She was tricked into marriage for three years, then remarried a childless, tough guy and became preg

When the group arrived at Hexi Town, it was already getting dark.

The town is small, with only one main street running north to south. The houses on both sides of the street are of different ages, but the newly built buildings are particularly eye-catching, with signs for "Ma's Building Materials" and "Ma Tao Sand Quarry" hanging on them. Their facades are grand, and their neon lights are bright and shiny.

Huo Xiuyuan glanced through the car window and asked, "Are all these Ma Tao's properties?"

The police officer in charge of receiving them said, "Yes, that's not all."

"The accommodations have been arranged." The policeman sitting in the front row turned around and said, "There's a guesthouse at the east end of town, not far from Ma Tao's office, which is very convenient."

"Okay," Huo Xiuyuan replied.

Shen Tang sat next to him, looking out the car window with a furrowed brow.

Ma Tao was a local bully in Hexi Town.

Upon arriving at the guesthouse, the group settled in.

The next day, Huo Xiuyuan first went to see the leaders of the military unit in Hexi Town.

They handed over the evidence they had brought and some preliminary investigation results.

After reviewing the materials, the military leaders said, "The chain of evidence is so clear. How did you manage to get away with it back then? You can investigate with confidence. The military will cover for you in this area of ​​Hexi Town."

With that statement, the subsequent investigation went much more smoothly.

Over the next few days, Huo Xiuyuan and several inspectors split up and acted separately.

On one hand, they retrieved case files from the archives for several unresolved cases in Hexi Town and the surrounding area over the past few years, and on the other hand, they visited several households.

The further they investigated, the clearer Ma Tao's background became.

On the surface, this man was a respectable entrepreneur who donated money to repair roads and support schools. The town newspaper described him as a "model of self-made success." But the shady dealings he did behind the scenes had nothing to do with the word "model."

Those who competed with him for business either got into car accidents or went out of business; those who had conflicts with him either mysteriously disappeared or were beaten and left disabled.

In the case files of Hexi Town Police Station, there were six or seven reported cases, and without exception, they were all closed due to "insufficient evidence".

Huo Xiuyuan closed the file and tapped his fingers twice on the cover:

"It's not that there's insufficient evidence, it's that someone has suppressed the evidence."

On the fourth day, Chen Zhongyi sat in the police station, leaning on his cane.

He began, "That day I fought with Zhou Zhenshan, and it was a fierce fight. When he was pinning me to the ground, someone suddenly rushed out from behind and stabbed Zhou Zhenshan in the chest... and then I was knocked unconscious."

The police officer presiding over the case leaned forward slightly.

"Is that person Ma Tao?"

Chen Zhongyi shook his head: "It was too dark at the time, and I had my back to me, so I couldn't see the person behind me at all. I only knew it was a man."

"Yes. We found Zhou Zhenshan's maid at the time, and she identified Ma Tao," the police officer said.

"I went to seek revenge that day... I was prepared to die. If Zhou Zhenshan died, I didn't plan to come out alive either. But I just couldn't bring myself to kill him. That person didn't come to help me, he came to frame me. He killed him, and I'll take the blame."

The police officer said, "Don't worry, this time we'll not only investigate Ma Tao's case thoroughly, but we'll also clean up the entire town of Hexi. It's obvious that someone within the police force is colluding with Ma Tao!"

With Chen Zhongyi's testimony, Huo Xiuyuan, together with the troops and police of Hexi Town, directly took Ma Tao into custody.

Ma Tao initially denied it, saying he knew nothing and that "someone was framing him."

But when Huo Xiuyuan laid out the evidence in front of him, piece by piece,

Ma Tao's expression changed little by little, until finally he remained silent.

In the end, he confessed everything.

Back then, he was Zhou Zhenshan's underling. Because of a mistake, Zhou Zhenshan beat him half to death, and he held a grudge ever since. That night, Chen Zhongyi came to Zhou Zhenshan for revenge, and the two fought in the yard. Ma Tao saw his chance and stabbed Zhou Zhenshan while they were fighting. He also knocked Chen Zhongyi unconscious. Then, in order to destroy the evidence at the scene, he released several vicious dogs that Zhou Zhenshan kept.

After Chen Zhongyi was arrested, he used his criminal gang to pressure the police to solve the case as soon as possible.

At the same time, they bribed the police officers who handled the case, and threatened those who couldn't be bribed.

Later, relying on the connections and resources left by Zhou Zhenshan, he gradually cleaned up his act and became a prominent entrepreneur in Hexi Town.

"I don't regret it," Ma Tao said finally. "Zhou Zhenshan deserves to die. I've made enough money over the years."

The police officer looked at him but didn't say anything.

He carefully put away the statement, stood up, and said, "He deserved to die, but you shouldn't have been the one to do it, and you shouldn't have made someone else take the blame! Twenty years—how many twenty-year periods does a person have?!"

Ma Tao lowered his head. "I'm sorry to him."

"Take him away!" the police officer said coldly.

It rained in Hexi Town on the day Ma Tao was taken away.

People on the street stood under the eaves watching the police car drive away, discussing the incident.

Huo Xiuyuan stood at the entrance of the guesthouse, watching the police car disappear into the distance through the rain.

Shen Tang stood beside him: "It's finally over."

"It's over." Huo Xiuyuan grasped her hand. "Uncle Chen's case has been overturned. The police are already processing the paperwork, and it will be officially overturned soon."

Shen Tang looked at him and smiled, "Then we'll be able to go back soon."

The certificate of innocence was issued quickly, and the three did not stay in Hexi Town for long.

Early in the morning, I drove back to Jiangzhou City.

Huo Xiuyuan couldn't wait to rewrite the marriage application and submit it along with a certificate issued by the Hexi Town Public Security Bureau.

The commander frowned as he looked at Huo Xiuyuan, who had lost a lot of weight.

"Is this what they mean by 'even heroes can't resist the charms of a beautiful woman'?"

"Sir, please approve it quickly!" Huo Xiuyuan said with a smile.

"Alright! But I'm waiting to attend the wedding!" The leader laughed heartily.

Huo Xiuyuan readily agreed.

Shen Tang was adjusting the recording equipment when Lin Manni walked in with a smile.

Before anyone was seen, a voice was heard: "Shen Tang—it's selling out! It's selling out!"

Shen Tang came out of the house with a smile and asked, "What's wrong?"

Lin Manni grasped Shen Tang's hand, "You have no idea how popular the cassette tapes were! They sold out as soon as they were put out. This is already the fifth batch!"

Shen Tang laughed and said, "We should strike while the iron is hot and prepare for the next album."

"Next album? Doesn't that mean you need to write a new song? You've got one?"

Shen Tang nodded. "It's already written."

"Shen Tang, you're amazing! How did you even get such a brain?"

As the two were chatting and laughing, Commander Zhang stood at the door and knocked.

"Is Shen Tang there?"

Shen Tang hurried over, "Commander Zhang, what brings you here?"

Commander Zhang said with a smile, "Shen Tang, your father's case has been investigated and cleared up. If you're willing, you can return to the cultural troupe at any time."

Shen Tang was stunned for a few seconds.

"You're unwilling?" Commander Zhang asked.

"No," Shen Tang shook her head.

Commander Zhang smiled at her. "I've already heard about your entertainment company. Shen Tang is very talented. If you're willing to come back, I'll apply to the higher-ups to arrange a solo performance for you to submit for the Spring Festival Gala."