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

Chapter 552 Young Girl Bai Lin (2941 Prize Redemption)
Zhou Yi hadn't noticed that detail before.

I was about to let this guy go when I suddenly remembered something the driver had said earlier.

—This is good cigarette, imported, you can't buy it anywhere else.

It's imported; you can't even buy it elsewhere!
Besides being illegally smuggled, where else could they have come from?

"Let me see your cigarette!"

"Cigarettes?" The driver was taken aback. "Oh, okay."

The driver took out his cigarette case, pulled one out, and handed it to him.

Zhou Yi shook his head and said, "Give me the whole bag."

The driver assumed Zhou Yi liked to smoke, so he quickly handed him the cigarette pack, saying, "Brother, if you like to smoke, I have more here, a little over half a pack, you can take them all."

Zhou Yi took the cigarette box and looked at it. Sure enough, it was a foreign cigarette with an elegant blue packaging and English printed on it.

Zhou Yi doesn't smoke much, and he doesn't know much about imported cigarettes; at most, he only knows about Marlboro and the like.

What's the name of this cigarette?

The driver shook his head, shaking his cheek: "I don't know, I don't recognize these foreign words."

"You dare to smoke me if you don't even know me?"

"Mainly because it's expensive, but it's prestigious to take out."

"How much is a pack?"

The driver said with a hint of pride, "We don't sell by the package here; we sell them whole."

How much is one?

The driver gestured and said, "Eight hundred."

Zhou Yi's heart skipped a beat. Although he didn't smoke much, he was aware of the current prices.

Wu Yongcheng smokes Daqianmen cigarettes for only thirty yuan a carton, while the more expensive Hongtashan cigarettes cost at most one hundred yuan, and even the best soft Zhonghua cigarettes cost three or four hundred yuan a carton.

This foreign cigarette brand, I don't even know, costs 800 yuan a carton.

Zhou Yi didn't know if it was good or bad, but it was clearly in demand.

These nouveau riche, who had enjoyed the benefits of the reform and opening-up era, began to create market demand for these high-priced items for the sake of face and vanity.

There's really nothing wrong with it; money earned from society flows back into society, which is part of the economic cycle.

The problem is that if the foreign cigarettes and liquors consumed by these nouveau riche are all illegally smuggled goods, then this money is essentially flowing from society through the hands of the nouveau riche into the hands of some even more shady individuals.

That's the biggest problem. It not only disrupts the normal market economy in the country, but also causes the wealth of the people and the country to flow into private pockets and even flow out of the country.

This is the enormous harm caused by smuggling.

Previously, Qian Hongxing had helped Zhou Yi find out about Du Jun, and Zhou Yi's focus at the time was on Du Jun's connection with the Golden Phoenix Nightclub.

But after arriving in Wu Guang, he suddenly thought of a problem: smuggling requires ports and docks.

Hongcheng is an inland city, and its only water source is the Nansha River. Although there are many docks on the Nansha River, they can only be used for cargo transshipment and not for smuggling.

Wuguang is located by the sea and has many ports and wharves. Trade and transportation through these ports are one of the lifelines of the local economy.

Wu Guang, who is adjacent to Hongcheng, is very likely the source of these smuggled cigarettes and alcohol.

Wu Guang is not directly under the customs authority, but is subordinate to it. This, coupled with information about the rampant gangs at the docks during last year's crackdown, further supports this.

Zhou Yi felt that the shady dealings in the smuggling of cigarettes and alcohol might actually have originated with Wu Guang.

"Where did you buy it?" Zhou Yi asked.

The driver's expression immediately changed, realizing that something seemed wrong; it seemed the policeman wasn't after two packs of cigarettes.

"Friend...".

"Which friend? Introduce me to them, please," Zhou Yi said with a smile.

Suddenly, the driver seemed to realize something, "Wait a minute, it's not illegal for me to buy cigarettes and smoke them, why am I afraid of you?"

“Yes, if you only buy these smuggled cigarettes for your own consumption, it doesn’t constitute a crime. At most, our law enforcement agencies will confiscate the smuggled goods.” Zhou Yi put his hand on the car door and pointed inside the car, saying, “But you are illegally possessing a controlled knife in your car, which will subject you to administrative penalties.”

The driver's face changed, and he stammered, "I...I don't...have anything in my car..."

Zhou Yi said impatiently, "Alright, your expression when I asked you just now already gave you away. There's no stolen goods or drugs in your car, but you definitely have a controlled knife hidden in there. Take it out."

The driver tried to argue, but Zhou Yi pulled something out and waved it in front of him.

The little girl standing next to her turned pale with fright.

The driver immediately cowered when he saw the handcuffs in Zhou Yi's hand that gleamed in the sunlight.

He quickly pulled a watermelon knife wrapped in newspaper from the gap next to the car seat and handed it to Zhou Yi, saying, "I...I just used this for self-defense, in case I encounter bad people."

Zhou Yi took it and looked at it. It was a watermelon knife, about 30 or 40 centimeters long, already sharpened, with a very sharp edge.

"You look like a bad person to me."

The driver was terrified and quickly whispered, "Officer, I'll tell you the truth about the cigarettes... but could you please be lenient about the knife?"

In fact, for a long time to come, people with some experience in the underworld will usually keep some weapons in their cars.

For example, in 2018, a famous gangster known as "Brother Long" in a certain mountain area was found to have a nearly 60-centimeter-long controlled knife hidden in his car.

I originally thought it would be enough to intimidate ordinary people and scare them so much they'd wet themselves.

As a result, he was killed by the electrician on a bicycle and was eventually sent down to the underworld as a reward for his service.

So if you really want to investigate this kind of thing, you can find a lot of things. Generally, as long as you don't take it out, the police don't have the energy to deal with it.

"It depends on your performance," Zhou Yi said casually.

The driver immediately understood and quickly told Zhou Yi everything, including where he bought the cigarettes, the man's name, and his phone number.

After listening to the story, Zhou Yi roughly understood what had happened.

The man selling cigarettes was nicknamed Old K. He was a smuggler who specialized in selling high-end cigarettes and alcohol to these nouveau riche.

As for the specific origins of these cigarettes and alcohol, the buyers wouldn't ask, since that's the rule of the underworld.

Zhou Yi nodded and held out his hand, saying, "Business card."

"This kid doesn't have a business card. We all call him, and he'll bring it over."

"I'll give you your business card. If I find out you lied later, I'll come after you."

The driver reluctantly handed his business card to Zhou Yi while swearing an oath.

Zhou Yi looked at it and found no problem; the name on the business card matched the name on the driver's license. So he let the other person leave.

The driver breathed a sigh of relief and sped off.

After leaving the art school and turning east, I drove past two intersections before I dared to start cursing.

Seeing him grit his teeth in hatred, the girl in the passenger seat timidly reached out her slender, fair hand to put it on his shoulder and said, "Brother, calm down."

The driver turned his fat face around, looked the girl up and down, and finally his gaze fell on the girl's chest.

His eyes were like a volcano of anger and desire, ready to erupt at any moment.

He gritted his teeth and said, "Just wait and see how I deal with you later!"

The girl was so frightened that she quickly withdrew her hand, lowered her head, and let her long hair fall down to cover her terrified eyes.

The driver stepped on the accelerator and sped away.

At school, Zhou Yi held half a carton of imported cigarettes and a watermelon knife wrapped in newspaper.

The little incident that just happened caught the attention of some students and teachers nearby, and some even went to notify the security guards.

When the security guard came over and was about to ask him what he was doing, he saw the knife handle sticking out of the newspaper sheath and was so frightened that he took several steps back.

Zhou Yi showed his identification and then asked the security guard to find him a plastic bag to put the things in his hands.

It's really inappropriate to carry these things around like that while we're at school.

There's no rush to deal with Old K, the smuggler of cigarettes, later. The case started in Hongcheng, and Shi Tao was extremely frustrated because of the lack of progress.

We can share this lead with him later, and it might even lead to a joint law enforcement operation between Hongcheng and Wuguang.

Zhou Yi continued wandering around with his plastic bag, but his mind was on something else.

It seems that Director Wang from the teaching affairs office is hiding some information from me.

That burly driver and his god-sister, who's twenty years younger than him, clearly have an improper relationship.

This is not surprising; some social problems have existed for a long time.

For example, there are always some young and beautiful girls who, in order to overspend, out of vanity, or to become mistresses of wealthy men, pay for things they are unaware of the costs and consequences that will bring.

These things may not conform to the public's moral standards, but they are not illegal; they are purely personal choices.

Zhou Yi naturally had no say in such matters.

The problem is that the Audi had clearly been here before, so does that mean Wang Xinkai's sports car can also come in?

Was Director Wang truly unaware of the situation, or was he concealing something?

Or is it that situations like the Audi are actually quite common and unremarkable at this art school?

The values ​​in that place are somewhat problematic.

As Zhou Yi walked, he came to a building with a musical staff relief at the entrance, from which came bursts of music.

The building is not tall, only four stories. Judging from the signs on the wall, it mainly consists of music classrooms, multimedia classrooms, and an auditorium.

The long corridor in the center of the first floor has display windows on both sides, showing the awards and honors that the school's students have won over the years.

There were many young faces, their eyes shining, holding up certificates, medals, and taking photos with their teachers.

Zhou Yi's gaze swept casually over the area.

Suddenly, his gaze fell on a photograph.

He never expected to see Bai Lin here.

The Bai Lin in the photo should only be a teenager. Although she still looks young and a bit immature, her pretty face and delicate features are exactly the same as the Bai Lin of today.

But Zhou Yi sensed something different about his demeanor.

In the photo, Bai Lin, a young girl, is wearing a simple school uniform and has her hair tied in a ponytail, but she exudes a pure and innocent charm that is untainted by the world around her.

She held up a medal and posed for a photo with her teacher, beaming.

Bai Lin now looks even more beautiful than in the photos, and has gained a more mature and feminine charm.

But beneath her seemingly innocent demeanor lurked a hint of unsettling eeriness.

Is it a change that occurred after falling into the big melting pot of society?
"Hello," someone suddenly called out from behind.

Zhou Yi turned around and saw a woman in her forties wearing glasses.

"Excuse me, teacher, could you do me a favor?" The woman smiled and pointed to a large box in front of her. "Could you help me carry it upstairs? My back isn't very good, and I can't carry it by myself."

Zhou Yi felt that the middle-aged woman in front of him looked familiar. After taking a closer look, he realized that she was Bai Lin's mentor in the photo in the shop window behind him, only her hairstyle had changed and her face looked a bit older.

"Okay, leave it to me." Zhou Yi quickly went over to move the box. It was indeed a bit heavy, but it was a minor issue for Zhou Yi.

"I can manage on my own. Where should I move to? Could you show me the way?"

Seeing that Zhou Yi had easily lifted the box, the female teacher immediately thanked her repeatedly, then told Zhou Yi to watch his step while leading the way.

Finally, Zhou Yi moved the box to a classroom on the third floor.

"Thank you so much. I really don't know what I would have done today without you. You've worked so hard."

Zhou Yi clapped his hands and laughed, "It was nothing, you're welcome."

"Young man, what major do you teach? I don't think I've seen you before."

"Oh, I am not a teacher at your school."

The female teacher was taken aback. Zhou Yi had already used the phrase "your esteemed school," so he was clearly not from the school.

"Then you are..."

"I'm a police officer, here on official business at your school." Zhou Yi said, subtly flashing his identification.

Upon hearing that they were police officers, the female teacher immediately relaxed, her previously slightly tense expression disappearing.

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry, I hope I didn't take up too much of your time, officer?"

"It's nothing, I just happen to be free. I'm waiting for Director Wang from your teaching affairs office to help me find some materials."

"That's good, that's good, thank you."

"Are you Teacher Liu Yuqin?"

The female teacher was very surprised: "You...know me?"

"I don't know you. I just saw your photo in the shop window on the first floor, and your name was next to it."

Liu Yuqin immediately breathed a sigh of relief: "You scared me! I thought I had made some mistake."

"No, no, Teacher Liu, don't be nervous," Zhou Yi said with a smile. "Teacher Liu, Bai Lin... is she your student?"

Upon hearing Bai Lin's name, Liu Yuqin was visibly taken aback.

Then he countered with, "What, you... know Xiaobai?"

Zhou Yi nodded: "Yeah, I'd say we're friends."

"Oh, Xiaobai is indeed my student," Liu Yuqin asked with concern. "How is she now...?"

Zhou Yi found Liu Yuqin's reaction somewhat strange, sensing that she both cared about Bai Lin and was afraid to hear news about her.

Logically speaking, the students who win awards and whom you mentor should be your favorite students.

But Liu Yuqin's reaction was clearly a bit off.

Zhou Yi immediately realized that there might be something hidden here.

But he didn't rush to ask further questions. Instead, he calmly replied, "Teacher Bai is doing well now."

"Teacher Bai?" Liu Yuqin asked in surprise, "Xiao Bai is a teacher now?"

"Yes, she said she's now a music teacher at the No. 1 Middle School near the Municipal Public Security Bureau."

Liu Yuqin listened with an expression of disbelief.

Zhou Yi tentatively asked, "Teacher Liu, what's wrong? Is there a problem?"

Liu Yuqin murmured, "That can't be, Xiaobai hasn't graduated yet."

"Didn't graduate?"

"As far as I know, the recruitment requirements for No. 1 High School are very high. Given Xiaobai's situation, she probably won't be able to become a teacher at No. 1 High School."

Zhou Yi pointed downstairs and said, "I saw in the shop window downstairs that she won some kind of first prize, so how come she didn't graduate?"

Bai Lin's family owns two apartments in a high-quality neighborhood in the city center, which means they are definitely not under financial pressure.

She has good grades in her major and a clean and pure look in the photos.

Logically speaking, there's no reason why she shouldn't graduate.

Even if a student has to temporarily suspend their studies due to health reasons, the policy allows them to continue their studies.

Faced with Zhou Yi's question, Liu Yuqin sighed with a pained expression: "Sigh, I can't bring myself to say this."

Zhou Yi quickly tried to persuade him with kind words, after all, it was frustrating to hear someone stifle their chance at the last minute.

“I’m ashamed to admit that I failed to educate my students properly when something like this happened to one of my students,” Liu Yuqin said sadly. “But you’re a police officer, so it’s no big deal to tell you.”

"Xiaobai was fired because she... she was selling sex."

(End of this chapter)