Anti-gang campaign: Female bureau chief

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Jiang Ruolan keenly noticed a detail: on the ground under the seal at the entrance of the main alley, there were several relatively fresh footprints, all pointing inwards, with no corresponding footprints pointing outwards.

This means someone went in, but didn't come out through the same exit. The mine has multiple exits; that person might have left through another tunnel, or—he's still here.

"Director Zhao, when was the last time you came on patrol?"

Three days ago.

Zhao Rui also noticed the footprints, and his expression changed. "When I came three days ago, the seal was broken but still hanging on the door, and there were no footprints on the ground. These were left within the last two days."

Jiang Ruolan squatted down to carefully examine the footprints.

The size and pattern of the footprints indicate that they were left by the same pair of shoes, approximately size 42 to 43, with the sole pattern being the common diamond pattern found on construction site rubber shoes.

The footprints are quite deep, indicating that the person is either heavy or carrying a heavy load.

She followed the footprints to the alley entrance and found that the footprints stopped in front of the iron gate and then turned to a side door that had been pried open.

The lock on the side door was cut with a tool; the cut was fresh and there were no rust marks.

"The last call record before Tang Yuanqing fled points to this number."

Jiang Ruolan stood up, dusted off her hands, and said, "There's a high chance his contact is hiding here. Director Zhao, how many exits are there in the mining area?"

"There are four recorded in total: one at the main tunnel entrance, one in the back hill converted from a ventilation shaft into an emergency exit, one in the west hilltop for transporting ore, and one in the east drainage tunnel."

But that's just what's marked on the blueprints. We don't even know where the exits of the illegal mine shafts that Fengmao later dug are.

"Control all four exits and have men guard them. I'll lead the men down the mine."

As Jiang Ruolan spoke, she took out a pair of rain boots from the trunk and put them on, and then took out a high-powered flashlight and a dust mask from her equipment bag.

"Director Jiang, I suggest you don't go down."

Zhao Rui's expression was very serious. "These tunnels have been shut down for three years. The supporting structures inside are dilapidated and could collapse at any time."

Moreover, ventilation in the mine has long been shut down, and the gas concentration deep inside is likely very high; going down would be too dangerous.

"Then we should go down even more. If that person is hiding in the well and he can survive, it means there is a place inside where we can breathe."

He knows the safe route, we don't, so we can only follow his trail.

Jiang Ruolan turned on her flashlight, and the beam of light drew a bright pillar at the entrance of the dim alley.

"Didn't you say that the Shiqiao County Bureau is short-staffed? The provincial department's reinforcements are on their way, but they will need someone to guide them when they arrive."

"Let's go down and scout the situation first, and then launch a full-scale search once reinforcements arrive."

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Zhao Rui wanted to say something, but after looking at Jiang Ruolan's expression, he swallowed his words.

He turned around, gave a few instructions to his officers, took a portable multi-gas detector from the car and clipped it to his waist, then slipped through the side door first.

The alley was pitch black, and the beam of the flashlight could only illuminate a range of about ten meters ahead.

The air was thick with the smell of mildew and mineral dust, and every breath made my throat itch.

The tunnel walls were covered with marks left by rock drills, and cold water droplets dripped from the cracks in the rocks overhead, making a crisp sound as they hit the safety helmets.

The railway sleepers under my feet were mostly rotten, soft and creaking underfoot.

Zhao Rui walked at the front, holding a gas detector, stopping every now and then to read the data.

"The oxygen content is 19.5%, which is still within the safe range. The gas concentration is 0.3%, so there is no immediate risk of explosion. But it's hard to say if we go any deeper."

Jiang Ruolan followed behind him, the beam of her flashlight sweeping back and forth across the ground, searching for footprints.

A thick layer of mine dust had accumulated on the tunnel floor, making the footprints clearer than on the muddy ground outside—the diamond pattern of the construction site rubber boots extended all the way in, the steps even, without the slightest hesitation or pause.

This person was very familiar with the layout of the alleyways; he knew exactly where he was going.

After walking about 300 meters forward, the main alleyway split into three branches.

The one on the left leads to the transport tunnel below the ore dressing workshop, the one in the middle is the ramp leading to the main mining face, and the one on the right is an abandoned branch tunnel that has been mostly blasted down.

The footprints paused at the fork in the road, then turned into the middle sloping path.

Jiang Ruolan squatted down and carefully shone her flashlight on the ground at the fork in the road.

Besides the footprints in the construction site rubber boots, there was another set of footprints here—slightly smaller in size, with different sole patterns, and from a longer period of time. They were partially covered by mine dust, but were still faintly discernible.

This person was not alone in the mining area. At least two different people entered this tunnel at different times.

"Keep going."

Jiang Ruolan stood up, pointing the beam of her flashlight deep into the sloping path.

The ramp is a downward-sloping alley with a gradient of about twenty degrees. The tracks are rusted and broken, and the road surface is uneven and full of potholes.

The further down you go, the more humid the air becomes, and the water dripping from above turns into a stream, hitting your helmet like rain.

The gas detector readings began to change slowly—the oxygen content dropped to 19 percent, while the methane concentration rose slightly. Zhao Rui's expression grew increasingly grave.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, we reached the bottom of the slope.

In front of us was a relatively spacious underground chamber, about half the size of a basketball court, which was probably the area where miners used to rest and store equipment.

Several yellowed safety operating procedures were still pasted on the stone walls of the chamber, and several rusty rock drills and mine carts were piled up in the corner.

In the center of the chamber, on the ground, there was a pile of ashes from a campfire, with several empty cans and a crushed mineral water bottle lying next to it.

Jiang Ruolan walked to the remains of the campfire, squatted down, and touched the ashes with the back of her hand to feel the temperature.

The ashes had completely cooled, but judging from their color and texture, they were burned no more than two or three days ago.

She picked up an empty can and turned it over. The expiration date printed on the bottom of the can was "March 2025"—it was a new product this year.

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