115 Investigation (Second Update)

Han Family Village.

An off-road vehicle crawled forward; there was no helping it, as it was peak rush hour, and even a professional race car driver wouldn't be able to pick up speed.

"We just passed the Han Family Village market, didn't we? Plenty of places to eat, and there was one shop selling roast chicken—looked good, had a real sense of community," Li Hui said, swallowing hard.

"Zhao Ming, take a guess—what was the real point of what Li Hui just said?" Han Bin chuckled.

"Haha, that goes without saying. Should I hop out now and buy five roast chickens so we can each gnaw on one?" Zhao Ming suggested.

"You can have your roast chicken once we've caught our man and are headed back," Zeng Ping said, effectively killing the conversation.

Han Bin and Zhao Ming chuckled, falling silent. Li Hui didn't argue; fine, he really was hungry.

The car drove on for a bit longer until it passed a gas station, where Li Hui pulled over to the side. Standing not far away was a man in a police uniform.

House numbers in urban villages are often chaotic. Without local knowledge, it is difficult to pinpoint a specific location based on a rough address, so Zeng Ping had called the Han Family Village police station to request an officer familiar with the area to lead the way.

Zeng Ping, Han Bin, and the others stepped out of the car, introduced themselves, and verified each other's identities. The officer, Yang Hongyi, was in his thirties and had been with the Han Family Village station for several years, making him well-acquainted with the local situation.

Zeng Ping pulled out a pack of cigarettes, handed one to Yang Hongyi, and asked, "Do you know where Zhou Tianrong lives?"

Yang Hongyi accepted the cigarette and lit one for Zeng Ping. "Captain Zeng, just give me the house number and I'll know which area it's in. Besides, I recognize the kid."

"Does he have a record?"

"This Zhou Tianrong is a bit of a local thug. He doesn't commit major crimes, but he’s always getting into minor trouble. He's a regular at the station," Yang Hongyi said.

"Have you seen him lately?"

"Can't say that I have."

Under Yang Hongyi’s guidance, Han Bin and his team successfully located Zhou Tianrong's home.

Houses in urban villages generally fall into three categories. The first type is quite dilapidated, belonging to those who lack the funds to build anew. The second type consists of buildings constructed as high as possible—as long as the permits are granted, the owners will even borrow money to build upward. The third type features small, two-to-three-story buildings with spacious, neatly maintained courtyards.

The first category is for those who are truly poor and cannot afford to renovate. The second is for those with some spare cash who aren't exceptionally wealthy; they build extra floors and rooms to rent out to migrant workers. With seven or eight rooms per floor, rents range from hundreds to over a thousand depending on size and lighting. By building four or five stories and living on one, they can earn two or three hundred thousand a year just from rent without lifting a finger, living quite comfortably. The third category is for the truly wealthy, who build small villa-like homes where the rooms don't need to be huge, but the yard is laid out for maximum comfort and leisure.

Zhou Tianrong’s home belonged to the first category. The bricks on the wall were so weathered they crumbled at a touch; the house had to be at least twenty or thirty years old. The couplets on the gate were so faded they were almost black-and-white, likely not replaced for two or three years. Fortunately, the gate wasn't locked.

"Knock, knock," Yang Hongyi tapped on the door.

"Who is it?"

"Checking residency permits."

"Oh, for heaven's sake, why are you here again? I've told you a dozen times, I don't rent out any rooms," a woman complained.

With a creak, the door opened. A woman of about fifty stood in the doorway, eyeing Yang Hongyi and then glancing at Han Bin and the others.

"Does checking a residency permit really require this many people?"

"Is Zhou Tianrong at home?" Yang Hongyi asked.

"Zhou Tianrong is the head of this household; he doesn't need a residency permit. You should try somewhere else," the woman said, moving to close the door.

"Ma'am, please wait a moment. I have something I'd like to ask you," Zeng Ping said, forcing a smile.

The woman frowned, glaring at him. "How old are you, calling me 'Ma'am'?"

"I..." Zeng Ping was stunned. Did that really matter? I’m a police officer here to make an arrest.

Han Bin flashed his police ID and took over. "Ma'am, may I ask your name?"

The woman looked Han Bin up and down. "Zhou Lixia."

"What is your relationship to Zhou Tianrong?"

"Are you here to check my residency permit?" Zhou Lixia countered.

"We are just conducting a routine inquiry to gather some information."

"I am Zhou Tianrong's mother, and this is my home. If you want to check residency permits, go somewhere else," Zhou Lixia said, pointing toward a building ahead. "That house there—they’ve built it so high it’s practically neighbors with the moon. They have the most tenants, all sorts of people. You’ll find something there for sure."

"The local station will verify their situation. We are here today looking for Zhou Tianrong. Is he home?" Han Bin asked.

"Hmph." Zhou Lixia scoffed, a tight, insincere smile on her face. "Oh, that’s perfect. I’m looking for him myself. If you find him, make sure to let me know."

"You said earlier that Zhou Tianrong is the head of this household?" Han Bin shifted his tone.

"So what?"

Han Bin displayed the search warrant. "This is a search warrant for Zhou Tianrong. Since he is the head of this household, please cooperate with our work."

"What did he do this time?" Zhou Lixia frowned.

"We cannot disclose that during the investigation," Zeng Ping interjected, leading the others into the courtyard.

"Hey, don't go rummaging through my things!" Zhou Lixia shouted.

Han Bin didn't enter to search; instead, he stayed behind to question her. "Ma'am, have you been in contact with Zhou Tianrong recently?"

"No."

"Is 1383XXXXXXX his mobile number?" Han Bin pressed.

"I’m the one using that number," Zhou Lixia said.

"You are?"

"That's right. He gave it to me."

Han Bin frowned, pulled out his own phone, and dialed the number.

"Ring... ring..."

The phone rang inside the house. Zhou Lixia snorted. "You look like a decent man, but you’ve got quite a devious mind."

"Ma'am, you really misunderstand me. Your son is involved in a case, and I’m just trying to clear things up quickly to prove his innocence."

"I’ll thank you on his behalf," Zhou Lixia said flatly.

"Is Zhou Tianrong married?"

"I wish he were. If he were married, maybe someone could keep him in line," she sighed.

"Does he have a girlfriend?"

"He doesn't tell me, and I wouldn't let him bring those disreputable women into my house anyway," she huffed.

"Aside from here, does he have any other place he stays?"

"I don't know."

"Does he have a motorcycle?"

"Never seen him ride one."

Han Bin asked for a long time but didn't glean any useful information. He handed her a business card. "This is my card. Please, if your son returns, let me know. I really do want to help him."

"Fine. I’d rather he be in jail than out there causing trouble," she said, looking like a mother who had given up on her son.

When Han Bin tried to ask more, she cut him off.

"Don't ask anymore. I don't know anything," she said, waving her hand impatiently. "Are you done searching? If you're done, get out. Don't keep me from my dinner."

Under her dismissal, Zeng Ping and the others walked out, looking dejected.

"Captain Zeng, did we find anything?" Han Bin asked.

Zeng Ping shook his head. "Zhou Tianrong hasn't been back here lately."

"Captain Zeng, do you believe what Zhou Lixia said?" Yang Hongyi asked.

"There was only enough food cooked for one person. There are two toothbrushes in the cup, but only one is used regularly; the other is covered in dust. No cigarettes, no tea, no alcohol, and no internet. It’s highly unlikely Zhou Tianrong is living here," Zeng Ping analyzed.

"Tsk, tsk. Impressive. You really are a professional detective," Yang Hongyi said, giving him a thumbs-up.

"But that doesn't mean she isn't in contact with him," Li Hui added.

"It’s a shame the telecom company is closed for the day, or we could track his phone number and find out where he is," Tian Li sighed.

"The number we found isn't being used by Zhou Tianrong; it's being used by his mother," Han Bin explained.

"Really?" Zhao Ming, who had been inside searching, hadn't heard their conversation.

"I dialed the number, and it was Zhou Lixia who answered."

"So that means we’ve lost the lead on Zhou Tianrong?" Tian Li spread her hands.

Han Bin thought for a moment and shook his head. "Not necessarily."