"Oh? It seems Li Hongzhuo is becoming more of a suspect. But how can we find him?"
"I'll try my best, Dad!"
"Don't worry, we'll keep looking. I've already had people watching Li Hongzhuo's home. If he dares to go back, he'll be apprehended immediately by our men."
"Alright then, I believe we'll find him soon!"
I sat beside He Xin and ordered takeout for everyone here. Shao Zhengzhi was devouring his food, stuffing his mouth greedily. When asked, I learned that he hadn't eaten for over a day and a night. This guy was truly dedicated to his work.
"You need to take care of yourself. Don't wear yourself out at such a young age. It's no good for you!"
"Understood, Team Leader He. I'll be careful..." After finishing a bowl of knife-cut noodles, Shao Zhengzhi let out a satisfied burp. He took a sip of milk tea and immediately returned to his work.
Watching his focused back, I recalled how I had brought him into the team when we were in the tourist district. It was indeed the right decision.
Despite their efforts, they still hadn't found Li Hongzhuo. I had no choice but to drive out. Of course, I wasn't looking for him. Guangming City was too vast for me to find him alone. I just felt restless and wanted to clear my head.
I drove around aimlessly. I had initially intended to relax, but the more I drove, the more agitated I became. I ended up stopping in front of a supermarket, planning to go in for a bottle of water. However, as soon as I got out of the car, I suddenly noticed a familiar face on the street not far away. Dark skin, a triple chin, a slightly hunched posture, and one ear larger than the other. When I had looked at his photo on his file, I thought he looked rather odd. It was strange that he could be with a model like Jiang Qing. It reminded me of the internet celebrity Chen Shan. At the same time, I immediately thought: "After searching high and low, we finally found him..."
Like a falcon, I sprang up and lunged towards Li Hongzhuo. The odd-looking man reacted quickly, pushing aside several passersby and fleeing. The street was crowded, and amidst the jostling, I lost sight of him.
"Damn it!" I cursed. A few passersby grabbed me, wanting to argue. In my haste to pursue the suspect, I had bumped into them. I pulled out my police ID. Without a word, they immediately bowed and said, "So you're a police officer. Please, continue! We were rude earlier!"
After a few flattering remarks, they left. I noticed their colorful hair and bizarre clothing, guessing they were local hoodlums.
I looked around and realized this area was covered by surveillance cameras. The footage of Li Hongzhuo leaving would surely have been captured. Although it might not be of much use, I still sent a message to He Xin.
He Xin quickly replied: "Dad, I'm using the N system to capture footage. We should be able to track his movements."
"Keep up the good work!"
As I replied, I saw people coming and going on the street. For some reason, my head felt a bit dizzy. I returned to my car to rest and was about to drive back to the provincial department when Liu Yuning sent me a message: "Where are you? Come here quickly! Another female body has appeared at Fuyuan Square."
"What? Alright, I'm coming right away!"
I changed my location and arrived at the place Liu Yuning had mentioned immediately. After getting out of the car, I saw that a stage had been set up in front of the square. It looked like some kind of performance had taken place here earlier. I saw a few girls in evening gowns on the stage being questioned by the police.
Similar to the previous stage and performance, another female body had appeared here. The only difference was that this was an open-air stage.
I went to Liu Yuning's side and learned that these girls were promoting a smart learning machine. There were many students and parents present. They were now being escorted away by the police.
The scene was cordoned off with police tape. The deceased was in a corner of the stage. Xie Chuchu and Xiao Dong were already kneeling beside her. When I arrived on the stage, Xie Chuchu told me, "Senior, I heard she was an invited guest, the mother of a child. Unexpectedly, after saying a few words to the audience, she collapsed."
I didn't reply. I touched the deceased's body, examining her fingernails and corneas. I found signs of poisoning: "Did she not drink anything?"
"No. It seems it wasn't transmitted through liquid. If there was a capsule in her stomach, she must have taken it at some point, and it only took effect now."
"Is the situation the same as last time?" I couldn't draw a conclusion yet. I could only take the body back for an autopsy. As I was giving instructions, I suddenly noticed a little boy crying uncontrollably in a corner below the stage, calling for his mother. Liu Yuning and Xiahou were comforting him. I quickly went to their side. This boy must be the deceased's son.
The boy was wearing an old blue and white jacket, denim shorts, and had a buzz cut. He was thin and his face was sallow, indicating that his family wasn't well-off.
"Young man, I'm Officer He. Did you notice anything unusual before your mother collapsed?"
"Police officer, I was downstairs at the stage. My mother went up alone. I really don't know anything. My mother just suddenly fainted."
"Fainted?" I hesitated. It seemed this child didn't know his mother had died. I couldn't tell him directly, so I went along with his words: "Did your mother take any medication recently? It might be the reason she fainted!"
"Medication? My mother isn't sick, why would she take medicine? I go to school every day, so I don't know her specific condition."
"Is that so? What about your father?"
The mention of this brought a look of sadness to the boy's face, as if recalling some past event. Liu Yuning nudged me with a pen and whispered in my ear, "His father passed away long ago."
I quickly said, "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know that. Have you and your mother been living alone together?"
"No, I have an older brother too. The three of us are together!"
"Oh? You have an older brother? What's his name, and where is he now?"
"Lu Jianbai. My name is Lu Jianshu. My mother's name is Liang Hui."
"Very good, young Lu Jianshu. Thank you for your cooperation."
I immediately asked Liu Yuning and the others to investigate this family. As I turned, I saw the body being loaded onto the hearse. To prevent Lu Jianshu from seeing, I deliberately blocked his view. After the car drove away, I had a police officer take him back to the provincial department. We needed to get his statement.