that maternal love is the greatest in the world, but there are indeed mothers like Miao Genhua who do not love their children very much.

The truest and purest love is the love that young children have for their parents.

Because children may not be everything to their parents, but parents are definitely their children's whole world.

So no matter how Miao Genhua treated her, at this age, the person she longed for and yearned for day and night was her mother.

No wonder Li Linglong couldn't help but sigh.

"How's the situation?" Li Linglong asked, trying to sound alert.

Yang Chuan said impatiently, "Director Li, what a great victory! You have no idea, this Xipinggou is like a bandit's den. If this were before the founding of the People's Republic of China, I estimate they would have dared to occupy the mountain as kings and rob and plunder."

Although Yang Chuan's words were a bit of an exaggeration, they did reflect the seriousness of the problem.

A cunning and ruthless village chief, along with a group of villagers each with their own ulterior motives and no respect for the law or life.

If this gets going, it will eventually develop into a criminal gang that wreaks havoc on the area.

After hearing the results of the interrogation of Miao Genhua and Miao Zhuang, Li Linglong didn't say a word.

Zhou Yi didn't know what he was thinking, but after a long silence, Li Linglong suddenly reached out his hand to Zhou Yi and said two words in a serious tone: "Thank you."

Zhou Yi immediately knew what he was thinking. This Director Li was someone who wanted to do great things. Unlike Wu Yongcheng, a pure veteran criminal investigator, he was pursuing a career in politics.

There is no superiority or inferiority between the two; they are simply different in direction.

From a broader perspective, Li Linglong's influence will be far greater than Wu Yongcheng's in the future. As long as he stays true to himself, he will surely benefit the people of the region.

So he was actually feeling lingering fear just now, because if things went wrong in this case, it would be a stain on his career.

“Director Li, we are all police officers, this is our duty,” Zhou Yi replied.

Li Linglong held Zhou Yi's hand and patted it gratefully with his other hand.

it is more than words.

“Now all that’s missing is Miao Dongfang,” Li Linglong said, standing up. “The next 24 hours are the golden time for the search, I have to go back to the front line.”

Yang Chuan immediately said, "Director Li, I'll go too. There's nothing much going on at the bureau right now."

Li Linglong shook his head: "No need. You should take some time later to visit Captain Zhou at the county hospital. With his quick temper, if you don't tell him anything, he'll definitely complain about me later."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yi felt that Li Linglong had considered things very thoroughly, so he stood up and said, "Brother Chuan, I'll go with you later."

Yang Chuan thought about it and realized that Director Li's words made sense; Captain Zhou's temper was indeed something else.

So he nodded.

“Zhou Yi, you…” Li Linglong hesitated before speaking.

Zhou Yi immediately understood: "Director Li, I would also like to meet this Uncle Dong."

Li Linglong originally intended to let Zhou Yi go back to rest, but halfway through his sentence, he felt that it was somewhat like "discarding a donkey after it has served its purpose."

Zhou Yi's response was perfect, so he naturally didn't say anything more.

Before Li Linglong left, Yang Chuan asked him to sign a few documents.

Miao Tiejun, Miao Genhua, and Miao Zhuang, who were detained, will be formally detained and transferred to a detention center.

Miao Genhua's mother, Hu Shuzhen, was also an accomplice; they need to bring her back.

Besides Miao Dongfang's house, the homes of these other people also need to be searched for evidence, as well as Ma Weichang's new lover, Wan Yuemei.

The workload for finishing up is actually quite substantial.

However, the core issue is still catching Miao Dongfang.

"This is unbelievable! This old guy is over fifty, where does he get such amazing skills? Hundreds of people couldn't catch him." Yang Chuan said angrily, scratching his head.

Zhou Yi also found it strange. Logically speaking, if he abandoned the motorcycle and fled, he would have needed to transfer to other means of transportation.

He was a local, unlike Long Zhiqiang's gang which committed crimes across different regions for a long time. It was reasonable for him to have multiple escape routes.

Where could he possibly run off to? Even if he grew wings and flew away, there would still need to be witnesses.

"It's probably about time, let's wait a little longer," Zhou Yi said. Yang Chuan nodded: "Okay, Zhou Yi, shall we go to the county hospital first and explain the situation to Captain Zhou?"

"Sure, I'll go visit Team Leader Zhou next week."

The two walked out as they talked, and a police car pulled up next to the gate.

As night fell, the two were about to open the car door and get in when they suddenly heard a woman outside the guardhouse ask, "Hello... I'm looking for a policeman surnamed Yang. My name is Miao Xiaoli, and my father's name is Miao Dongfang."

……

In the reception room, Zhou Yi poured a glass of water and placed it in front of Miao Xiaoli.

"Thank you." Miao Xiaoli should be in her early thirties, but judging from her clothes and dark, rough skin, she looks like a middle-aged woman in her forties, which suggests that her living conditions must be quite difficult.

Yang Chuan contacted the local police station near Miao Xiaoli's husband's home last night, asking them to help him contact Miao Xiaoli.

At that time, Miao Tiejun had not yet been arrested, nor had Shi Jian's body been dug up from Miao Dongfang's home.

Therefore, Zhou Yi contacted Miao Xiaoli simply because he wanted to understand the situation, as he had some doubts about Miao Dongfang.

He left his name and office phone number with the police there, asking Miao Xiaoli to call him.

However, too many things happened today, and no one was in the office, so Yang Chuan forgot about it and wasn't sure if Miao Xiaoli had called.

"My dad, has something happened to him?" Miao Xiaoli asked, taking a sip of water.

Zhou Yi immediately became alert and asked, "Why would you ask that?"

Because theoretically, Miao Xiaoli should not know Miao Dongfang's situation.

She married someone from far away, and judging from the address, it's in a rural area, so communication must be inconvenient.

“Last night, after the local police station found me, I rushed back from my in-laws’ house early this morning,” Miao Xiaoli said nervously. “I went back to Xipinggou first and found that our house had been sealed off. Then I asked the neighbors, and they said… they said… a dead body was dug up in my house, and my dad has already run away.”

"Officer, what exactly did my dad do?"

Miao Xiaoli looked nervous, but she didn't seem worried.

Yang Chuan said, "Since you've already gone back, I won't hide it from you anymore. Your father, Miao Dongfang, is suspected of murder and is currently on the run. We are conducting a manhunt for him. If you know any places he might have gone, we hope you can provide us with clues."

"Kill...kill someone?" Miao Xiaoli was stunned.

Zhou Yi asked, "Miao Xiaoli, do you think it's possible that Miao Dongfang actually went to seek refuge with you?"

There are usually two reasons why a criminal suspect might want to escape.

One option is to run to deserted places, the fewer people the better, the stronger the sense of security, so that no one knows him.

Another option is to seek refuge with a trusted acquaintance, hoping for short-term protection and financial support, and then escape after a short rest.

Miao Dongfang's main social connections were in Xipinggou, and the only person he had a close relationship with outside was his daughter, Miao Xiaoli.

Unexpectedly, Miao Xiaoli shook her head and said, "Impossible, he has no idea where my in-laws' home is."

"Huh? What does this mean?" The father doesn't know where his daughter married? Zhou Yi and Yang Chuan were both surprised.

Miao Xiaoli said that she had a bad relationship with her father since she was a child.

Miao Dongfang was a person who deeply valued sons over daughters. In his eyes, only boys were human because boys could carry on the family line.

Girls are merely tools for bearing children, and even then, they are married off to bear children for other families.

Therefore, Miao Xiaoli was called "money-losing goods" and "useless things" by her father since she was a child. In her eyes, he was not a father at all.

Then she also resolved a question that Zhou Yi had been wondering about: why Miao Dongfang only had her as a child and did not have any more children.

Because her mother, Jin Cuiping, suffered severe bleeding during childbirth, and although she survived, she lost her fertility.

This led to Miao Dongfang, who was extremely sexist, becoming childless, and he then vented all his resentment on Jin Cuiping.

Miao Xiaoli didn't know why her mother married her father, but she knew that her mother, Jin Cuiping, was an educated youth who had been sent to Xipinggou to work in the countryside.

She only remembered that her mother was very cultured, and while other children were still playing in the mud, Jin Cuiping had already started teaching her to write.

She still remembers her mother's beautiful handwriting.

But this process did not last long, because around the age of six or seven, Jin Cuiping became mentally unstable due to Miao Dongfang's long-term beatings and torture, and her whole being became neurotic.

And the situation is getting worse.

But she was too young to do anything, because in the countryside, it was considered normal for men to beat their disobedient wives, and all she could do was cry.

These days were extremely difficult; for her, every day felt like an eternity.

But at least, her mother is still alive, and she still has someone to rely on.

Jin Cuiping's mental state fluctuates. When she's in a bad mood, she doesn't even recognize her and bites her, making her cry loudly. When she's in a good mood, she loves her very much, hugs her, and cries, saying that she shouldn't have brought her into this world and that she's sorry.

When she was ten years old, Jin Cuiping hanged herself.

“My mother hanged herself at noon. I came back from chopping firewood on the mountain and was the first to find her hanging in the house,” Miao Xiaoli said, crying, her grief evident in her words.

"Chopping wood? Was that a weekend?" Zhou Yi asked, because Miao Xiaoli was already ten years old at that time, and theoretically should have been in the fourth or fifth grade of elementary school.

Miao Xiaoli seemed to understand the implication of his question, and suddenly gave a sad smile, saying, "I never went to school. My dad thought it was a waste of money for girls to study. The words I know were all taught to me by my mom when I was little."

Yang Chuan was also stunned and asked, "But didn't Miao Genhua go to school? It's said that it was your father who suggested it."

Miao Genhua is only four or five years younger than Miao Xiaoli, so why is Miao Dongfang's attitude so different?

Upon hearing the name Miao Genhua, Miao Xiaoli sneered, "You're Hu Shuzhen's daughter, right? My dad and that woman are lovers."

"A lover... a mistress?"

"Yeah, this Hu Shuzhen wasn't a good person when she was young. She had affairs with a lot of men, and she was also having an affair with my dad. When I was a child, I saw them kissing and hugging each other on the back hill," Miao Xiaoli said with a look of disgust.

Zhou Yi crossed his arms and suddenly seemed to be thinking about a question.

Miao Xiaoli continued, saying that after her mother died, she stayed at home for several more years until she was fourteen, when she ran away from home to work and suffered a lot.

Later, she worked as a dishwasher in a small restaurant in the city, where she met her current husband, who also worked there. They got married and had children.

The couple now runs a small shop in their county town with their son and daughter. Although they are not wealthy and work very hard, they live a relatively peaceful life.

In the past ten years or so, she has returned home no more than five times, and only a few times after she had children.

She admitted that she had almost no fatherly affection for Miao Dongfang; on the contrary, she harbored great hatred for him because he had driven her mother to her death.

So for so many years, Miao Dongfang had no idea where she lived now, and naturally, he couldn't possibly come to her for help.

However, despite this, Zhou Yi knew that deep down, Miao Xiaoli still cared about her irresponsible father; otherwise, she would have run back immediately.

Family relationships are indeed complex, with love and hate intertwined, a tangled mess that's hard to untangle. That's why the old saying goes, "Even an upright official finds it hard to settle family disputes."

"Miao Xiaoli, I have a question for you," Zhou Yi said.

"What? I'll definitely tell you what I know."

"Besides Hu Shuzhen, did Miao Dongfang have any other lovers when he was young?"

Zhou Yi remembers that there was a photo of Miao Dongfang when he was young in a photo frame in Miao Dongfang's home. If we only talk about his appearance, Miao Dongfang had regular features, a square face, thick eyebrows and big eyes when he was young. He was a typical handsome young man who was very popular in that era.

Good looks are always an advantage, regardless of the era.

Especially in matters of love between men and women, after all, humans are visual creatures, and most people are superficial.

“I’m not too sure about that… I’ve only bumped into Hu Shuzhen…” Miao Xiaoli said, “but…”

"But what?"

“When he hit my mother, I remember he said something. He called my mother a pig that couldn’t have babies. He said that if my mother couldn’t have children, he would find someone else to have them, and there were plenty of women willing to have children for him.”

Yang Chuan said with a disdainful look, "He's really capable."

Zhou Yi fell silent, because under normal circumstances, this sounded like Miao Dongfang was just boasting and talking big, but Zhou Yi was thinking about another possibility.

Yang Chuan told Miao Xiaoli to contact them immediately if she thought of anything, especially if Miao Dongfang contacted her or her family, she must call the police immediately.

After Miao Xiaoli left, Zhou Yi and Yang Chuan drove to the county hospital to visit Zhou Xiangdong.

On the way, the two talked about what they had just discussed. Yang Chuan was dismissive of it, thinking that Miao Dongfang was a two-faced guy who was so bad to his wife and daughter, but treated his younger relatives like Miao Tiejun and Miao Zhuang very well.

"He's a real piece of work."

"Brother Chuan, I suspect that Miao Dongfang might not be lying."

"Which statement wasn't a lie?"

"It's about the fact that there are plenty of women willing to have his children."

"What do you mean?"

"I suspect that Miao Tiejun and Miao Zhuang may both be Miao Dongfang's sons."

"What?" Yang Chuan was taken aback and almost lost his grip on the steering wheel.

"Otherwise, how can we explain his indifference to his own daughter, yet his kindness to Miao Tiejun and Miao Zhuang? He could carry Miao Tiejun on his back for several kilometers at night when he was a child, and he could pay for Miao Zhuang's driving test and job search. Even a biological uncle who was entrusted with the care of his children might not be this kind of person. It's a bit too much for him, just an uncle from the same clan."

Yang Chuan still looked incredulous and said, "It's one thing that Miao Tiejun's mother is a widow. But I remember Miao Zhuang's father has only been dead for a few years, right? He doesn't even know if his son is his own?"

Zhou Yi smiled helplessly: "Look at Miao Genhua, she's married and pregnant and still has a one-night stand with her first love. Some people have no sense of shame."

Yang Chuan thought about it and felt it made sense.

Zhou Yi didn't continue, because he suspected that Miao Dongfang had probably planted more than just these two seeds.

……

In the corridor of the surgical ward of the county hospital, Zhou Yi was carrying a fruit basket he had bought at the entrance.

Yang Chuan muttered to himself, "Actually, there's really no need to buy it. It's unnecessary. Captain Zhou doesn't care about social niceties."

Zhou Yi laughed and said, "I just thought it looked pretty good, so I wanted to cheer up Captain Zhou, since he can't come out anyway."

The two of them simultaneously thought of the scene where Zhou Xiangdong was dragged back by the ear, and smiled knowingly.

Before the two even reached the door of the ward, Zhou Xiangdong's loud voice came from inside.

"Can't I at least go take a piss?" Zhou Xiangdong said angrily.

“You can pee, I’ll help you,” his daughter’s voice said.

"No need for that. My arm was almost chopped off back then, but I still chased the thug for half a mile. It was just a broken bone. Don't make a fuss."

"and many more."

Hey, why are you reaching into my pocket?

"Tell me! Where did this cigarette come from?"

"I...I...I found it," Zhou Xiangdong answered nervously. "Well, I couldn't hold it in anymore, I'll go by myself."

As Zhou Xiangdong spoke, he leaned on his cane and started to walk out, where he ran into Zhou Yi and Yang Chuan.

Suddenly stunned.

"Why are you here?"

Yang Chuan smiled and said, "Director Li asked me to come and report to you. Zhou Yi even brought some things to see you."

Zhou Xiangdong stood at the door, leaning on his cane.

In the hospital room were his wife and daughter.

Yang Chuan greeted them, then went to help Zhou Xiangdong: "Team Leader Zhou, you need to use the restroom, right? Let me help you there."

The wards in the county hospital do not have private bathrooms; you have to go to the end of the corridor.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Xiangdong shook his head and said, "I need Zhou Yi to help me."

Yang Chuan didn't understand and insisted, "It's okay, I'll help you up."

Zhou Yi immediately understood, and while handing the fruit basket to Yang Chuan, he said, "Let me help Captain Zhou."

Yang Chuan was about to speak when he suddenly noticed Zhou Xiangdong glaring at him, and then he realized what was going on. "Oh, oh, oh, then slow down, no rush."

Zhou Yi helped Zhou Xiangdong walk towards the restroom, and Zhou Xiangdong asked in a low voice, "Do you have any cigarettes?"

Zhou Yi replied with a smile, "Yes, I'll give it to you when we get to the restroom."

Zhou Xiangdong grinned and said, "Good lad, you've got a knack for it."

Zhou Yi could tell at a glance that Zhou Xiangdong was having a nicotine craving and had planned to sneak a smoke under the pretense of going to the toilet. However, just like father, like daughter, the veteran detective was exposed by his daughter.

Just then, they arrived, but he refused Yang Chuan's help because Yang Chuan doesn't smoke, so there was no point in him going. That's why he wanted to help Yang Chuan to the toilet himself.

"Is the case solved?" Zhou Xiangdong asked.

"Basically, yes, but the main culprit has escaped, and Director Li is currently leading a manhunt for him."

"Tsk, how could it have run away?" Just then, they arrived at the toilet door. "Let's talk about it later. Give me the cigarette and lighter, I'll have one first."

"Shall I help you inside?"

"No need. You keep watch outside for me. If my daughter comes to check up on me, remind me."

Zhou Yi was both amused and exasperated, and handed the cigarettes and lighter to Zhou Xiangdong.

A criminal investigation team leader, acting like a thief, needs another detective to keep watch for him—that's just unbelievable.

However, Zhou Xiangdong's smoking habit is really strong, almost on par with Wu Yongcheng's. Fortunately, the hospital toilets aren't that dirty.

But the smell of urine mixed with the smell of disinfectant is quite unpleasant.

No sooner had Zhou Xiangdong entered than a female nurse suddenly appeared in the corridor, rushing hurriedly toward her office.

Before even entering, she shouted, "Sister Liu, where is the unconscious patient in bed number twelve?"

Another nurse came out of the office and asked, "You mean the old man who was brought in after the car accident?"

"Yes, I just went to check and found that bed twelve was empty; the person was gone."

"Oh, is this just to avoid paying medical bills?"

"No way, this person was unconscious the whole time, how come he's trying to renege on his debt as soon as he wakes up?"

Zhou Yi found it increasingly strange as he listened, so he went over and asked, "Excuse me, what's the situation with this patient you're talking about?"

The two nurses gave him a wary look and asked, "Why are you asking this?"

Zhou Yi took out his identification and said, "I'm a police officer. I'd like to ask you to explain the situation."

Upon hearing that it was the police, a nurse immediately said, "This morning someone brought in an old man who suddenly darted out from the roadside and was hit by a car. The driver was a good person; he didn't run away and took him straight to the hospital."

"How old is he? What does he look like?"

"He must be in his fifties, about this tall," the nurse gestured. "What he looks like... I can't quite describe it, square face, bearded. He was unconscious when he was brought in, but the tests showed he wasn't in any life-threatening danger. He just had a mild concussion, his head was broken and he bled a lot. He needed a few stitches, and he hasn't woken up since."

Have the traffic police been here?

The nurse nodded: "He came by. Our hospital has a rule that we must notify the traffic police for patients involved in car accidents like this. The traffic police made the driver pay for the accident and left his phone number. The driver said he had an emergency and left first, asking us to call him when we woke up. But this person has been unconscious ever since. We were about to hand over our shift when I went to check on him just now and found that he was gone."

"How long have you been missing?" Zhou Yi asked hurriedly.

The nurse shook her head: "I saw there were still people inside when I passed by fifteen minutes ago. Officer, you have to testify for us. If something happens to this person, his family shouldn't cause us any trouble. He's already sick, so it's none of our business."

"Sick? What kind of sickness?"

“We took X-rays of him and found a huge shadow on his liver.”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yi immediately realized, "That's it! It's Miao Dongfang!"
He immediately rushed towards the ward, shouting Yang Chuan's name loudly.

Yang Chuan was chatting with Zhou Xiangdong's wife inside the house when he heard Zhou Yi calling him. Thinking that something had happened to Captain Zhou, he quickly ran out.

"What happened? Did Captain Zhou fall?"

"No, Captain Zhou is still smoking in the bathroom." Zhou Yi blurted out involuntarily, but regretted it as soon as he spoke, because his daughter's face changed immediately.

But he couldn't worry about that now, and immediately said, "I suspect that Miao Dongfang might have just been in the hospital."

Yang Chuan was taken aback: "What? Miao Dongfang? You saw him?"

Zhou Yi recounted the story of the comatose patient in bed twelve who had mysteriously disappeared; the patient's age and physical characteristics matched the description.

But the real key is that this might explain why Miao Dongfang has been unable to be found.

It wasn't that he was particularly powerful; rather, he had an accident while fleeing, was hit by a car, and was taken to the hospital.

Even if the driver who brought him was stopped for questioning, a life was at stake, and given that the driver's identity was not questionable, he would have been released immediately to save the person.

If the police officers conducting the investigation didn't realize there was something wrong with the matter, they wouldn't have reported it. Li Linglong wouldn't have received any information and naturally wouldn't have become suspicious.

They never imagined that Miao Dongfang, whom they had been searching the world for, would end up in the hospital with the largest population in the county.

Zhou Yi was unsure whether Miao Dongfang had just woken up or had been waking up for a while and was pretending to be unconscious.

The nurse said there were no other patients in that room, and they don't have many patients to begin with.

But if he was faking unconsciousness, then given his cunning, he couldn't possibly be unaware that he was in danger after such a long delay, and that the police might already be after him.

But we can't just sit here and wait to die.

So he was probably waiting for it to get dark, until it was completely dark, so he could sneak out and escape.

Upon hearing this, Yang Chuan immediately ran downstairs, saying he would ask the security guard at the main gate and that Zhou Yi should call Director Li to launch a search operation around the county hospital.

Yang Chuan went downstairs very quickly, disappearing in the blink of an eye; even his voice couldn't keep up with his retreating figure.

Zhou Yi immediately took out his phone and called Li Linglong. If they hadn't been discovered tonight, it was hard to say whether Miao Dongfang could escape. After all, it was too difficult for a county to be defended by a net of hundreds of people.

But he was in the ward just fifteen minutes ago; no matter how fast he ran, he couldn't have run more than two kilometers from the hospital.

Even if you dig up the mouse hole, you can still find him.

The phone rang several times, and just as Li Linglong answered, Zhou Yi was about to speak.

Suddenly, they heard Zhou Xiangdong's booming voice coming from the restroom at the end of the corridor: "Chuan'er, Zhou Yi, come quick, I've caught a thief!"

Upon hearing the sound, Zhou Yi's nerves jumped. Without having time to speak or hang up the phone, he immediately grabbed his phone and rushed over.

Rushing to the entrance of the men's restroom, he saw Zhou Xiangdong pinning the man down, who was struggling desperately, cursing and shouting for him to let go.

Without hesitation, Zhou Yi rushed in and helped Zhou Xiangdong control the other party.

The man was in his fifties, with a square face. The hair from his forehead to the top of his head had been shaved off because he had stitches.

Although Zhou Yi had never met Miao Dongfang, he had seen photos of him when he was young.

"Miao Dongfang, you're under arrest!" Zhou Yi said coldly.

The man, who had been struggling desperately, suddenly froze upon hearing this and lay motionless on the floor of the men's restroom like a dead fish, while Zhou Yi and Zhou Xiangdong held him down tightly.

It seems he has finally resigned himself to his fate.

(End of this chapter)