For thirty years, he has roamed the Northeast, his divine might overwhelming all immortals under hea

"A cement plant? What's going on?"

Zhu Daneng's gaze swept back and forth between me and Liu Xiaomei, finally settling on the girl's pale face, his brows furrowing unconsciously.

The dim light in the duty room shone on his oily forehead, revealing fine beads of sweat.

"This girl is...?"

"Liu Xiaomei, whose older sister Liu Yulan works in the cement factory canteen, has been missing for several months."

I spoke succinctly, gently pulling Liu Xiaomei, who was huddled behind me, forward a little.

"Her sister's last letter said she found something was wrong at the factory. We need to find Team Leader Sun right away."

Zhu Daneng's face instantly turned serious. He smacked his lips, his Adam's apple bobbing, and without asking another question, he grabbed the black internal phone on the table and started cranking the handle.

"Team Leader Sun! Wake up, it's urgent! It's about the cement plant! Li Shisan brought a key person here... Yes, he's in the duty room! Okay, right away!"

After hanging up the phone, he rubbed his face as if trying to shake off all the remaining sleepiness. When he turned to look at us, his tone had softened considerably.

"Team Leader Sun will be here soon. Please have a seat. Honey, are you cold? Would you like some hot water?"

As he spoke, he got up and picked up the blackened tin kettle sitting on the stove, its spout emitting wisps of white steam.

Liu Xiaomei shook her head nervously, not daring to sit down properly. She just stood by the edge of the long wooden bench, her fingers tightly twisting the frayed hem of her clothes. Her eyes, like those of a frightened deer, kept glancing quickly towards the door before darting back down.

I helped her sit down, and then sat down next to her. I could clearly feel the barely suppressed trembling of her thin shoulders through her cotton-padded coat.

The room was quiet, with only the soft crackling of coal in the stove and the ticking of an old-fashioned clock on the wall, each tick striking a chord in one's heart.

A few minutes later, hurried and heavy footsteps echoed down the corridor, and the door was slammed open, letting in a gust of cold air.

Sun Dasheng rushed in wearing a faded old cotton police uniform, his hair sticking up, his eyes bloodshot, and his cheeks creased from being pressed down. It was clear he had just been dragged out of his warm bed.

But his eyes were as sharp as knives. One glance into the room and the last trace of sleepiness vanished instantly, leaving only the tense alertness unique to a criminal police officer.

"Brother Li?"

He nodded to me first, then his gaze fell on the trembling shadow beside me. He immediately softened his voice and even bent down slightly.

"Young lady, don't be afraid, I'm Sun Dasheng from the Criminal Investigation Team. Tell me slowly, what happened?"

When Liu Xiaomei saw Sun Dasheng's crisp police uniform and his serious yet deliberately gentle face, it was as if she had finally seen the shore after a long period of wandering. The tears she had been holding back suddenly streamed down her face again, like beads falling from a broken string.

She sobbed, her words broken and fragmented, as she recounted how her sister, Liu Yulan, had come to the city, how she had started working in the cement factory canteen, how she had initially sent letters and money home, how she had disappeared without a trace by summer, and how the factory workers had said she had run away with someone… She repeated the whole story. When she mentioned that in the last letter, her sister wrote that she had “discovered something was wrong at the factory,” Sun Dasheng’s tightly furrowed brows suddenly twitched, almost forming a knot.

"Do you still have the letter?"

His voice was low, filled with an urgent anticipation.

Liu Xiaomei shook her head vigorously, tears streaming down her face.

"Just that one letter... and then, there were none more."

She choked up and couldn't continue.

Sun Dasheng nodded silently, took out a small notebook and half a pencil from his pocket, and began to ask questions in detail under the dim light.

What exactly was the date Liu Yulan joined the factory? What did she do in the canteen? Wash vegetables? Chop vegetables? Or serve food? Which coworkers did she usually interact with? Did she mention any particular person in her letters, or complain about anything? Liu Xiaomei knew very little. Her sister's letters were mostly about letting her know she was safe and giving instructions. Many details had long since become blurry. She could only try her best to recall and answer these questions intermittently.

Sun Dasheng didn't urge him, but quickly wrote down notes in his notebook. The "scratching" sound of the pen tip gliding across the paper was particularly clear in the quiet room.

Having asked enough questions, Sun Dasheng closed his notebook and stood up.

He paced back and forth in the not-so-spacious duty room. The flickering light from the stove cast his tall, slightly weary shadow on the mottled wall, swaying and elongating.

He pulled out a crumpled cigarette case, put a cigarette in his mouth, and searched his pockets but couldn't find any matches. He just held it there, silent for a long time, staring blankly at the fire. After a while, he turned to look at me, took the cigarette out, and unconsciously twirled it between his rough fingers.

"Brother Li."

He spoke, his voice somewhat hoarse.

"The items you provided before, and the situation this girl described, are very important. Really important."

He exhaled, and although he hadn't lit a cigarette, it seemed as if he were exhaling a thick cloud of smoke, his words carrying a heavy weight.

"To be honest, the waters around the cement factory are muddier and deeper than we initially estimated. We've been debating the factory manager's wife's affair for a while now, and we don't think it was just a simple accident. Now that the female worker's disappearance has surfaced... the direction is becoming clearer, but a lot of difficulties have suddenly emerged."

"Insufficient evidence?"

"yes."

Sun Wukong wiped his face hard.

"The cigarette holder you found earlier was a custom-made item. We're currently tracking that line, and it's the most promising one we have at the moment. But the other things you provided aren't enough to form conclusive evidence. At most, they give us grounds for a retrial and overturn the initial conclusion of an accident."

His eyes sharpened, yet also held a hint of helplessness.

"Some people in the factory are evasive and contradictory in their statements. The site, especially the waste pit, was cleaned up too damn 'clean,' as if someone had deliberately tidied it up. Now, with Comrade Liu Yulan's matter added to the mix, so much time has passed, and it's difficult to find witnesses or physical evidence. It's like looking for a needle in a haystack."

He paused for a moment, then suddenly changed the subject, revealing the ruthless, unruly spirit that belonged to a veteran detective in his eyes.

"However, now that the case has been overturned and reopened, it's a murder case! Whoever committed the murder, think they can get away with it so easily? No way! Our criminal investigation team will dig three feet into the ground, even if we have to knock our teeth out, to dig the truth out of this murky water!"

I nodded, my mind perfectly clear.

Police investigations are all about procedure and rely on evidence. Each step is crucial and meticulously planned; there's no room for haste or chaos. It was an unexpected stroke of luck that I managed to stumble upon the opportunity and deliver the clues to them.

The remaining cases in the mortal realm will have to be handled by those in official robes, according to the rules of the mortal realm.

Thinking of this, I spoke up.

"Captain Sun, can I go home as soon as it's light? I just stumbled into this mess by sheer luck. I have a lot of things to do back home, my parents are getting old, and I've been away for several days now, so I need to go back to the village."

Sun Dasheng looked at me with a complicated expression. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, perhaps to persuade me to stay, perhaps to remind me, or perhaps something else entirely.

In the end, he simply nodded heavily, reached out and patted my shoulder with considerable force.

"Alright! Brother Li, this time, I really owe you a lot. I won't say any more polite words. Here's my contact address. In case... I mean, in case, during the investigation, if there are any details I need to check with you, or... if there are any new developments I'd like to share with you, it will be convenient for me to contact you."

I understand what he meant.

I took the paper and pen that Zhu Daneng handed me, and under the flickering light of the duty room, I wrote down my home address stroke by stroke.

He took it, examined it carefully, and then solemnly stuffed it into the inner pocket of his police uniform.

I believe that Sun Wukong and his fellow men will do everything in their power to seek justice in the mortal world.

As for those things in the corners where the sunlight couldn't reach, and that lingering chill, I subconsciously pressed the bottle in my arms through my cotton-padded coat.

If we truly reach a dead end, and have exhausted all means in the mortal realm...

I thought to myself, after all, although there are rules in our line of work, our methods are ultimately different from those of the police. Sometimes, we are not bound by so many rules and regulations.

"Captain Sun, Officer Zhu, we'll be going now."

Sun Dasheng turned to Liu Xiaomei, his tone unusually gentle, almost clumsy.

"Young lady, you should go home first and take good care of your mother. You also need to eat a hot meal and not ruin your health. Don't worry, we will definitely find a way to contact you as soon as we have any news. Trust the government and trust the police."

Liu Xiaomei nodded vigorously, tears welling up again. She wiped them haphazardly with the back of her hand, bowed deeply to Sun Dasheng and Zhu Daneng, and repeated in a hoarse voice.

"Thank you... thank you... thank you..."

As I stepped out of the green wooden door of the police station, the sky outside was already showing a faint blue hue, a dim light.

The wind was still chilly, but not as bone-chilling as it was in the middle of the night.

There was some sporadic movement on the street.

The sound of sweeping the streets came from afar. Several figures riding bicycles and wearing work clothes hurriedly passed by. At the intersection, a breakfast stall set up its stove, and faint smoke and the aroma of food wafted over.

The county town, which had been silent all night, is slowly awakening.

I stood on the steps and let out a long, thorough sigh of relief, feeling the invisible weight that had been pressing down on me all night finally being lifted off my shoulders.

This case involving the death of a person in the mortal world, this heavy burden that involves the tears of the living and the injustices of the deceased, has finally been handed over to the people who should and can handle it.

Although I knew in my heart that there were probably many shady dealings behind this case, and that Sun Dasheng and his companions would not have an easy time on their way.

"Brother Dalang, this trip to the county town was definitely worthwhile."

I muttered a sentence to myself, feeling a mix of relief and indescribable emotion.

"snort."

Huang Dalang's voice rang out slowly, still as lazy as ever, with a hint of barely perceptible mockery.

"It will be recorded in the merit book, so it won't be a waste of time. But don't forget, kid, you still have some 'karmic debts' on you that haven't been cleared up yet."

After a pause, it changed the subject, its tone now carrying a hint of estimation.

"However, for now, the commotion in the mortal world is temporarily over. As long as that bastard who's been causing trouble in the shadows doesn't provoke us anymore, we can have a few days of peace and quiet."

"So, Brother Dalang, are we just going to wait here like this? Do nothing?"

I still can't let it go.

"So what else do you want?"

"The enemy is in the dark while we are in the light. If we rush to find them, aren't we just asking for trouble? What's the use of running around like a headless fly? Remember, the best approach is to respond to each move as it comes, and to remain calm and wait for the right moment. Put your mind at ease. What's meant to come will come to you even if you hide at the ends of the earth; what's not meant to come won't come no matter how hard you try. Let's just do what we need to do."

I nodded, and as the sky gradually brightened, I took a deep breath of the crisp, cool air.

Huang Dalang is right. What is meant to be will be. Life goes on.

The supply and marketing cooperative should be open by now. We've already come all this way to the county town; we can't go back empty-handed. We need to buy something for my parents and Xiulian.

What do I earn money for? Isn't it just to make life easier for my family and to see them smile more often?

The county town's supply and marketing cooperative had indeed just opened, with red brick walls, large glass windows, and a white sign with red characters hanging above the door.

Inside, the cement floor was swept clean, and the brick counters were polished so smooth that you could see your reflection. Behind the glass counters, general merchandise, stationery, enamel mugs, thermos flasks, rolls of fabric, and other items were neatly arranged.

With that "huge sum" of nearly 3000 yuan in my pocket, I felt at ease and confident, and began to carefully calculate my next move.

Dad loves that strong, pungent liquor, so this time I'll get him ten catties of the good stuff, packed in a plastic bucket—enough to keep him comfortable for a while. I'll also buy a few catties of tobacco leaves from Northeast China, the glossy, golden kind, so he'll feel more proud when he rolls his own. I'll get Mom a thick, dark blue polyester fabric to make her a new blouse for the New Year; the bed sheets and blankets are all worn and faded, so I'll get a few yards of clean, durable cotton to replace them; oh yes, I'll buy two boxes of face cream too, Mom's chapped hands need some. Xiulian is a pretty girl, so I'll pick out a bright, soft red scarf for her, cashmere would be best, to complement her fair face; and I'll see if I can find any nice plastic hair clips…

Food is also essential.

We bought two jin of steamed rice cake, it was oily and sweet; fresh pork was a rare treat at the supply and marketing cooperative, so we bought a piece of pork belly with alternating layers of fat and lean meat, stewed it at home, and the whole house smelled delicious...

The saleswoman was a chubby, doughy woman wearing a white apron. When she saw me looking closely at the counter and buying a lot, she smiled broadly and deftly pulled out cloths and weighed the pastries while chatting with me.

"Hey young man, buying all this stuff, are you having a wedding or visiting distant relatives?"

I took the steamed rice cake she handed me, wrapped in yellow straw paper and tied with thin hemp rope, smiled, and replied.

"Yeah, let's go home. I've made some money this way. You know, isn't the point of making money to make your parents happy?"

"Haha, young man, I didn't realize you were so filial. And this red scarf…"

My face flushed red, and the saleswoman laughed even harder.

"Ha ha…………"