Chapter 63 - 1#
Chapter 63: One Road, One Choice
Things were getting troublesome.
Wei Xiangjin couldn’t help but think so.
It wasn’t his first day in officialdom, so he could clearly see the direction things were going—he came out to find a mission that was almost guaranteed to succeed to gild his resume, but ended up messing it up… To put it mildly, he was guilty of serious oversight and blind command. To put it more seriously, he was suspected of letting criminal suspects go and colluding with bandits.
He glanced at Gu Chenzhou, and just at this moment, Gu Chenzhou also looked at him.
Their eyes met, and with years of tacit understanding, Wei Xiangjin understood immediately: “Someone did report to me just now that there was a passage here—it was him.” He pointed to the first policeman who ran down in a hurry to notify him, and insisted, “Several people saw that passage together. We were about to go over and check it when we received the order to investigate the source of the scream in the warehouse behind.”
The police team leader looked at the first policeman Wei Xiangjin pointed to: “How many people saw a passage here?”
“I saw it.” The policeman pointed out by Wei Xiangjin said.
Gu Chenzhou also nodded.
But another policeman hesitated: “I seemed to see it, but only a flashlight was on at the time, and the light was very dim. When I wanted to go over and look again, a scream rang out outside. We and this gentleman,” he pointed to Gu Chenzhou, “went out together. Major Wei asked the two of us to stay and watch, and went to the warehouse with this gentleman himself.”
With only two policemen, even if one was left to guard the door and watch the driver trapped on the railing, it was indeed impossible to let the other investigate the unknown passage alone.
Not to mention, this passage was really “unknown”.
The police team leader looked at the moved bathtub and asked: “How did you discover this place? Didn’t I say that this place was checked at the very beginning?”
“Major Wei brought us up.” The policeman said, “Major Wei found that one of the electric meters downstairs was turning, so we came up together to have a look.”
The police team leader gave a faint hum, and suddenly asked the second policeman: “You just said ‘we and this gentleman’, Major Wei didn’t come in?”
“The person locked in the corridor was a bit restless at the time. Major Wei looked back. Later we went out, and Major Wei didn’t come in again.” The second policeman said truthfully.
“Captain Fang.” Gu Chenzhou suddenly spoke up, his expression indifferent, “I suggest that the interrogation and recording work be handed over to professionals. Now—is the mission over?”
The police team leader looked at Gu Chenzhou with some sarcasm on his face: “It’s indeed not over yet, but I guess it should be about over.” He waved his hand and said loudly with a cold expression, “Everyone disperse and continue searching!”
For the last two hours of the early morning, everyone searched every inch of the industrial park. Everyone’s eyes were red from staying up late. Until the sky slowly brightened and drove away all the darkness, not a single clue was found.
The next morning, the police team leader took the people into the car with a dark face. Before leaving, he said a sentence to Wei Xiangjin: “Major Wei, even if you come from the military, you can’t just hit wherever you want. This case is registered with the higher-ups. If there are any explanations, Major Wei should think carefully about how to tell the investigators sent from above!” He paused and said, “As for the person Major Wei detained, because he appeared at the search location, according to regulations, we will take him back for interrogation. If it is a military case, Major Wei should ask the military officer to issue an official document before coming to ask us for the person!”
After speaking, he got into the car and slammed the door, letting the driver drive directly, leaving a cloud of exhaust fumes for Gu Chenzhou and Wei Xiangjin who were still standing by the roadside.
Wei Xiangjin was dumb for a long time. Just as he was about to say a few words to Gu Chenzhou, his mobile phone rang. He picked it up and listened to a few sentences, and it turned out that he was asked to wait for the investigator’s notification. He managed to maintain his composure and agreed calmly without losing his temper at all.
Gu Chenzhou asked after the other party hung up the phone: “What’s the matter?”
“Asked to wait for the investigator on the spot!” Wei Xiangjin had never been so frustrated since he came out. His voice couldn’t help but have a hint of gnashing teeth, “Let’s go back to the guesthouse first. No, I’ll wait here. You go back to Beijing immediately. They can’t run to Beijing to arrest people. This case has nothing to do with you—” He said and walked forward, but Gu Chenzhou didn’t move.
“Hmm?” Wei Xiangjin looked at Gu Chenzhou with some doubt. Gu Chenzhou said, “They asked you to wait on the spot?”
“Wait in Dechang County.” Wei Xiangjin nodded.
Gu Chenzhou said: “I guess this ‘on the spot’ doesn’t refer to Dechang vaguely, but literally—” He looked at the two government cars parked in front of him. At this time, Wei Xiangjin also saw them, “On the spot.”
As soon as the voice fell, the doors of the two government cars opened, and a man walked out and said: “Major Wei, Mr. Gu, regarding some matters in the drug lord case early this morning, we need to find you two to understand the details. Do you need me to show the official document for cooperation in investigation issued by the higher-ups?”
If they really entangled and asked the other party to show this thing, they would lose face completely.
Wei Xiangjin raised an eyebrow: “What does this have to do with Young Master Gu?” He secretly pointed out Gu Chenzhou’s identity.
The other party said in a business-like manner: “The order I received said that Mr. Gu has been participating in this case and is an important witness in this case,” he said, “Please get in the car, Major Wei and Mr. Gu.”
Wei Xiangjin couldn’t hold back and kicked the car door hard! The kicked position seemed to be slightly dented.
The man standing outside the government car didn’t change his expression, but his hand had already reached into his pocket, looking like he was going to take something out.
Gu Chenzhou suddenly said: “Alright, let’s get in the car first.”
Wei Xiangjin retracted his foot. The other party opened the car door at the right time and made a gesture of invitation.
Wei Xiangjin paused, but ultimately said nothing and bent down to sit in.
Gu Chenzhou got into the car behind. After the two cars drove for a distance one after another, they continued to move forward in different directions.
Gu Chenzhou sat in the car with his eyes closed to rest. Wei Xiangjin was from the military, so naturally he had to return to the military to accept the investigation from the military. And he hadn’t entered the system to work yet, so he couldn’t even qualify for the Discipline Inspection Commission investigation—of course, no official hoped to see the Discipline Inspection Commission come to their home—he could only stay at the police station.
When he arrived at the police station, Gu Chenzhou was not left hanging. He was taken directly to the interrogation room and sat down. Two older policemen with high positions came over in person. The questioning was polite and business-like. There were no overly sensitive questions like “What is your relationship with Wei Xiangjin?” or “Why did you appear in the process of police handling the case?”, etc. They just focused on understanding what happened early this morning, especially the passage located in the room:
“What time exactly did you go in?”
“Around 2:45 AM.”
“What did you see inside?”
“A passage leading downstairs.”
“Who was the policeman who took you in?”
“I don’t know his name. He is tall and thin, with a long face, a mole on his left cheek, and is left-handed.” Gu Chenzhou didn’t need to recall many images, and said slowly directly.
“It’s Xiao Zhang from the first team.” The policeman on the left said to the policeman on the right.
“How long did you stay inside?”
“Less than ten seconds.” Gu Chenzhou said.
“Why did you come out so quickly? You saw a passage suddenly appearing in the bathroom of a high-rise building, didn’t you have any idea of going up to have a look?” The policeman asked.
This was really a good question.
Gu Chenzhou was also thinking about why he didn’t go up to check at that time.
When he followed the policeman who ran down hurriedly shouting ’there is a passage’ into the bathroom, the policeman named Xiao Zhang only turned on a flashlight. The light flashed, and just as he saw a deep staircase-like passage, he heard a scream outside.
At this time…
Gu Chenzhou’s fingers tapped lightly on his left knee.
At this time, Xiao Zhang immediately shone the flashlight towards the door, and someone was shouting “What happened.”
He naturally thought of Wei Xiangjin standing outside who hadn’t come in, so he rushed out to meet Wei Xiangjin—as for that passage, he wasn’t a policeman with the responsibility to catch criminals, nor was he like Wei Xiangjin who came down to gild his resume and get credit. He was just surprised at the time and his attention was diverted. From beginning to end, he didn’t have the idea of personally going up to verify it…
And Wei Xiangjin, his attention was attracted by the driver locked outside at that time, and later he heard the scream coming from the opposite side, plus he went down and told Wei Xiangjin “there is indeed a passage”. Even if Wei Xiangjin had three points of distrust and vigilance towards the police here, he would completely believe his words. Moreover, he himself just came down to grab some credit and leave immediately. There was basically no conflict of interest with the people here, and he didn’t expect someone to set a trap for him… No, Gu Chenzhou thought.
It was for them.
From the beginning, he recommended this matter to Wei Xiangjin, then he suggested changing the search time, and later he was the first to point out the electric meter on the building, and told Wei Xiangjin that there was indeed a passage there…
Step by step, it was almost him alone who pitted Wei Xiangjin into this situation.
Gu Chenzhou still answered the policeman’s questions unhurriedly on the surface, but the chill in his eyes became heavier and heavier.
If the driver hadn’t appeared in this matter, it would be debatable whether this trap was set by He Hailou or by collusion between police and bandits to pit him and Wei Xiangjin.
But the driver appeared so opportunely, opportunely at the most critical moment, completely attracting Wei Xiangjin’s attention away—
He Hailou, He Hailou…