My father eventually met the same fate, leaving us with these difficult problems. However, I believe that by my generation, whether it's this case or the Polaris organization, I am capable of destroying them. Grandfather, father, and mother, please rest assured! Even if I have only a breath left, I will not give up! I am determined to fight against this unforgivable evil force to the very end!
Thinking this with burning indignation, I almost crushed the case file. Of course, I quickly calmed down and then said to Xia Hou, "We must contact these two individuals. We need to get clues from them!"
"But it's been so many years. Even if we contact them, can we be sure these people haven't defected?" Xiao Yuande questioned.
"I've considered that. Their identities have long been erased. They won't be in the archives, making it difficult to investigate..."
I mused, unsure where to start. At this moment, Liu Yuning said, "Deputy Director He, I know this Du Junde. We had contact with him back then. He changed his name later. His original name was Du Zhiwei, and he had a codename, 'Loyal Wolf,' which meant he wouldn't betray us."
"Oh? Then I'll assign this task to you. Try to find his family or something. It would be best if we could meet him in person. This person should know the internal workings of the drug trafficking ring. If we can find their base, we can sweep these criminals away in one go."
"I'll try, but his family definitely won't know how he's doing. You know, he hasn't changed his identity all these years."
As Liu Yuning spoke, she led some people out of the conference room. Then, I assigned personnel to search for Yue Xiuping. These two undercover agents are likely the linchpin of this case. As long as they haven't defected, solving this case is only a matter of time.
After the meeting, everyone began working on the tasks I assigned. He Xin continued to monitor Pin Hong International Trade Company. Recently, I asked her to maintain normal contact with her boyfriend, ensuring no cracks appear. Of course, if I reminded her again, she'd start complaining that I was being too annoying.
I returned to my office, took a sip of Ba Xingke, and intended to reread the case file for the 115 drug trafficking case. However, I couldn't find anything new this time. I decided to rest for a bit, and when Liu Yuning sent word that Du Zhiwei's family had also moved, my heart sank. I sighed, "How could this be? Have his people also become aware of us?"
"I'm not sure either. We've searched all his previous residences, but there's no sign of him. Does this mean we'll never find Du Zhiwei?"
"Don't worry too much about it for now. Let's hope the investigation into Yue Xiuping yields results."
In truth, I knew that Liu Yuning was familiar with Du Zhiwei's family, and if she couldn't find them, it would be even harder to find Yue Xiuping. Although Liu Yuning could tell I was trying to comfort her, she didn't seem disheartened. "I'll keep trying. I won't come back until I find Du Zhiwei!"
"Take care of yourself. You look exhausted. I'll come over. Where are you?"
"No need. Xiao Yuande and Xia Hou are with me, as is Lu Chusheng. You should rest. I saw the bloodshot veins in your eyes during the meeting, which is why I didn't let you come."
"Alright," I said, resting my hands on the desk and tilting my head. Yes, I was truly tired and needed a good night's sleep.
I don't know how it happened, but I saw Gao Mingqiang. He had returned and found his way to this office. However, he was covered in dirt and sat in his original seat as if he had no idea he was already dead.
The scales of his ichthyosis had disappeared, replaced by a lumpy wound, bruised and purplish. Black hair was growing on his body. I was stunned at that moment. Hadn't I told him not to come back before? Yet, he had returned here without hesitation.
I walked behind him, about to say something, when I suddenly felt my eyes snap open. I looked around the office and realized it was my office. It turned out that everything I had just experienced was a dream, all a dream.
I don't actually believe in dreams, but the scene just now was too real, as if Gao Mingqiang had truly returned. This led me to involuntarily walk out of my office and stand before the spot where he used to sit. Of course, it was empty now.
Everyone else was out busy with their tasks, leaving me alone here. I had promised Liu Yuning I would rest for a while. Now that I was feeling better, I picked up my phone and called her.
"Yuning, how is your investigation going?"
"We haven't found Du Zhiwei, but we did locate his former residence. There are a few neighbors nearby. Oh, right, Du Zhiwei isn't from this area. His hometown is Changsha, Hunan. He moved here after graduation. He had already noticed police activity in Hunan but, for some reason, suddenly moved his entire family to Guangming City."
"It was probably because Director Zhang assigned him a mission at the time. This guy is quite lucky to have been noticed by Director Zhang so quickly. His abilities must be considerable."
"I'm not entirely sure, but wasn't he chosen by your father? He definitely wouldn't be a bad choice. We plan to go to his hometown to inquire. If you're well-rested, would you like to join us?"
I said, "I'd be delighted," and hung up. I met them at a road intersection. However, Xia Hou and Zhang Keying had already transferred to investigate Yue Xiuping's whereabouts. So, it would be just me, Liu Yuning, Xiao Yuande, and Lu Chusheng going to Changsha, Hunan. As for He Xiaoyu and He Jinghui, who knew where they had gone? Weren't they supposed to be providing 24-hour protection for me?
But wherever they wanted to go was their freedom; I had no right to question it. Just as the car started, Xiao Yuande spat out a cigarette butt and then sped off.
We didn't say much during the journey. Investigating in other cities wasn't our first time. Liu Yuning contacted the Changsha police first, asking local officers to assist us in finding Du Zhiwei's previous address. By the time we got out of the car, we had already received notification from the Hexing Town Police Station. We arrived at the station and obtained information about Du Zhiwei in his hometown. It turned out that when he was in his hometown, he had also served as the station chief for a few months. This guy was impressive; he became a station chief right after graduation.
Theoretically, this is very difficult, even impossible, unless he graduated from a senior police academy. Even as a station chief, he would likely have been unwilling to stay in such a small town. In that case, if my father had invited him, even if I were Du Zhiwei, I would have unhesitatingly accepted the undercover mission.
I asked an older police officer there. As he recalled "Director Du," he was filled with enthusiasm. "This young man was truly promising and mature. Although he had just graduated, he had the demeanor of a seasoned detective. Perhaps it was talent. We might not reach his level in a lifetime. He left later, and I don't know why. Perhaps he was promoted and transferred by his superiors. I also know he wouldn't stay in such a small place. Talented people should go to broader spaces to fully utilize their abilities."
"You're right. Did he say anything to you before he left?" I asked.
"That day... actually, I didn't know he was leaving suddenly. It was the day before he left, he gathered everyone at the police station, as if to convey something important. He spoke to us with great earnestness, mostly about working hard and dedicating ourselves to criminal investigation. I sensed then that Director Du was going to leave us."
"Do you remember the specific date?"
Regarding this question, I held onto a sliver of hope. But the old police officer thought hard and said, "I felt very upset that day, and it was my birthday..."
He provided a date, which was just before I started my first year of university, exactly one year before my parents were murdered. This matched up. Du Zhiwei must have become an undercover agent some time after my father's anti-drug operations.
Before leaving the police station, I got Du Zhiwei's home address information from the old police officer. I had already received it on my phone, but just to be sure, we drove into a back alley. Nearby were many old, multi-story buildings. After getting out of the car, we searched around and found neighbors. We then confirmed the address where Du Zhiwei used to live.
It was a very ordinary house, with cracks all over the walls and moss covering them, exuding the passage of time. It was likely that no one had lived here for a long time. As we approached the house, before knocking, we noticed that the old wooden door was ajar. We pushed it open carefully. The first thing that met our eyes was a dusty living room with furniture that was no longer recognizable. The walls were riddled with holes, and the television and coffee table were covered in thick dust. We stepped into this cramped space, less than 30 square meters. Suddenly, our lungs felt filled with a suffocating atmosphere, making it difficult for everyone to breathe.
Fortunately, I took an air freshener from my kit and sprayed it around. Then, we opened the windows to ventilate. The house only had one window; it was too rudimentary. It was clear that Du Zhiwei's family had been in difficult circumstances. However, producing an officer like Du Zhiwei was a source of great pride for them.
In a bedroom, we found a simple bed frame. After so many years, there was still a memorial tablet here. This was likely for Du Zhiwei's parents. The memorial portraits were dusty, and there were no signs of incense burning in the censer, indicating that Du Zhiwei had not returned for a long time.
At the time, we still held out hope that Du Zhiwei might return to his hometown. But now, it seemed impossible. However, we could still try to get more information.