If finding someone were that easy, we wouldn't have forced Jian Yongwang back then. Speaking of forcing, those two little girls had already been swapped. The sack I beat was just filled with two SpongeBob SquarePants dolls, and the piteous screams were pre-recorded by me earlier.
As for how the replacement was done, it was all thanks to He Xin's video editing skills. While professionals might spot some flaws, it was enough to fool Jian Yongwang.
We had thoroughly investigated Jian Yongwang's every move, even his visits to clubs and bars. However, Jian Yongwang's lifestyle seemed to have changed recently, about a month ago. For a few days, his colleagues said he was missing.
Then, the guy simply resigned.
Liu Yuning reasoned, "He must have been held captive at that time, then released. After that, his whole lifestyle changed. What could be the reason? Probably only one: he was threatened. But they didn't restrict his actions. He felt he was going to die anyway, so he decided to live it up, to enjoy a life he never had before he died..."
"Exactly, that's what I think too. Otherwise, a person's lifestyle wouldn't change so drastically unless they encountered a special situation. He Xin, did you find the last location of his disappearance?"
"According to the dashcam, mobile phone data, and ID information, it was around September 12th. All his information disappeared, and he only reappeared in Guangming City on September 20th," He Xin said, staring at the screen and moving the mouse.
I said, "Eight days? Theoretically, that's enough time. Take a closer look at the footage of Jian Yongwang leaving that hotel. He had a scar on his neck then."
"Yes, it must have been not long after surgery, and the wound was just healing. If we look at his neck now, there are still traces, just not as obvious," replied Xie Chuchu, who was beside me.
"And the location?" I asked He Xin. She zoomed into a corner and marked a coordinate for us.
"The place he disappeared from was near Longhe Street. You should go look around. Pinpointing the exact spot isn't easy."
I nodded and immediately set out with Liu Yuning, Zhang Keying, Xiahou, and others, arriving at Longhe Street first. It was quite remote, inhabited mostly by poor people. I wondered if Jian Yongwang had been held captive here, and perhaps Guan Song was hiding somewhere nearby?
Otherwise, why would he disappear here?
We went around the street, interviewing people. Although Guan Song might have already escaped, if he had lived there, we could still gather some information from others.
As the street was very wide, we split up to search. When we saw people, we asked about Jian Yongwang and Guan Song. When we knocked on doors and got no response, we would directly push the door open and enter with our guns to check. However, most places were still occupied, so we showed them photos and asked.
After inquiring at several households, an old man finally said, "I remember these two. They're a couple, aren't they? I saw them together all the time, but the woman seemed very stern, and the man was always meek and obedient to her. It's always been like that."
"A couple? When did you see them?"
"It's always been like that. But they don't come here often. If I'm not mistaken, these two were having an affair, because their behavior was very strange, not like normal couples," the old man recalled.
"Do you know where they live?" I asked.
The old man led me outside to the street and pointed to a house not far away. It was a courtyard house. "It's over there!"
Following the old man's directions, I found the courtyard house. It wasn't far from his home, so it made sense that the old man knew about them. He was practically neighbors with Jian Yongwang and Guan Song.
After bidding him farewell, I went in alone with my gun. I was mentally prepared and had secretly pressed the distress button on my radio communicator. Would I really be foolish enough to rush into the suspect's house alone?
Yet, I was a bit impatient. Before seeing everyone else, I knocked a few times on the main door. I knew that if Guan Song himself was hiding inside, knocking like this would alert him. However, I was deliberately doing the opposite. I knocked and stood there in silence, then circled around to the back of the house and carefully climbed over the wall.
Entering the courtyard, I found it vastly different from my own courtyard. Not to mention the size, the building itself could only be described as dilapidated. It looked like no one lived there, not much different from a beggar's hovel. I wondered why they would choose to meet here. Perhaps it was because of its seclusion, making it convenient for them to conduct some illegal activities?
After all, dismemberment or similar acts here would likely go undiscovered. Of course, with a basement, it would be perfect.
I followed the killer's train of thought, pretending to be one of them, and searched everywhere. Soon, I understood why they chose this place. Indeed, after looking around a corner in the main hall, I found signs that a large grey urn had been moved.
I immediately focused on this spot and pushed the urn to the left. Fortunately, the urn wasn't heavy; I could move it by myself, otherwise, I would have needed help. However, just as I was about to discover something, there was movement not far away. I quickly became alert and raised my gun towards the hall door, shouting, "Who's there!"
The person who appeared was startled by me, but after reacting, they complained, "It's me! Honey!"
It turned out to be Liu Yuning. Had she found her way here so quickly? She probably received my distress signal. I quickly signaled her over. I found a round iron plate on the ground, and she asked curiously, "Is there a basement here?"
"Most likely. This place might have been their 'workshop' before."
"Then let's hurry!" Liu Yuning said, then fired a shot, breaking the iron lock on the iron plate. We both squatted down and lifted this iron door together. The door was quite heavy, incomparably so compared to the urn earlier.
It almost caused both of us to fall down when we opened it. It seems I, Deputy Director He, still need to work out more, otherwise, I'll be in trouble in such special situations.