Chapter 67.2: Cai Tou Gang
At least two people had to be present during an interrogation. Zeng Jun glanced around, spotted Lu Yixing standing nearby, and promptly pulled him into the proceedings as well.
Once his psychological defenses crumbled, the rest of the confession came pouring out like floodwaters breaching a dam. It didn’t take Zeng Jun much effort to get Luo Youben to reveal where all the stolen remains had been sold, how much “compensation” they’d received, how they’d divided the money, and to confirm once again how they’d split up the work.
After finishing Luo Youben’s interrogation, Zeng Jun pressed on while he was on a roll and brought Luo’s younger brother in for questioning as well.
He confessed, too.
But even though both men had admitted to their crimes, the case wasn’t over yet. The stolen money had to be seized and returned, and the remains had to be retrieved from the hospitals and returned to the victims’ families.
The first task was relatively straightforward. Zeng Jun took a team back to Luo Youben’s home to gather evidence and recover the stolen money. As for the remains…
“We might not be able to retrieve all the remains intact.”
In the car on the way back, Huang Xueling leaned back in her seat after hearing that they’d also have to return the remains.
“I attended a medical technical school before, you know. Some bone specimens have to be cut open so people can examine the cross-sections, while others are assembled and mounted together. Will the families be able to bear seeing them like that?”
“There’s nothing we can do about it. We’ll just have to do our best to prepare them for it when the time comes.”
Zeng Jun replied helplessly, “Who could have imagined that even after someone was buried underground, they’d still have to suffer something like this?”
People who were alive rarely gave much thought to what would happen to them after death. But after witnessing what had happened today, it was hard not to dwell on the subject a little. Chen Dong chimed in immediately.
“This is why cremation is still the better option.”
“Once the body has been reduced to ashes, you don’t have to worry about someone digging it up again after it’s buried in a public cemetery.”
“Not necessarily.”
Hearing them discuss the matter, Jiang Xia joined in as well.
“As more and more people die in the future, there won’t be enough space in public cemeteries either. And if a city expands, the graves might still end up being dug up. By then, who knows where the remains will be moved?”
“Heh.”
Photographer Zhao chuckled teasingly.
“So, if I’m understanding you correctly, nobody can escape this fate?”
“That’s not actually wrong.”
Trace Examiner Li pushed his glasses back into place after the wind had blown them askew.
“If you look at the whole of human history, there are human remains buried beneath our feet everywhere. Given enough time, whether it’s a grave or a pile of cremated ashes, everything will eventually turn to dust. There’s no need to worry too much about it.”
As he spoke, a carefree note crept into his voice. “When I die, I’ll follow Chairman Mao’s example. Have my body cremated, then scatter the ashes in the water to feed the fish.”
“Ah.”
Huang Xueling twirled a strand of hair around her finger, looking a little uncertain. “I’ve thought about donating my body for medical students to practice on, actually. But who knows if I’ll still feel the same way in the future?”
“That’s a pretty high level of enlightenment, too,” Photographer Zhao remarked.
“I’m just an ordinary person. I’d rather be buried in a public cemetery. I don’t care how many years my grave lasts. After all, I won’t know anything once I’m dead.”
Huang Xueling turned around curiously to look at Jiang Xia. “What about you, Jiang Xia?”
“Me?”
Jiang Xia gave it some serious thought.
If she worked hard enough and eventually earned recognition as a model hero in the second half of her life, there was a good chance she’d have the national flag draped over her coffin and be buried in a national martyrs’ cemetery. That would be the most perfect outcome imaginable.
But saying that out loud would sound far too much like wishful thinking. She kept that goal tucked away in her heart and couldn’t resist making a cheeky joke instead.
“I’d have myself cremated and my ashes scattered into the sea. But I’d still leave a little something behind for my descendants to remember me by. Maybe they could make two dice out of my remains. Whenever they couldn’t make up their minds, they could give them a roll. That way, I could still give them some advice from beyond the grave!”
“Huh?”
“Hahaha!”
“Jiang Xia, you’re way too good at joking around!”
…
Jiang Xia laughed along with them.
Sitting sideways, she instinctively glanced behind her—and happened to catch sight of Lu Yixing riding a motorcycle behind them.
He was looking at her, his eyes curving slightly as a smile spread across his face. It was like a spring breeze sweeping across a lake, sending ripples dancing across its surface.
Jiang Xia’s heart suddenly skipped a beat.
…
City Public Security Bureau
Now that the suspects had been arrested, Jiang Xia didn’t need to handle the rest of the case. Seeing that Lu Yixing had been roped into more work, she headed to the Third Squad to ask about the situation.
As luck—or perhaps bad luck—would have it, Bai Fangqiang was the only one left in the Third Squad.
When he heard why she’d come, he gave her a rueful smile.
“Ah, Jiang Xia, you have no idea. Our captain has been pulling his hair out over this very issue!”
Bai Fangqiang immediately launched into a long complaint.
“We’ve received several cases involving people gathering privately to fight, too. The injuries have been pretty serious, but when we interrogate them, nobody will admit to anything. They all just say they couldn’t stand the other side. In the end, we have no choice but to handle the cases as ordinary brawls.”
“Our captain suspected that these brawls were connected to the meat and vegetable vendors, so he went to investigate the streets where those vendors gathered to set up their stalls. There were a few street thugs who actually held out their hands and demanded money right in front of the officers, one after another. When we went over to question them, they even claimed it was a sanitation fee!”
“We questioned people privately, but none of the vendors dared admit they’d been robbed. When we showed up in uniform, nobody even dared speak to us. And those thugs had the nerve to pull knives on us!”
“There were only two of us there at the time, and neither of us had brought a gun. We didn’t dare risk a confrontation, so we had no choice but to withdraw.”
At this point, Bai Fangqiang’s expression darkened. After composing himself, he continued,
“Later, it was Sister Wang who managed to get a little information by privately asking some residents who bought groceries. Apparently, these guys are the ones who keep watch over this territory, and there’s someone above them. They call him Brother Guan. He’s got a whole bunch of men working under him, too. But nobody’s actually seen him, and they don’t even know what he looks like.”
“Now our whole squad has switched to plainclothes and is keeping watch. We don’t know if we’ll manage to catch anyone coming out.”
Jiang Xia was astonished.
What on earth had these people done to make so many people afraid to say a word?
Crime escalated step by step. If this gang was allowed to keep growing, who knew what they would do next!
This couldn’t be allowed to drag on. After thinking for a moment, Jiang Xia asked, “Has Captain Feng tried asking around at the black market?”
“He has. The people there all claim they don’t know where these guys came from, either.”
Bai Fangqiang shook his head. “I think they probably know something, but they’re just too afraid of retaliation to talk.”
“The main problem is that there are so many of them. We’ve counted at least sixty or seventy men just among those guarding the territory.”
Bai Fangqiang understood why people were so afraid. He sighed.
“How are these guys still just street thugs? They’re clearly a gang!”
“That many?!”
Jiang Xia drew a sharp breath.
With so many men, it would be difficult for the police to arrest them all in one go. Some would inevitably be left behind—perhaps even most of them. Who would dare speak up knowing that?
“In reality, the actual number is probably even higher.”
After a moment, Bai Fangqiang added, “These people have already beaten a local police officer badly enough to put him in the hospital. Now that we’re investigating them… I’m afraid it might not be safe for us, either. We don’t know whether they might target your technical department, too. In any case, you’d better be careful when traveling to and from work.”
It sounded utterly absurd.
But when she thought about how these people dared to bully even the police, what chance did ordinary people stand?
“I understand.”
Jiang Xia nodded, her heart heavy.
After saying goodbye, she headed back to the technical department, deep in thought.
No wonder this type of crime had been singled out as a priority for suppression. It was far more complicated and difficult to deal with than ordinary cases.
Looking at the situation closely, the real problem was that the lower-level members could be arrested, but they wouldn’t stay locked up for long. Worse, no one knew who the leaders and key members were, and the victims were too afraid to identify anyone.
It was genuinely difficult—but in a way, it was also simple.
All they had to do was identify the leaders and key members, then launch a swift, decisive operation and arrest everyone from top to bottom. Once the victims saw that the police were determined to punish the gang, they would naturally find the courage to come forward.
The leaders and key members would surely receive sentences of several years at the very least. Even if the peripheral members received relatively short sentences, once their leaders were taken down, no one would be left to organize them. Even after being released, they wouldn’t dare cause trouble again for a while.
That would at least keep things peaceful for a few months. And if they could hold out until the nationwide crackdown began a few months later, the gang would never have a chance to grow into a serious threat.
Unfortunately, they were stuck at the very first step: they had absolutely no idea who the gang’s leaders and key members were.
With prolonged surveillance, they should eventually be able to identify most of them. But that would take too long, leaving plenty of time for something to go wrong. And if the gang discovered they were being watched, then…
They really needed to act fast.
Jiang Xia felt a little torn.
Should she use her King of Thieves title to disguise herself and go undercover one more time?
As she pondered the question, a familiar voice suddenly called out from behind her.
“Jiang Xia!”
She turned around.
It was Lu Yixing. At some point, he’d come out of the office, and now he was looking at her intently.
Jiang Xia stopped walking. “Do you need something?”
“Yeah.”
Lu Yixing gave a slight nod.
He’d already confirmed while listening in earlier that Jiang Xia wanted to investigate the Cai Tou gang.
To be honest, this was dangerous work, and it wasn’t something a forensic technician should be involved in. But that was easier said than done. If someone wanted to investigate on their own time, there wasn’t much anyone could do to stop them.
Still, Jiang Xia was a sensible adult, and Lu Yixing trusted her to act cautiously. He didn’t try to talk her out of it or lecture her about staying safe. He simply said, “If you need a hand, you can come get me anytime. I’ll go with you.”
Why did that feel so… reassuring?
Warmth spread through Jiang Xia’s heart.
“I will.”
She agreed, then paused briefly before asking, “Which day are you off this week? Do you have any free time?”
“Friday.”
Lu Yixing answered without hesitation. “I’m free all day.”
Jiang Xia smiled. “Then it’s a deal. I’ll treat you to lunch at the Red Star Restaurant on Wutong Street this Friday.”
Huh?
Lu Yixing froze.
Wasn’t she supposed to be investigating the case?
“Good grief, you idiot! My submission was accepted!”
Seeing his expression, Jiang Xia wanted to punch him. “I told you I’d treat you to a meal to thank you for helping me. You can come by yourself this time, understand? And don’t you dare bring anyone else!”
With that, Jiang Xia turned and walked away, leaving Lu Yixing standing there, his brain temporarily short-circuiting.
Come alone? And don’t bring anyone else?
Could this…?
A few possibilities flashed through his mind, and his heart suddenly began pounding faster.
Bai Fangqiang came out of the office and looked at him in confusion. “Hey, Lu Yixing, what are you standing around here for?”
“Nothing.”
Lu Yixing clenched his hands, turned around, and changed the subject. “I think I heard you say some street thugs beat a local police officer badly enough to put him in the hospital?”
“Yeah.”
Bai Fangqiang’s expression turned rueful. “It was someone from the Zhouying Police Station, too—the very station Jiang Xia used to work at.”
Wasn’t that someone Jiang Xia knew?
Lu Yixing hurriedly asked, “Who got beaten?”
“I think his surname was Hu. Hu Wei, was it?”
Bai Fangqiang scratched his head. “Those guys are pretty brazen. They’ve even got people keeping watch outside the police station now. Oh, right! Whatever you do, don’t tell Jiang Xia about this. Her station chief specifically asked us to keep it from her because he’s worried she’ll act impulsively!”
Lu Yixing fell silent, deep in thought.
Why was everyone so worried that Jiang Xia might act impulsively?
One officer had been beaten badly enough to end up in the hospital. What about the others?
Could Jiang Xia’s mentor at the police station have been injured, too?
His gaze darkened slightly, and his brows drew together.
“I understand.”
Although he’d agreed, Lu Yixing had a feeling they wouldn’t be able to keep this from Jiang Xia for long.
They had to find a way to deal with the situation as quickly as possible.
He just hadn’t expected his premonition to come true so soon.
The case had been wrapped up, and there wasn’t much else to do in the department. Liao Zhongsheng didn’t mind if Jiang Xia left early, either.
Jiang Xia figured that conducting an in-depth investigation herself would be dangerous, but surely there was nothing wrong with going to the station to check on her mentor, right?
It was a police station, after all!
With that in mind, Jiang Xia came up with an excuse and left an hour and a half early.
When Lu Yixing came out later, he glanced instinctively toward the bicycle shed—and noticed that Jiang Xia’s bicycle was gone.
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