Sweeping Mouse Ridge – Chapter Two : 1

Liu Simiao turned on the tap, and water gushed out. She reached out to scoop up a handful but was jolted by the icy chill, which seeped from her fingertips into her entire body. She waited a moment, then reached out again. The water was still bone-chillingly cold, but her skin didn’t react as strongly. This chill was exactly what she needed. When the water filled her cupped hands, she saw her palms glow with a desolate white light underwater, as if they were melting. She lowered her head and splashed the water hard on her face. After a few times, the stinging sensation jolted her tired nerves awake, sobering her up a bit more after a sleepless night. She pulled a pack of tissues from her pocket and slowly dabbed the water from her face. Then, in a cracked round mirror hanging on the wall, she saw a thin, pale, and haggard face. Although her eyes were bloodshot, her eyebrows drooped slightly, and her lips were a little bluish, she, over thirty, had no crow’s feet at the corners of her eyes. Compared to women her age who applied beauty creams, received whitening injections, and consumed skincare products all day long, this once proud face refused the ravages of time in a purely natural way…

Since Lin Xiangming disappeared, not a single day had passed without her suffering. The pain was like that of a heart transplant patient experiencing rejection—a living hell. She could only be numb and forget it by working desperately. Sometimes she even wished she could suddenly die or sacrifice herself on the job like many of her comrades, but that didn’t happen. Although with age, she experienced more and more health problems—colds, dizziness, stomach ailments, and even arrhythmia all troubling her—her underlying vitality remained as resilient as a bull’s sinew. She had to continue her Sisyphus-like daily struggle against various crimes. Fortunately, the city’s public security had improved significantly in the past two years, which brought her great comfort. But precisely because of this, the case at Sweeping Mouse Ridge felt particularly abrupt and unsettling.

Liu Simiao thought to herself as she tossed the damp tissue into the plastic basket beside the sink and tiptoed out of the printing factory’s cramped and filthy restroom.

It was already eight o’clock in the morning, and some media outlets had already broadcast brief reports on the Sweeping Mouse Ridge case. She knew that across the street, just a wall away, a large number of reporters were probably heading towards the nursery. She first went to the printing workshop, which was serving as the temporary command center, to inquire about any new developments. After receiving a negative response, she left the printing plant.

The sky was a cold blue, frozen by the chilly autumn air on this sunless morning. The Yinlu Mountain Road was already sparsely populated, and at this moment, even dogs avoided it. The only movement on the ground was the shadow of clumps of withered grass on the eaves of the row of houses along the street. A rare sight: a black Nissan Sylphy pulled up to the side of the road. A person got out. The Sylphy was probably a Didi Express driver; the sharp-eyed driver recognized the plainclothes officers nearby as police officers and assumed they were checking for unlicensed taxis. He sped away.

Liu Simiao recognized the person getting out of the Nissan Sylphy and called out, “Zhang Wei!”

Zhang Wei, a reporter for the Legal Times, looked like he’d just been dragged out of bed. His hair was disheveled, and his small eyes were still half closed with sleep. Hearing someone call him, he actually circled around before noticing the person who greeted him. He hurriedly ran over, bowing and scraping, “Director Liu, good morning!”

“Are you alone?” Liu Simiao asked.

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“Huh?” Zhang Wei hadn’t quite grasped the situation. “Just me alone.”

“Isn’t your newspaper’s reporter Guo Xiaofen? Why isn’t she here?”

“You don’t know? She resigned.”

Liu Simiao was shocked! Guo Xiaofen was the chief reporter for the Legal Daily, specializing in major cases. Although she had often frustrated her during interviews, they had worked together frequently over the years and had become friends: “When did she resign? How come I didn’t know?!”

“Just recently,” Zhang Wei said. “She’d been drifting in this city for so many years, neither buying a house nor getting married, resulting in a nomadic lifestyle. She changed residences several times in the past six months and reportedly even spent a night on the streets, sleeping on a park bench. In short, she was already in a bad state, and then several of her articles were rejected. She had a huge argument with the editor in chief and resigned.”

Liu Simiao didn’t know what to say for a moment. Taking advantage of her dazed state, Zhang Wei quickly ran across the street into the east-west alley.

For reasons unknown, Liu Simiao followed him slowly across the road and into the alley. From afar, she watched a large group of reporters swarm like headless flies around the entrance of the nursery, filming with their phones. Although the iron gate wasn’t closed, not a single one of them stepped inside. When Du Jianping emerged from the nursery, they obediently made way, listened to his lukewarm explanation, and then scattered as if granted a reprieve.

Thinking back to Guo Xiaofen’s relentless, persistent interviewing tactics from years ago, Liu Simiao felt a pang of loss.

Back at the printing factory, she pondered for a moment in the courtyard, took out her phone, found Guo Xiaofen’s number, and was about to dial when the phone suddenly rang. The caller ID displayed the name “Li Sanduo.”

Liu Simiao’s expression immediately hardened.

Li Sanduo was originally the deputy secretary of the Municipal Political and Legal Affairs Commission and retired last year. The anti-corruption campaign in recent years had placed particular emphasis on the investigation of retired cadres. Anyone who had engaged in embezzlement or other illegal activities during their tenure was no longer allowed to “retire and be done with it,” as in the past; instead, they were thoroughly investigated, thus exposing many corrupt officials. Li Sanduo’s position was a hotbed of corruption, so the investigation was particularly rigorous and thorough. After much investigation, it was discovered that this old man, who had served as a leading cadre for ten years, was even more incorruptible than plain water! Soon, an official document was issued, appointing Li Sanduo as an advisor to the Municipal Comprehensive Management Committee, assisting the Municipal Public Security Bureau in supervising the criminal investigation of major cases, and continuing to serve the Party and the people. According to the established structure, the Comprehensive Management Committee was a functional department under the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, so the old man, while muttering “rehired and demoted half a rank,” patted his behind and took up his post.

Now that he was personally calling, even a fool could tell he was up to no good. Sure enough, the first thing Liu Simiao said after answering was, “When will the case be solved? Give me a straight answer!”

Dealing with someone like Li Sanduo, one couldn’t be afraid or back down, or he’d really put a string on your throat. So Liu Simiao retorted sharply, “Strange, am I the head of the Special Task Force?”

Li Sanduo was taken aback. Although he’d dealt with her for years and knew Liu Simiao was not someone to mess with, he hadn’t expected her to be this bad. She didn’t just stand there, she hit the nail on the head—the person primarily responsible for solving the Sweeping Mouse Ridge Case was Du Jianping, and even if a pledge had been made to solve the case within a certain timeframe, it wasn’t Liu Simiao who had signed it. Li Sanduo couldn’t help but laugh: “Alright, Director Liu, I sincerely ask for your advice. Could you estimate the timeframe for solving this case from a forensic perspective?”

“I can’t estimate that!” Liu Simiao remained unmoved. “This case is extremely complex. The crime scene indicates that the criminal was ruthless and cruel, possessing strong counter-investigation capabilities. He left no valuable physical evidence. My current investigative approach is to use the surveillance system to locate the suspect vehicle and identify and analyze the suspect’s appearance. I estimate the breakthrough will ultimately lie here… With the unprecedentedly large amount of criminal investigation resources the police have invested, that criminal has absolutely no chance of escaping justice. But as for a specific timeframe for his arrest, I cannot give you that.”

“Simiao!” Li Sanduo’s tone suddenly turned serious. “Case studies involving children are most likely to attract public attention. We must approach this with a high degree of responsibility to the people and solve the case as soon as possible!”

Upon hearing the phrase “a high degree of responsibility to the people,” Liu Simiao, like all police officers who held their profession in a sacred and noble sense, became serious and solemn: “Secretary Li,” still addressing Li Sanduo by his former title, “the investigation of the criminal case has a golden period of twenty-four hours after the incident. I guarantee that I will handcuff the suspect to the heating pipe of the Criminal Investigation Department before ten o’clock today!”

“That’s exactly what I wanted to hear. Okay, you’re busy!” Li Sanduo hung up the phone.

Liu Simiao looked at the previous page on her phone screen, which showed Guo Xiaofen’s contact number. She couldn’t help but smile bitterly, put her phone back in her pocket, and thought to herself—

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“Could I really keep the promise I made to Li Sanduo on the phone?”