Ita Era

Chapter 138

Su Su asked, "How's it going on your end?"

Ding Shi checked the system time: "Still being tortured."

Su Su: "Have you caught the suspect?"

Ding Shi said, "Looking at the overall situation of the case, I arrested the right person, but it's not a good thing."

Ding Shi introduced his case, saying, "It's basically certain that Chen Ergou sold his daughter, but the way he did it is strange. Usually, when selling a daughter, you take her to town to play and then sell her. In this case, Chen Ergou wasn't directly involved in the transaction, but rather he arranged for his daughter to arrive at a specific place at a specific time. I speculate that the buyer didn't want Chen Ergou to know his identity."

Ding Shi: "According to Zheng's testimony, after Da Ya went out, Chen Er Gou did not follow her, but went back to his room to continue sleeping. Therefore, I felt something was wrong, and it would be difficult to find Da Ya. No, it should be very difficult."

Su Su suggested, "There are certain types of buildings in the county and town; could they have been sold there?"

Ding Shi: "That would be even more troublesome. People who can open certain buildings are all people with connections, and it would be difficult for me to infiltrate them in a short period of time. This case clearly tells me that if I can't find Da Ya before 8 a.m. the day after tomorrow, it will be absolutely impossible to find Da Ya during the deduction phase."

Su Su asked, "You're not going to let your emotions get the better of you, are you? They're just NPCs, albeit very realistic ones."

Ding Shi said, "Not at the moment, but I can't guarantee that I won't kill a few people."

Su Su smiled and said, "I know you have the strongest sense of justice, which is why I told you not to act on your emotions. Contact me if you need anything; all I have left is to inspect the exam venues."

Wang Meng's voice came through the walkie-talkie: "Call iodine."

Su Su and Ding Shi looked at each other, and Ding Shi asked, "Do you have a code name?" Why don't I have one?

Before Su Su could answer, Wang Meng said, "Clerk... damn it, Ding Shi, come to the drill ground."

Ding Shi took out a walkie-talkie: "Sir, sir, sir."

Wang Meng: "Now that you know, Clerk, come help me catch the traitor."

Ding Shi declined, saying, "I'm busy."

Wang Meng: "I'll wait for you."

Ding Shi stood up: "I'll go take a look."

Leaving the yamen, they entered the teleportation array and headed to the drill ground north of the town. Wang Meng rode a tall horse, accompanied by two deputies, NPCs gifted by the system who were absolutely loyal and knowledgeable in military affairs. Unfortunately, they only knew how to carry out orders and not how to catch traitors.

Five hundred people stood on the drill ground, of all shapes and sizes, creating a sea of ​​people. Wang Meng wanted to select 100 soldiers and 20 quick-witted individuals from among them. The soldiers would mainly be used for bandit suppression and guarding the city gates, while the quick-witted individuals would be used to apprehend thieves. If needed, the quick-witted individuals could also be mobilized.

Ding Shi appeared, took the megaphone from Wang Meng, and walked onto the reviewing stand. Without any formalities, he loudly proclaimed, "The first thing a soldier must do is obey orders. You must do whatever your superior tells you to do. Now, I'm going to give the order... Everyone, sit down."

The seven men squatted down for a moment and then stood up again. Because the others looked at each other and did not immediately carry out the order, they were all people without military experience and had some resistance to sitting on the dirty ground.

Ding Shi said, "Those seven should be driven out."

Wang Meng dismounted and went on stage, asking, "Are you sure?"

Ding Shi: "How can we be sure about this?" The herd mentality is an animal instinct.

Wang Meng gave his deputy an order, and with the help of advanced technology, the seven people vanished. The system streamlined unnecessary procedures as much as possible, giving players more time to prepare. Even when Yu Yuan met the landlord and merchant, there were no pleasantries; he went straight to the point. The maid's speed in boiling water was equivalent to her speed in fetching water.

Ding Shi said, "Next, examine their hands and check their previous professions to see if they match the calluses. Whether they were bandits, landlords, or princesses, they were all skilled, and their hands would most likely have calluses from long-term weapon training."

Wang Meng asked, "Putting aside the traitor, what suggestions do you have for selecting personnel?" The Dragon Gang doesn't have a personnel department.

Ding Shi said, “Select them according to the method for choosing black slaves. First, look at their teeth; people with good teeth have good digestive systems. Second, have them take a bath to see if they have ulcers or other skin diseases. Next, look at the soles of their feet and eliminate those with flat feet. Finally, have them do a 20-meter shuttle run; if they are too out of breath, discard them. Prioritize those with large frames.”

Ding Shi checked the time and tossed the megaphone to Wang Meng: "I have to go, I'm busy."

Ding Shi took a few steps, stopped, and turned back, saying, "Actually, it doesn't matter if there's a traitor. You can issue a wrong order and then issue a correct one. Traitors don't have the ability to distinguish between real and false orders; their job is to report both. Once you're on the battlefield, it's your comfort zone—no different from leading your underlings to kill people. When you're far from the enemy, charge ahead: 'Brothers, follow me!' When you're close to the enemy, stay behind and act as the rearguard: 'Brothers, charge!'"

Wang Meng said, "I've always been at the forefront."

Ding Shi chuckled: "Then good luck, but be careful not to get stabbed in the back."

Wang Meng's brow twitched. "Isn't that right? You're the one who stabbed me in the back."

Traitors and mobs are difficult to eradicate completely; the fewer they are, the higher the cost of finding them. In such cases, certain methods must be employed, such as having groups of four monitor each other.

Wang Meng was very knowledgeable about this. Before each major operation, he would take away the communication equipment of key personnel, and they would work in pairs to await orders.

The main reason Wang Meng invited Ding Shi was that Ding Shi had, to some extent, undermined his self-confidence. Wang Meng himself possessed considerable leadership skills.

……

Chen Ergou's ten fingers were swollen, a result of the torture device. His mouth and nose were red and swollen, a result of the pepper spray. Other unseen effects were from the tiger bench and other instruments of torture. As soon as Chen Ergou saw Ding Shi, he crawled over and grabbed Ding Shi's trouser leg: "Sir, I confess, I confess everything."

Ding Shi had someone help Chen Ergou to the next room, where Chen Ergou began to recount everything from the beginning, down to the smallest detail.

"woman?"

“Yes, I met her on my way back from the fields,” Chen Ergou said. “She was wearing a veiled hat and all black clothes. She said she was willing to pay 50 taels for Daya. But the time, place and method of handing her over would be up to her.”

Ding Shi asked, "Did you receive the money back then?"

Chen Ergou: "Yes, she said she knows who I am. If you dare to have any other ideas, don't blame her for being impolite."

Ding asked, "Are there any sedan chairs nearby?"

Chen Ergou: "No."

Ding Shi asked, "Is she in a sorry state? Is she covered in mud and water?"

Chen Ergou shook his head: "No, she is very clean, even her shoes are clean. Sir, I have told you everything I know."

Ding Shi looked at his simplified confession and asked, "No meeting place was arranged?"

Chen Ergou said, "No. She said to tell Daya to leave at 6 o'clock to go to her maternal grandfather's house, and that I don't need to worry about anything else."

Ding Shi took out a simple map. His maternal grandfather's house was in Peach Tree Village. There was only one main road from Peach Blossom Village to Peach Tree Village, which was also the shortest route. Ding Shi called out, "Find the clerk to take another statement." After saying that, he got up and left.

After using the teleportation array to reach Taoyuan Village, Ding Shi drove his electric car south of the village. After leaving the village, he walked 300 meters along a small path, which led to a main road. This main road connected the seven villages of Qunhua Town.

At first glance, there seem to be no clues, but upon closer examination, there are still some discernible patterns. The buyer instructed Daya to start leaving at 6:00 AM, but Daya's pace was unpredictable. Sunrise is at 6:30 AM in late autumn, and it's not a good time to commit wrongdoing in broad daylight. From this, we can deduce the approximate location where Daya was abducted.

This location is roughly Sanliting, about one kilometer from Peach Blossom Village.

Sanliting was built near a crossroads where four roads branched off: a main road, a road leading to Dawang Village, a road leading to Zhongwang Village, and a road leading to Xiaowang Village. Because the pavilion was about three li (approximately 1.5 kilometers) away from these three villages, it was named Sanliting (Three-Mile Pavilion).

According to the case file, the incident occurred the morning before yesterday, and it wasn't until this morning that Zheng and her brother went to the county government to report the case.

Ding Shi sat quietly in the Sanliting Pavilion for a long time, then took out his electric scooter and returned to Peach Blossom Village. He then used the teleportation array to return to the county government office. He believed that he still had a chance to catch up with Daya before 8:00 AM the day after tomorrow.

Upon entering the county government office, Ding Shi encountered Chu Yu. Chu Yu noticed that Ding Shi seemed distracted and asked, "Is there trouble?"

Ding Shi: "Yes."

Chu Yu: "Then let's solve the problem."

Ding Shi: "Shouldn't you be asking me what trouble I have?"

Chu Yu smiled wryly: "Because I am trouble right now."

Yong'an County has three towns: Yong'an Town, Qunhua Town, and Xiaotao Town. Xiaotao Town has many small pottery workshops. Just received news that the people from two workshops are about to fight. Chu Yu had to put aside his official duties and go to the scene. There's no guarantee that he won't have to hold a court hearing to resolve the issue between the two workshops.

Ding Shi bid farewell to Chu Yu and then encountered an angry Su Su, who grabbed Ding Shi's shoulder and headed towards the teleportation array.

Ding Shi asked, "What's wrong?"

Su Su: "I'm angry."

Ding Shi: "Who made you angry?"

Su Su: "The people of the world."

Ding Shi and Su Su went to the examination hall in the north of the city, also known as the Gongyuan.

The examination hall covered an area of ​​more than 2,000 square meters. The main examination room was dilapidated, and candidates had to spend the night in single rooms.

There aren't many questions, so why stay overnight?

First, each question has a time limit; you can submit your paper early, but you cannot collect it early. Second, candidates must undergo checks upon arrival, and by the time everyone is in the room it will be 9 or even 10 a.m., so they need time to have lunch. Third, the papers are distributed sequentially, which also wastes considerable time.

The biggest problem Su Su encountered was the roof; almost all the cells were leaking, and some cells had only three-tenths of their tiles remaining. If even a single drop of ink appeared on the exam paper, the entire paper would be invalidated.

As the educational administrator, Su Su was responsible for the county examination. After inspecting the site, she used her advanced technology to provide five solutions. The best solution was a complete renovation, which would cost approximately five thousand taels of silver. The worst solution was a combination of oiled paper and thatch, which would cost approximately five hundred taels of silver.

Su Su asked Yu Yuan for approval of the silver, but Yu Yuan said he could only give her five hundred, no more. This five hundred was something he had squeezed out of everyone's salaries. Yu Yuan didn't give a definitive answer, letting Su Su find the silver herself, and whatever amount she found would be entirely at her disposal.

Su Su looked at Ding Shi with hope in her eyes. She usually couldn't make money through normal means, but Ding Shi had many unconventional methods.

Ding Shi indeed had a bad idea, saying, "Yu Yuan and Chu Yu have been married for a long time but haven't held a wedding. Let's take advantage of this instance to do it. You will be in charge of the wedding, and the time is set for tomorrow night."

Su Su thought for a while and then suddenly realized: "Accept monetary gifts."

Ding Shi nodded with a smile: "That's right. Today you should send out invitations to everyone of importance in the city and town, and don't forget the Princess's residence. As for the food and drinks, have a vegetarian feast, since vegetarian food is cheaper. The reason is that the county magistrate has been praying for the country's fortune for many years and cannot bear to kill animals for his own wedding."

Su Su patted Ding Shi on the shoulder with satisfaction: "Young man, you're good. I have high hopes for you. How's your case going?" The two left the examination hall, got on their electric scooter, and headed towards the teleportation array.

Ding Shi said, "My case needs time, but my opponent may be difficult to deal with."

Su Su asked, "A ghost?"

Ding Shi said, "She's a master. The day before yesterday, Chen Ergou met the buyer. It rained at noon that day, and the ground was muddy and difficult to walk on. When Chen Ergou returned home after work in the evening, he met the female buyer. There were no sedan chairs around, and her shoes were clean, which indicates that the buyer is quite skilled. I suspect that the buyer behind the scenes has many masters around her."

Su Su asked, "The Princess's residence?"

Ding Shi thought for a while and shook his head: "There is a suspicious point in this case. Why would it be Daya? There are quite a few low-class people like Daya, who are 15 years old. You can buy a low-class person with a death contract for one tael of silver. Why would you spend 50 taels to buy Daya, who has a free status?"

Su Su's eyes lit up, and she said, "Folk custom label, ghost marriage."

Ding Shi raised his left thumb, and Su Su, who was sitting in the back seat of the car, patted Ding Shi's shoulder with a smile.

Ding Shi said, "I need to go to the town and the city to inquire and find out which wealthy young masters have died suddenly recently."

Su Su looked at the system interface and used the advanced technology to search, saying, "According to the system introduction, the Great Shrimp Dynasty forbids ghost marriages and human sacrifices. Even if the other party is a lowly slave, it is still forbidden."

Ding Shi said, "This is not good news."

Su Su asked, puzzled, "Why?"

Ding Shi said, "Because it's illegal, it won't be publicized. If they intend to hold a ghost marriage, they probably won't reveal the deceased's death to the public."

As Ding Shi said, he sent his men out to inquire, but they found no evidence of any deaths of single men in the homes of powerful and influential people.

……

The advanced technology didn't provide electric lights, which greatly restricted their operations at night.

Chu Yu was in charge of receiving guests, while Yu Yuan hosted a dinner and meeting in his courtyard. Ding Shi returned rather late, as the meeting was nearing its end. However, the meeting focused on the Princess's residence, which had little to do with him.

When Ding returned, Wang Meng was reporting on his work. The simulation, scheduled for 48 hours later, would involve attack and defense based on his orders, deployments, and the soldiers' combat effectiveness. Wang Meng needed to confirm many instructions, such as: night attack or daytime annihilation? Spring attack or summer attack? How many troops to send? Should they surround the mountain? How to surround the mountain, how to block the roads?

After reporting on his work, Wang Meng made a request: he wanted money.

To ensure the soldiers' combat effectiveness, full payment of military pay must be guaranteed, and compensation and other aspects must also be addressed. Wang Meng hoped to incorporate these requirements into Yu Yuan's administrative policies, so that during the simulation phase, pay would be distributed according to the level of demand.

Chu Yu had just finished her work and sat down when she heard that she needed money. Her face immediately changed: "No money, no money, no money." My name is Chu Yu, not Jin Yu (Goldfish).

Yu Yuan said, "Wang Meng's matter definitely needs to be handled, and the lack of funds is a fact. Wang Meng, has the secret letter of framing been written?" In the plan, they would have the bandits frame several wealthy households, confiscate their property, and use the money to make up for the military expenses; this was part of the simulation phase. Since they were going to do things outside the system, they had to arrange every detail of the plan so that the simulation would proceed according to their plan.

For example, how much money could be obtained from confiscating property? Write down several plans, assuming more than 10,000 taels of silver is obtained, how much of it will be used for a certain purpose. Assuming 5,000 taels of silver is obtained, how will it be spent? Assuming the scheme is exposed, how will someone else be made to take the blame?

The more detailed the simulation plan, the better. If there are contradictions in the plan, the simulation plan will point them out directly.

Yu Yuan, Su Su, and Wang Meng are responsible for writing the deduction plan. Ding Shi's work does not require deduction; the Daya case is his only case to solve. Everyone else is in a supporting role and is included in Yu Yuan's plan. Players in the plan have one characteristic: they will not betray you and will follow the magistrate's orders without question.

(End of this chapter)