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

Chapter 545 Newspaper Game
The fleeting figure Zhou Yi saw was Zhong Ming.

That disheveled and hunched figure could only belong to him.

Although Zhong Ming's mental state is not quite normal, it wouldn't be surprising if he did something.

But the fact that he was being spied on for no reason still made him feel very strange. Was he still doubting his own identity?

Or is there some other reason?
Zhou Yi really wanted to find some time to have a good chat with Captain Zhong, but he was afraid that they would be talking at cross purposes and wouldn't be able to have a proper conversation.

He closed the door again and then dialed Liang Wei's number.

"Captain Liang, this is Zhou Yi..."

……

As soon as Zhou Yi came out of the conference room, someone standing not far away saw him and hurriedly ran over.

Zhou Yi remembered that this young man was the partner Fang Jianqing had assigned to him, named Shen Jiale.

"Teacher Zhou, the team leader asked me to learn from you," Shen Jiale said respectfully.

Teacher? This is the first time I've heard this title since my rebirth.

Looking at Shen Jiale, he seemed to be about the same age as him, but there was a clear sense of naivety in his eyes as a new police officer, which reminded him of Officer Xia Yu from Anyuan.

Thinking of An Yuan reminded Zhou Yi of something.

Those were Anyuan's watermelons. Pan Hongjie kept his promise and personally drove over with Xia Yu at the end of July to deliver a truckload of watermelons.

It is said that each one has a thin skin, red flesh, and is juicy and sweet.

Why is it said that Zhou Yi didn't get to eat a single bite?

When Pan Hongjie and Xia Yu arrived, he had just gone to the Northwest. Naturally, the bureau ate the whole truckload of watermelons. After all, in the sweltering heat, watermelons were undoubtedly the best summer treat.

When Zhou Yi was handling Li Youqiang's case in Anyuan, he heard them say that Anyuan's watermelons were exceptional, but at the time, it wasn't the right season, so he couldn't get any even if he wanted to.

The watermelon was delivered, but he still couldn't eat it, which made him even more curious about what the Anyuan watermelon tasted like.

"Teacher Zhou, the marching team gave us a vehicle. Where do you think we should go next?"

Shen Jiale's voice pulled Zhou Yi out of her thoughts.

"Hey, Jiale, please don't call me teacher. I feel unworthy of that title. I reckon we're about the same age."

Shen Jiale scratched his head sheepishly and said, "I've only been in the team for a year and I don't have much experience. Team leader Fang said that you, Teacher Zhou, have a lot of experience in solving major cases and have even received a first-class merit award, so it's only right that we call you 'teacher'."

Zhou Yi scratched his nose. It's only been a year, so you're saying it's the same as mine?
I was thinking of saying that we're the same age, and I've only been working for a year, so of course it's in this lifetime.

But they've already flattered themselves so much, they're practically welding themselves to death.

He decided not to argue anymore. Fang Jianqing arranged a young partner for him and told the young man to learn from him, which showed how much Cao Anmin valued him. So it was like arranging someone to serve him.

This kind of thing isn't suitable for veteran police officers to handle. After all, Zhou Yi is too young, and given the rumors of nepotism, it's inevitable that those with more experience will disagree with him when their opinions differ.

"Let's go to the newspaper office first and get this news settled as soon as possible. Before we send it out, we need to have the article reviewed by the boss to avoid any problems."

"Okay, I'll do whatever Teacher Zhou says."

Just now, in addition to calling Liang Wei, Zhou Yi also paged Ding Chunmei. He waited so long to come out because he was waiting for her to call back.

Upon hearing Zhou Yi's plea for help, Liang Wei, the experienced criminal investigation expert, immediately asked astutely, "Wu Guang's case is quite serious. Should we get involved?"

This means that the provincial public security department's major crime squad intervened and provided guidance on the case handling.

Zhou Yi quickly said that the investigation was still in progress and the identity of the deceased had not yet been confirmed. He would ask Zhou Yi, the Buddha, to come out of seclusion if they encountered any obstacles or if the case reached a dead end.

Liang Wei smiled and said, "Have Wu Guang submit the DNA testing application; I'll arrange it myself."

Although he didn't say anything, Zhou Yi couldn't even see a single expression or look in his eyes.

But Zhou Yi had a feeling that Liang Wei had already understood his unspoken message.

After making the first call, Zhou Yi left a message on Ding Chunmei's pager.

Tell her to call him back as soon as possible.

After waiting for about seven or eight minutes, just when he thought he wouldn't get a call anytime soon and was about to leave, his phone rang.

The call was from Ding Chunmei, and the background noise didn't sound like it was coming from indoors.

When Zhou Yi asked, Ding Chunmei was indeed not at the newspaper office, but was out reporting news.

Reporters are field staff, and their work schedule is flexible.

In the days before the internet was widespread, journalists were like superhuman speedsters, relying on their keen sense of smell to run around everywhere looking for news.

Of course, because the internet was not well-developed, reporters still had to frequently go to the office in order to submit press releases.

Although Ding Chunmei went to the Wuguang Metropolitan Daily to investigate Li Chong's death, she had to work hard and produce results in order to stay there until she achieved her goal.

Ding Chunmei said she hadn't returned to the newspaper office since she left yesterday. Although she didn't say why, Zhou Yi knew she was scared.

For ordinary people, fear and courage are not contradictory, but when courage overcomes fear, it is the moment when humanity shines.

Zhou Yi told her to return to the newspaper office in half an hour, because she would be there.

"Officer Zhou, have you... found anything?" Ding Chunmei asked nervously, standing in the public phone booth.

"Not so fast, but I've already found a suitable reason to contact people at the newspaper."

"I understand. Is there anything I need to do?"

"need."

"Officer Zhou, you can speak now."

"When the time comes, pretend to be my girlfriend."

Ding Chunmei thought she had misheard, staring blankly for two seconds before asking, "Officer Zhou, you...you mean you want me to pretend to be your girlfriend?"

"Well, not only will you have to pretend to be my girlfriend in front of the people at the newspaper, but we'll also be moving in together soon. Ding Chunmei, I've found a suitable apartment in a neighborhood near our municipal bureau. It's a two-bedroom, one-living room place, and you and I will share it."

Ding Chunmei held the phone receiver, her mind racing as she processed Zhou Yi's words.

Pretending to be a couple, pretending to live together—it sounds like something ambiguous, but Zhou Yi's tone was full of seriousness.

Suddenly, she understood and asked, "Officer Zhou, are you trying to protect me this way?"

"Yes!" Zhou Yi replied, "This is the only solution I can think of right now."

"But wouldn't that expose you?" She still vividly remembered the meeting at the White Swan Hotel yesterday, and how Zhou Yi had used his methods to shake off the people following her.

But if they do this now, Zhou Yi will become a target for the murderer, just like her.

She knew that police officers were not gods. When she was in college, she saw a set of shocking statistics on the number of police officers who died in the line of duty each year and the reasons for their deaths.

No matter how capable Zhou Yi is, he can't escape the killer's sneak attacks.

"Officer Zhou, I think we should probably..."

Before she could finish speaking, Zhou Yi's words brought tears to her eyes instantly.

"Ding Chunmei, I'm a police officer, and I was standing in the sun."

"Thank you... thank you Officer Zhou... thank you..."

……

"Teacher Zhou, I heard you mention in the meeting that you have a friend at the Wuguang City Daily," Shen Jiale, who was driving, asked. "Is it a leader at the newspaper?"

Because in his eyes, Zhou Yi is now a very powerful person, so it's reasonable for him to know some leaders.

"No, I don't know any newspaper leaders. It's just that my girlfriend works there."

"Really?" Shen Jiale was surprised. Wasn't this young Teacher Zhou Wu Guang who had just arrived yesterday? But he didn't dare to ask any more questions.

"Brother Jiale, are you usually busy with work?"

"It's alright. I'm on the Fang team's side. Team Leader Gao's side is usually busier."

"Captain Gao is in charge..."

"Oh, Captain Gao is in charge of frequently occurring cases, such as robbery, fraud, and human trafficking, which are serious cases that do not result in death."

"I understand. Are there many organized criminal gangs around here?" Zhou Yi asked casually.

"It's alright... We busted a bunch of cases during last year's crackdown, but it seems like there haven't been any big cases this year. However, I just started working last year, so I didn't have the chance to participate in the operations, which is a bit of a pity."

"It's alright. With a platform like the Municipal Public Security Bureau's branch, you won't lack experience in the future. It's already impressive that you were able to join the branch at such a young age."

Shen Jiale said shyly, "Actually, it's my uncle..."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yi immediately interrupted him by feigning a cough.

This young man is quite straightforward; you can't just tell everyone you meet that you have connections at home.

"By the way, during your crackdown last year, did you take down any particularly big or well-known criminals?" Zhou Yi used the question to change the subject.

Because the crackdown was initiated at the national level, the archives from that period are filed separately as special archives.

Zhou Yi didn't know much about this in his previous life.

"Let me think..." Shen Jiale pondered for a moment and said, "I think I heard my uncle... I heard from an elder that a criminal gang was executed last year, and the leader was named Du Jinshan."

"Du Jinshan? What exactly does he do?" Zhou Yi didn't recognize the name.

"He's a gang leader with a bunch of henchmen. I heard that this group is involved in all sorts of evil deeds, such as murder, intentional injury, extortion, provoking trouble, forced transactions, and so on. They seem to have been entrenched at a certain dock for a long time, causing a very bad influence."

Shen Jiale said in a serious tone, "Anyway, I heard that five members of this gang were executed by firing squad."

"Really?" Zhou Yi exclaimed in surprise. "That's a bloodbath."

Although the sentences are usually more severe during the crackdown period in order to deter criminals, the fact that five members of a gang were executed is enough to show how heinous the gang was.

Then Zhou Yi remembered Ding Chunmei's mention of the dock restructuring yesterday, and wondered if it was related to last year's crackdown. He then asked Shen Jiale, "Was our Wuguang dock a major area for security problems before?"

"I'm not too sure about that," Shen Jiale said embarrassedly. "I haven't had much contact with it."

"Oh, that's how it is."

Seeing Zhou Yi's indifferent reaction, Shen Jiale quickly said, "Teacher Zhou, if you want to know, how about I ask the team leader later?"

"No, no, I was just asking." Zhou Yi thought to himself that the young man was too eager.

"Teacher Zhou, the newspaper building is just ahead," Shen Jiale said, pointing to a building at the end of the road.

Zhou Yi looked at it; although it wasn't as tall as Hongcheng TV Station, it was still a building with more than ten floors.

This building is where Li Chong met his end.

"Is a newspaper office really that big?" Zhou Yi muttered curiously.

However, he soon found out the reason: this building housed not only the Wu Guang Metropolitan Daily, but also several publishing houses, magazines, and cultural companies, all of which belonged to a news media group.

Judging from the neat and uniform signs on the wall of the lobby on the first floor, Zhou Yi was certain that the integration and reorganization must have been completed within the last two years.

This means that the building is a chaotic place with a large number of people coming and going, and there is no strict management system.

Zhou Yi looked up and glanced at every corner of the hall; there were no security cameras.

Li Chong died at the end of June, which is more than a month ago. Without surveillance footage, what exactly happened that night is probably only known to heaven, earth, and the murderer.

"Teacher Zhou, should we go up directly, or wait for your girlfriend to come down and pick us up?" Shen Jiale asked.

"Let's go up. I'm not sure if she's reported back to the newspaper."

"Okay." Shen Jiale said, running ahead to the elevator and pressing the button.

Just then, the elevator arrived, and he blocked the elevator door to let Zhou Yi go first.

"Thank you." Although this person might have gotten the job through connections, he was sincere and humble, and not at all annoying.

The Wuguang Metropolitan Daily is on the ninth floor. After exiting the elevator, the newspaper's golden signboard immediately comes into view.

It seems there is no other unit on this entire floor.

"Who are you looking for?" A woman with glasses and curly hair came out of the elevator with them and asked when she noticed that they had stopped.

"Hello, we are from the Municipal Public Security Bureau," Zhou Yi said, showing his identification. "We are looking for Qi Dongqiang."

"Oh, you're looking for Editor-in-Chief Qi? Let me see if he's here. Or, officers, would you like to have a seat?" There was a reception desk and a sofa by the door.

"Thank you, please."

Zhou Yi did not sit down, but looked around at the surroundings. Opposite the elevator was the fire escape.

He reached out and pushed the stairs, glancing at the dark, solid floorboards.

Suddenly, the sound of another elevator door opening came from behind, and then a familiar voice called out, "Brother Zhou..."

When Zhou Yi turned around, it was Ding Chunmei, her cheeks were covered in sweat, and her hair was stuck to her face with the sweat.

He had obviously rushed back.

"I just arrived too," Zhou Yi said with a smile.

Then he introduced her: "This is my colleague, Officer Shen. This is my girlfriend, Ding Chunmei."

Upon hearing this introduction, Ding Chunmei appeared somewhat embarrassed and could only cover up her awkwardness by greeting Shen Jiale.

Shen Jiale didn't notice anything amiss and warmly shook hands with her.

Zhou Yi thought to himself, Ding Chunmei's acting skills aren't very good.

Just then, the sound of hurried leather footsteps approached, and a man's voice asked urgently, "Where? Where are you?"

Then a middle-aged man appeared, followed by the woman from before.

The middle-aged man's expression changed immediately when he saw the two strangers standing with Ding Chunmei.

But he immediately smiled and asked, "Excuse me, are you two police officers from the Municipal Public Security Bureau?"

Zhou Yi didn't say anything, and didn't even really look at him.

Upon seeing this, Shen Jiale spoke up: "Yes, we are from the Criminal Investigation Division of the Municipal Public Security Bureau. My surname is Shen."

"Oh, Officer Shen, hello, hello." The man extended his hands and introduced himself, "I am the editor-in-chief of our Wuguang Metropolitan Daily. My surname is Qi, Qi Dongqiang."

This Qi Dongqiang is less than 1.7 meters tall, has an average appearance, is slightly overweight, wears glasses, and has a noticeable beer belly.

He looked at Zhou Yi, then at Ding Chunmei, and asked cautiously, "Xiao Ding, do you... know these two police officers?"

Just as Ding Chunmei was about to speak, Zhou Yi took a step forward, blocking her way, and at the same time took out his ID from his pocket and showed it to Qi Dongqiang.

"Editor-in-Chief Qi, my surname is Zhou, and this is my identification."

"Officer Zhou, you..."

Before Qi Dongqiang could finish speaking, Zhou Yi glanced at Ding Chunmei, then reached out and took her hand, smiling as he said, "I'm Chunmei's boyfriend. I'm so grateful to Editor-in-Chief Qi for taking care of my Chunmei."

Qi Dongqiang was visibly taken aback. He looked at Zhou Yi, then at Ding Chunmei, and then at the two of them holding hands.

Then, with a smile, she said to Ding Chunmei in a reproachful tone, "Xiao Ding, why didn't you tell me you had such an excellent boyfriend? You kept it so well hidden."

Ding Chunmei immediately used a smile to cover up her nervousness.

Zhou Yi calmly said, "It's okay, we'll find out today."

"Yes, yes, we are both units that serve the people, so we should strengthen our ties and visit each other often," Qi Dongqiang said warmly. "Why don't you two officers come to my office for a chat and a cup of tea? Having a cup of tea shouldn't violate any rules, right? Xiao Ding, perfect timing, come along too."

Ding Chunmei looked at Zhou Yi with a questioning gaze, and Zhou Yi nodded slightly at her.

"Then I'll have to trouble Editor-in-Chief Qi," Zhou Yi said.

"Officer Zhou, you're too kind. This way, please." Qi Dongqiang clearly had a lot of experience receiving leaders; his gesture of invitation was quite standard.

Then he saw that Shen Jiale didn't move, but instead called out "Teacher Zhou".

Qi Dongqiang thought to himself, "As expected, this guy surnamed Zhou is the real leader."

Zhou Yi let go of Ding Chunmei's hand. After all, they were on official business, and even if they were "partners," holding hands like this would only arouse suspicion.

As they walked forward, Zhou Yi secretly leaned close to Ding Chunmei's ear and whispered, "Your hands are a bit sweaty."

Ding Chunmei clenched her fists, remained silent, and blushed slightly in embarrassment.

But to Qi Dongqiang, who was standing to the side, this scene was just an intimate moment between a young couple. His eyes flickered, as if there was something deeper in them.

But when Zhou Yi turned his head, he immediately switched to a smiling face: "Officer Zhou, this way please."

Qi Dongqiang's office was small, only about four or five square meters, and it was filled with books and newspapers.

It was already a bit crowded and messy, and with four people suddenly joining, it became even more cramped.

"Sorry, it's a bit messy." Qi Dongqiang said as he tidied up, inviting them to sit down.

Upon discovering that a chair was missing, they immediately peeked out and called for someone to bring one over.

Then he rummaged through a corner of the desk and pulled out a tea set, and got to work.

Zhou Yi remained calm as he watched the man pull out half a bag of premium Longjing tea, which he claimed was reserved for distinguished guests. He then watched the man brew the tea in a thermos and politely serve it to the three of them.

Ding Chunmei and Shen Jiale both said thank you, while Zhou Yi simply nodded slightly.

Qi Dongqiang waited with a smile for the three to praise him, but Zhou Yi only took a sip and frowned slightly.

Editor-in-Chief Qi felt a sudden tightness in his chest. Little did he know that Zhou Yi's every move was purposeful, laying the groundwork for his true objective.

"Editor-in-Chief Qi, the tea is good, thank you for your hospitality." Zhou Yi put down the half-cup of tea and said, "We're here today to ask your newspaper for a favor."

"Help? Specifically... in what way?"

Zhou Yi briefly explained the purpose of his trip, which was simply to ask them to write a report to assist the police in handling the case.

The matter was actually quite small, but Qi Dongqiang was puzzled: Since he asked us for help, why was this guy surnamed Zhou acting so arrogantly? What was his background?
“Officer Zhou, this is no problem. Your public security bureau just needs to issue a relevant requirement, and we'll report it to the leadership of the publishing house. It's a piece of cake, a piece of cake.” Qi Dongqiang pointed to Ding Chunmei and said, “This matter can be handled by Xiao Ding. I'll pay Xiao Ding the highest possible fee.”

A reporter's income, besides a basic salary, mainly comes from piecework fees. Qi Dongqiang was just giving Zhou Yi face.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Yi waved his hand, reached into his pocket, and said, "I think there's someone very suitable who can write this article."

As he spoke, he placed a business card in front of Qi Dongqiang.

The other three people in the office reacted differently when they saw the business card.

Shen Jiale was curious about the information on the business card.

Ding Chunmei was so nervous that her heart was about to jump out of her throat, but she had to pretend to be calm and could only pinch her thigh desperately where no one could see.

When Qi Dongqiang saw the name on the business card, his eye twitched slightly.

This photo is of Li Chong's business card, which Zhou Yi obtained from Aunt Ding.

Qi Dongqiang stared at the business card for a second, then looked up with a puzzled expression and asked, "Officer Zhou, what... does this mean?"

“I think this reporter, Li, is the most suitable to write this article,” Zhou Yi said with a smile.

"Oh dear..." Qi Dongqiang said with a troubled expression, "I'm afraid that's a bit difficult. Reporter Li... he's no longer here."

Zhou Yi feigned ignorance and asked, "Oh, did you change jobs?"

Qi Dongqiang pointed upwards with one finger and said, "More than a month ago, reporter Li committed suicide by jumping off the roof."

"What?" Zhou Yi asked in shock, "Why would someone commit suicide out of the blue?"

“I don’t know the specifics, but I heard it was a relationship dispute that caused him to have a moment of despair.”

(End of this chapter)