Chapter 69

Chapter 69

Tang Qingqing rushed to the place Qin Sa had mentioned. This route had already deviated from where Shen Hewei went fishing, and the intersection was quite remote.

Wang Heizi had been wandering around the commune for the past few years, going through streets and alleys. At first glance, he knew exactly what was going on.

"Walk along this road for another half hour, and you'll reach another spot where fishing enthusiasts like to hang out."

In their commune, many sections of the river had swift currents or were murky, making suitable fishing spots scarce.

This was the best spot, and many fishing enthusiasts liked to come here during their free time.

Wang Heizi knew someone around his age who liked to stroll there when selling ice pops in the summer.

Those with the leisure to fish usually had some money in their pockets and were willing to spend it on ice pops.

If business was good that day, they could buy several.

Qin Sa, accompanied by Gao Pengyue and two other public security officers, was also at the scene. Hearing this, she said:

"Shen Hewei used to come here often to fish, but later found it too crowded and switched to his current spot."

The person who saw Zhou Xiaoling was also there to fish.

Generally, fishermen arrived early, but that day he had an upset stomach and left late.

However, he was in a hurry riding his bicycle and only glanced at Zhou Xiaoling as he passed by without much notice.

It wasn't until the public security officers conducted investigations that he recalled seeing a little girl passing by a few days ago.

Tang Qingqing asked, "Are you sure it was Zhou Xiaoling?"

"It should be her. We interviewed the locals along the way, and Zhou Xiaoling indeed headed in this direction. But for some reason, she took this fork in the road."

"Could it be that they misunderstood each other?"

Qin Sa: "Shen Hewei claims that since he changed his fishing spot, he hasn't returned here. Other regulars at that spot confirmed his statement."

Tang Qingqing frowned, puzzled as to why Zhou Xiaoling took the wrong turn.

Zhou Xiaoling had been to Shen Hewei's current spot before, and the signs were very clear. The conditions at the fork were entirely different.

At the beginning of this fork, the area became even more remote, with no nearby villages.

A large area had been cordoned off for factory construction, but due to financial issues within the commune, it remained undeveloped.

Shen Hewei's fishing spot, on the other hand, was surrounded by villages and farmland, so people could be seen along the way.

"Could someone have deliberately led Zhou Xiaoling this way to commit a crime?"

"The possibility is high. If Zhou Xiaoling didn't get lost, then someone must have planned this in advance, and it might be someone close to her."

With this new lead, Qin Sa would need to investigate the people around Zhou Xiaoling, including Shen Hewei.

Tang Qingqing understood the situation and rolled up her sleeves to start working.

This route was more complicated than the other one, with many potential crime scenes, requiring thorough investigation without shortcuts.

Compared to examining all the riverbanks, this task was significantly reduced.

Qin Sa patted her shoulder. "Good luck. I'll go work on the other side."

Tang Qingqing, along with Wang Heizi, Gao Pengyue, and another public security officer, conducted a thorough search. As for Tao Dazhuang, he lacked the necessary skills and couldn't be relied upon.

Tao Dazhuang followed Tang Qingqing silently, guarding her.

By midday, they had found nothing.

Such situations were common, so no one complained.

They found a place to rest. Tang Qingqing sat on a rock, drinking water and eating dry rations.

Gao Pengyue: "This job isn't easy. You're so young, yet you can handle it calmly."

Tang Qingqing was fine, but Wang Heizi seemed impatient and restless.

Unexpectedly, when he focused, he was very reliable and worked diligently.

Wang Heizi: "This is nothing. In the past, we followed Qingjie over mountains and through valleys in the dead of winter, and I never complained once."

The first part of Wang Heizi's statement was true.

The latter part was completely exaggerated. While Wang Heizi did his work, he often grumbled.

Now, with outsiders present, he controlled himself, but if it were just among friends, he wouldn't stop talking.

Tang Qingqing moved her neck and noticed someone nearby out of the corner of her eye.

She turned her head and saw three people there, pointing in various directions, seemingly discussing something.

Gao Pengyue followed her gaze. "Hmm?"

Tang Qingqing: "What is it?"

"The woman leading them is Shen Hewei's sister, Shen Hexian."

Shen Hexian was five years older than Shen Hewei and worked at the Machinery Plant as the director of the second workshop.

Tang Qingqing wondered, "Why is she here?"

Wang Heizi: "Don't you guys know? This area was acquired by the Machinery Plant. They're said to be expanding production and building a new factory here."

Tang Qingqing really hadn't heard about it: "Our commune's Machinery Plant is doing so well? They can even build a new factory?"

Many factories are currently facing crises, with poor performance leading to wages barely being paid.

According to what Tang Qingqing knew from books, many factories would likely cease to exist in the future.

She didn't expect the Machinery Plant to be operating so well that they were planning to open a new factory.

"There have been rumors about this for a long time, but it seems there's internal debate, and nothing has been finalized yet."

"Are they here now to plan how to build the factory?"

Tang Qingqing observed their actions, as if they were sketching out a blueprint for the future.

"Just go ask them," Wang Heizi said, about to approach them.

Tang Qingqing grabbed his arm: "We're here for another reason."

"Tang Qingqing comrade, I must criticize you. Anyone appearing here should be questioned and investigated; there might be some clues."

Tang Qingqing found this reasonable and let go of him.

Not only did Tang Qingqing's group notice the three people, but those three also noticed them and started walking over.

Tang Qingqing stood up from the ground.

Shen Hexian, a woman in her early thirties, looked very capable. Unlike her fair-skinned and scholarly brother Shen Hewei, she was sturdy and neat, with rough hands and a brisk walk.

She must have worked on the front lines for a long time, unlike those women who got office jobs through family connections.

Shen Hexian greeted them warmly: "Comrades of the Public Security, you're here to investigate Zhou Xiaoling's case, right? I'm Shen Hewei's sister, Shen Hexian. Thanks to your keen observations, my brother wasn't wrongfully accused."

She looked at Tang Qingqing with admiration, "Is this the legendary 'Goddess of Sharp Eyes'?"

Tang Qingqing smiled: "Sister Shen, those are just exaggerations. I'm not that amazing."

"No need to be modest. It makes me happy to see a girl with such skills. We women need to show men that we can hold our own, that women can shoulder half the sky."

Tang Qingqing just smiled.

Shen Hexian asked: "How did you trace it here? Any leads? Do you need our help?"

Tang Qingqing: "We're still investigating, Sister Shen. Do you often come here?"

"Not really. Our factory hasn't decided whether to open a branch here yet. We're just here to check things out today. Am I disturbing your work?"

Tang Qingqing shook her head: "No."

"How's the investigation going? Any news on the murderer?"

Before Tang Qingqing could answer, Shen Hexian continued:

"The murderer hasn't been found, and the Zhou family keeps hounding us, saying we used connections and influence. They insist my brother is the killer."

Shen Hexian frowned, her expression turning sour when she thought of the Zhou family.

"We'll catch the murderer soon. Please rest assured."

"I told them from the start not to arrange a marriage with that family. Look at the trouble we're in now."

Shen Hexian waved her hand: "Enough about that. It's our bad luck. If my brother hadn't had mental issues, he wouldn't be in this mess."

Wang Heizi: "It's already proven that Shen Hewei wasn't at the scene when Zhou Xiaoling was killed. Why do the Zhus still make a fuss?"

"They keep making a fuss. Zhou Xiaoling married into our family and is now gone, so they demand answers from us. And if my brother hadn't insisted on taking Zhou Xiaoling fishing, none of this would have happened."

Shen Hexian then asked: "Why are you here? My brother hasn't fished here for a long time. Didn't you know?"

Tang Qingqing: "Someone saw Zhou Xiaoling here."

Shen Hexian was surprised: "What was she doing here? Did she misunderstand something? Well, it's normal. My brother's mind is sometimes clear, sometimes confused."

"He seemed fine to us."

"That's because you don't know him well. I'm his sister, so I know his condition."

Shen Hexian sighed deeply, "If not for that accident, my brother would have been a promising talent. After graduating, he could have fulfilled our grandfather's wish to expand the factory. Instead, he's stuck like this, unable to make decisions year after year."

"So you think Zhou Xiaoling might have come here because Shen Hewei misunderstood their meeting place?"

"Possibly. Who knows? Otherwise, why would Zhou Xiaoling come here? This place is desolate and dangerous for a girl."

Tang Qingqing paused and asked: "Sister Shen, when did you last see Zhou Xiaoling?"

"The night before she was killed. I went back to my parents' house for dinner, and she was there too."

Mentioning Zhou Xiaoling, Shen Hexian sighed deeply.

"Zhou Xiaoling had a hard life. So young, and to meet such a fate. She was very obedient and good at making my parents happy, more than I ever could. My parents even joked about adopting her as a goddaughter if the couple didn't work out. But now... sigh."

Shen Hexian didn't stay long and left with her companions, each group working without interfering with the other.

Wang Heizi approached Tang Qingqing: "Quite a coincidence, running into them today. I thought they were going to build a branch factory, but it turns out they haven't decided yet."

Tang Qingqing watched Shen Hexian's group leave, pursing her lips.

"Heizi, go around and ask if they've been showing up frequently recently. Also, find out from the Machinery Plant if the branch factory is actually happening."

Wang Heizi raised his eyebrows. "From the looks of it, you suspect something?"

Tang Qingqing shook her head. "I can't quite put my finger on it, but we should investigate anyway."

There are indeed many coincidences in the world, but some coincidences are deliberately created.

Previously, Tang Qingqing felt something was off, and it only dawned on her during her conversation with Shen Hexian just now.

Shen Hewei had never had an episode outside, yet the news that he had a mental illness and could become extremely violent when he had an episode spread everywhere.

Logically speaking, even if Shen Hewei's father wasn't a leader at the Machinery Plant, most families would still try to maintain their dignity and prevent such negative information from spreading.

No one wants their child to be known as having mental issues, so they could suppress the news when Shen Hewei had an episode.

They lived in the cadre building, which is some distance from where ordinary workers reside.

Of course, this isn't absolute. If Shen Hewei frequently had episodes, it would be hard to keep it hidden.

But as Shen Hewei's sister, she mentioned his mental illness multiple times in her brief conversation with Tang Qingqing, which left a bad taste in her mouth.

Coupled with all these coincidences, Tang Qingqing inexplicably wanted to know more.

If she troubled others to investigate based on this unverified suspicion, Tang Qingqing would feel embarrassed, so she could only verify it herself in private.

But facing Wang Heizi, Tang Qingqing didn't hold back.

She knew that even if it turned out to be futile, Wang Heizi wouldn't complain, so she wouldn't have much psychological pressure.

"But that doesn't make sense. Zhou Xiaoling was raped and murdered, right? Shen Hexian is a woman."

"I can't explain it, I just want to investigate."

"Alright, I also want to know what's going on at the Machinery Plant."

Wang Heizi slipped away, while Tang Qingqing continued to search for clues along this path.

Tang Qingqing hadn't found anything yet, but Wang Heizi had already investigated the matter about opening a branch factory at the Machinery Plant.

"There's nothing concrete yet. Director Shen feels that the current situation isn't good. The Machinery Plant is already struggling and showing signs of decline. Opening a branch factory would add immense pressure, potentially leading to a total collapse."

Wang Heizi was extremely disappointed, thinking there might be some major developments.

If the Machinery Plant were to open a branch factory, it would require significant manpower and resources, providing room for maneuvering.

But there was nothing.

Although a group of radical people were causing trouble, Director Shen was the stabilizing force. Without his approval, even higher-ups couldn't persuade him.

"Oh, by the way, Shen Hexian has been frequently seen here recently, always accompanied by two or three people, wandering around and envisioning a bright future. For a while, due to Shen Hewei's incident, Director Shen had no time to manage matters here. Now that Shen Hewei has been released, Shen Hexian was reprimanded for undermining morale."

Tang Qingqing frowned. "Can we find out where Shen Hexian has been during this period?"

"Don't you trust me?"

Wang Heizi took out a map. "Here, everything is marked. Shen Hexian wandered aimlessly, but some people are sharp enough to notice which area she cares about the most."

Not only that, Wang Heizi also brought Tang Qingqing a clue.

"The night before Zhou Xiaoling was killed, someone saw her leaving the Shen residence shortly after Shen Hexian, and they spoke outside the house."