Sweeping Mouse Ridge – Chapter Seven : 3

The discovery of Zhang Chunyang’s body, far from leading to any progress or breakthrough in the investigation of the Sweeping Mouse Ridge Case, further widened the divisions within the Special Task Force group regarding the direction of the criminal investigation.

Chai Yongjin and others believed that Zhang Chunyang’s death was merely a common case of “sudden death due to acute myocardial infarction caused by excessive excitement during sexual intercourse” and had no direct connection to the later murders of Xing Qisheng and the children. Therefore, they argued that there was no need to delve deeper and that the focus should remain firmly on finding evidence against Zhou Liping.

Lin Fengchong, on the other hand, maintained that Zhang Chunyang’s death wasn’t an isolated incident but rather likely a trigger for, or at least a significant one in, the Sweeping Mouse Ridge Case. The investigation was procedurally flawed, so the investigation should be moved forward. It was suggested that the Municipal Bureau’s Economic Investigation Division immediately intervene and conduct a comprehensive investigation into whether Love Charity Foundation had committed any economic crimes.

The two sides argued fiercely at the meeting, and when they both asked Du Jianping, who was chairing the meeting, to make a ruling, Du Jianping, who had remained silent, said something unexpected to Lin Fengchong: “The focus should still be on finding evidence of Zhou Liping’s crimes. It isn’t advisable to rashly shift the direction of the investigation or expand its scope at this time…”

After the meeting, Chai Yongjin and others left the meeting room. Lin Fengchong looked at Du Jianping with a puzzled expression, only to find Du Jianping standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, his back to him. Outside the window was a large tree whose leaves had all fallen.

Lin Fengchong left the meeting room and closed the door behind him.

A short while later, hurried footsteps sounded outside the door, then the door was pushed open, and someone entered, closing the door behind them. “Director Du,” the newcomer said, “you’ve really disappointed me!”

Du Jianping turned around, meeting Liu Simiao’s stern gaze.

“You were afraid people would say you are using this to settle a personal score because of Du Ying’s death, so even though you know Love Charity Foundation had problems, you don’t dare support an investigation, right?!”

“Simiao, Simiao…” Du Jianping’s once ruddy face was now deathly pale, his lips trembling as he pleaded with her not to continue.

Seeing him like this, Liu Simiao felt both angry and pitiful: “Since when did you become so cowardly, weak, hesitant, and indecisive? You can’t even face your daughter’s death, can’t investigate, can’t avenge her—are you even worthy of being called a father?!”

Du Jianping sat down in his chair, burying his massive head in his hands, his fingers slowly running through his short, graying hair, like turning over frosty earth with an iron plow.

Liu Simiao couldn’t bear to continue. The empty conference room was deathly silent; the ticking of the quartz clock on the wall sounded exceptionally clear.

The door opened again, and Lin Fengchong walked in, his expression grave. He glanced at Du Jianping, then at Liu Simiao, unsure whether he should report to Du Jianping in front of Liu Simiao.

“Speak!” Liu Simiao commanded.

“Yes!” Lin Fengchong quickly replied, “The Public Security Bureau just called, saying that after investigation, a child molestation case from several years ago is suspected to be related to Xing Qisheng.”

Du Jianping abruptly looked up.

Lin Fengchong explained in detail: “At the time, Xing Qisheng was the chief physician of dermatology at Love Hospital. While in the province for an event organized by the association, he was in charge of a physical examination program for children at the provincial welfare home. This program was originally intended for internal use, but Love Charity Foundation had just acquired or shut down other private welfare homes in the province, drawing much public criticism. To improve their image, they invited a group of reporters for positive publicity. However, a reporter from the provincial newspaper didn’t leave after the interview; instead, he hid in the restroom and secretly filmed Xing Qisheng taking a girl with cerebral palsy to the restroom and molesting or even raping her…”

“And then?”

“Later, the reporter returned to the newspaper office and requested that key footage from the video be published, but the editor-in-chief suppressed it. The reporter planned to report the incident to the police, but fearing something might happen, he didn’t bring the video with him. Based on the report, the police went to the welfare home to question Xing Qisheng. The reporter went home to get the video, but on the way, he was hit and killed by a car without license plates. The police couldn’t find the video on him or at his home, so they had to release Xing Qisheng.”

Lin Fengchong paused and said, “I think this is probably what happened to Xing Qisheng.” The reason he later left Love Hospital to become Director of Tongyou Nursery was, for the Love Charity Foundation, an internal scandal. Although it didn’t escalate, it had to be dealt with internally to prevent Xing Qisheng from committing similar misconduct again. After all, Love Hospital was a first level subordinate institution of the foundation, while the nursery was merely an external institution with which the relationship could be severed at any time.

“Now, I’m afraid you will have no choice but to investigate the Love Charity Foundation,” Liu Simiao said, staring at Du Jianping. “Even the method of silencing the reporter is exactly the same as Yue Shao’s death.”

Du Jianping slowly shook his head: “Director Liu, you have left the Special Task Force group. I welcome your continued technical support or suggestions for the criminal case, but according to protocol, it’s best if you don’t offer opinions on specific case handling methods and procedures.”

Liu Simiao was stunned. Lin Fengchong hadn’t expected Du Jianping to say such a resolute thing; for a moment, the air in the meeting room seemed to freeze.

Liu Simiao turned and walked out of the meeting room.

Hearing her footsteps fade into the empty hallway, Lin Fengchong couldn’t help but say to Du Jianping, “Director Du, Director Liu meant well…”

“The situation here is complicated…” Du Jianping said, looking towards the door. “Don’t touch the Love Charity Foundation, but you can continue investigating Zhang Chunyang’s death.”

Lin Fengchong didn’t understand at first, but after thinking about it carefully, he suddenly realized that Du Jianping meant that Love Charity Foundation could be investigated through Zhang Chunyang’s death, but Love Charity Foundation couldn’t be used to investigate the Sweeping Mouse Ridge Case.

Ultimately, the former case, initially escalating into economic crime through a criminal case, was like a frog being slowly boiled in water. Tao Bing, Xing Qixian, and others, believing themselves uninvolved in the Sweeping Mouse Ridge Case, likely harbored wishful thinking and wouldn’t destroy evidence of economic crimes.

Furthermore, the initiative in the investigation remained firmly in the hands of the Special Task Force. Introducing the Economic Crime Investigation Division rashly would only alert the suspects, potentially leading to the destruction of all evidence by the Love Charity Foundation, and ultimately, even the criminal case itself might be unable to proceed.

Lin Fengchong nodded and said, “Deputy Director Wang of the Provincial Department said he’s planning to come and visit you soon. He helped a lot with Little Ying’s matter, so…”

Lin Fengchong couldn’t continue, because he noticed an extremely sorrowful expression appear on Du Jianping’s face when Du Ying’s death was mentioned. After a long, long silence, Du Jianping finally let out a heavy breath. He didn’t respond to Lin Fengchong’s words but instead asked, “How’s Little Guo?”

“Little Guo is physically fine, just some scratches, but she suffered a great deal of emotional distress. However, thanks to her ‘infiltrating’ the Love Charity Foundation, she learned an important piece of information,” Lin Fengchong said in a low voice. “According to Tao Bing, Cui Yucui, the deputy director of Tongyou Nursery, seems to know the inside story of Xing Qisheng’s death.”

“Investigate!” Du Jianping uttered a single word.

Lin Fengchong hummed in agreement and then asked, “Regarding the death of that private school teacher surnamed Yue, should we investigate it as a hit and run or include it in the investigation of the Sweeping Mouse Ridge Case?”

“Investigate it as a hit and run first…” Du Jianping closed his eyes briefly, his face exhausted. Opening them again, he instructed Lin Fengchong, “Call Little Guo later and give her my regards. If you’re free this afternoon, go see her.”

Leaving the meeting room, Lin Fengchong called Guo Xiaofen. The phone rang for a long time without being answered. Just as he was about to hang up, it suddenly connected, and Little Guo greeted him with a “Hello.”

The voice was somewhat weak, and Lin Fengchong became worried: “Little Guo, are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

“Boss Du asked me to call and say hello… Are you home? I’ll come see you this afternoon.”

“No need, I’m out.”

“Why aren’t you resting at home? You need to be careful when you go out!”

“It’s alright, Ma Xiaozhong is with me.”

Those words reassured Lin Fengchong. With Ma Xiaozhong by Little Guo’s side, any trouble would have to give way.

Hanging up, Guo Xiaofen said to the girl with her, “Continue telling me about Dong Yue’s situation.”

With the help of Little Luo, a real estate agent from “Yuanman Real Estate,” Ma Xiaozhong found the personal information of the woman who shared the apartment with the long-haired girl. Her name was Liu Yan. She used to work as a hostess at the Jin Ye Man Tang nightclub with the long-haired girl. She now lives in Building 9 of the Dingfu Li residential complex. Upon hearing this news, Guo Xiaofen refused to follow the doctor’s advice to “continue resting at home” and instead went to their house with Ma Xiaozhong.

The moment Liu Yan opened the door, her eyes were filled with suspicion as she looked at Guo Xiaofen and Ma Xiaozhong. Guo Xiaofen explained her purpose, her hands still in the pockets of her light pink polka dot loungewear, her shoulders tilted, showing no intention of letting them in: “I know who you’re looking for, Dong Yue. She’s been out of the city for a long time, and I don’t know what she’s doing now…”

Ma Xiaozhong shoved her aside, glaring at her as he walked into the room, opening each door to search. Liu Yan, having worked in this line of work for a long time, was adept at reading people; she immediately recognized Ma Xiaozhong’s identity. Although she muttered, “What are you doing? What are you doing?” her arrogance had diminished considerably.

The apartment was a one-bedroom unit. The kitchen walls were covered in yellow grease, but the stove and range hood were thickly covered in dust, clearly indicating that Liu Yan hadn’t cooked a single meal since moving in. The bathroom was equally filthy, but the vanity mirror was sparkling clean. Four large cardboard boxes lay on the bedroom floor, not yet sealed with tape, revealing they mainly contained clothes and cosmetics. A silver white live streaming outfit was stacked on the table, seemingly ready to be packed as well.

“Are you leaving?” Ma Xiaozhong asked Liu Yan.

Liu Yan nodded.

“Where to?”

“Back to my hometown…” Liu Yan’s expression darkened. “Most of my friends have already left, except for me, who’s been lingering. Now it isn’t allowed anymore. Tenants need to check work permits and personal records. I left my record with you, and the neighborhood committee notified the landlord to let me go…”

“Did you get your rent back?” Guo Xiaofen asked.

A bitter smile appeared on Liu Yan’s pale face: “I paid a year’s rent but only lived here for three months. I asked the landlord for a refund, but he said he didn’t kick me out, so he won’t give me a penny back. He’s a local; I can’t afford to offend him…”

Guo Xiaofen fell silent. Just then, her phone rang. Lost in thought, she fumbled in her purse for a long time before finding it. After speaking with Lin Fengchong, she continued to ask Liu Yan for information about Dong Yue.

Liu Yan realized that Dong Yue and Ma Xiaozhong meant her no harm, and her tense nerves relaxed somewhat. She sat down against the bed: “Dong Yue and I used to work at the Jin Ye Man Tang nightclub. She was very timid. She didn’t dare to scream when customers touched her inappropriately, and she didn’t dare to make a scene when they tried to force themselves on her, so she suffered a lot. I felt sorry for her and looked after her as much as I could. At first, she wasn’t familiar with me and never told me about her family situation.

“Later, she secretly told me that her parents had both died from illness,” she added. “And she only had a younger sister who had mild cerebral palsy and lived in a welfare home in their province. Because one of the conditions for the welfare home to adopt disabled children is that the child must be an orphan, she didn’t dare to go home for many years. The villagers back home all thought she was dead, and she was especially afraid of being caught and sent back home for working in this line of work… She thought about switching to a legitimate profession, but she didn’t have a high level of education or any skills, and besides, many industries aren’t doing well these days…”

Liu Yan paused, then continued, “Back then, a few of us girls were renting a three-bedroom apartment. For a few days, Dong Yue suddenly disappeared. Her phone was either switched off or went unanswered. Just when her company was about to fire her, she suddenly came back, looking dazed and pale. I asked her what had happened, and it took her a long time to tell me that a fellow villager who worked here had seen her and told others she was still alive. As a result, the orphanage contacted her, asking her to take her little sister away.

“She rushed home and met the person who contacted her. His surname was Xing. Although he didn’t hold a position at the orphanage, he was the elder brother of some charitable foundation’s vice chairman. She pleaded repeatedly, and Xing finally agreed to keep her little sister, but on the condition that she transfer five thousand yuan to his account every month. Furthermore, she had to continue to conceal her identity and couldn’t visit her little sister casually; otherwise, they could kick her out of the orphanage at any time.”

Guo Xiaofen and Ma Xiaozhong exchanged a glance; they knew that the “surname Xing” Liu Yan mentioned must be Xing Qisheng.

“I told Little Dong that with the crackdown on prostitution so strict these days, we already struggle to make ends meet. We are barely able to pay for rent and food, and we still have to give him five thousand yuan a month—where are we going to get that much money? But Little Dong just begged me not to tell the company…

“The girls at nightclubs rely entirely on their looks to earn money, so they have to take care of themselves and rest during the day. But from that day on, besides working at the company at night, she also registered as a delivery driver in a more distant area during the day. Her health wasn’t good to begin with, and working day and night like that, we sisters were all worried she wouldn’t last long, but she actually pulled through… and even found someone she likes.”

Intuitively, Guo Xiaofen felt that Liu Yan was probably talking about Zhou Liping: “Is it someone surnamed Zhou?”

Liu Yan thought for a moment: “It seems so.”

Guo Xiaofen took out her phone, found Zhou Liping’s photo, and showed it to Liu Yan: “Is this the person?”

“I’ve only met him once…” Liu Yan muttered, glancing at the photo. “Yes, it’s him.”

“How did they meet?”

“Little Dong found out indirectly that the provincial welfare home brings a group of well-treated children to the Love Hospital in this city every year, so she kept an eye on her little sister. Her sister, although her illness wasn’t cured, is very pretty and might be chosen for a ‘showcase.’ Around this time last year, she took a few days off from work and secretly went to the entrance of a nursery affiliated with the welfare home in this city, thinking that if her little sister came, she could see her.

“She’s clumsy and honest and hid behind the bushes opposite the nursery. A driver who works at the foundation spotted her and asked what she was doing. Afraid of being found out by the man surnamed Xing, she cried and didn’t dare to say anything. But after the driver kept pressing her, she told the truth. As a result, the driver not only didn’t tell Xing Qisheng but also brought the little sister out of the orphanage, reuniting the two sisters who hadn’t seen each other for years. Little Dong was overjoyed. From then on, Little Dong was especially grateful to the driver, thinking him a good person.”

“What does Little Dong think of the driver surnamed Zhou?”

“She doesn’t like to talk about her personal life, only mentioning it when she’s particularly happy. According to her, Zhou’s a very upright person.”

“A very upright person?”

“Yes, Little Dong likes him a lot, but he never showed it. Once, Little Dong thought he was disgusted by her job and status, and she cried. Then he said he had a criminal record and was afraid of implicating her…”

“So, does Zhou actually like Little Dong?”

“You are so silly.” Liu Yan rolled her eyes at Guo Xiaofen. “He said ‘afraid of implicating,’ not ‘don’t want to implicate.'”

Guo Xiaofen was a little embarrassed: “And then?”

“Later, Little Dong still took the initiative to contact him, but after that tenant inspection this year, Little Dong left. I don’t know if they’ve been in contact since…”

“So, during that tenant inspection, you guys were also…” Little Guo stopped mid-sentence, realizing Ma Xiaozhong was beside him.

Liu Yan seemed oblivious to what was happening: “Actually, these past few years, Little Dong has had a very tough time in this city. Earning money has become increasingly difficult, and she lives in constant fear of being sent back home. She feels like every little thing’s aimed at her, and she can’t sleep at night because of the anxiety. So, as soon as the tenant inspection team came, she wanted to leave, to leave the city completely. We sisters all knew we wouldn’t be staying much longer, but we all felt Little Dong was leaving too hastily, and no one could stop her.

“Before she left, she asked me to go with her to the orphanage to secretly find her little sister and say goodbye. Her little sister is quite pretty, but her expression is blank and silly. In the dead of winter, her coat is open, and she has a runny nose. Little Dong knelt down and fastened the bottom button of Little Sister’s coat, reminding her, ‘Girls are most afraid of the cold, so every button on your coat must be fastened tightly, and your calves mustn’t get cold, remember that…’ Then she watched her little sister walk back into the orphanage building for a long, long time before leaving with red eyes.”

“And then she left the city? Didn’t she say goodbye to the man surnamed Zhou?”

“No, I asked her if she should tell him, but she said no, and then she picked up her suitcase and left. I remember it was a very cold day—”

“Yes, a very cold day. The wind was strong in the first half of the night, and then it started snowing lightly in the second half…” Guo Xiaofen seemed to be recalling something, muttering to herself.

Liu Yan looked at her in surprise.

“Go on.”

“I saw her downstairs, standing in the cold wind, watching her get into a taxi and go to the train station. My heart ached so much I was shivering. Back in the rented room, my sisters and I didn’t say a word; we started packing our things. Not long after, the door was pushed open, and a very strong man came in, his chin protruding sharply like a shovel. I asked him who he was looking for, and he said he was looking for Little Dong. I immediately guessed who he was. I asked him what he wanted with Little Dong, and he said he heard there was some kind of tenant audit, so he came to see if Little Dong was okay, and if not, she could move in with him.

“I told him that Little Dong had just left. He was taken aback and asked where she went. I said I didn’t know, only that she had left the city. He stood there for a long time, then asked which bed was Little Dong’s. I pointed it out to him. Little Dong had left in a hurry; she hadn’t taken the bedding and sheets, which were still on that bed. The man surnamed Zhou was sitting on the bed, silently, like a stone. He sat there for an unknown amount of time before standing up, noticing the sheets were wrinkled. He turned around, bent down, and carefully smoothed out the wrinkles, then walked out of the room.”

—He sat there for an unknown amount of time before standing up, noticing the sheets were wrinkled. He turned around, bent down, and carefully smoothed out the wrinkles, then walked out of the room…

Guo Xiaofen, having written so many manuscripts, found none more poignant than these words spoken by a young woman.

“I think you might have Little Dong’s contact information and address…” Guo Xiaofen said slowly. “I want to find her and find out about Zhou Liping in person.”

“But it’s been so long, I don’t even know if they are still in contact…”

When she explained her purpose before entering, Guo Xiaofen hadn’t mentioned looking for Dong Yue’s relationship with the Sweeping Mouse Ridge Case, fearing it might leak out. And judging from Liu Yan’s appearance, she was barely making ends meet and probably didn’t care about the Sweeping Mouse Ridge Case, so she didn’t know how to persuade her.

Just then, Ma Xiaozhong, who had been standing silently against the wall, suddenly spoke up: “Liu Yan, you know what I do, right?”

Liu Yan nodded slowly.

“We are investigating a case and need to verify some information about Zhou Liping with Dong Yue. It’s that simple,” said Ma Xiaozhong. “Perhaps Dong Yue and that Zhou guy have truly broken up completely, but maybe they still think about each other—isn’t that how many couples who break up are? They say they’ve forgotten a thousand times, but they can’t forget each other when they see each other again—why not give them a chance to reconnect and choose again?”

These words left Liu Yan and Guo Xiaofen speechless, probably never expecting this thick-skinned guy to speak so eloquently about the complexities of relationships.

“Okay…” Liu Yan was moved by Ma Xiaozhong’s words and gave them Dong Yue’s phone number. “She’s still the same. She rarely answers the phone, rarely replies to texts, and although she has a WeChat account, she never posts on Moments. The last time I contacted her, she said she went back to Province A, but not to her own town, but to another place (she wrote the address on a piece of paper and handed it to Guo Xiaofen). I think you should just go find her directly. Otherwise, even if you manage to contact her by phone, I reckon she’ll most likely refuse to see you.”

“Thank you very much!” Guo Xiaofen clasped her hands together and bowed to her, then said goodbye and left with Ma Xiaozhong.

It was nearly noon. The sky was dark, the wind was biting, the thick, leaden clouds overhead seemed like flowing glaciers, and a sharp whistling came from the bare treetops. Exposed skin ached as if being whipped.

They walked towards the parking lot. Guo Xiaofen kept her head down and didn’t speak. Ma Xiaozhong asked with concern, “What’s wrong? Are your injuries bothering you again?”

“Nothing…” Guo Xiaofen’s expression was indifferent. “I was just thinking, they are all gone. Who’s left in this city?”

Ma Xiaozhong said, “Don’t overthink it. In such a big city with so many people, conducting tenant checks is also to prevent serious crime and maintain social stability.”

“I understand the investigation, and I support it. I just want to ask one question—why haven’t any of the parasites in that entire building of Hefeng Hotel Block E been investigated?!” Guo Xiaofen suddenly became agitated as she spoke. “Maybe you look down on Liu Yan and Dong Yue, those prostitutes, but at least they are selling all their value to support themselves. But what about Xing Qixian and Tao Zhouyao? What are they selling? Why aren’t they the ones being evicted?!”

Tears welled up in her eyes.

Ma Xiaozhong, with his neck hunched, looked like a coward who had been scolded by his girlfriend and dared not talk back. Feeling he couldn’t let this humiliation go unvented, he pulled out his phone, dialed a number, and immediately launched into a tirade: “Old Geng, there’s a landlord in your area, Building 9 of Dingfuli Community, who collected twelve months’ rent from a girl. She’s been living there for three months and wants to leave, but that scoundrel won’t refund her rent. Are you going to do anything about it? Who’s this girl? She’s your big sister-in-law, a relative of hers! You better clean this up right now, or you’ll be following me around calling me ‘Brother’!”

Ma Xiaozhong hung up the phone, looking at Guo Xiaofen with a fawning smile.

Guo Xiaofen ignored him and strode forward. After a few steps, she turned back and saw Ma Xiaozhong still standing there. She frowned and asked, “Are you coming or not?”

“Yes, yes, yes!” Ma Xiaozhong quickly chased after her.