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

Chapter 539 Then I'll go down and keep him company.

The dark figure that suddenly darted out from inside the door startled Ding Chunmei, causing her to scream.

Zhou Yi remained calm, because he had already realized that the thing was not a person, but some kind of animal.

Sure enough, the dark figure darted past the two of them and disappeared down the stairs in a flash, followed by a meow.

Zhou Yi went into the house first, and only after confirming that it was safe did he call Ding Chunmei, who was still in shock at the door, to come in.

When Ding Chunmei walked in, she was stunned. The room had been ransacked and was in complete disarray.

"The door lock was pried open; these old-fashioned locks are very easy to pry open." Zhou Yi walked over and pushed the door, and the rusty hinges creaked shut.

"You didn't leave any cash or valuables in the house, did you?"

Ding Chunmei shook her head.

"That's fine, you should call the police first." With that, Zhou Yi handed her his phone.

Looking at the mess in the room, Zhou Yi knew they were looking for the document that Li Chong had hidden.

They searched very thoroughly, not only looking at places like the toilet tank, but even tearing off the moldy wallpaper in the bedroom.

This is a one-bedroom apartment with an old-fashioned decor, but the furniture and furnishings are still quite complete.

Ding Chunmei's personal belongings mainly consisted of clothes and books, which showed that she loved reading, as there were torn books everywhere in the room.

On the kitchen floor, amidst a pile of broken dishes, some food was scattered.

"Officer Zhou, I've called the police. They told me not to touch the scene and that they'd send someone over immediately," Ding Chunmei said, handing the phone back to Zhou Yi.

Do you usually feed the stray cats in the neighborhood?

Ding Chunmei asked in surprise, "How did you know?"

"Cats are very smart. That cat didn't just wander into your house for no reason."

Zhou Yi only said half of what he wanted to say; he left the other half unsaid for fear of frightening Ding Chunmei.

The reason for using a skinned dead cat in the intimidation is probably because the person following Ding Chunmei discovered that she usually feeds the stray cats in the neighborhood, so they did it on purpose.

Thinking of this, Zhou Yi felt a surge of anger.

It's crazy!

Soon, two police officers from the nearby police station arrived.

It was clear that they were the ones who responded to yesterday's call, because as soon as they arrived, they said to Ding Chunmei, "It's you again."

But immediately, the two were startled by the scene inside the house.

Then came the standard procedure: asking Ding Chunmei about the specifics, whether she had lost anything, and if she knew who might have done it.

Then one of them checked the house, while the other knocked on the doors of the neighbors to inquire whether they had seen any suspicious people.

Zhou Yi knew that this was standard procedure for the local police. Judging from the scene, it would at most be classified as burglary, and the severity would depend on the value of the stolen items.

If no significant findings are discovered after a round of questioning, the case will likely be temporarily shelved, since Ding Chunmei didn't lose anything of value.

If similar cases occur in the future, or if a thief is caught, they will be investigated at the same time.

Because most burglars are professional thieves, and their social connections are interconnected. Sometimes, when you catch one, the interrogation will uncover a whole string of others.

Normally, this would be understandable, given the limited police resources.

But Zhou Yi noticed that after the police officers looked around, they didn't seem to want to request a scene investigation, so he stepped forward and asked, "Comrade, aren't you going to collect footprints and fingerprints from the scene?"

The police officer looked at him and asked, "Who are you?"

Ding Chunmei, who was standing nearby, quickly said, "He is..."

Zhou Yi interrupted, saying, "I'm a friend of the person involved, and I came back with her."

The police officer sized him up and said, "If nothing was stolen, there's no need for a crime scene investigation. It's most likely the work of a habitual thief. Collecting footprints and fingerprints wouldn't be very useful. Forget it, why am I talking to you about this? Just mind your own business."

“Comrade, I think this on-site investigation is necessary,” Zhou Yi said seriously. “Weren’t there two officers responding to this yesterday as well?”

The other person nodded, but their displeasure was already evident.

"Yesterday they smashed the window and threw a dead cat at me as a threat, and today they broke into my home and robbed me. Isn't that too much of a coincidence? If we connect the two incidents, isn't there a possibility of intentional injury? Although the burglary didn't result in anything being stolen, which is considered a minor offense under the law, taking footprints and fingerprints is still a normal investigative procedure. If we don't leave a record, what if something goes wrong later?"

The police officer, who was initially a little annoyed, changed his expression after hearing what the other party said, because it was clear that ordinary people would not say such things.

After a slight hesitation, the police officer looked at the two men, then walked aside and began reporting the situation to the station via radio, requesting technical support.

Police stations generally do not have a technical department. If it is necessary to conduct an on-site investigation and collect evidence, the report must be submitted to the branch office.

Zhou Yi had already made up his mind that if all else failed, he would have to use the city bureau's credentials to pressure them.

But he still didn't really want to do it, after all, it was only his first day reporting to Wuguang.

Then there's the matter concerning Li Chong and Ding Chunmei.

There is currently no clear evidence to suggest that the municipal bureau could take over the case.

Ding Chunmei didn't ask this question earlier. She asked about Li Chong's case. Can't it be investigated as a murder case?

Zhou Yi told her: There is no evidence!

There is no evidence to prove that Li Chong's death was murder, and her opinion and their private reasoning are not enough to change the nature of the case.

The law is based on evidence.

Without evidence, no one can arbitrarily change the nature of a case that has already been classified; this is not in accordance with the regulations for handling cases.

That would make it more likely that the case would escalate to the point where the Wuguang City Public Security Bureau's Criminal Investigation Detachment would be in charge.

The same applies to Ding Chunmei's intimidation and burglary cases; even if these two cases are combined, the local police station will still be responsible.

If it were in Hongcheng, then as long as he reported to Wu Yongcheng and got his approval, Zhou Yi could get involved in this matter without any problem.

Not to mention Ding Chunmei being threatened, even Li Chong's death could be investigated.

Of course, this is just an investigation; to change the nature of the case, there still needs to be evidence.

But as a newcomer to Wuguang, he couldn't make that request.

The tricky part about Li Chong's case is that he and Ding Chunmei are conducting their investigations secretly on their own, and their resources are limited.

But there is no reason to involve the public security authorities.

After the police officer finished reporting via radio, he came back to Zhou Yi and said, "Please leave before we finish our on-site investigation, so as not to interfere with our work."

Zhou Yi didn't say anything, but waved to Ding Chunmei.

Because it was too dark in the hallway, the two decided to go downstairs to wait.

As soon as he got downstairs, he ran into the landlord, a man in his fifties, who had rushed over after hearing the news.

After asking Ding Chunmei what had happened, the uncle went upstairs to check.

Afterwards, Zhou Yi spoke on Ding Chunmei's behalf to negotiate with the uncle about terminating the lease.

It's unclear whether the uncle was simply a straightforward person or if he felt Ding Chunmei was a nuisance and feared that if he continued living there, his house might one day become a haunted house.

He readily agreed to terminate the lease. After calculating the deposit and the remaining amount of the house, he asked for 20 yuan to be deducted as the outstanding utility bills (water, electricity, gas). Then he said he would go back and get the money himself.

Still shaken, Ding Chunmei stared at the dark stairwell entrance, her eyes filled with confusion and helplessness.

"How many days have you booked the White Swan Hotel?" Zhou Yi asked, lighting a cigarette.

"It's been open for three days for now, and it's... quite expensive over there."

Zhou Yi nodded. Just by looking at the hotel's class, he knew it wouldn't be cheap.

Moreover, hotels are not 100% safe, even though you need a room key to enter and exit and strangers need to register.

But if he really wanted to kill Ding Chunmei, he could just book a hotel room and come and go as he pleased.

"Officer Zhou, I..." Ding Chunmei was at a loss, hesitant to speak.

She has also realized what kind of trouble she has gotten herself into.

This is different from catching a thief on the pedestrian street back then; that was an impulsive act without time to think.

But now, it's like standing in a quagmire that's constantly sinking.

Zhou Yi exhaled a puff of smoke and asked, "You can choose to give up, as long as you leave Wu Guang. It's not too late now. As for Li Chong, don't worry, I will continue to investigate."

These words came from Zhou Yi's heart, but at the same time, they were also a test from him.

If Ding Chunmei gives up now, Zhou Yi will not think that she is deserting her post; on the contrary, it would be a wise choice.

But now that she's withdrawn, it's harder to find the mole within the newspaper.

Based on current observations, the retraction of the press release, the destruction of old materials, and the setup of Ding Chunmei were all done by an insider at the newspaper.

Finding this mole is of utmost importance.

Currently, the only valid clues are the mole within the newspaper and the license plate of the stalker's car.

Moreover, Ding Chunmei is more likely to find where Li Chong hid the document than he is. He believes that someone as intelligent as Li Chong would surely leave behind some clues to guide the way.

This clue might only be discovered by someone as familiar with him as Ding Chunmei.

Therefore, Zhou Yi was also conflicted. He needed to test her resolve, because once she made up her mind, there would be no turning back.

If you don’t succeed, you will succeed!
Upon hearing Zhou Yi's words, Ding Chunmei's eyes, which had been blank and at a loss, suddenly changed, becoming unusually firm.

Without the slightest hesitation, she gritted her teeth and replied, "I won't leave. My senior brother can't have died in vain! I'll do what he didn't finish!"

"What if you die?" Zhou Yi asked calmly.

Ding Chunmei smiled sadly: "Then I'll go down and keep him company."

Hearing this answer, Zhou Yi was slightly taken aback. This was probably the unique passion of young people. Older people, those who have experienced many hardships, often lack such determination because they consider too much and worry too much.

Then he stubbed out his cigarette and said, "Okay, I got it. Stay at the White Swan Hotel for two more days, then wait for my news."

Ding Chunmei nodded. She didn't know what Zhou Yi was planning to do, but she unconditionally trusted the young policeman who had once saved her life.

When she was at Hongcheng TV station, she personally witnessed him solving one major case after another.

To her, Zhou Yi was like a divine intervention, a pillar of strength that made her both admire and feel safe.

Just then, a police car pulled up, and two police officers got out, carrying toolboxes, and went upstairs.

Zhou Yi knew that the branch's technical department had come to investigate the scene.

Then, the landlord jogged over and settled the accounts with Ding Chunmei.

It doesn't matter whether the key is handed over or not, since the lock has already been broken anyway.

After the police left, Ding Chunmei checked what else she needed in the house, tidied it up, and that was the end of it.

Zhou Yi watched silently from the sidelines until everything was settled.

Finally, Ding Chunmei packed some clothes and left. When the two of them came out, it was almost five o'clock.

Ding Chunmei wanted to invite Zhou Yi to dinner, but Zhou Yi declined, telling her to go back and rest first, and to adjust her state, as he had other things to do.

After seeing Ding Chunmei off, Zhou Yi stood by the roadside, took out his phone, and found a number in his contacts.

A moment later, the call connected.

Zhou Yi immediately put on a smiling face and said, "Director Ni, this is Zhou Yi. I'm officially reporting for duty in Wuguang today."

"Yes, yes, I just arrived today. I accompanied Xiaoshuang back to her hometown in the Northwest at the end of last month, and we ended up staying there for a few days, so we're late. I just arrived this afternoon, and I just finished unpacking."

"No, no, if I had come on the 1st, would I have waited until today to call you? You are my former boss."

"Okay, I'll familiarize myself with the situation at the Municipal Bureau first, and then I'll visit you in a couple of days."

"Sure, if Director Ni is treating us to dinner, then I definitely have to go, hahaha."

"Alright then, you go ahead with your work."

After hanging up the phone, Zhou Yi chuckled to himself.

Back when he was in the Criminal Investigation Detachment of Hongcheng City Public Security Bureau, Ni Jianrong was arrogant and even made things difficult for Wu Yongcheng.

Unexpectedly, it has now become an asset that I need to rely on.

After all, it's not appropriate for me to investigate the situation of these people at the newspaper too deeply right now.

But as the director of the county bureau, Ni Jianrong could easily handle these matters if he was willing to help.

Moreover, Director Ni is now a comrade who is very eager to make progress.

Just then, a taxi drove by and stopped in front of Zhou Yi, asking, "Boss, need a taxi?"

Seeing that the driver was staring at his phone, Zhou Yi thought to himself that the driver was quite shrewd, and then waved his hand.

After the taxi drove away, Zhou Yi asked an old man passing by for directions to Fengxiu Road, since it was almost lunchtime and he decided to go and get a free meal.

Fortunately, it wasn't too far, and the old man was very kind, telling Zhou Yi where to take the bus, which stop to get off at, and how to get there.

Before navigation existed, many drivers and older people knew the city's roads like the back of their hand, unlike later on when people had no idea how to get around without using a mobile map.

After thanking the old man, Zhou Yi boarded the bus.

“Lane 803, Fengxiu Road, Building 7, Room 301…” Zhou Yi stood at the bottom of the building and looked up.

Compared to the neighborhood where Ding Chunmei previously rented, Mo Youyou's home was obviously much better.

There was a security guard at the main gate, and the environment in the community was quite good. The stairwells weren't too dark, and there were motion-sensor lights. Mo Youyou's apartment was a two-unit-per-floor building, which meant the apartment wasn't small.

They weren't exactly wealthy, but their family situation was fairly average for an urban resident.

If nothing goes wrong, such families can live a fairly stable life.

Zhou Yi went up to the third floor and knocked on the door of room 301.

But after waiting for a while, the door did not open.

However, it wasn't because no one was inside. In fact, despite the people inside being very careful, Zhou Yi still heard faint footsteps coming from behind the door.

It's understandable why the people inside were so cautious.

As Zhou Yi was going up the stairs, he noticed that there were traces of red paint splashed on the wall.

Although it has been covered with lime, traces are still left.

This must be the work of the debt collectors.

For ordinary people, this is tantamount to social death.

Suddenly, the door opened.

It was Mo Youyou who opened the door, and she saw Zhou Yi through the peephole.

Behind her was a woman in her forties who looked very much like her; she must have been her mother. Her eyes were filled with fear.

It was clearly her who tiptoed behind the door at first, probably afraid that the debt collectors would come and cause trouble again. Mo Youyou only opened the door after confirming that it was Zhou Yi.

"Officer Zhou." Mo Youyou had dark circles under her eyes, clearly indicating she hadn't slept well.

"well enough?"

Mo You nodded and invited Zhou Yi in, then introduced him to her mother.

Mo Youyou's mother wore a restrained and uneasy smile, clearly an honest and ordinary person.

This is an ordinary two-bedroom apartment. Although it has been cleaned, there are still many signs of vandalism inside.

"Mom, please pour Officer Zhou a glass of water. Officer Zhou, please have a seat."

Her mother belatedly realized what was happening and hurriedly ran to the kitchen.

"These people from the back haven't been here, have they?" Zhou Yi asked.

Mo Youyou shook her head.

"Where's your dad?"

“He went to work and should be back soon. My mom was worried about me being home alone, so she took the day off to stay with me.”

Zhou Yi nodded. It's normal. In this situation, which parent would feel at ease leaving a young woman at home alone?

"Officer Zhou, please have some water," Mo Youyou's mother said carefully, holding up a cup.

"Thank you, Auntie," Zhou Yi said, taking the bag. "Why don't we sit down and talk? I'll find out what's going on first."

The mother and daughter had just sat down when they heard the sound of a key turning in the lock.

A chubby middle-aged man opened the door and immediately saw Zhou Yi, a stranger. He didn't even bother to close the door and rushed over with a look of panic on his face.

Fortunately, Mo Youyou stopped him and shouted, "Dad, this is Officer Zhou, the one who helped us on the phone yesterday."

The middle-aged man was naturally Mo Youyou's father, Mo Hanrong.

"I'm so sorry, Officer Zhou. I thought it was those bastards again. I'm so sorry."

Once the door is closed, the entire family of three is there.

Looking at the expressions on their faces, Zhou Yi knew he wouldn't be getting a free meal today; clearly, none of them had much of an appetite.

"Uncle, Youyou and I are friends. If I can help with this, I will definitely do my best, but it depends on the specific circumstances." He didn't want to make any promises he couldn't keep.

"So, why don't you tell me what's going on first?"

Unexpectedly, Mo Hanrong sighed and said something that startled the other three people.

"Well, I guess it's not necessary anymore. The factory notified me today that Xiao Zhu has been found."

"It's a pity that he's already dead."

(End of this chapter)