Chapter 25: Wog's Regret (Please Collect)

  The director was a stout man of medium height, wearing black-rimmed glasses and a Sun Yat-sen suit. He sat down in the chair and asked in an official tone: "Director Wang, Director Zhou, have you two found any clues?"

  The two patrolmen exchanged a glance, the older one nodded slightly, and the younger one stepped forward to say: "Commissioner, it now appears that this case was done by a lone master thief. Mayor Bai was shot dead, with both bullets hitting his chest; six people were killed in the White House, four of whom were shot, and two had their necks broken; it can be seen that the murderer not only has excellent marksmanship but also carries weapons on him. According to the description of the injured, the murderer is physically strong, with a scar on his face, which is quite noticeable."

  "So that's what this case is about? I heard the Bai family lost some valuables?" The commissioner pushed his glasses up and asked in a drawn-out tone.

  "Commissioner, you are wise." The older patrolman hastily stepped forward to flatter him: "The wooden box in Director Bai's house is indeed empty. According to Director Bai's wife, it was filled with gold bars and silver dollars. If we say it's a revenge killing, the murderer would usually hurry away after committing the crime, and wouldn't be so calm and composed while searching for things."

  "This murderer is really audacious, not only did he enter the house and kill people, but also took away the newly acquired concubine of Baitou Town's mayor." Zhang Yuan furrowed his brow and said: "In my opinion, it's unlikely that this is a lone bandit, perhaps there's someone outside who is helping him, which is why he dares to be so reckless."

  Forcibly abducting a civilian woman is truly shameful. The Bai family intentionally concealed Zhen Niang's identity, only saying she was the newly taken concubine, which inadvertently helped Huang Li and Zhen Niang, misleading the investigators' line of thought.

  "Captain Zhang, are there any bandits or thieves around the town that match this description?" The commissioner asked with a different intention.

  If it was indeed the work of local bandits, Zhang Yuanke would be held responsible for failing to crack down on them and dereliction of duty. Although in this chaotic world, every place has its own bandits and robbers, when something big happens, there must be a scapegoat or an excuse to report to the higher-ups.

  "No." Zhang Yuan was not a fool either, and he flatly denied it: "If you say there's a thief with scars on his face, then there is one in Cangcao Ridge, but that's not within our town's jurisdiction."

  The commissioner was taken aback, and Bai Wenjing had instructed him before he left to use this incident to shift the blame onto Zhang Yuan as much as possible. But this scar-faced man had actually reduced Zhang Yuan's responsibility. The commissioner felt a sense of frustration - why didn't this bandit wear a mask when killing people and stealing goods? Wasn't he afraid that others wouldn't recognize him?

  Wang Xunchang and Zhang Yuanjia had some friendship, seeing Zhang Yuan say this, he quickly added: "This is true, Du San Dao on Cang Cao Ridge has scars on his face, with 20 or 30 guns under him, all are fugitives, but a major disaster for our county."

  The duty officer raised an eyebrow and said disbelievingly: "Cangcao Ridge is not close to here, how can Du Santao's hand stretch so long?"

  Zhang Yuan sneered twice and retorted, "Has the Commissioner forgotten that just last year, the bandit Hei Lao Wu slaughtered the Left Family Village, and his hands didn't stay short either!"

  The western coast of the Bohai Sea in Shandong, centered on the mouth of the Zhangwei Xinhe River, extends southward for several miles, all of which are shallow sea beaches, with muddy sedimentation and yellowish water; On land, gullies intersect, wetlands stretch, reeds grow in clusters, and human habitation is sparse; Moreover, it is far from the center of politics, economy, and culture, and since ancient times, it has been a place where outlaws and pirates have thrived.

  According to historical records, since the Western Han Dynasty, this place has been "plagued by thieves and bandits, with disasters occurring frequently", "in a state of constant turmoil, officials were unable to enter and suppress". In times of peace and prosperity, bandits would also emerge, and in the event of war, disaster or famine, the situation would become even more severe.

  Zhang Yuan's "Hei Lao Wu" refers to a notorious bandit leader active in the coastal areas, although not within the borders of Boye County, it can be said that he is also within the borders of Shandong Province, even if there is some room for quibbling, it is still a fact.

  "Director Hou, Captain Zhang, in my opinion, it's better to report the situation to the county government." Wang Xunzhang was afraid that these two would start fighting and he would be caught in the middle, so he hastily mediated, "Whether to continue investigating or send troops to suppress the bandits will be decided by the county government."

  "If it's to send troops to suppress bandits, Zhang is willing to lead the security team." Zhang rose with a flourish and said indignantly: "Daring to commit murder and robbery on my turf, clearly they don't take me seriously. I must reclaim this dignity."

  "Ah, Captain Zhang is indeed loyal and brave. Let's report to the county first." Commissioner Hou flattered with a smile, but in his heart he thought maliciously: Du San Dao is ruthless and cunning, not an easy target either. Let them fight each other to mutual defeat. If Du San Dao can take you down, it would save us the trouble of dealing with you ourselves.

  ……

  "I said Shanghai has good doctors, suggesting you go to Shanghai?" Woke rubbed his head hard, he had already lost count of how many words he had spoken after drinking, originally thought it was Huang Li's killer, but the news of the scar-faced bandit crushed his confidence.

  "Yes, I've forgotten the name, think again." Huang Li's face wore a sincere smile as he continued to torment this poor guy.

  Wogan began to think seriously, then looked at the calendar with a probing expression and said: "Danton - no, Mason - , nor is it correct, that, then it must be George Eden, right, it must be him."

  "It seems like this is the name." Huang Li nodded his head, giving Vogel a sense of relief.

  "For crying out loud, I'm actually suggesting this to you." Wogan rubbed his forehead forcefully, regretting something he'd never done. "George Eiden is an asshole, although he's made some contributions to psychiatry, but the man himself is a bit off, or rather, a madman."

  "You don't have to regret it." Huang Li put his hand on Vog's shoulder and comforted him, "I just wanted to try, although I don't remember my own experiences, but I'm not a fool. Of course, the urgent mood of a patient looking forward to being cured, you can understand."

  Vogel sighed softly and looked up to say, "My friend, when do you plan on going? Perhaps... I can accompany you, which might avoid some dangers."

  "I'm a impatient person." Huang Li stood up and walked to the medical cabinet, looking at the things inside, saying slowly: "You don't have to accompany me. As for danger, I may be more sensitive to it than you are. And Shanghai, that place will evoke unpleasant memories for you."

  Wolfgang fell silent, his face showing a melancholy and wounded expression. After a while, he spoke in a low voice: "I'll write you a letter, hoping that old madman still remembers the wine we drank together."

  Huang Li nodded and walked towards the door, saying: "I should go to the church and bid farewell to Father Jurgen, he has helped me."