CH 238

The top office of the Municipal Police Bureau.

Director Wu, the immediate superior of Xing Conglian, stood side by side with Director Dong in front of the floor-to-ceiling window.

The elderly man, nearing retirement, held a lukewarm teacup in his hands. His eyes were half-closed, seemingly drifting off to sleep, oblivious to the commotion downstairs.

The entrance of the municipal bureau was already crowded with reporters, capturing every movement of the officers coming and going on camera.

Dong Hua looked down. His previous question got no response, so he had no choice but to raise his voice. “Teacher, you shouldn’t underestimate the situation.”

Yes, everyone knew that he came from the provincial capital, representing the highest authority, but in reality, among the people present, he still had to listen to the other’s opinion.

Once a teacher, always a father figure*. That was probably the meaning behind it.

*Proverb that conveys the idea that the role of a teacher goes beyond mere instruction and extends to a lifelong responsibility and care for their students, similar to that of a father and his child.

“I’m just closing my eyes, not underestimating it.”

The old man standing beside him half-opened his eyes, held the cup, and symbolically took a sip.

“Just now, when I wanted to detain him, why didn’t you let me do it?”

Dong Hua stood with his hands behind his back. He lowered his head as he asked that. It was obviously uncomfortable to have the CEO of Zhourui Pharmaceutical show off his power in front of him and leave.

Director Wu shook his head. “After so many years, you still like to exert your energy in these matters.”

“Since Zhourui Pharmaceutical is a company involved in this case, and their person in charge came to the police station to turn themselves in, isn’t it only natural for us to detain the relevant personnel?” Dong Hua furrowed his brows. He didn’t understand.

“It is within reason, but that doesn’t mean it should be done.” Director Wu Lao’s half-bald head had no hair left, making it a bit dazzling in the sunlight.

“I don’t understand.”

“The person in charge of the company voluntarily came to you to admit the problem. Isn’t this what you wanted? On one hand, he is responsible for the issue, but on the other hand, he is also a conscientious member of the public who provided leads for solving the case and a victimized company. It wouldn’t look good if such a person is detained on the spot by the police.”

Dong Hua frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Take it slow. By now, the people from the Drug Administration should have arrived, right? Since Zhourui’s people like to make the news, then we, on the other hand, can make a big splash.” Wu Tianming looked at the other side. “But before that, let’s make some space for our grassroots detectives.”

……

Inside the Jeep’s cabin.

The in-car radio was still broadcasting news updates. The news had now shifted to sporadic follow-up reports, including analysis from pharmaceutical experts and strategies for families to cope.

As he listened to the information, Xing Conglian’s thoughts were focused on how to ensure the safety of everyone while successfully controlling the situation at the nursing home.

It was highly likely that Shen Lian had already escaped, but there was also a possibility that she had chosen to stay there.

If she had left, which main roads should the local police guard or focus their control on?

Finally, he lowered the volume of the radio and dialed the phone number of the police officer in charge of the Hongshu Town Police Station, which Huihe Nursing Home belonged to.

……

The Huihe Nursing Home in Hongshu Town was about 25 kilometers away from Lao Bian Dumpling Restaurant. According to the navigation software, it would take about 30 minutes to drive there.

Fortunately, the traffic wasn’t heavy at the moment, so they encountered no obstacles along the way.

The advantage of having an experienced old police officer by his side was that he knew all the roads in the city, including the towns, like the back of his hand. He could quickly find the best driving route.

Lao Bian had a serious expression as he stepped on the accelerator with a determined gaze. His face bore the distinct lines of a seasoned detective who had weathered the wind and sun over the years.

Lin Chen glanced at the old police officer who was driving and knew that he must have a lot of questions after the commotion in the shop and the subsequent news, but due to his stubborn nature, he kept his thoughts to himself.

The traffic light ahead turned red, and the old police officer slammed on the brakes. He took out a cigarette from his pocket and then reached out, fumbling on the dashboard as if looking for a lighter. Lin Chen handed him a lighter from his pocket.

“You don’t smoke, do you?” Lao Bian turned his head and asked.

Lin Chen shook his head and simply said, “It’s for someone else.”

Lao Bian lit the cigarette, took a deep drag, and after making up his mind, he spoke with his arm trembling slightly. However, the hand gripping the steering wheel remained steady. Lin Chen listened quietly as the other person said, “Shen Lian didn’t lie back then, did she?”

Lao Bian’s arm trembled, but his grip on the steering wheel remained steady. Lin Chen listened quietly. “After talking with all of you, I’ve been thinking about that girl from back then. If I had been more patient with her, would none of these things have happened afterwards?”

Lin Chen pondered for a moment, looked ahead at the road, and answered, “There are things that we don’t know until we apprehend Shen Lian. But there’s one thing I am certain of, and it’s also something that has struck me deeply recently.”

“What kind of thing?”

“I suddenly realized that in this world, good-hearted people always rush to take responsibility, while the selfish ones prefer to shirk it. If they can escape unscathed with no damage to themselves, they consider it even better.”

Lin Chen didn’t know if his words could console the old police officer who was burdened by guilt. All he knew was that this might not be comforting at all; it was something that was happening all the time.

……

When Li Nuo received a call from Xing Conglian, he felt both nervous and excited.

He was a police officer on the outskirts of Hongjing, usually dealing with trivial matters in the neighborhood and countryside, such as minor thefts and disputes.

When he was first transferred here, he was full of passion and wanted to make a difference. But in less than six months, he had already realized the reality before him. Unless he was transferred elsewhere, he would never be able to achieve any significant accomplishments or receive any commendations in his lifetime.

Not long ago, news of the events happening in Hongjing reached him, and he was worried about his grandfather. His grandfather had always had cardiovascular problems, and he seemed to be taking medication similar to Zhourui’s. According to the news, there was a high possibility that something might happen to his grandfather… Li Nuo dared not think further.

As a result, Xing Conglian called.

Li Nuo knew who Xing Conglian was.

He was the captain of the city’s criminal investigation division, and in recent years, he had solved several major cases in a row. Li Nuo had gathered as much information as possible on each case and carefully studied them, becoming more and more impressed.

Then, this idol-like figure told him that the wanted suspect Shen Lian might be in his jurisdiction. At that moment, Li Nuo felt a surreal sensation, as if he had been struck by a meteor. After all, the chances of this happening were definitely much lower than winning a five-million-dollar lottery ticket.

Li Nuo hung up the phone and looked at the farmland outside the window, seeing an old dog basking in the sun on the field bank, and a small hill situated by the lake in the distance.

The terrain there was higher, with complex small paths and densely populated residential areas at the foot of the mountain, while higher up, it was a quiet nursing home. In his memory, that nursing home was very peaceful. He had been there during some fire inspections. It housed seriously ill elderly people, and the director was a middle-aged woman with a compassionate heart. There weren’t many caregivers, but everything was well organized.

How was it possible that Shen Lian was there?

The summer afternoon sun was unbelievably gentle, casting a golden veil over everything.

Li Nuo shivered and knew that all of this was not an illusion but a truly beautiful sight, and because of its beauty, it would inevitably become very fragile.

The young police officer put his phone back in his pocket and silently recited the instructions Xing Conglian had just given him.

He picked up the walkie-talkie from the table, adjusted his police cap, and rushed outside.

……

When Xing Conglian received the call from Huang Ze, he had just parked his car in the Municipal Police Bureau’s parking lot.

Due to the presence of reporters, the vehicles were congested here, and it took him some time to find a parking space. Huang Ze’s voice was as cold as shattered ice.

“Xing Conglian, you need to report to the Inspection and Supervision Department of the Municipal Police Bureau within an hour without fail.”

Upon hearing these words, Xing Conglian’s movements slowed down. He turned off the engine, sat in the quiet car, and glanced at the pale lights in the parking lot. He asked, “Inspector Huang, is there something wrong?”

His frivolous tone seemed to anger Huang Ze, whose voice became slightly louder as he questioned, “Don’t you know what you did wrong?”

“What did I do wrong?” Xing Conglian repeated those words playfully, leaning back in his seat. He said, “I really don’t know. How about you tell me, Inspector Huang?”

There was an audible intake of breath from Huang Ze on the other end of the phone, followed by a deep exhale as if he were adjusting himself. “No matter where you are or what you’re doing, report to the Inspection and Supervision Department of the Municipal Police Bureau immediately. You have been temporarily suspended, and I will be the one to oversee and investigate your actions.”

“Heh.” Xing Conglian chuckled lightly and said with certainty, “It seems this time it’s about me and not Lin Chen. What kind of trouble has Zhourui Pharmaceutical caused that gives you such confidence to come after me?”

Huang Ze’s voice grew colder. “Remember, within an hour.”

“No need for an hour.” Xing Conglian got out of the car and slammed the door shut, the loud sound echoing in the parking lot.

He calmly said, “I’m already here.”

…….

Lin Chen tapped his fingers lightly on the car door handle.

The car was speeding, and the scenery outside had already changed.

The fields were vast, the sky was high, and the car zoomed through the road amidst the lush green rice fields. Approaching the direction of Hongshu Town, they encountered two police cars coming from the neighboring town. It was obvious that these were the reserve forces assembled by Xing Conglian.

The three cars drove in a convoy, without stopping to greet each other, but their destinations were very much aligned.

At the foot of the small hill at the end of the world, Li Nuo stood beside a low house. He crouched down and greeted an old lady who was sitting in the shade of a tree, enjoying the coolness.

According to Captain Xing’s instructions on the phone earlier, he shouldn’t approach the vicinity of the nursing home but instead maintain surveillance from a distance on the road. However, for some reason, Li Nuo had an extremely bad premonition. So he changed into plain clothes, arranged for others to guard the main roads, and went up the mountain alone.

“Xiao Li.” The old lady squinted her eyes and looked at him for a while before recognizing him. “Is there another fight at Lao Zhang’s house?”

The Lao Zhang she mentioned was a rather rowdy family in the village. Mrs. Zhang was fierce and would get into a physical fight with her husband at the slightest provocation. Out of the ten times Li Nuo came here, eight times it was because neighbors of the Zhang family had called him to mediate. As a small local police officer, he usually dealt with such trivial matters. Now, suddenly having to apprehend some A-class fugitive, it would be fake to say that Li Nuo wasn’t feeling anxious. But he still asked in a low voice, “Grandma Wang, have you been sitting here all this time? Have you seen anyone suspicious coming down from the nursing home on the mountain?”

“Yeah, I’ve been sitting here to cool off after having a meal.” The old lady fanned herself with a palm-leaf fan, sitting up straight and highly alert. “What happened? Is there a thief?”

Li Nuo shook his head. “Something came up. Could you think about it for me?”

“Someone from the nursing home… No, I haven’t seen Auntie Chen today.” The old lady shook her palm-leaf fan again and suddenly tapped her leg. “Now that you mention it, I think I just saw the small van that the nursing home uses for groceries pass by.”

Li Nuo became alert and turned around, immediately dialing a friend at the county’s traffic department to request verification of the vehicles belonging to the nursing home and the surveillance footage at the intersections.

……

When Xing Conglian received the photo of Shen Lian driving the van out of the main road in Hongshu Town, Huang Ze was standing in front of him saying something like, “Xing Conglian, you are now being officially interviewed by the Inspector’s Office. Please turn off all communication devices.”

He didn’t quite catch the details as he carefully examined the surveillance photo.

In the photo, Shen Lian remained calm, like an expressionless mannequin on a shelf, as if going to a prearranged appointment.

The timestamp indicated that it happened twenty minutes ago, which meant that, based on the timing, Shen Lian had taken action almost simultaneously with the appearance of the news.

Xing Conglian’s emotions were momentarily complex. On one hand, he once again admired Lin Chen’s accurate judgment and positioning. On the other hand, he was furious. If it weren’t for Zhourui Pharmaceutical interfering, they would probably have already come face-to-face with Shen Lian.

And for people like him, the angrier they became, the calmer they grew.

Instead of angrily shouting at Huang Ze, he lowered his head and sent a few arrangements through text messages. After finally sending the phone number of the officer in charge to Lin Chen, he had a moment to raise his head and look at the Inspector in front of him.

Perhaps at that moment, he didn’t control his gaze well, or maybe Huang Ze saw the contents of the photo on his phone. In any case, the Inspector slammed the table in anger and said, “Xing Conglian, the authority to handle the case is no longer in your hands. What you need to do is explain the situation clearly!”

Xing Conglian surveyed his surroundings and only asked, “Where are the people from Zhourui Pharmaceutical?”

“That’s not a matter you’re entitled to be concerned about!”

Xing Conglian dragged a chair and sat opposite Huang Ze at the table. “If there’s a situation that requires me to explain it clearly, there should at least be a face-to-face confrontation.” He smirked, took out a lighter, lit a cigarette, and asked, “Where is Lao Wu?”

Huang Ze hesitated for a moment, only then realizing who he meant by “Lao Wu”.

“I want to talk to Lao Wu. Bring him to me, whether he’s upstairs or downstairs.”

……

Li Nuo walked down from the small hill just as Lin Chen’s car arrived.

He had seen this psychology expert on TV broadcasts before, and now that he saw him in person, he felt like he was just an ordinary person. Lin Chen was wearing a brick-red checkered shirt and light-colored casual pants, unlike typical experts who wore glasses or had a scholarly air to them. Apart from his fair skin and calm gaze, there was nothing particularly remarkable about him.

But in a way, when Li Nuo shook hands with Lin Chen, whether it was the strength in his palm or his calm tone that could dispel any tension, Li Nuo felt that this person was highly trustworthy.

“Tell me about Huihe Nursing Home,” Lin Chen said directly, without engaging in small talk.

The police officers who had come to assist from the neighboring town also got out of their cars. However, most of the police force had been deployed to the main roads for surveillance, as the surveillance footage showed that Shen Lian had already left the nursing home. Only the basic 10-person team remained.

Among them, the highest-ranking officer had the rank of a Third-Level Police Superintendent, but in front of Lin Chen, no one interrupted or gave any random orders.

Li Nuo briefly described the situation at Huihe Nursing Home, and Lin Chen didn’t immediately respond.

At that moment, someone spoke up. “Since there is evidence showing that Shen Lian left the nursing home from above, it is necessary to conduct a basic search.”

“But didn’t the notice say that the woman was carrying highly toxic substances? Could there be a trap up there?” another person said.

“She’s just a female fugitive, and she’s already gone. Are we, the police, going to be scared at the foot of the mountain? What kind of image does that give?”

Li Nuo swallowed nervously and looked at Lin Chen.

It was then that the psychology consultant finally spoke. “Did any villagers mention that they haven’t seen anyone from the nursing home coming down the mountain all day?”

“Yes, but it was only Mrs. Wang who said that,” Li Nuo cautiously added.

Lin Chen’s expression visibly grew colder, but he quickly lifted his gaze and said to him, “Do you have the nursing home’s phone number? Make a call.”

It felt like the simplest test or something of that sort, but when Li Nuo took out his phone, he felt that the object in his hand was as precious as gold. He flipped through his contacts and found the number, then looked up. Lin Chen’s resolute gaze met his, and he took a deep breath before pressing the call button.

Everything around became quiet.

The wind coming from the open field blew past him, but Li Nuo couldn’t feel it. His heart was beating fast, and his nervous hands were trembling.

The first beep sounded, and he felt like his heart was about to jump out of his throat.

Beep…

The second prolonged electronic tone slowly followed.

It showed that the phone at the nursing home was still connected, and the line hadn’t been cut off. Li Nuo didn’t know why he was worried about these things, but perhaps there was something he feared deep inside.

He clenched his fist tightly, praying that someone would answer the phone, even if it was just a simple “Hello.”

Every second passed by, and although the waiting tone on the phone wouldn’t last more than a minute, it felt like an eternity to Li Nuo.

However, the call was automatically disconnected by the telecom company before he could even hear that simple “Hello.”

Li Nuo instinctively raised his head and felt as if the golden veil of sunlight that covered the top of the nursing home had turned black, like a shadow casting over everyone’s hearts.

“Go up the mountain.”

Lin Chen lowered his eyelids but spoke with a resolute tone to them.

……

For a long time after that incident, Lin Chen’s memory wasn’t very clear.

Although he was confident that he had walked up that hill and had a visual concept of the layout of the houses on either side and the appearance of the trees, even the way the hens strolled in the fields or the colors of the vegetable fields halfway up the mountain, he didn’t have a logical sequence of the details of how they reached that nursing home or what they experienced during the process in his mind.

However, at that time, he was certain that when they were about 100 meters away from the nursing home, he sensed something unusual in the air.

Earlier, experienced veteran police officers had already arranged for some of the team to flank from the rear in a roundabout manner, while others approached through the neighborhood. Only he and another police officer named Li Nuo walked openly on the cement road directly leading to the nursing home’s gate.

When he smelled that scent, he and Li Nuo exchanged glances, quickened their pace, and rushed towards the iron gate of the nursing home.

When they could see the gatehouse clearly, they were certain that there was no one inside.

The seats were empty, and there was an old-fashioned beige telephone on the table. A visitor registration form hung in a corner on the wall, and aside from that, there were various crooked and scattered items.

Lin Chen looked up, and the surveillance camera in the corner of the gatehouse turned towards him. He stared at the pitch-black camera lens, as if he had seen the vertical pupils of a demon, and he felt a chill run down his spine.

Without wasting any time looking for reinforcements or waiting for backup, the police officer beside him swiftly climbed over the iron movable fence and rushed into the gatehouse to press the open button.

The electric gate slowly moved aside, revealing the panoramic view of the nursing home, bit by bit.

Lin Chen took a deep breath as the scent in the air became even stronger amidst the gray and dilapidated buildings before him.

The young police officer named Li Nuo had turned completely pale, a color that no ordinary human could mistake.

Calls from other police officers came through their walkie-talkies, crackling with static. But at that moment, neither Lin Chen nor Li Nuo had the strength to press the answer button.

It was the young village police officer who reacted first. Li Nuo said nothing, clenched his fist, and turned around, rushing towards the main building of the nursing home.

Lin Chen watched the young man’s back and followed him, stepping heavily with each stride.

The old wooden doors opened, revealing a long corridor.

On one side of the corridor, it was as dark as a shadow, like a ghostly presence. On the other side, sunlight painted it a dazzling but unreal white.

Step by step, Lin Chen walked on the clean and bright porcelain tiles, advancing deeper into the corridor.

On either side of him were rows of standardized ward doors, each closed with an obsessive-compulsive-like habit, resembling tightly sealed coffins that made people not have the courage to touch.

An increasingly heavy odor seeped out from the gaps above and below each door, lingering around him.

The scent was so thick that it permeated through every pore, saturating every corner of the space. It felt like soft ropes tightened around his neck, suffocating him. But he knew very well that this feeling wasn’t suffocation, but despair.

Yes, it was the smell of blood.

Lin Chen took another deep breath, feeling as if he were immersed in viscous plasma. The surroundings were damp and sticky, and he could only manage to place his hand on the doorknob to support himself.

Through the thin door panel, countless images flashed in his mind. Each image appeared as simple black lines against the backdrop of thick blood, twisting and turning, breaking apart and reassembling, becoming more and more distorted and bizarre.

Finally, it was the sound of inconsolable sobbing coming from one of the rooms that awakened him.

The cries were heart-wrenching, carrying a genuine and profound grief.

Lin Chen calmed his mind, and with a wooden expression, he looked out the window. He saw the aged face of Lao Bian and other police officers rushing into the nursing home.

Someone desperately gestured at him, but he couldn’t recognize who it was, so he just nodded in response.

After completing this simple gesture, he turned around, pushed open the door, and walked inside.