"Wild Tiger?"
"Yes, that's what he said."
I assumed Officer Yue must have been investigating that drug dealer at the time, though he hadn't gone undercover yet. This was still several years before my parents' murder.
It seemed I'd need to look into this Wild Tiger. As I left the reception room, I went to another area and met Yue Xiuping's ex-wife, Liu Cuihong. The woman became nervous when she learned we were investigating Yue Xiuping's whereabouts.
I could also tell her eyes were filled with hope. When she sat down, I even noticed an expression of extreme anxiety.
"You still have feelings for Officer Yue, don't you? Then why did you file for divorce?"
"Officer He, how did you know? I had no choice, I couldn't just keep waiting around. But in the end, I never went through with it, or rather, I came to my senses later. Actually, I'm still his wife."
"Uh? What about the old gentleman then..."
"He doesn't know. I never went that day. Oh, but that's not important now. Let's talk about it when you find Yue Xiuping. I actually want to see him too."
"To find him as quickly as possible, Ms. Liu, I hope you can recall some details from before he disappeared."
As she spoke of these matters, Liu Cuihong fell into deep thought. It was evident she was struggling to access her memories. However, after some time, the details she provided didn't seem to differ much from what Yue Dafu had said.
The only difference was that Liu Cuihong told me she had been pregnant at the time but hadn't had a chance to tell Yue Xiuping yet.
I expressed my surprise, "What happened to the child?"
"I'm very sorry, Officer He. It was an ectopic pregnancy. If I had told Yue Xiuping, he would have only been disappointed. It's fortunate I didn't say anything. So sometimes I feel like it was all fate, just like his disappearance. I've seen through it all these years."
"I understand. Are there no other unusual details?"
"One more thing. Before he disappeared, it seemed he would leave every night around 9 PM and return after 10 PM."
I recorded all this information. However, so much time had passed that it would be extremely difficult to trace Yue Xiuping's movements back then. Surveillance footage and the like were likely gone. Not likely, but absolutely gone. I had initially hoped to get some clues from these people, but the results were not ideal.
After bidding farewell to these two, we began to investigate Yue Xiuping from other angles, looking into his hometown, his past life, and even his schooling from elementary to university. However, I discovered that the closest connection was with the matter of his mother, Yu Xirong. Combining that with the phrase from when his mother had an incident, I asked He Xin to investigate Wild Tiger first, and then take Liu Yuning and Xia Hou, preparing to investigate Yu Xirong's affairs.
On the way, Xia Hou asked me, "Deputy Director He, do you really think this will be effective? I feel like this clue is too peripheral."
"You're mistaken. Real-life investigations are very different from novels. Many times, we rely on meticulously investigating relationships and persistent, painstaking door-to-door inquiries to find the intersection points and breakthroughs in a case. Often, something that seems insignificant is the key to solving the case. Don't be bothered by the trouble, understand? Perhaps we'll find Officer Yue next time."
"You're right, but given your position, is it alright for you to often be out on operations with us like this?"
"It's an exception. This is an exception. I've always been the leader of the Punishing Sin Team. Let's go!"
Arriving at Yu Xirong's hometown, Huizhou, with the help of the local police station and government personnel, we finally located Yu Xirong's former residence. It was a small town, and her house was at number 32 Donghua Road, where an old house stood.
When we knocked, there was a quick commotion inside, and an old woman opened the door.
Seeing several strangers outside, the old woman was quite curious. "Who are you gentlemen?"
Liu Yuning produced her police ID and politely said, "Grandma, we are police officers, and we'd like to inquire about Yu Xirong."
"Xirong? She's been deceased for so many years, why are you still asking about her?"
"We're currently investigating a case concerning Yue Xiuping, and during our investigation, we discovered there might be a connection between them, so we came to confirm." Liu Yuning explained.
The old woman said "Oh" and gestured for us to enter. Inside, the surroundings were very simple. It was clear their family conditions weren't good. The old woman poured us several cups of water and said apologetically, "Our home is like this. Please don't mind it, sirs."
"It's alright, Grandma. You are Yu Xirong's mother, aren't you?" Liu Yuning asked again.
"Yes. Speaking of Xirong, she was a truly good police officer. Not only did she have to take care of her family all these years, but she also did her job very well. It's a shame that on that night seventeen years ago, she left us like that. I still feel very strongly about that incident even now, and I can't let go of it. Perhaps this is the fate of a police family."
With a sigh, the old woman began to tell us about Yu Xirong and Yue Xiuping. It was from her that we learned they had a very good relationship and had even responded to calls together. The location where they worked was the Gaogang City Public Security Bureau, not too far from Guangming City and Fuming City. The mother and son could be said to be a strong combination, becoming a talking point in the police circles for a time.
"Actually, Yue Xiuping has a younger brother named Yue Zhenhua. Have you looked for him?"
"No, our records for Yue Xiuping are no longer available. You know, before going undercover, a police officer's identity is erased. Many things cannot be found."
"I knew that child was going undercover; otherwise, he wouldn't have disappeared so suddenly. You must have found his father and wife, right? Actually, I also know that Liu Cuihong didn't divorce him."
"That's right. She also asked us to find Yue Xiuping, and we will do our best." Xia Hou replied.
"It's been so many years, and that job was so dangerous. I don't have much hope anymore. I just hope he doesn't end up like his mother, leaving a complete body!" The old woman seemed very pessimistic, or perhaps influenced by her daughter's fate. She had been immersed in excessive sorrow for years and hadn't come out of it. This feeling had lingered in her mind for a full seventeen years, still not fading. People who hadn't experienced it themselves could never truly understand this feeling.
At that moment, we could only offer her our sincere comfort and give her hope. However, she said, "Don't worry. It's been so long anyway. I'm still stubbornly alive. Even though I don't have many years left, I still hope to see that child Xiuping again in my lifetime. That's my last wish."
"Don't worry! We will find him!" Liu Yuning said with great conviction. I wanted to pull her back at that moment, but since the words had been spoken, we could only do our best.
If Yue Xiuping was still alive, it would be fine. Otherwise, the old woman would likely be even more heartbroken.
After leaving Yu Xirong's home, we made inquiries in the vicinity. However, the local residents seemed to have little impression of the family. Especially after Yu Xirong's departure, people didn't even know she was a police officer. I figured their family probably didn't interact much with outsiders; they were too reclusive.
However, there weren't many residents left here. They were all people with poor living conditions who couldn't afford to leave.
After the inquiries, we all left Huizhou. But we didn't return to the Provincial Department; instead, we went to Gaogang City. Based on what the old woman had said, we found the local Public Security Bureau. However, when Yue Xiuping was mentioned, everyone claimed there was no such person. Later, we finally found Director Du there, who said meaningfully, "Are you investigating drug cases? That's right, I sent him. But we've had no contact for years. Alas, I suspect that man has defected!"
"Is Officer Yue that kind of person?" I asked.
"It's hard to say. I've sent undercover agents before, and later there was no news. When news finally came, we found they had become real criminals, as if they were completely different people, engaging in illegal and criminal activities. Human desires are truly a terrifying thing."
"And the place you sent him to then was Guangming City?" Liu Yuning asked again.
"It was Pin Hong International Trade Company in Guangming City. We are still investigating that place, but there have been no results. I don't know when this lingering concern will be resolved."
"This company again!" We all exclaimed in unison. Director Du heard this and said, "Your Punishing Sin Team has also started investigating here?"
"That's right." I mentioned the cathinone case. Director Du nodded. "Last time, it was thanks to you, otherwise it would have been troublesome. Because of the ichthyosis, there were signs of it spreading to other cities. Fortunately, your timely actions curbed the virus."
"If there's nothing else, we'll take our leave!"
"Alright. Is Ling Xiaotao doing well on your end, He Sheng?"
"She's doing very well. She gets along with everyone on our team now and has performed much better at work than before."
"That's good. That child, hehe, she's actually very talented in forensic science. Haha, she was a bit arrogant before, but people are good once you get to know them. You'll discover her good qualities if you spend time with her."
"Yes, Director Du."
By the time we returned to the Provincial Department, it was already late at night. He Xin sent a message saying that Pin Hong International Trade had a very large sum of funds flow recently, but all of it had been transferred to an overseas account. I wondered if they were planning to flee.
"Are you suggesting they're preparing to leave, so they've transferred the company's funds?" Xia Hou inquired.