The deeper they ventured, the softer the soil became. Yang Bo circled a camphor tree that was significantly more lush than its surroundings. "Look at this. This tree... well, it’s very interesting."
Lu Linjiang ignored Yang Bo’s deliberate imitation of his own mannerisms. He looked around; it was still winter, and though Liucheng Island was much warmer than Jinghai, the trees and flora were still far more withered than they would be in the height of summer.
This camphor tree was an exception. Though not particularly tall, its foliage was remarkably dense. Yang Bo finally stopped his circling and kicked at the soil beneath the tree. "Here."
Although the patch of earth had been camouflaged, the work was less professional than the traces left outside. Several clumps of grass hadn't been buried properly; with a gentle tug, Yang Bo pulled them up by the roots.
Lu Linjiang found a sturdy branch nearby, poked at a few spots, and then dug into the softest area. Before long, a fat maggot wriggled out of the dirt. Lu Linjiang paused, then carefully flicked the larva out.
"Not bad."
Yang Bo fished a tissue out of his pocket and carefully wrapped the maggot inside. Having finally encountered something substantial, the two put their heads down and continued digging. They had expected to find whatever was buried beneath as soon as they saw the maggots, but after half an hour of digging—even unearthing several tree roots—they found nothing more than a few more larvae.
Lu Linjiang was drenched in sweat, his shirt clinging to his skin. He tossed the branch aside and massaged his aching hands. "Stop digging. It’s likely been moved."
Yang Bo used his branch to prop himself up, carefully straightening his back. "I was thinking the same thing. We’re dealing with an old fox here."
Lu Linjiang crouched by the pit, using the sunlight filtering through the leaves to inspect the hole. Because they lacked proper tools and had used only branches, the pit wasn't large—only about thirty centimeters in diameter. Inside, the interlacing roots of the camphor tree were clearly visible, along with some scattered dry twigs.
Lu Linjiang picked out the twigs one by one. When he reached the last two, he suddenly stopped. "Where’s the tissue?"
Yang Bo immediately spread out a fresh tissue, and Lu Linjiang placed something onto it with his fingers. Against the white background of the tissue, Yang Bo could finally see it: a yellowish-brown hair, less than a centimeter long.
"What’s this?"
"Who knows. We’ll take it back first."
Lu Linjiang and Yang Bo searched meticulously for another long while, finding five more hairs of varying lengths and a few more maggots. Aside from that, there was nothing else to be found.
Yang Bo dropped everything into a plastic bag and wiped the sweat from his face with his arm. Lu Linjiang looked somewhat disheveled himself; with both hands covered in mud, he was forced to hold them out like a Tai Chi practitioner mid-pose.
"Cui Shihai first arrived at the police station yesterday just after nine-thirty in the morning. By the time we found him again in the afternoon, it was nearly three. Those six hours were more than enough time to handle whatever needed handling," Lu Linjiang analyzed, hands still raised.
"Once it’s handled, you just toss the stuff into the sea—completely undetected." Yang Bo looked toward the other side of the woods. "So, what exactly is this ranch used for?"
"The most likely possibility is that it’s a front for wildlife trafficking. A ranch established over a decade ago that doesn't turn a profit, plus a pit like this... I don't believe this place was built just for 'production diversification,'" Lu Linjiang reasoned. "The person who established the ranch was the old Village Chief. On the surface, he isn't close to Cui Shihai’s family; in fact, he even helps Cui Bin, who is a thorn in their side. It looks like he’s acting out of guilt over the past, but from another perspective, he could be helping Cui Shihai monitor Cui Bin in secret."
"Do you remember how Cui Bin said his phone broke?" Lu Linjiang asked. "On its own, it seems fine, but Cui Dongming has a spare key to Cui Bin’s room. Furthermore, everything involving Cui Dongming is just too coincidental. I don't believe in such low-probability events." The mud on Lu Linjiang’s hands had finally dried slightly. He rubbed them together, sending dust flying. "Get Zhao Zhijie over here. We’re going to take a look at the ranch together."
The ranch was already open, with guests arriving in small groups, mostly bringing children. Though it was called a ranch, Lu Linjiang and Yang Bo walked around and saw only three horses, seven or eight goats, and about a dozen dairy cows. The most numerous were poultry like chickens, ducks, and geese. A sign stood by the chicken coop: "Fresh Eggs for Sale"—it was certainly making use of its resources.
Perhaps to show that its poultry were of the prized "free-range" variety, the ranch had released the flocks of feathered creatures as soon as the doors opened. Children who had no chance to see such a spectacle in the city screamed with delight and rushed forward, mingling with the startled birds. For a moment, it was hard to tell which of the two-legged creatures on the ground possessed the higher IQ.
Lu Linjiang’s muddy state didn't stop him from being annoyed by the flying feathers. The only consolation was that the chaotic scene before him possessed a mindless sort of comedy, sparing him from having to rack his brain for clues for a brief moment.
Zhao Zhijie, driving at his perpetual forty kilometers per hour, drifted slowly to a stop in front of Lu Linjiang. Just as Lu Linjiang was about to ask why he was so slow, the passenger door opened, and Jiang Cheng stepped out with him.
"I ran into Jiang Cheng on the way. He said he wanted to come along, so I brought him," Zhao Zhijie explained.
Lu Linjiang gave a grunt of acknowledgement. "Have you eaten breakfast?"
Zhao Zhijie was about to answer when he realized Lu Linjiang’s gaze had shot straight past him. Jiang Cheng, the target of Lu Linjiang’s look, gave a soft "mm," and only then did Lu Linjiang look relieved—it turned out Zhao had been flattering himself.
Zhao Zhijie’s eyes darted suspiciously between the two. Seeing that Lu Linjiang had finally spared him a bit of attention, he spoke: "I went to check. Ten years ago, Cui Dongming’s mother-in-law passed away. The timing was exactly one month after Cui Bin transferred the house title to Cui Shihai."
Lu Linjiang’s brow furrowed. "So, he wasn't lying after all?"
"Not quite," Zhao Zhijie countered. "The old lady was nearly ninety at the time and quite ill. The hospital didn't have a sophisticated filing system back then, so the exact details are unclear. However, when I called the hospital to ask, there was actually a doctor who still remembered her."
To leave such a deep impression on a doctor after so long, there had to be something unique about the case. Lu Linjiang looked at Zhao Zhijie with interest. "Did something special happen?"
"Cui Dongming and his brother-in-law had a massive row; they nearly came to blows in the hospital. The cause was his wife, Mao Lichun, stealing their savings book to pay for the old lady’s hospitalization fees."
"Cui Dongming wasn't happy about that?"
"Whether he was happy to pay for the medical bills, I don't know, but he certainly wasn't happy about buying his brother-in-law a motorcycle." Zhao Zhijie shook his head in amazement.
Lu Linjiang blinked, taking a moment to process the logic. "You mean Mao Lichun stole the savings to pay the hospital, but the money was immediately taken by the older brother to buy a motorcycle?"
"Exactly. Apparently, the old lady gave it to him personally. To show her filial piety, Mao Lichun withdrew the money and stuffed it into her mother’s hands. The mother, pitying her son for having to squeeze onto the bus for work, gave the money to him for a motorcycle." Zhao Zhijie shrugged. "The brother-in-law couldn't keep his mouth shut and let it slip when Cui Dongming came to visit. Cui Dongming and the brother-in-law got into a fight right there in the hospital, which upset the old lady so much she ended up in the ICU. The eldest son didn't even show up again until she died—supposedly, he even wanted to sue Cui Dongming."
"The reason the doctor remembers is that the old lady wasn't just biased; she was incredibly thick-skinned. Even with one foot in the grave, she thought of her eldest son in everything. As for her daughter and younger son, she treated them as if they were picked up off the street."
One ethical drama after another; Lu Linjiang was starting to find it tiresome.
"Supposedly, the old lady stayed in the ICU for nearly two months. Whether Cui Dongming would actually wait outside the ward every day for news under those circumstances... I think that’s a big question mark."
The four of them stood in a circle talking, surrounded by the excited screams of children. Although many people looked over curiously, the sight of the police car parked behind them kept most from approaching to pry.
Lu Linjiang smiled. "That explains a few things." He turned to look at the ranch office. "Let’s walk around first."
Several ranch staff members had been staring at them for a long time. Seeing the group finally approach, one asked with a forced smile, "Officer Zhao, is there something we can help you with?"
"Just looking around," Zhao Zhijie said amiably. "The Bureau of Industry and Commerce is doing a major inspection recently. They’re short-handed, so I’m helping them take a look while I’m at it."
The man who was clearly the leader nodded. "The rest of you go back to work; I’ll handle this." He pulled out a pack of cigarettes and offered a few. "I’m Cui Qian, the manager of the ranch. Do you smoke?"
Lu Linjiang politely accepted one and used his lighter to light the man’s cigarette. "Seems quite lively here."
Cui Qian glanced at Lu Linjiang’s fingers. "That’s right. There aren't many activities for kids on the island. When the weather’s warmer, parents like taking them to the beach. In this season, they can only come here to ride the mules and horses. Where would you gentlemen like to look?"
Lu Linjiang exhaled a cloud of smoke. "Everywhere."
Cui Qian smiled. "Sure. Shall we start with the office?"
***
