Chapter 65: What a Coincidence (Monthly Votes Appreciated)

Upon hearing that Wu Yongcheng was coming back, Zhou Yi asked, "Has he finished reporting to the provincial bureau?"

"Should be."

"Then... is Bureau Chief Xie returning as well?"

Qiao Jiali shook her head. "I don't know about that. Captain Wu didn't mention it on the phone."

Zhou Yi nodded silently.

Thinking that Zhou Yi was looking forward to gaining the bureau chief's appreciation, Qiao Jiali smiled and said, "Don't worry, Bureau Chief Xie knows who you are. After all, your transfer was specially approved by him at Captain Wu's request."

"Yes, I know that. Brother Biao told me."

Zhou Yi's focus on Bureau Chief Xie was entirely due to the July 27th murder case mentioned by Station Chief Jin. If he wanted to overturn the verdict for Du Qingming, this Bureau Chief Xie Guoqiang was the most crucial figure.

Shortly after, the two drove to the Qishan Road Police Station to find Officer Miao Cheng.

Upon learning that their purpose was to inquire about Zhang Hui's younger brother, Zhang Yu, Officer Miao furrowed his brow and said, "Finding Zhang Yu? That's going to be a bit tricky."

"Old Miao, what's wrong?" Qiao Jiali asked.

"This Zhang Yu is a habitual drug addict, been in and out of detention centers multiple times. He never walks the straight and narrow and is always stirring up trouble. We keep a close eye on drug offenders in our jurisdiction and check on them regularly."

"Back when his parents were alive, we could at least locate him through them. But after they passed away successively a few years ago, their old family house was abandoned, and Zhang Yu just vanished into thin air."

"It was only later, while investigating Zhang Hui's disappearance, that I found out she was Zhang Yu's biological sister. I asked my colleagues at the station, and they had previously contacted Zhang Hui while trying to track down Zhang Yu. But back then, Zhang Hui replied that she had no idea where her good-for-nothing brother was."

Hearing this, Zhou Yi immediately felt a sense of difficulty.

Decades later, with the popularization of the internet and nationwide networks, finding someone for the police would be much simpler. Mobile number tracking, payment records, real-name train and plane tickets, and hotel identity registration—as long as the person was still alive, within the country, and not living like a wild animal deep in the mountains, they could eventually be found.

However, in the 1990s, when cellular phones were still rare commodities, transactions were entirely in cash, and train tickets and small inns required nothing more than paying cash on the spot, tracking someone down was genuinely difficult.

Especially when that someone was a habitual junkie.

"Sigh, the sister mysteriously goes missing, and the brother is a long-term missing person. This case is going to take a lot of effort," Qiao Jiali sighed.

Miao Cheng asked, "What's wrong? Is this Zhang Yu connected to Zhang Hui's disappearance?"

"It's not certain yet, but according to Xu Jiaguang, Zhang Yu and Zhang Hui had a long-standing conflict. Because Zhang Hui stopped their parents from giving Zhang Yu money for drugs, Zhang Yu deeply resented his sister."

"In that case, I'll arrange for some men to track down Zhang Yu's whereabouts."

"Alright, thank you so much for your help, Officer Miao, especially regarding the rehabilitation centers or detention houses. Someone like him is very likely to end up back inside."

Miao Cheng nodded. "Officer Zhou is too polite. You're helping me out here, how did it become me helping you?"

After leaving the Qishan Road Police Station, the two returned to the municipal bureau.

Just as Jiang Biao was about to use a vehicle for an errand, he took Qiao Jiali along with him.

Before getting into the car, Jiang Biao told Zhou Yi, "Tomorrow when Captain Wu gets back, we need to officially throw you a welcome party and have a proper drink. I've got some good wine."

Hearing this, Zhou Yi winced slightly, feeling a mild headache coming on.

As he walked into the municipal bureau building, he ran right into Gu Changhai.

"Teacher Gu," Zhou Yi greeted him warmly.

"Ah, Xiao Zhou. I just spoke with Captain Wu on the phone this morning and praised you and Jiang Biao immensely. This case can be considered a joint investigation between our Second Team and your Third Team."

Zhou Yi smiled. "I'll leave everything to the leadership's arrangements."

"Oh, and that relative of yours, Zhou Kai—I saw he didn't have much involvement, so I had him released. The young man is a victim after all, just doesn't seem very bright."

Zhou Yi nodded. "Yes, you're right. He's just an idiot."

"Go down to the detention cell in a bit, sign the paperwork, and take him away. Remind him to walk the straight and narrow from now on. A young man has a long road ahead of him, so he shouldn't keep thinking about crooked ways. Tell him to learn a thing or two from you!" In his conversation, Gu Changhai came across as a warm-hearted and traditional person, and these words came straight from the heart.

"Understood, I'll go down shortly."

"By the way, Teacher Gu, has that bald man confessed? When he fought with me, he mentioned that his boss's surname is Du. That person must be the mastermind behind the smuggling ring, right?"

Upon hearing Zhou Yi's question, Gu Changhai replied, "He confessed, but there's something a bit strange about it. We're still looking into it."

"Is there a problem?"

"This bald man's real name is Zhang Weida, and his underworld nickname is Number Eight."

Hearing this, Zhou Yi almost burst out laughing. It seemed the bald man had completely failed to live up to the name his parents gave him.

"Among this group of people, he can only be considered a minor boss. The person truly in charge is a man they call Brother Guang, who wasn't among those arrested. We've also tracked down his identity: forty years old, a local, real name Zhao Guangfa. He is the legal representative of this chemical factory, and we are currently applying for an arrest warrant for him."

"Then what about the boss surnamed Du that he mentioned?" Zhou Yi asked.

Gu Changhai frowned. "That's the strange part. Zhang Weida and the others all confirmed that there indeed is this Boss Du—even Zhao Guangfa took orders from him. But Boss Du rarely showed his face, and they didn't know his full name or what his background was; they only knew he spoke with a southern accent."

"So I think the key to figuring out Boss Du's identity is capturing Zhao Guangfa."

Zhou Yi nodded, grasping the underlying logic. "In other words, this Zhao Guangfa is the white glove for this mysterious Boss Du."

"Right. Zhao Guangfa used to run small-scale businesses, and three years ago he even incurred heavy usury debts due to a failed venture. He doesn't look like someone capable of smuggling imported cigarettes on his own. Just as you said, he's most likely a white glove."

"Teacher Gu, if there's anything I can help with, just say the word. I've just arrived at the Criminal Investigation Division, and I still have a lot to learn from seniors like you."

Facing Zhou Yi's modest posture, Gu Changhai didn't put on the airs of a senior. Instead, he gave a wave of his hand and said, "Hey, no need for formalities. We're all brothers fighting side by side. The municipal bureau isn't as rigid as you think—Bureau Chief Xie hates officialdom the most. Around here, working hard and living up to the uniform you wear is the ultimate principle!"

This Bureau Chief Xie seemed like a man of passion and character.

At that moment, a young police officer came running over in a rush.

"Teacher Gu, among the group we brought in last night, there's someone acting a bit strange. Looks like he's going through drug withdrawal."

"Drug withdrawal? Are there drug addicts in that group?" Gu Changhai asked. "Which one is it?"

The young officer replied, "His name is Zhang Yu."

Zhou Yi's eyes instantly lit up. *Well, well. Look how easily things fall into place.*

You couldn't make this stuff up if you tried.