Chapter 2448: Investigation

Since those involved could not remember, the only option was to investigate the bystanders. Passersby on the road couldn't be traced, but the merchants near the incident location were easy to find.

Gao Chongjiu arrived at Grand Market Street and first called for the paijia—the community head. Accompanied by the paijia, he visited every shop within twenty meters of the brawl scene, summoned the shop owners and staff, and asked them to identify Chen Ding's photo.

This time, he actually found a clue. A worker at a paper effigy shop on Grand Market Street said he had seen this person. Because business was slow that day, he had been sitting at the door watching the street scene. When the brawl occurred, he indeed saw this person walk past the shop entrance.

Gao Chongjiu pressed for details about the situation at that time. The worker said there seemed to be nothing special; he just saw him walking past with another person.

This immediately piqued Gao Chongjiu's interest. He asked what this other person looked like. The worker said he couldn't remember clearly, only recalling that it was a man with a build similar to Chen Ding's, also in Ming attire, looking like a shopkeeper, senior clerk, or accountant.

Moreover, the worker's attention had been drawn to the brawl at the time, so he naturally had no interest in passersby and could not provide any specific details about the clothing.

"Did he have any injuries on his head?"

"He was wearing a headscarf, so I couldn't tell."

Gao Chongjiu did not give up. He remembered Chen Ding saying he'd brought two hundred taels of silver—even without the silver, traveling from Sanliang would require bringing a few changes of clothes, so there should be some carry-on luggage.

"Did he have any bundles or similar things on him?"

"No, he didn't," the worker said. "Empty-handed."

"What about the person with him?"

"Seemed to be empty-handed too..." The worker suddenly remembered something. "Right, that person had a sash-bag on his shoulder, purple cotton!"

Gao Chongjiu's spirits lifted: Chen Ding's verbal statement mentioned he'd lost a purple cotton sash-bag, and the silver was inside it!

"Was it very heavy? Bulging?"

"Can't remember clearly. I didn't pay attention."

These testimonies at least proved two points: Chen Ding did not enter Guangzhou alone but had a companion at the scene of the incident; he definitely brought a sash-bag—although it couldn't be said for certain that there was silver inside.

The question was, who was this person? Chen Ding's statement did not mention any companion, and he repeatedly said he was knocked out outside the city.

According to Chen Ding, he'd landed at the Li Family Wharf and was attacked near the Five Rams Station. Therefore, the city gate he entered must have been either the Five Immortals Gate or the South Gate. So Gao Chongjiu immediately went to these two city gates and questioned the police on duty that day. Regrettably, the flow of people in and out of these two gates was too large, and the officers on duty all said they did not remember seeing Chen Ding or his purple cotton sash-bag.

Next, he went non-stop to the Li Family Wharf and the merchants near the Five Rams Station to understand the situation. He obtained some sporadic eyewitness testimonies about Chen Ding's whereabouts. Finally, he found the boatmaster of the inland river boat Chen Ding had taken. The boatmaster confirmed that he had indeed carried such a passenger, carrying a purple cotton sash-bag, from Sanliang to Guangzhou. There were no companions on the boat either.

"He got off the boat right at Li Family Wharf."

"Did anyone meet him?"

"No, he walked away alone after getting ashore."

Gao Chongjiu asked again if there was anything suspicious or distinctive about this person.

"This man has guts, traveling far alone with so much silver!" the boatmaster said.

"How do you know he brought a lot of silver? Did you see it?"

"That purple cotton sash-bag was heavy. Naturally, it was filled with silver; could it be stones?" the boatmaster said. "He was also very careful, never letting the sash-bag leave his hand. He sat on it all the time and tucked it in his bosom when sleeping. Very alert."

Gao Chongjiu returned to the Criminal Investigation Division, organized the materials obtained from running around all day, and reached three conclusions:

First, Chen Ding indeed came to Guangzhou alone, but had a companion at the scene of the incident. Second, Chen Ding did bring a large amount of silver. Third, the silver was at least still there when he was sighted at Grand Market Street, only it was being carried by another person.

"It seems this matter isn't simple," Gao Chongjiu muttered to himself.

That evening, he reported the investigation situation and his own views to Li Ziyu.

"Clearly, something must have happened between when he claimed to be knocked out and when he was sighted at Grand Market Street," Gao Chongjiu said. "I think it's necessary to talk to Chen Ding again."

"The key is this companion," Li Ziyu said. "The problem is Chen Ding never mentioned this person from beginning to end. Could the worker have seen it wrong? Maybe he was just walking very close to Chen Ding but they didn't actually know each other? After all, apart from this worker, there are no other eyewitness testimonies."

"That is possible," Gao Chongjiu nodded. "But since it was a stranger, why was Chen Ding's sash-bag on his shoulder?"

"Stolen?"

"If it was stolen, the thief should have melted into the crowd immediately after succeeding—not walked openly with the victim. According to the worker, both men's pace was very leisurely."

This indeed didn't make sense. Li Ziyu thought, this case is really strange! He stroked his chin, which only had a few short, sparse hairs, and fell into deep thought. He went back and forth applying the various deductions and case studies he had learned in the Lingao training class. The result was still unclear.

"Could it be that he got involved with women or gambling, was set up, and lost the silver? And he's unwilling to say," Li Ziyu said. "The person with him was the one who set him up."

"Not impossible," Gao Chongjiu nodded. "But from the time he got off the boat to when he was sighted at Grand Market Street, it was less than two hours. A bit tight for a setup..."

"Two hours, indeed a bit tight." Li Ziyu knew this didn't really make sense.

Gao Chongjiu coughed and said, "Why do I feel this case has a familiar smell..."

Li Ziyu was blank: Familiar smell? Familiar smell? Suddenly he slammed the table:

"Old Gao, you're right! It is familiar. Chen Ding fell victim to paihua!"

Gao Chongjiu slapped his thigh in sudden realization and said loudly, "That must be it! Why didn't I think of it! I just felt something was wrong, but couldn't figure out what! Does it make sense now that you say it!"

Li Ziyu was very excited and said, "Thanks to your question, otherwise I really wouldn't have thought of it! This explains it! No wonder Chen Ding insisted he was attacked outside the city! He was indeed harmed outside the city! Only he was dumped at Grand Market Street later—but," he suddenly doubted his deduction again, "since he was 'flower-patted,' why was he hit with a club again, and so heavily, causing a bleeding head wound? It seems unnecessary."

"Flower-patting" was essentially administering incapacitating drugs to the victim, causing them to lose consciousness or their will for a short time and obey the perpetrator's commands. But its effect was limited. If the dose was too heavy, the victim would fall into a deep sleep.

Since the culprit used paihua to abduct Chen Ding, why give him a blow to the head?

"Old Gao, I think there are still quite a few suspicious points."

He summarized them: First, since the robbery was already successful outside the city, why deliberately bring Chen Ding into the city? Wouldn't this vainly increase the risk of discovery? Second, since he was brought into the city, why dump him at Grand Market Street? And hit him heavily with a club.

He listed the suspicious points one by one. Gao Chongjiu nodded repeatedly and said, "Actually, there is another thing I don't quite understand."

"What is it?"

"Where was this club blow struck? Chen Ding said it was outside the city, but if it really was struck outside the city, how could he still walk into the city under the control of the drug? He was in a coma for several days in the clinic before waking up. Besides, since the culprit wanted to use drugs, why use a club?"

Li Ziyu was speechless for a moment. Indeed, thinking carefully, there were still too many illogical places! What did the instructor say? Criminal investigation must first reconstruct the scene, determine what the criminal did, and understand why he did it. As long as the criminal's train of thought is clarified, the direction of detection will be roughly known.

"There are indeed many things that don't make sense here," Li Ziyu pondered. "Paihua, paihua..." He suddenly asked, "Do you think this case might be related to the Mao Family Inn case?"

In the Mao Family Inn case, the child abductors were a group of professional criminals skilled in the art of flower-patting. It was hard not to associate these two cases.

"Possible." Gao Chongjiu nodded. "In the Mao case, there are still many people who haven't been brought to justice."

"Especially the leader of the Guandi Temple gang, who actually managed to escape." Li Ziyu was somewhat unwilling. "If we could have caught him then, many people in the Mao case probably wouldn't have escaped either."

"Ah Yu, have you thought about it? The Mao case just passed not long ago. Hundreds of people died before and after for this case. Even if the lucky escapees weren't scared out of their wits and fled Guangzhou, they should be lying low to avoid the wind. Why risk using this method? Once discovered by us, isn't it tantamount to declaring they are still active? Are their heads that hard?" Gao Chongjiu said leisurely.

"Naturally, there is a reason they had to use it," Li Ziyu said.

What reason? His brain spun rapidly, and suddenly he realized something and blurted out: "Because what they want is not only Chen Ding's silver, but also him as a person!"

Gao Chongjiu nodded silently; he had also thought of this just now. Only this could explain these contradictions.

"Ah Yu, you're right! Compared to the silver, I'm afraid Chen Ding the person is more important!"

"In that case," Li Ziyu regained his spirit, "spend some more time to comprehensively understand Chen Ding's side. Especially his social relationships. See if there is a breakthrough there. Also, send people to find out more about suspicious situations from the shops and residents around Grand Market Street."

(End of Chapter)