Director Feng didn't say much, just gave a few pointers and told them to quickly bring back those two disobedient, overage kids.
Back at the office, He Chuan Zhou assigned the follow-up tasks to the team.
They needed to review surveillance footage, contact the City E Public Security Bureau to see if they could obtain relevant information about Shen Wenzheng, and reach out to colleagues at the North District branch for assistance in the investigation. More personnel were still needed to go out and conduct visits and checks.
The key area for investigation wasn't actually very large.
If their prediction was correct, and the location where Tao Siyue was currently located was the same place where she had been assaulted, then based on her own description, this place was about an hour's drive from her home, in the outskirts away from the city center. According to map analysis, it could only be in the northern part of City A's North District.
That area had undergone demolition due to urban planning, so there weren't many residents left. Most of those still living nearby were elderly and children, so the appearance of unfamiliar faces like Tao Siyue and Wang Yifei would likely attract the attention of the locals.
With the help of the local police officers leading the way, it shouldn't be difficult to find traces of the two.
After gearing up, He Chuan Zhou made sure everything was in order, then briefly said, "Let's go."
They rushed downstairs, and as they reached the lobby, Zhou Tuoxing appeared.
He was carrying a laptop bag in one hand and a canvas bag in the other. When he saw He Chuan Zhou leading the group, his expression was a bit wooden, and he stood aside, waiting for them to approach.
Xu Yu greeted him familiarly, "Hey, Zhou Tuoxing , back to our branch to mooch off the air conditioning again?"
Zhou Tuoxing: "...?"
Shao Zhixin politely said, "Please, head upstairs, it's empty."
He Chuan Zhou chimed in, as if not only implying that Zhou Tuoxing was there for the air conditioning but also for some leisure, "Why don't you ask Brother Huang to get you a bright VIP seat? We're heading out for a bit."
Before Zhou Tuoxing could say a word, He Chuan Zhou was already gone.
Feeling a bit frustrated, Zhou Tuoxing watched as Xu Yu and Shao Zhixin saluted him along with a group of fearless colleagues behind them, saying in unison, "Goodbye, brother-in-law!"
The overly ceremonious farewells drew the attention of passersby, who all turned their gaze towards Zhou Tuoxing, the only one left standing at the entrance.
With his mind in a daze, Zhou Tuoxing, rather than turning around and leaving, walked upstairs.
Jiang Zhaolin was sitting in the rest area diagonally across from the staircase, looking disheveled and despondent. Seeing him, Zhou Tuoxing was startled and greeted him lightly, "You're here."
Jiang Zhaolin nodded.
Zhou Tuoxing sat beside him, pulled out his laptop, connected it to his phone's hotspot, and continued working on the thesis he hadn't finished, sitting upright.
Jiang Zhaolin stared blankly at his actions, opening his mouth as if unsure why Zhou Tuoxing had come here.
What, does the Public Security Bureau have some kind of feng shui boost?
When He Chuan Zhou and her team arrived in the North District, the police officer they had contacted was already waiting for them at the street corner.
They shook hands and exchanged information. The officer said, "A supermarket owner just called with a tip, saying he saw someone who looked like Tao Siyue two days ago. She bought two lunchboxes and several cups of instant noodles, covered half her face with a scarf, and left after paying with cash. Unfortunately, the store's camera was broken and hadn't been repaired, so they didn't capture her face."
Xu Yu said excitedly, "If it's her, then they must be staying nearby."
The young officer replied, "We don't have many available hands either, but we've pulled together a team for you. The Economic Crime Investigation team next door also came to help. As long as they're still around here, we'll definitely find them within 12 hours."
He Chuan Zhou said, "Thank you, everyone."
The young officer laughed heartily, "No need to be so polite. Finding them safely is the most important thing."
At 1 p.m., He Chuan Zhou drove to a street near the Ring Road in the North District.
Looking north from here, there was a forested area awaiting development, with various old and new self-built houses on both sides. Based on the feedback from the police officers who had conducted interviews and drawn maps, Wang Yifei's activity area was mostly concentrated around this area. It's likely that Wang Yifei had lived here for some time.
He Chuan Zhou parked the car by the roadside and noticed a small grocery store not far away, asking Shao Zhixin to buy some bread for lunch.
When he returned with a red plastic bag, Brother Huang sent over a video.
Brother Huang, now used to such situations, sent the video over calmly, though his pronunciation was a bit too forceful, making it sound like he was spitting at them: "These two idiots have made a new masterpiece. Impressive. Even more thrilling than I expected."
This time, the video was posted from the official account of Guangyi, obviously logged in by Tao Siyue herself.
In the video, she and Wang Yifei stood side by side in the center of the screen, with Wang Yifei having removed his mask. It was still in the same room, and based on the uncleaned bloodstains on Tao Siyue's neck, it must have been filmed around the same time.
Tao Siyue clasped her hands together, her voice still hoarse, trembling slightly as she spoke loudly due to her lack of energy.
"Hello everyone, I'm Tao Siyue."
Xu Yu squeezed through from the back seat, staring at He Chuan Zhou’s phone screen.
Tao Siyue bowed to the camera and carefully said, "I have no intention of deceiving anyone. Everything I said at noon was true. Using such extreme measures is to draw widespread attention from society. I didn't have the ability to resist Shen Wenzheng back then, nor did I have the courage to speak the truth, which led to a police officer being harmed. But I believe, given Shen Wenzheng's habits, I wasn't the only victim. I hope more women can bravely come forward and identify Shen Wenzheng. For this, I am willing to donate 100 million yuan to ensure the subsequent lives of the victims and their families, and to promote anti-violence against women. Thank you."
The video was less than a minute long, and with the earlier kidnapping drama as a prelude, it had already received over ten thousand likes within five minutes of being posted, still climbing at an unstoppable rate.
As expected, the netizens' attention was completely diverted by the "100 million yuan."
Some even cautiously analyzed how many shares Guangyi Tao Siyue and her brother had inherited and whether she really had that much money.
Shao Zhixin, who had just taken a sip of water, spat it out in shock, quickly grabbing a tissue to wipe the car interior as Xu Yu screamed in surprise.
Xu Yu shouted, "It's just a 100 million, why are you so excited!"
Shao Zhixin replied, "Try saying that again without sounding so emotional!"
Xu Yu clutched the back of the seat and yelled, "It's not even for us!"
Brother Huang, hearing their conversation through the earphones, scoffed, "Why are you guys so pathetic?! It's just a 100 million, a small case!"
"Only our major crimes unit would be so insignificant. I've seen people kill over a ten-thousand-yuan financial dispute," Xu Yu, overwhelmed by the prospect of so much money, was slightly disoriented. "Would a small case like a 100 million still be under our district's jurisdiction?"
Brother Huang retorted, "Are you dreaming? If Shen Wenzheng is really implicated, will a 100 million still be the issue?!"
They continued arguing loudly.
Shao Zhixin excitedly said, "This is like a billion-dollar bounty, right? Heavy rewards will definitely attract brave people! How many women do you think will report?"
Xu Yu shouted, "I bet it won't be just women!"
Brother Huang laughed sinisterly, "Then, who do you think will be responsible for verifying all these reports?"
The previously boisterous chat suddenly fell silent, a suffocating tension filling the air.
Xu Yu choked up.
He Chuan Zhou's steady voice cut in, "There's a leaf on the floor of the room."
Brother Huang said, "Oh right, the tech guys noticed that too. They said it's likely a loquat leaf. It wasn't in the morning video, so it must have just blown in through the window. This suggests they're probably on a lower floor, and I'm inclined to think it's a self-built house with a loquat tree planted close by in the yard. Check if there's a building in the North District that matches this description."
In less than fifteen minutes, a message came from a colleague.
"We found it, Captain He."
Xu Yu turned the laptop screen to show her the newly received photo.
The picture, taken secretly from the balcony opposite, showed a Western-style self-built house with yellow stone bricks on the outer wall. From the angle of the window, it was clear that the two were still inside.
Wang Yifei was sitting on the floor against the wall, looking down at his phone.
Tao Siyue was lying on the floor, with only her legs visible in the photo.
He Chuan Zhou clicked her tongue. Before Xu Yu could pull back her hand, the car had already sped off with a burst of acceleration.