In the 90s, you could acquire max-level skills every 14 days.

Chapter 128 Scattering the Monkeys' Crowd, Sealing Off the Small Building

The duty room of the Chaoyang District Police Station.

Xiao Li sat opposite, writing and pausing on the note paper with a fountain pen.

Zhang Chao sat on the wooden stool to his left, his finger hovering over the map, pointing to a location.

"The old residential compound of the United Machinery Factory, less than 200 meters east, there's a row of single-story houses." Xiao Li looked at Zhang Chao, "Are you sure?"

Zhang Chao nodded vigorously. "There's a sign hanging at the entrance; it says 'Gaoyang County Special Oil Products Technical Service Department'."

Xiao Li quickly jotted down the notes and pushed the transcript over. "Sign."

Zhang Chao carefully wrote the name on the paper, stroke by stroke.

Zhang Yong circled the location on the map with a ballpoint pen.

"Brother Li, are there enough clues?"

Xiao Li clipped the transcript into the case file, stood up, and stretched his neck. "That's enough. You wait here, I'm going to find the director now."

He walked to the door, then turned back, lowering his voice.

"Let me tell you something: the Publicity and Education Department of the Trade Union has sent a letter, urging us to expedite the process. The higher-ups have a clear message: handle it as quickly as possible and severely punish it. This case involves counterfeit oil, usury, and cross-provincial fraud, and the district doesn't want to delay any longer."

Zhang Yong nodded. "Then, the inter-provincial investigation—"

"We'll go through the procedures today, and the letter can be sent tomorrow." Xiao Li patted the file.

"I know people in the criminal investigation team in Baoding. We worked together on a theft gang case last year. This time, with letters from the All-China Federation of Trade Unions and the Ministry of Education backing us up, no matter how much the local authorities try to protect their own, they'll have to give us face."

Zhang Yong didn't ask any more questions.

He led Zhang Chao out of the police station gate, the sunlight dazzling. Zhang Chao stood on the steps, took a breath, and then turned to look at Zhang Yong.

"Yuko—thank you."

Zhang Yong patted him on the shoulder. "Don't talk about that. Let's go home and eat. My mom made braised pork with potatoes."

three days later.

It was 11 p.m. in Gaoyang County, Baoding.

The row of bungalows on the east side of the old staff quarters of the United Machinery Factory was dark, with only one room emitting a little light.

Inside the room, Chen Guoliang squatted on the ground, with a pile of account books and receipts spread out in front of him.

Next to it was an enamel basin filled with half-burnt paper ash.

He held the lighter in his hand, clicked it twice, and lit another page of paper.

"Director Chen, hurry up."

A thin man stood at the door; he was his driver, Lao Wu, carrying two burlap sacks filled with documents.

He hadn't finished speaking.

Suddenly, there were footsteps outside the courtyard.

The door was kicked open from the outside.

The white light of a flashlight shone in, blinding him. Three plainclothes detectives rushed into the room, and the one in the lead grabbed Chen Guoliang by the back of the neck and pressed him face down on the ground.

"Don't move! Gaoyang County Public Security Bureau!"

Chen Guoliang's face was pressed against the cement ground, his lips trembling, and his mouth was full of dust.

Smoke was still rising from the basin, and the half-burnt account book had been extinguished by a wet towel. A detective squatted down, put on gloves, and carefully removed the remaining pages one by one.

"Lift it up."

Two people lifted Chen Guoliang up, shining a flashlight on his face, making the man in his fifties look much older.

Team Leader Zhao opened an account book that hadn't been burned yet and flipped through two pages.

Every transaction is clearly recorded: date, quantity, amount, and contact person.

Dividends from the shares, bribes, and subsidies for dispatching vehicles to the transport team—everything was documented in black and white.

"Chen Guoliang." Team Leader Zhao waved the ledger in front of him. "Still burning?"

Chen Guoliang closed his eyes and went limp.

"Where is Ma Degui?" Captain Zhao asked.

There was a silence of about ten seconds.

"He ran away." Chen Guoliang's voice was hoarse. "Last week—he took the money and ran south. He said he was going to Shenzhen."

Team Leader Zhao glanced back at his colleague.

Shenzhen.

The news reached Beijing that very night.

-

When Xiao Li received the call from Baoding in the duty room, the instant noodles in his hand hadn't even been soaked yet.

After hearing the report, he slammed down the phone and found Zhang Yong's home number.

"Feed." Zhang Yong's voice was clear, showing no signs of sleepiness.

"Chen Guoliang has been arrested," Xiao Li said quickly. "He was caught red-handed, and the account books weren't even completely burned. He confessed that Ma Degui fled south with the money, heading towards Shenzhen."

Zhang Yong held the microphone but remained silent.

Shenzhen.

In 1990, the price of housing in the core area of ​​Shenzhen was 200 yuan per square meter.

He ignored that and asked about the important matter first. "What about the small building in Zhangzhuang?"

"The search warrant was approved this afternoon, and the authorities in Baoding will go to seal it up first thing tomorrow morning."

"Where is Liu Cuiping?"

"We haven't found her. She probably ran away, but not far. Her household registration is in Gaoyang, and she still has her ID card, so she can't leave the province. Captain Zhao has arranged for people to keep watch over the small building; she'll have to come back to get her things sooner or later."

Zhang Yong nodded. "Okay. Let me know as soon as there's any news."

After hanging up the phone, he went back to his bedroom and didn't turn on the light.

Moonlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, falling on the stack of remittance slips on the table.

Eight thousand four hundred and twenty yuan.

Every penny was saved by his father.

Zhang Yong stood for a while, then put the stub into the drawer.

Another week passed, and the net was taken down.

That small building in Zhangzhuang Village, Gaoyang County, Baoding.

Around 2 p.m., a woman wearing a floral top turned in from the east entrance of the village.

She went around to the back door of the building, took out her key, and just as she inserted it into the lock—

"Don't move."

Two plainclothes officers who had been staking out the area for six days emerged from the corner.

Liu Cuiping's keys fell to the ground with a thud, and her face turned pale instantly.

The plastic bag was opened, revealing two jewelry boxes, a stack of bankbooks, and warranty cards for three gold rings.

"Get something?" The plainclothes officer put her hands behind her back and handcuffed them. "Let's go, someone's waiting for you."

Liu Cuiping's legs went weak, and she was helped into the car by two people.

They were taken directly to the Gaoyang County Police Station.

The fluorescent light tubes were buzzing, and the paint on the corners of the walls was peeling off, revealing the gray cement underneath.

Liu Cuiping sat on an iron chair, her hands handcuffed to the iron rings on the table. Half of her curly hair was loose, her eyes were red, and her face was covered in snot and tears.

Team Leader Zhao sat opposite her, laying out the account books, copies of the property certificates, and Zhang Dewang's statement in front of her one by one.

"Liu Cuiping, we know everything about your relationship with Zhang Dewang, your relationship with Ma Degui, and who paid for this building."

Liu Cuiping bit her lip and remained silent.

Team Leader Zhao tapped the ledger on the table.

"Your name is in Ma Degui's ledgers and in Zhang Dewang's confession. If you confess truthfully now and cooperate in returning the stolen goods, you can still try to get a lighter sentence."

"If they don't cooperate, they will be prosecuted for harboring criminals and concealing the proceeds of crime."

Liu Cuiping's body trembled.

The silence lasted for about three minutes.

Then she spoke, her voice thin and fragmented.

"That building—it was funded by Ma Degui, but registered in my name. Zhang Dewang gives me three hundred yuan a month for living expenses—that was also given to me by Ma Degui, as hush money—"

Team Leader Zhao nodded, signaling the recorder to write it down.

"What about the jewelry?"

"Zhang Dewang bought it—with money sent by his younger brother."

The pen tip made a swishing sound on the paper.

Team Leader Zhao asked one last question: "Lou, are you willing to cooperate with the seizure and auction?"

Liu Cuiping paused for a moment, then looked up, her eyes filled with fear and calculation.

"If I sell it—will my sentence be reduced?"

"Cooperation in returning the stolen goods will be taken into consideration by the court when determining the sentence."

Liu Cuiping closed her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks and dripping onto the iron tabletop.

"Sell. I'll sell."

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