Chapter 1376: Final Chapter

At the entrance of the Anwan City Bureau.

Wei Zhen'guo stood before a somewhat familiar gate, hesitating for a long time.

Wei Yin held her father's hand with one hand and wiped her tears with the other, tears that wouldn't dry, just as when her mother went missing and her father had taken her to file a report.

Wei Yin looked up at her father's back, just as it had been years ago, only slightly more hunched now. She knew her father must be tear-streaked at this moment, so she deliberately lagged half a step behind, so he wouldn't have to wipe his tears and force a smile.

No matter how positive the attitude, it cannot overcome death, for that irreversible passing, ignoring spirit and matter, simply departs, departing further and further away.

"Old Wei. Wei Yin." Huang Qiangmin came out from the guard post, nodded to Wei Zhen'guo and Wei Yin, then led the two inside, the three walking toward the building in front and behind.

Huang Qiangmin walked a little faster, while Wei Zhen'guo and Wei Yin walked slower and slower, facing the police building adorned with the red national emblem, a building they had walked past countless times in daily life, yet today they felt increasingly powerless with each step.

Jiang Yuan waited in the meeting room, and after the two had somewhat composed themselves, he briefed them on the case details and investigation results.

Old Wei listened silently until Jiang Yuan finished speaking, then couldn't help but ask: "How did Huimin end up in their car at that time? How was she abducted?"

Jiang Yuan hesitated for a moment, then said: "According to our interrogation, Li Huimin first hailed a black car, drove a stretch, then Huo Niu and his accomplices waved, the driver thought to carpool, stopped the car and asked where they were going, Huo Niu said to the train station, so the driver let the two get in. Li Huimin objected at the time, saying she was in a hurry to return, the driver said, then just drop her off first, and Li Huimin didn't object further."

Jiang Yuan basically just relayed the interrogation statements, without adding or omitting anything.

Old Wei gave a soft "hmm."

Wei Yin beside him suddenly let out a "wah" and burst into tears.

"Don't cry, first listen to Director Jiang." Old Wei's nose also felt sour.

Wei Yin shook her head: "That day I told Mom I'd come back earlier in the afternoon…… Mom agreed, said she'd get off work early and come back to keep me company……"

Wei Zhen'guo's tears suddenly welled up, he unconsciously thought: since his wife went missing, he had often worked himself to the bone, day and night reversed, but his daughter had always been well-behaved, unlike other police officers' children who demanded he be home at certain times……

This unwarranted guilt may have already existed in Wei Yin's heart for a long time.

Wei Zhen'guo took out paper to wipe his daughter's tears, saying: "It's not your fault, it has nothing to do with you……"

Turning his head, Wei Zhen'guo again said to Jiang Yuan: "Director Jiang…… please continue. Did Huimin resist?"

"You can just call me Jiang Yuan." Jiang Yuan first said that, then looked at Wei Yin and said: "According to the statements of the two perpetrators, Li Huimin should have had no chance to resist, they used a high-voltage electric baton, and threatened the driver with a long dagger……"

"That's enough for now." Huang Qiangmin saw the two's emotions were about to lose control again, came over and stopped Jiang Yuan from continuing.

Wei Zhen'guo simply couldn't hold back any longer, he leaned over the table and began to sob loudly.

In fact, over these many years, Wei Zhen'guo had already been mentally prepared, but in the unknown, he still harbored a sliver of侥幸 in his heart.

Now that the result was confirmed, Old Wei's suppressed emotions all burst forth, he almost wished to just break down crying right then.

Seeing two familiar policemen crying like ordinary people, Jiang Yuan could only sigh softly. The forensic examiner faces the deceased, ultimately still serving the living, but the deceased cannot be revived, so how can the living find relief?

……

Two months later.

Jiang Yuan visited Luyang, Guqi and other cities, leading his exhausted team, returning faithfully to Ningtai County.

After completing all procedures, Jiang Yuan directly brought a group of teammates unwilling to go home back to his residence.

In the owner's canteen of Jiang Village residential area, a large pot had already been set up, dumplings were being wrapped.

The dumpling wrappers were made from wheat grown and hired by Huatang, freshly ground that day into flour, the filling was pork and beef raised by Jiangfu Town himself, the five-spice pork freshly slaughtered that day, and the vegetable sides like cabbage and leeks were also freshly pulled from the plots around the pasture.

The wrappers were fragrant and sweet, the pork and beef fresh, the vegetables richly aromatic……

The members of Jiang Yuan's cold case special team, who had endured wind and meal and lodging on the road, together with Liu Jinghui and other external personnel, as well as Pang Jidong, Zhan Kan, Wei Shikan and other disciples, plus Li Li and Dazhuang and other formally appointed officers, all fell into the lively atmosphere of dumpling-making.

Peeling garlic, smashing garlic, dumplings sinking and floating……

A huge iron pot, few dumplings, served in small plates one after another, biting a big mouthful, the meat filling scalding hot, the wrappers fragrant and sweet……

Huang Qiangmin ate while nodding: "The home-raised pork is truly excellent. Next time the Anwan City Bureau calls, we can have them send some pastoral mutton, dumplings would surely be delicious."

"We could find a bureau with good chili……"

"Vinegar, aged vinegar or fragrant vinegar both work, see which side produces a major case first……"

Bang bang bang bang!

Everyone ate with oil dripping from their mouths, imagining faces, when the door was loudly knocked on.

"Something happened!" The entering officer had a solemn expression: "Murder case, active case!"

County reception center.

The arriving police had already set up police tape, and a tent was pitched in the middle, shielding the outside view, looking very proper.

Upon hearing Jiang Yuan had arrived, a group of people dispersed.

Jiang Yuan took the inspection box brought by his assistant, lightly belched, then put on his mask, and followed his master Wu Jun, walking together into the long-absent new death case scene in Ningtai County.

Inside the tent, lay a man with a bulky frame, thick flesh and a big belly, wearing a pair of sports shoes on his feet, his T-shirt pulled up to his chest, his belly pale and exposed.

No wound could be seen on his entire body, yet he was dead—indeed, a mysterious major case.

Jiang Yuan took another step forward, then noticed the victim's neck was oddly twisted, and, a very familiar face……

Jiang Yuan couldn't help but exclaim in surprise: "Twenty-seventh Uncle?"

……

The book is complete.

……