Chapter Thirty-Five: A Sudden Major Case (Please Subscribe!)

County Public Security Bureau Conference Room.

While Li Yi was busy playing a battle of wits with his father back home over a homestead and house construction, the conference room at the County Public Security Bureau was thick with cigarette smoke. Wang Anguo sat at the head of the table with a grim expression, listening to the case briefing.

After Deputy Captain Li finished outlining the basic facts of the case, Wang Anguo said in a deep voice, "That is the situation. In just five days, there have been nine incidents of missing children across the county and the surrounding communes. Now that news of these cases has spread, it has triggered widespread panic among the local population."

"Many parents are now afraid to leave their children at home when they go to the fields, and they don't even dare to leave them in the care of the elderly. This has severely disrupted the normal production and daily life of the people."

"Therefore, the county leadership has demanded that we solve this case within a strict deadline. Otherwise, everyone will face the consequences."

Deputy Captain Li added, "Comrades, it is not just the county leadership; this case has also caught the high-level attention of the city authorities. If we cannot provide the people with an answer, the consequences will be severe."

At this moment, an veteran officer stood up and said, "Captain, after reviewing the reports, we found that all nine cases occurred within the last few days. To abduct so many children in such a short time is clearly not the work of a single person; we conclude this is a gang operation."

"Furthermore, in our efforts to capture Zhou Baoshan these past few days, we have been conducting strict inspections of travelers, especially outsiders. It is highly likely that the traffickers would not risk leaving the area right now. We therefore infer that the children are still within our county and have not yet been moved out."

"Old Geng, as expected of a veteran criminal investigator, that analysis is very sound. Please continue," Wang Anguo said immediately.

"Captain, our first priority is to determine how many people are in this gang, where they are hiding, and to find out exactly how many children have gone missing across the county," Old Geng said solemnly.

"Are you suspecting that more than just these nine families have lost their children?"

"Yes. Captain, you know as well as I do that in some areas, due to poor transportation or parents still searching for their children on their own, they have not yet chosen to report it to the police."

"In the name of the County Bureau, notify all subordinate police stations immediately. Have them verify village by village to see exactly how many households have lost children, and report the accurate data by tomorrow afternoon," Wang Anguo ordered.

"Understood!"

Wang Anguo then continued, "For a family, the loss of a child is a catastrophic blow. Even if we face thousands of obstacles, we must find these children. Immediately file a request with our superiors in the name of the Criminal Investigation Team, stating that Zhou Baoshan still has accomplices at large, and request an extension for the lockdown and inspection period."

"Additionally, dispatch elite personnel, supported by police dogs, to search the county and the surrounding communes and rural areas where people might easily hide. We must round up this brazen gang of traffickers and restore peace to the people!"

"Understood!"

...

After the meeting, Wang Anguo looked at his watch and realized it was one o'clock in the morning. He couldn't help but sigh.

It seemed he wouldn't be going home tonight either.

He had practically turned his office into his home, while his actual house felt more like a hotel, visited only on occasion. Because of this, his wife and daughter held significant grievances against him. But what could he do? Since he had chosen the path of a public security officer, being unable to return home was as normal as it could get.

...

Just then, Deputy Captain Li walked over with a bowl of noodles and said, "I know you missed dinner again. Eat something; I specifically had the kitchen poach two eggs for you."

Wang Anguo didn't stand on ceremony and took the large bowl to start eating. However, when he noticed the diced mushrooms in the bowl, he suddenly thought of Li Yi, and the words he had spoken that morning before leaving.

"Jinx!"

Wang Anguo blurted this out, leaving Deputy Captain Li completely baffled.

"What jinx?"

Wang Anguo realized he had spoken out of turn, smiled, and said, "It's nothing. Just an interesting fellow who told me some peculiar things this morning, and I didn't expect them to come true so quickly."

Deputy Captain Li, a man of great curiosity, couldn't help but ask, "What kind of peculiar things?"

"That fellow told me that something bad would happen in the county soon, and that it would likely affect my career. I didn't expect that within a single day, his words would be proven true," Wang Anguo sighed.

"It might just be a coincidence. Surely that person isn't some kind of fortuneteller," Deputy Captain Li said with a laugh.

"Don't be so quick to dismiss it. That fellow might actually have the ability."

"You believe him?"

"I do," Wang Anguo said without a hint of hesitation.

"You really believe it?"

Now it was Deputy Captain Li's turn to be stunned. He knew his partner's background; he usually despised charlatans. How could he suddenly believe in this?

At that moment, Wang Anguo reached into his pocket and pulled out a deformed one-yuan coin. A similarly deformed bullet casing was lodged into it; part of the casing had pierced the coin as if it were embedded.

"This coin was given to me by that person!"

"???"

"And before he gave it to me, he said something similar. His exact words were that he saw a dark shadow on my forehead, indicating a coming disaster involving bloodshed, and that this coin would save my life."

Wang Anguo continued, "Furthermore, he personally tucked this coin into my jacket pocket."

Hearing this, Deputy Captain Li was completely dumbfounded. It took him a long time to react.

"Could that person be..."

Wang Anguo knew what he wanted to say and answered firmly, "No. He didn't know me before, he isn't part of the system, and he didn't come looking for me afterward—I was the one who went to him."

"Then have you checked his background?"

"I haven't had the chance to investigate yet, but I trust my intuition. He should have no ulterior motives toward me."

"I find it hard to believe. This is just... too unbelievable!"

"I felt the same way at first, but after experiencing life and death, I believe it."

Wang Anguo then set down his chopsticks and said, "Old Li, you know, when I saw Zhou Baoshan pull the trigger that day, I felt despair in my heart."

"That man is a ruthless thug who served in the military; his marksmanship was top-tier in his division. At such close range, it’s practically impossible to miss. And in that situation, he wouldn't have held back, so the moment the gun went off, I was prepared to sacrifice my life."

"But no one expected the bullet to strike this coin exactly. If it had been even a centimeter to the left or right, I would be dead."

Deputy Captain Li fell silent. Although he still didn't truly believe that anyone could foresee a person's life and death, he could not argue with his close friend's account.

Wang Anguo suddenly spoke again: "I have a premonition that this case of the missing children will not go smoothly."

"What do you mean?"

"Because that person told me it would affect my career, which suggests he predicted this case would not be easy to solve."

"Are you doubting our capabilities? We have a county bureau with dozens of experienced investigators—can't we compare to a charlatan?"

"It’s not about doubting, but you know how these premonitions go."

Wang Anguo changed his tone and said, "However, he also said that if we truly find ourselves at a dead end, we can go to him."

"Hmph, I refuse to believe that with so many of us in the County Bureau, we would need his help to solve a case!"

Wang Anguo said thoughtfully, "I hope we don't need him either. Otherwise..."

"Otherwise what?"

"Otherwise, we would owe a massive favor, and not just me—the entire County Bureau would be beholden to him."

Deputy Captain Li: "#￥%……*"