20demayo Chapter 23 A child's disappearance cannot be handled the same way as an adult's.
Chapter 23 A child's disappearance cannot be handled the same way as an adult's.
At the entrance of the police station, they ran into Tian Guoqiang and He Xiaohai, who had just returned from outside. Qin Yanlin and Deng Xiuzhen greeted Tian Guoqiang warmly and expressed their gratitude. However, they clearly expressed their disapproval of He Xiaohai, not only ignoring him but also giving him a cold look. Deng Xiuzhen, in particular, almost rolled her eyes.
After learning that they had gone to the Economic Crime Investigation Division, Tian Guoqiang said to Deng Xiuzhen and Qin Yanlin, "After you've finished your business, could you please come over for a bit? I have something I'd like to ask you."
The two agreed and went with Xiong Wei to the Economic Crime Investigation Department. Zhang Dongliang told them to come back tomorrow, saying that Chen Guohu had been found and the investigation was ongoing with progress. He said that they should be able to get a definite answer by tomorrow.
After Xiong Wei left, Deng Xiuzhen and the others found Tian Guoqiang. Tian Guoqiang asked them to sit down and then said with a smile, "Do you have a problem with Officer He?"
“I have a problem with him. It’s such an obvious situation, and I explained it so clearly, but he just wouldn’t file a case or help us find our child. He has absolutely no compassion! If it weren’t for Director Tian, our child might have really been abducted,” Deng Xiuzhen said angrily.
“We understand your feelings, but please also understand our situation. Think about it, how many reports do we receive in a year? Every report comes with a detailed and credible account. We have our own system, and these systems are based on certain principles. We hope you can understand.”
Secondly, without substantial evidence, how can we arbitrarily arrest someone? Leaving aside how many police officers it would take to catch someone who can move around so easily, what would be the consequences if we arrested him when he hadn't done anything wrong?” Tian Guoqiang explained.
"But didn't you give the order as soon as you heard about it? And it turns out that Song Qinghua and Liu Xiaozhen really have problems," Deng Xiuzhen muttered, unconvinced. Deep down, however, she somewhat agreed, especially since she knew that arresting the wrong person wasn't just a simple matter of compensation; it also greatly affected the credibility of law enforcement agencies.
Tian Guoqiang continued, "The reason I believe what you say is because I know some information that is related to Song Qinghua and Liu Xiaozhen. It's not because of what you say that I made a decision based on my own subjective assumptions. I hope you can understand us and that you won't misunderstand Comrade Xiaohai."
After hearing Tian Guoqiang's explanation, Deng Xiuzhen and Qin Yanlin felt a little embarrassed and quickly nodded to indicate that they understood.
"Another point you raised yesterday is indeed very valid: a missing child cannot be handled the same way as an adult. After all, children generally don't leave their families or familiar environments easily, and they have no ability to resist. I have already reported this matter to my superiors, and we are waiting for them to handle it." Tian Guoqiang said, once again expressing his gratitude to Deng Xiuzhen and the others.
The two waved their hands repeatedly, saying it was their duty, and got up to say goodbye, intending to go home.
Tian Guoqiang called them back, closed the door, turned around and walked to their side, whispering, "There's something else I want to ask you: Liu Xiaozhen said they have a special liaison officer who comes over from time to time to arrange tasks, and that liaison officer is currently being apprehended."
She also had a superior, nicknamed "Old Man," and she always followed his orders. However, she had never met him, didn't know who he was, what he looked like, or even whether he was male, female, old, or young. But she confessed that the Old Man had instructed him that they had money, so they released Qin Wenyu first, intending to swindle his money and then abduct him.
So this person must have had contact with you. Think about it, have you had contact with any other people during this time, or have you run into anyone familiar with you in the city?
Upon hearing the word "old man," Deng Xiuzhen immediately thought of Old Man Zhao. But then she realized it didn't seem like him. When Old Man Zhao helped them buy a house, it was a genuine purchase where they could actually live in it. When Old Man Zhao helped them find someone to transfer their child to a school, that was a completed transfer.
Moreover, the old man must be quite wealthy to have all those unusual gadgets.
With plenty of money and connections, why would they need to do these things?
Another point is, since the police knew that their superior arranged for Liu Xiaozhen to swindle money before abducting Qin Wenyu, why was it Chen Guohu who was the one who swindled the money? What was Chen Guohu's relationship with the old man who was his superior? Did Chen Guohu play a role in the human trafficking gang?
The questions they can think of, police officers who frequently conduct criminal investigations can certainly think of as well; there's no need to ask them.
Thinking of this, Deng Xiuzhen shook her head and said nothing.
Qin Yanlin also shook his head, indicating that he had no information.
After instructing them to keep the contents of their conversation confidential, Tian Guoqiang sent them home.
The two left the police station, strolled around the streets, and then bought groceries before heading home. As they walked into the alley, they both looked in the direction of Old Zhao's house.
Then, without prior arrangement, they turned to look at each other and saw the same worry and concern in each other's eyes.
The two of them couldn't help but laugh. All their worries and sorrows vanished in that moment: there are many disappointments in this mundane world, but fortunately, the people I love are still by my side.
Deng Xiuzhen grasped Qin Yanlin's hand. Qin Yanlin was taken aback, but then quickly grasped her hand in return. The two walked hand in hand, carrying groceries, chatting as they went, slowly making their way home.
When the children came back at noon, the first thing they talked about was the anti-fraud and anti-lost education the school had conducted that day. They said the teachers even let them speak on stage about how they would have reacted if they had been abducted. They spoke with great enthusiasm, showing no signs of being frightened at all.
This incident did not leave any psychological trauma on the child, which made Deng Xiuzhen and Qin Yanlin most happy, and they can now think about their next plans with peace of mind.
Of course, the first issue is to clarify the situation regarding that store. They've discussed it with Xiong Wei, and the store can be sold, with the proceeds split among the four buyers. If any of the four buyers is willing to offer compensation, the store can be given to that person.
The next day, after they met up with Xiong Wei, they went to the Economic Crime Investigation Department of the police station together. The other two people who bought the store also arrived, and the group reached a consensus on how to handle the store's issues.
However, the result once again refreshed their understanding and shattered their consensus.
The store didn't belong to Chen Guohu; it was bought by an out-of-towner who did business in Pucheng. After buying the store, he went back to his hometown to take care of some things. He probably wanted to bring his family over to live with him in Pucheng permanently.
Chen Guohu learned about this while chatting with a friend. Driven by his drug addiction, he forged purchase contracts and sold the drugs to them. Chen Guohu has now been arrested; fraud will certainly result in imprisonment, and he will face legal consequences. However, the buyers' money is gone; Chen Guohu spent it all, some on drugs, and some gambled away.
Since the store doesn't belong to Chen Guohu and the contract is forged, it definitely has nothing to do with these buyers, because the real store owner has never sold the store, and all the proper paperwork is still in the owner's possession.
To get the money, they'll have to wait until Chen Guohu gets out. But who knows how many years he'll get, since he's been involved in more than one crime. Even if he gets out, where will they get the money to give them right away?