Chapter 52 - 52 52 The People of the Underworld

Words : 1500 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

52: Chapter 52: The People of the Underworld 52: Chapter 52: The People of the Underworld “This...” Jiang Yuan didn’t know how to comfort others, and the words of Wei Zhenguo had an even greater impact on him. The case of Ding Lan’s disappearance had just been concluded, and a body had been dug up. Now, with Wei Zhenguo speaking of his wife’s disappearance, it was all too easy for people to start thinking in the worst possible direction. Wei Zhenguo lit a cigarette, the smoke swirling around him, before he said, “I was away on a business trip, and when I got back, she was gone. Her phone was disconnected, vanished without a trace. Captain Huang and the others have been looking too, but to no avail. As for the clues left behind... you could hardly call them clues. Heh, maybe Doctor Jiang could take a look later.” “Okay... Okay.” Jiang Yuan dared not say how much he could help. The disappearance of a detective’s wife would surely have mobilized a tremendous search effort from the department, yet they had found nothing, so this wasn’t a problem that could be solved with just talk. “Let’s go, get some sleep at the hotel and be ready for tomorrow; there’s still plenty to do.” Wei Zhenguo was merely venting his emotions and didn’t actually expect Jiang Yuan to be of much help. Jiang Yuan had stood out in the criminal investigation team of Ningtai County, but in Changyang City, his expertise was less pronounced. There were many technical experts in the city bureau and the provincial department. Even Huang Qiangmin had been called in before, but still no clues were found. As a detective, Wei Zhenguo was acutely aware that some cases just couldn’t be cracked, and sometimes when they were solved, it was down to luck. It’s like in TV shows where a case happens and forces from all sides swiftly converge and directly pinpoint the essence of the case... Truth be told, that is indeed the ideal procedure and approach to solving a case. But in reality, some cases aren’t immediately discovered upon happening, and even when discovered, they aren’t always treated with the urgency they deserve. And even with attention, various mistakes often occur... Even Wei Zhenguo himself, when unable to find his wife, did not first think of reporting it and preserving evidence. Even as a detective, he didn’t immediately consider that a major case affecting his whole family was about to unfold around him. Starting the vehicle, Wei Zhenguo drove back to the hotel. One by one, everyone returned, and although there was much to say, they all chose sleep first. Jiang Yuan was no exception. Despite his mind being full of thoughts, he couldn’t resist sleep and only truly woke up the next day. The next day. Noon. The sun climbed high, its bright light casting a warm glow everywhere. In the small lobby of the modest hotel, the crowd handling check-ins and checkouts were relaxed, many with smiles on their faces, suggesting they had a good night. The Devil’s ivy on the small coffee table was lush and watered, clearly well-cared-for. A few detectives, just recently shrouded by the shadows of society, suddenly found themselves in the sunlight, momentarily feeling out of place. “Feels like we’ve been battling in hell and just returned to the world of the living,” Mu Zhiyang said, enjoying a bottle of Moutai. Wei Zhenguo stretched and said, “At most we just did a bit of odd job in hell.” “Seems like it, we only caught Tan Yong,” Mu Zhiyang replied. “That kind of scum, even one is too many,” Wei Zhenguo said with a sigh. Knowing why his mentor was downhearted, Mu Zhiyang quickly asked, “Did you guys take care of Tan Yong?” Wei Zhenguo grunted and said, “We did, I’ll go over to check on him later, do the handover.” “Good that it’s taken care of,” everyone was quite pleased. The stakeout had been tough, but there was some result at least. As they chatted, the group walked out and sat down in a small restaurant. Once Jiang Yuan was settled, he casually asked, “What was Tan Yong’s initial motive for the crime? Was it unrequited love for Ding Lan or something else?” This was an answer that evidence couldn’t provide, and Jiang Yuan was somewhat curious too. “Pretty much. Ding Lan likes handsome guys... the word that Little Mu said...” Wei Zhenguo patted his head, having forgotten the word. “Face-con.” Mu Zhiyang added. “Right, that’s the word,” Wei Zhenguo said. “She changed boyfriends so quickly and probably had one-night stands frequently, but her criteria was always for these face-cons...” Mu Zhiyang said softly, “Master, that’s not how you use the term.” “In any case, seeing how often Ding Lan changed boyfriends, Tan Yong developed lustful desires,” Wei Zhenguo lit a cigarette and began puffing smoke. “According to his confession, he once gave Ding Lan a gift, which she rejected, and she also declined his invitation to dinner. Then, Tan Yong started harboring other thoughts.” The other detectives watched as Wei Zhenguo started smoking, each reaching for a cigarette... they took all of Wei Zhenguo’s cigarettes and began to cloud the air with their own smoke. Jiang Yuan silently took out a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes from his pocket and threw it on the table; he didn’t smoke, but he had money. Mu Zhiyang unceremoniously tore open Jiang Yuan’s Zhonghua and handed one to Wei Zhenguo, saying, “Master, please continue.” “In the end, he must have encountered Ding Lan on the road, stopped her, and when they didn’t see eye to eye, Tan Yong assaulted her, and later, forced her into his car,” Wei Zhenguo sighed and said, “Tan Yong said he originally wanted to leave Ding Lan by the highway to scare her but couldn’t resist raping her.” The men listened in silence, none of them in the mood to comment. “That house was originally obtained by Tan Yong years ago to settle a debt, later, due to housing purchase restrictions, he registered it under the name of a distant relative from his village. He took Ding Lan there, initially planning to kill her and bury the body; later... reportedly under Ding Lan’s pleas, he decided to dig an underground chamber, which Ding Lan helped dig.” Wei Zhenguo shook his head, “After that, the three women, including the deceased, were all prostitutes. Duped by Tan Yong to be toyed with, they also had to dig in the underground chamber. If we hadn’t caught him this time, he might have kidnapped more people to expand the chamber.” “The dead woman, was she killed by Tan Yong? Because she didn’t obey?” Mu Zhiyang asked. “Tan Yong won’t admit it. He just said that one day when he went there, he found her dead. He didn’t ask for details, and it’s impossible to get any. However, this answer might not be sufficient,” said Wei Zhenguo. Mu Zhiyang scoffed, “Just because he says he didn’t kill her, it means he didn’t? The underground chamber is full of his evidence.” “The higher-ups certainly want to make it an ironclad case, getting a confession is still very important. Of course, the main reason Tan Yong won’t confess is that he doesn’t want to die,” Wei Zhenguo took a deep drag on his cigarette. In this land, a confession is always considered more important than physical evidence, especially outside the judicial system. When a murderer keeps repeating “I am innocent,” even if all the evidence points to them, to many people, convicting them, especially sentencing them to death, is still imperfect. For the detectives, getting a confession and having the suspect admit guilt was crucial, and they tended to favor achieving this whenever possible. Mu Zhiyang curled his lip and said, “He can still avoid death like this?” “Who knows. But if he can get off the murder charge, there’s a good chance he’ll get a suspended death sentence,” Wei Zhenguo mentioned, and seeing that the meal had arrived, he waved his hand, “Let’s eat, don’t talk about them anymore. Later, I heard that the provincial authorities are sending someone over; we should all tidy up when we get back.” “The provincial authorities?” Jiang Yuan seemed puzzled. The title of the provincial authorities sounded significant, but in reality, they didn’t have much personnel. Ordinary homicide cases did not draw their attention. Of course, the current case had significant impact, but as it seemed to be concluding, the remaining investigative steps were at best a formality. Unless... Jiang Yuan speculated, “Did they find out something new during the investigation?” “Maybe,” Wei Zhenguo agreed, “It’s impossible for those who dwell in the underworld to always play by the rules.”

Chapter 52 - 52 52 The People of the Underworld

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