Animal Detective

Chapter 233 The Old Dog Never Dies

That afternoon, the police car departed from the Songling branch and headed first to Linshui.

Right on Zhangqing Highway, Zhou Hui, handcuffed and escorted by two colleagues, arrived at the roadside to identify the scene.

People from the Nanlin branch also arrived, and traffic police were on site directing traffic, but many passing cars still slowed down and watched the scene with curiosity.

After identifying the scene of Yang Maocai's car accident, they went to the location where the van was salvaged.

Standing by the three-way intersection, Zhou Hui pointed to the water and took a picture.

The cement bridge not far away was crowded with people, pointing and looking this way.

The identification process for Yang Maocai's case has concluded; next up is Han Xiaolong's on-site investigation.

Everyone boarded the vehicle and set off for Wuba Village.

Shen Xin and Ding Yuwei got into the car and stayed for two more days until they finished identifying the scene before heading back.

After getting in the car, Ding Yuwei secretly nudged Shen Xin with her elbow and asked in a low voice, "Do I really not smell? Why do I smell something?"

Before setting off, I never expected to stay in Pingyu for more than half a month.

Therefore, the number of clothes I brought was limited.

Of course you can buy one; the hotel also has washing machines.

But when I get busy, I don't have time for that.

Ding Yuwei's clothes weren't dry today, so she wore unwashed old clothes. After leaving the hotel, she felt uncomfortable all over and asked Shen Xin several times if she smelled bad.

As she spoke, she leaned closer and tugged at her clothes, letting Shen Xinwen smell them.

Shen Xin pressed her hand down, saying there were other people around.

Then he whispered, "Is it possible that the scent you're smelling is actually coming from me?"

At least Ding Yuwei knew to do laundry when she got back and had time.

Shen Xin went back and lay down on the bed. He had already worn the two sets of clothes he brought several times.

Ding Yuwei was taken aback, leaned closer to sniff carefully, and confirmed that it was indeed from Shen Xin. She said speechlessly, "You're too lazy to wash your own clothes, and when I offered to wash them for you, you refused."

Shen Xin waved his hand.

Our relationship isn't that good yet.

If he had come with Zhao Tianxing, Shen Xin would have urged him to help him wash up even if he didn't mention it.

Zhao Tianxing is very particular about his lifestyle; sometimes he even wears men's cologne.

At this moment, Wang Cheng, who was sitting in the front row, asked casually, "Shen Xin, do you think Zhou Hui will really kill his mother in the end? She's his mother, after all."

It refers to Zhou Hui's cell phone.

When they arrested him, they looked at his phone and found that he was searching for how to kill an old man without breaking the law.

Liu Jie asked him about it.

He said he knew that Huang Qingmei had lied for him and concealed the fact that he had returned home too late on the day Han Xiaolong's case occurred.

He was afraid the police would find Huang Qingmei again, and worried that she wouldn't be able to withstand it and would betray her own family to tell others.

Therefore, he conceived the idea of ​​killing his mother first, thus "sacrificing his own family for the greater good."

He felt this was the last loophole; as long as his mother died in an accident, even if the police were to target him, they wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

Of course, when asked by Liu Jie, he said that he was just thinking about it and wouldn't actually do it.

Shen Xin thought for a moment and said, "Who knows? Anyway, I think that when he gets desperate, he's capable of anything."

This guy is ruthless and cruel.

He hit Han Xiaolong on the head with a stone, and immediately lost consciousness.

But Han Xiaolong was still alive at this time.

In a state of extreme panic, checking for a person's breath is completely inaccurate.

The autopsy report also proved that Han Xiaolong was thrown into a well and drowned after suffering a severe blow to the head and falling into a deep coma.

It's normal for many people to act impulsively when they are emotionally agitated or extremely panicked.

So when Zhou Hui heard Han Xiaolong shouting that he wanted the whole village to know, he panicked and hit Han Xiaolong. At this point, it was just pure passion acting up.

After knocking Han Xiaolong unconscious, he should have calmed down, but instead of stopping the crime and trying to save Han Xiaolong, he chose to dispose of the body to cover up his crime.

Yang Maocai was the same.

Unable to bear the extortion, he coldly chose to run over Yang Maocai and kill him.

Perhaps it could be said that one wrong step led to another, but without that cruel and cold-blooded nature in his bones, Zhou Hui would not have done these things.

Therefore, it is possible for a cornered dog to choose to kill its mother.

Shen Xin believes that Liu Jie grasped Zhou Hui's psychology precisely, which is why he followed Zhou Hui, found important clues, and solved the case.

Just like when Zhou Hui went to Yang Maocai's house.

At first, the group analyzed that Zhou Hui was testing whether the police would reopen the investigation.

That's partly the reason, because the village suddenly started installing surveillance cameras, and he was suspicious and scared.

However, during the interrogation, Zhou Hui revealed that the most important reason he did this was because he was worried that Yang Maocai might have kept evidence.

He had not found the evidence that Yang Maocai claimed to have, so he was afraid and couldn't help but want to keep looking for it.

If he doesn't go, then it's uncertain when people will even notice Yang Maocai.

If he hadn't gone to check where the van was sunk, he wouldn't have known how long it would have taken to find it.

Liu Jie's grasp of criminal psychology really taught Shen Xin a valuable lesson.

It was almost four o'clock when the convoy arrived at Wuba Village.

The bridge at the village entrance, which was being approached from the west, was already crowded with villagers.

No one rushed out to stop them.

Li Jing, Huang Qingmei, and Yang Maocai's parents are all at home, and the Qingyuan Police Station has arranged for people to keep a close watch on them.

Luo Limei was also there, accompanied by her colleagues.

The car slowly drove through the crowd.

Inside the car, Zhou Hui turned his head and looked out the window at the familiar faces.

Some people watched indifferently, while others whispered among themselves.

The car didn't stop.

Zhou Hui turned his head and saw the crowd following him.

Upon arriving at the crime scene, he was dragged out of the car. The sunlight was so bright that it made his vision go black. He turned his head blankly and saw the villagers outside the police cordon.

They pointed and commented on each one.

The zombies were brought to the scene of the crime.

To identify and photograph.

Then came the ancient well, and the same process was followed: identification and taking photos.

As Zhou Hui was being pulled up, he suddenly heard a mournful cry coming from behind the wall of Yang Maocai's house to the northeast.

Before I could think any further, I was dragged away again.

We also need to go to the septic tank on the east side.

After emptying the latrine and enduring the stench, they actually found this sunken rock.

The stones in the latrine, smelly and hard, have remained for six years.

Just as Shen Xin was about to follow, he suddenly noticed out of the corner of his eye that there was an old dog quietly watching them from the crowd outside the cordon.

The old dog Han Xiaolong kept, named Xiaotianquan.

He stood there quietly, turning his head, his gaze likely following Zhou Hui.

After Zhou Hui was taken away and disappeared from sight, the crowd quickly followed, but he did not move.

Shen Xin turned and walked over.

Ding Yuwei noticed Shen Xin and followed him.

But just as they were about to get close, the old dog turned and walked away.

Heading north, we walked slowly along the cement road in front of Yang Maocai's house.

Shen Xin stopped, and the sound of wailing came from Yang Maocai's house to the right.

Ding Yuwei caught up and asked, "What's wrong?"

Shen Xin shook his head, watching the old dog slowly walk away, his steps unhurried.

After hesitating for a moment, Shen Xin followed.

This old dog deserves the most credit for solving this case.

As Shen Xin approached, the old dog seemed to sense his presence and quickened its pace.

Shen Xin felt strange, as if an old dog was deliberately avoiding him.

The old dog has indeed gone home.

Shen Xin stopped, not intending to see Luo Limei.

The case was solved, the murderer was found, but the only son would never come back.

"Let's go."

Shen Xin called out to Ding Yuwei and prepared to leave.

However, as he turned the corner, Shen Xin glanced around one last time and noticed that the old dog hadn't entered the yard; he was standing at the gate, lost in thought.

Shen Xin stopped.

After a while, the old dog turned around and came back.

Before long, they arrived in front of Shen Xin.

This time, he didn't avoid Shen Xin. Instead, he looked up at Shen Xin and then walked past him.

Ding Yuwei asked curiously, "Where is he going?"

Shen Xin shook his head.

The old dog walked slowly south along the main road.

Shen Xin and the other man followed him, watching him walk along the roadside to the T-junction, then head west, cross the cement bridge, and continue walking without stopping.

"Is he leaving?"

The two stood at the bridgehead, and Ding Yuwei asked softly.

Shen Xin's gaze followed the old dog, and a possibility came to mind. He said, "Have you ever seen a saying online that goes, 'Old dogs never die at home'?"

It is said that these rural farm dogs and mongrels, at the end of their lives, will voluntarily leave home, find a secluded place, and quietly await death.

Ding Yuwei's eyes widened suddenly, and she instinctively tried to follow.

Shen Xin grabbed her.

The straight road stretched out, the sun was setting, and against the afterglow of the sun, the old dog's appearance was no longer visible.

He didn't stop, and kept walking further and further away.

But in the end, he stopped and turned around.

In the afterglow, he seemed to become a silhouette.

Perhaps he wanted to take one last look at this place where he had lived his whole life, a place where he could see the figure of that dog who used to run around with him, shouting "Come quickly, Celestial Dog!" everywhere.

So far, no favorability icon has appeared above his head.

That gaze lasted a long time.

Then the old dog lowered its head and slowly walked away.

Just then, the convoy arrived. "Shen Xin, let's go," Liu Jie said, rolling down the car window.

It's agreed that tonight will be a celebration banquet.

Shen Xin glanced at the black dot in the distance and said, "Liu Zhi, you guys go back first, I have something to do."

Liu Jie didn't ask any questions, nodded, told Wang Cheng to stay, and then left with the convoy.

"Walk."

Shen Xin called out to Ding Yuwei and followed the direction the old dog had gone.

After walking about six or seven hundred meters, Shen Xin found him.

Right under a willow tree by the river.

He lay on the ground with his back to the two men, and his ears twitched, indicating that he must have heard Shen Xin and the other man approaching.

But he didn't turn around; he just lay there.

Shen Xin didn't approach either, and sat on the grass with Ding Yuwei to wait.

Ding Yuwei crossed her arms and remained silent.

As the sun dipped lower, its rays shimmered on the water's surface.

It's already past February, and this willow tree has started to sprout new buds.

Spring is just around the corner.

The old dog's life, like the afterglow of the setting sun, came to an end.

The old dog's head drooped, and it remained silent.

Shen Xin sighed.

Ding Yuwei's eyes were already red.

Shen Xin stood up. He had already looked around and found the scenery here to be nice. This place was perfect.

He turned and waved to Wang Cheng by the roadside. Wang Cheng immediately opened the trunk, picked up two shovels, and walked over.

……

In March, as spring returns to the earth, it's time to enjoy fresh lake delicacies.

So it's still Xishan Island.

Most people had already reported their whereabouts. Amidst the clinking of glasses and the lively conversation, Liu Jie was the first to get drunk. He pressed his forehead against Ding Junbao's forehead, pounded his chest, and mumbled incoherently in words that only he could understand.

Shen Xin also had an indescribable feeling in his heart, so he unknowingly got drunk.

It seems that Ding Yuwei eventually got herself back to the hotel.

I regained consciousness at around 9 a.m. the next day.

After washing up, Shen Xin found Ding Yuwei and asked her nervously if she had behaved inappropriately yesterday.

It's not appropriate to act recklessly in front of your superiors.

The main problem was that Pingyu's colleagues were too enthusiastic; everyone wanted to come and have a drink with him.

"No." Ding Yuwei shook her head, then asked Shen Xin if he still wanted to see Liu Jie.

Yesterday, when they left the restaurant, Liu Jie grabbed Shen Xin's hand and said, "Don't go."

Shen Xin nodded repeatedly in agreement.

Since we're leaving today, should we say goodbye?

Shen Xin thought about it and decided against it. After careful consideration, he sent Liu Jie a WeChat message.

I am grateful for his care these past few days; I have learned a lot from him.

I received a reply shortly after sending the message.

An emoji of a handshake.

Everything is understood without words.

"walk home."

Shen Xin tossed the car keys to Ding Yuwei. He hadn't been home for a while and was actually a little homesick.

Soon, the two returned to the branch office.

"No one came to greet us."

Looking at the empty office building, Shen Xin complained.

Representing Nanjiang in the battle, you handled the case brilliantly; you deserve some credit, right?

Ding Yuwei said, "Did you tell Director Lü and the others what time you'd be back today? What, did you expect Director Lü to be waiting for you at the door?"

"I wouldn't dare."

Shen Xin immediately shook his head, picked up his bag, and got out of the car.

Before even entering the door, they bumped into Zhao Tianxing leading Tiger Stripe out.

Upon seeing Shen Xin and his companion, Zhao Tianxing's eyes lit up, and he teased, "You two are like the Condor Heroes, I thought you were so engrossed in your pleasures that you didn't even realize you were back."

With a woof.

The tabby broke free and rushed over to surround Shen Xin, wagging its tail frantically to show its affection.

【happy】

Shen Xin also heard his inner thoughts.

This guy has already entered the second stage.

Zhao Tianxing glared at him irritably and said sourly, "There are definitely differences in closeness and distance, all that chicken legs I've fed you these past few days wasted."

Shen Xin rubbed Tiger Stripe's head and said, "You're still having so much fun that you don't want to leave. It's like we've gone out to enjoy ourselves."

Ding Yuwei glared at Zhao Tianxing, asking him if he knew how to speak properly.

Shen Xin then asked how things were going in the team these days.

The three walked back to the team. Zhao Tianxing said dejectedly, "What can I do? I'm just busy. Especially since you two left, all the writing work has fallen on me and Gan Yong."

As he spoke, he leaned closer and took a sniff.

"You guys drank quite a bit at this victory celebration. Did Captain Sun tell you that he'd throw you a feast when you get back? I haven't had a proper meal in ages."

Shen Xin said, "I think so, after all, we handled the case so well and brought honor to our branch."

I wouldn't even dare to dream of making a contribution, but I have to celebrate!

I bumped into a colleague again and immediately greeted him with a smile.

"Hey, you're back. How's the case going? Did you solve it?"

Shen Xin immediately said, "What are you saying? We've already gone, we can't let the case remain unsolved and bring shame to our branch office."

My colleague gave me a thumbs up.

"Alright, alright."

Seeing that Shen Xin seemed to want to stop and chat with every colleague he met, Ding Yuwei, both amused and exasperated, dragged Shen Xin into the main office.

It was almost noon, and there were only a few people in the office.

Chen Chao wasn't there either; Zhao Tianxing said he'd gone to Houxia to handle a case.

Sun Zhao was talking to Li Haifeng when he saw Shen Xin enter and his eyes lit up.

He clapped his hands as he approached.

"Kid, not bad. You haven't even come back yet, and Chief Liu has already called to thank you. He's been praising you a lot."

He looked pleased.

It's a source of pride when your own people are used by others to guide the investigation of a case, and they actually solve it brilliantly.

And putting everything else aside, once this case is solved, won't Liu Jie owe someone a favor?

Wouldn't it be much more convenient to go back to Pingyu to handle the case?

As he spoke, he wanted to call a meeting with everyone and have Shen Xin share the process of solving this case, so that they could summarize some experience.

He heard from Liu Jie that this case was not easy to handle.

When it comes to this, Shen Xin really has experience.

I really learned a lot from working on this case with Liu Jie.

Before they could even think about it, Lü Youwei heard the news and rushed over with Wang Xihai.

"You're something else, kid."

They start by praising people.

To be honest, Liu Jie's rank is higher than his.

Liu Jie called him and praised Shen Xin enthusiastically. How could Lü Youwei not be happy?
They're my own people.

"Spanning two provinces, two murder cases, your reputation has spread beyond the province."

Shen Xin's trip out also meant that he helped Pingzhou solve a long-standing case.

Wang Xihai chimed in, "So Xiao Shen really does have a knack for solving these kinds of cold cases."

Shen Xin just smiled and listened, but he couldn't help but have some doubts in his heart.

Don't just praise me, give me something tangible.

Lu Youwei seemed to have guessed what Shen Xin was thinking, and pointed at Wang Xihai, saying, "Director Wang is right, you've got a knack for solving unsolved cases."

"Didn't you tell me last time that you wanted to put up a sign for me, like a cold case investigation office? I think that's a good idea, it'll also give you some responsibility."

Sun Zhao smiled and nodded beside him.

Clearly, the two of them had discussed this matter.

Shen Xin's eyes lit up, and he quickly thanked him, promising that he would definitely do his best.

"correct."

Lu Youwei beckoned to Shen Xin and pulled him aside, saying, "Don't rush the unsolved cases team matter. But the matter about the police dogs you mentioned earlier has been approved by the Municipal Bureau."

"Then Director Zhao specifically asked you to take charge, along with the budget and funding. You'd better take responsibility for this and do a great job."

The unsolved cases task force is basically just about providing an office, a sign, and a car.

Ultimately, it's an internal matter for the Criminal Investigation Division.

But police dogs are different.

This is a formal project that was discussed and approved at a municipal bureau meeting, and a budget has been allocated. It will require coordination with multiple departments, so it's a serious matter.

If you do a good job, you'll be credited, and the leaders will remember it.

But if you don't do it well, waste funds, and end up in a mess, to put it more seriously, in the eyes of your superiors, your ability to get things done is just so-so.

Lu Youwei patted Shen Xin on the shoulder and gave him a knowing look.

In his view, Shen Xin took on a sufficiently large risk by proposing this idea.

Because if you don't do this, it won't have any impact on Shen Xin.

Shen Xindong.

But this is something Shen Xin really wants to do.

"By the way, Director Lü, how much budget did you approve?"

The food for people and the chewing for horses also cost a lot.

Lu Youwei held up one finger: "We've approved one million for now. Judging from Director Zhao's tone, he's very supportive of this project, so if it's not enough, there's a possibility of additional funding."

Shen Xin's eyes lit up. One million was a lot, or rather, a large sum.

This budget shows that the leadership really values ​​this project.

(End of this chapter)