Zhou Tong Detective Series

Chapter 70 Zhou Tong Detective Series IV: The Skinner (4)
"They are all here..." the old Tibetan mother began to burn paper money while talking.

Only then did Yan Yongjie realize that she was paying homage to the souls of the dead, so she asked, "Old mother, were you from this village before? Why is this place deserted?"

"I turned my back on the gods and summoned demons..." The old Tibetan mother sighed, and then stopped talking.

"Let's go." Zhou Tong patted Yan Yongjie.

The three of them returned to the car along the same road.

"Zhuoga, what happened here?" Zhou Tong asked after seeing Zhuoga's old Tibetan mother with a strange expression on his face, as if he knew something.

Zhuoga started the car without saying a word.

Except for the low roar of the engine, there was silence in the car.

After a moment of silence, Zhuoga finally said: "This village is called Sangzhu, which means the Land of Hope in Chinese. About six or seven years ago, some geologists came here for investigation. It was a very common thing, but I don’t know why it was misrepresented, saying that there are rich gold mines underground. Although the government has repeatedly refuted the rumors, the local villagers still started to blow up the mountain and dig holes like crazy, thinking that they can dig out gold mines and get rich overnight. However, things went against their expectations. Not only did the villagers not dig out the gold mines, but they contracted strange diseases one after another. They were panicked for a while. The District Health Department also specially arranged for experts to investigate this matter, but not only did they not find out what the disease was, There was not even a cure. It didn’t take long before those infected died one after another, and those who didn’t got sick fled the village in fright. At that time, the government was worried about causing unnecessary panic, so it blocked the matter and declared that it was Migration, and there are only a few survivors in this village, so not many people know about it.”

"No wonder you look so surprised when you see that old Tibetan mother," Zhou Tong said.

"I was in the police station not long ago. I encountered such a strange thing, so I was deeply impressed. But after such a long time, I didn't expect that people would come back here to pay homage." Zhuoga recalled the scene back then, and couldn't help feeling a little terrified.

"What exactly is that disease like?" Yan Yongjie asked curiously.

"It's horrible. Those who get sick will feel weak at the beginning, have a high fever, and then their bodies will start to fester, and finally they will die of heart and lung failure." Zhuoga finished speaking, his lips were pressed, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

"Don't worry, it's been such a long time, we won't be infected." Zhou Tong saw Zhuoga's worry, smiled and patted him on the shoulder behind him, "Tomorrow during the day, we will come to the field to investigate again."

Zhuoga couldn't help shaking his hand holding the steering wheel, and took a deep breath.

Zhou Tong, Yan Yongjie and Zhuo Ga returned to the police station, found Chang Ning, and got the case files she carefully sorted out, but there was no trace of Chen Siguo.Zhou Tong didn't ask any further questions, but just told Chang Ning to inform Chen Siguo to gather at the bureau at eight o'clock tomorrow morning.

After Zhou Tong and Yan Yongjie got the information, they left the police station and returned to the hotel.Although they had been mentally prepared for a long time, they were still shocked for a long time when they saw the skinned dead with their own eyes.The cruelty of the murderer is beyond imagination, it is outrageous!

Although Chang Ning was full of resentment, he was finally responsible, and the materials he compiled were very detailed. It took the two of them several hours to read them all.

Zhou Tong, who always liked to joke, didn't say a word at this time, and Yan Yongjie also clenched his fists, with traces of sweat still remaining between his fingers.

"The deaths of these three young women, judging from the time and method of death, should be the work of a single murderer, but the deaths of the owner of the antique shop and Liang Xiaowu are completely different. Should we divide them into three separate cases for investigation? ?" Yan Yongjie finally broke the silence and expressed her opinion.

Zhou Tong nodded, he agrees with Yan Yongjie's judgment, but so far, he is still not sure, because there are too many doubts.

Yan Yongjie saw that Zhou Tong did not make a sound, and continued: "I still have some doubts about Liang Xiaowu's death. According to the materials provided by Chang Ning, their investigation has not made any substantial progress, and Liang Xiaowu is only responsible for the death of Liang Xiaowu. What is the murderer's motive for killing him after examining Ge Erdongzan's body? In addition, the murderer deliberately let Xiao Wu die in front of us to attract our attention. What is the purpose of this uncharacteristic approach?"

"There is no clue now, it's useless to think so much, and I don't think that Chang Ning and Chen Siguo may really listen to our instructions. I'm afraid they haven't told us about some things." Zhou Tong threw the materials in his hand on the ground, Then he leaned against the back of the chair and stretched.

"It's unlikely, our special criminal investigation team has strict discipline..." Yan Yongjie instinctively argued.

"Stop, stop!" Zhou Tong hastily covered Yan Yongjie's cherry red soft lips with one hand, and changed the subject, "Speaking of which, every time that Chen Siguo looks at you, his saliva is about to flow out. Interesting……"

"Really?" Yan Yongjie brushed the hair in front of her forehead, "Not every man can be abused by me like you."

"I'm wondering if I should use a beauty trick..."

Before Zhou Tong could speak, Yan Yongjie's hand ran across his chest, unbuttoned his shirt, and pushed him to the floor together with the chair...

Early the next morning, Zhou Tong and the five of them gathered again in the meeting room of the Lhasa Police Station.

Zhou Tong sat in the middle, looking like a leader.Yan Yongjie and Zhuo Ga sat on his left, and Chang Ning and Chen Siguo sat on his right.

"I asked everyone to come today, mainly to arrange tasks." Zhou Tong said pretending to be serious.

Even Yan Yongjie didn't know what kind of medicine was sold in Zhou Tong's gourd. The four of them sat there in silence, waiting for him to continue talking.

"Now there are five murder cases in total. Judging from the current situation, they can be classified as two cases for the time being. One is the serial murder case in which three young women were murdered one after another. The other is the murder case of Gar Dongzan and Liang Xiaowu. murder case. In order to solve the case as soon as possible and improve efficiency, I plan to divide the five of us into two groups to investigate the two cases separately."

"How do you plan to group?" Chang Ning asked.

Zhou Tong didn't answer him right away, just smiled and glanced at the four of them.

Yan Yongjie, Zhuo Ga and Chang Ning also looked at him, waiting for his arrangement, only Chen Siguo held his hands on his chest, as if he was listening and respectful.

"Zhuoga and I are in a team to investigate the murders of Gar Dongzan and Liang Xiaowu; Yan Yongjie, Chang Ning, and Chen Siguo, you are in charge of investigating serial murders."

As soon as Zhou Tong's words fell, Yan Yongjie was taken aback.She didn't expect that Zhou Tong would let herself go with Chen Siguo and Chang Ning.

And Chen Siguo, who had been leaning listlessly on the back of the chair, also sat up at this time, leaned forward, and looked at Yan Yongjie opposite, with a different kind of brilliance in his eyes.

Only Chang Ning and Zhuo Ga didn't have any special thoughts about this grouping, and their expressions were as usual.

Zhou Tong could naturally see Yan Yongjie's reluctance, and he quickly said: "The three of you are members of the special criminal investigation team. I believe that working together will be very harmonious and handy. I hope you can find the serial killer as soon as possible, don't Let the innocent suffer again!"

The demeanor and tone of his words were full of provocation, as if he was in the afternoon.

Chen Siguo couldn't help standing up first, and said, "This is the best way to group. I also look forward to your finding the murderer who killed Liang Xiaowu and Gar Dongzan as soon as possible."

"Then let's work hard together!" Zhou Tong smiled.

"Let's go." Chen Siguo snorted coldly and left the meeting room.

Chang Ning also walked out after him, only Yan Yongjie stood there momentarily.

"Zhuoga, you go out first and wait for me at the door for a few minutes."

"Okay." Zhuoga knew that Zhou Tong had something to say to Yan Yongjie, and left knowingly.

"What kind of tricks are you playing?" Yan Yongjie, who had been silent all this time, finally asked at this moment.

"How dare I play tricks in front of you." Seeing that there was no one around, Zhou Tong immediately stepped forward to hold her hand, and said jokingly, "Firstly, it is true that the complexity of the case is beyond imagination, and we need to split up. Second Chen Siguo and Chang Ning didn't accept me at all, if I handled the case together with them, I wouldn't argue every day, how could I have the heart to do anything!"

"Come on, I'm asking why you pushed me away?" Yan Yongjie shook off his hand, still full of displeasure.

"I also want you to stay by my side." Zhou Tong hugged Yan Yongjie bewilderedly, "But at present, only you can gain the trust of the two of them. They have absolutely concealed the facts of the case. You must find out. Any clues should be notified to me as soon as possible.”

"Let's just trust you this time." Yan Yongjie twisted his ear, "I'll do things first."

"Well, be careful." Zhou Tong let go of Yan Yongjie.

"You too." Yan Yongjie hugged Zhou Tong again, kissed him deeply on the lips, and then reluctantly walked out of the conference room.

Facing the empty conference room, Zhou Tong put away his smile and let out a long sigh of relief.He didn't want Yan Yongjie to leave him, but he had to let her go.Since the murderer used Liang Xiaowu to lure them out, no matter what the reason was, he must have prepared an elaborate trap waiting for them.Although he wasn't afraid, he didn't want Yan Yongjie to take risks.This is the real reason why he asked Yan Yongjie to follow Chen Siguo and Chang Ning.

The sunshine on the plateau was as hot as a bayonet, coupled with the lack of oxygen, Zhou Tong, who was not used to it, felt even more uncomfortable.His breathing was heavy and rapid, and his steps slowed down involuntarily.

Zhuoga also slowed down when he saw him like this.

Sangzhu Village in the daytime is less weird at night, but more desolate.

Although the houses here are dilapidated, the prosperity of the past can still be seen from the huge stone walls and the remaining furnishings.

Zhou Tong caressed the stone wall and walked slowly among the ruins, full of thoughts.

Zhuoga followed behind him without saying a word, frowning tightly, showing a worried expression.

"I want to go to the place where they dig." Zhou Tong said slowly, leaning on the stone wall.

Zhuoga knew that he would definitely go, so he had already made preparations. He took out two masks from his bag, put one on himself, and handed one to Zhou Tong.

Seeing his frightened look, Zhou Tong originally wanted to make fun of him, but seeing how serious he was, she was too embarrassed to object, and obediently took the mask.

Zhou Tong waited for Zhuo Ga to lead him the way, but he still stood still, staring at the mask on Zhou Tong's hand.

Zhou Tong smiled wryly and put on a mask.

Only then did Zhuoga's eyes reveal a satisfied expression.

"Let's go." Zhou Tong spoke even more weakly. It was already difficult to breathe, and wearing a mask made things worse.

Zhuoga raised his head, looked at the towering snow-capped mountains not far away, took a deep breath, and took a step forward with awe in his eyes.

The snow mountain looks not far away, but it takes a lot of effort to walk. If you don't adapt to the plateau climate, climbing here is definitely a pain.

After walking for more than three hours, the two came to the foot of the mountain.

"Let's take a break and eat something." Zhou Tong found a big rock and sat down while talking.

This kind of road was nothing to Zhuoga, he put down his backpack easily, and sat next to Zhou Tong.

Zhou Tong took out a bunch of snacks from her bag, as if she was out for an outing, and placed them on the ground.

"You're welcome, just eat whatever you want." Zhou Tong cheerfully pulled off the mask, and stuffed a piece of chocolate into his mouth first.

Seeing Zhou Tong's appearance, Zhuoga frowned. This young man seemed to have not taken the word "dangerous" to heart at all, and he was just messing around. Should he continue to follow him like this?

"I know what you are worried about, but if you look around, the flowers, insects, birds and animals are all alive and well, nothing will happen, and if something really happens, it's hard to say how effective this mask will be." Zhou Tong said, putting a bag Potato chips were stuffed into Zhuoga's hands.

Zhuoga's thoughts were interrupted by a bag of potato chips.He wasn't very tired, but he was really hungry. Even a tough man couldn't help but eat.However, he still had some concerns. He looked around, then at Zhou Tong who was devouring it, and finally looked at the potato chips in his hand, and his stomach made a "gurgling" sound.

He finally took off his mask too, hunger overcame fear.

"Brother Zhuoga, when I saw you walking around, I took out my wallet to take a look, with a sweet and intoxicated expression, what good things are there?" Zhou Tong asked suddenly.

Zhuoga blushed slightly, wiped his hands, took out his wallet, and took out a photo from it.

In the photo, Zhuoga is holding a pink baby, and beside him is a beautiful Tibetan woman.

"What a happy family." Zhou Tong praised while holding the photo.

Zhuoga laughed foolishly when he heard this.

"How old is the child?"

"Almost a year old."

"I will be careful in everything." Zhou Tong returned the photo to Zhuo Ga with a smile and sincere eyes.

Zhuo Ga looked at Zhou Tong in astonishment, this young man who seemed a bit frivolous before, now made people feel an inexplicable sense of trust.

"I have been a policeman for more than ten years, and I have done many dangerous things. It's not that I am timid, but such a strange case really makes people feel frightened from the bottom of their hearts."

Zhou Tong nodded and said: "I have encountered such a thing before. At that time, I thought that I could solve all the problems, but I couldn't do anything when I watched my friends around me fall down one by one... Later, I chose to escape. I thought I could live the life I wanted, but I still had trouble finding my door."

"It's hard to imagine that the senior management of our police force will ask you to handle the case. Don't get me wrong. I mean that this should not be your responsibility. So, now I think you are asking for trouble," Zhuoga said with a smile .

"That's right." Zhou Tong also laughed, "How far is the mine?"

"It's not far away, it's just above, let's go." Zhuoga stood up.

Zhou Tong quickly packed up the unfinished snacks, but he still picked up the mask beside him with some lingering fear, looked at Zhuoga with aggrieved face and asked, "This...do you really want to wear it?"

Section 5 Tunnel
The three of Yan Yongjie, Chen Siguo, and Chang Ning all felt as if a sharp sword was hanging above their heads. Before the serial killer who skinned and murdered him, someone else might be killed at any time.

But the tighter the time, the more confused he was.The murderer seems to be deliberately playing tricks on the police, leaving countless clues, but none of them can be traced to the end, wasting a lot of time and energy of the investigators.

The three of them seemed to be facing countless balls of thread mixed together. Every time they thought they had caught the end of the thread, they pulled it out only to find that it was a broken thread.In this huge maze, they cannot help themselves and cannot stop, otherwise they will never find the exit.

Besides the murder, there was another thing that worried these three people, that is, Zhou Tong and Zhuo Ga had lost contact with them for three days.

"Aren't you worried about him?" Chang Ning looked at Yan Yongjie's concentration on handling the case, as if he didn't take Zhou Tong's "disappearance" at all.

"Well...it's okay, he is far more incredible than imagined." A sweet smile suddenly appeared on Yan Yongjie's face, she remembered that night many years ago, Zhou Tong, who had been missing for more than three months, suddenly appeared in front of her eyes, The scene of holding her in his arms.

"It seems that you have really experienced a lot together, otherwise you wouldn't have such strong confidence in him." Chang Ning still didn't believe in Zhou Tong's ability, but she was envious of his relationship with Yan Yongjie in her heart. Thinking of this, her He couldn't help but sneak a glance at Chen Siguo.

"Don't use your psychology on me." Yan Yongjie laughed.

"We can no longer be led by the murderer." Chen Siguo suddenly pushed away the pile of case documents in front of him at this moment.

"I think so too. We focused too much on the murder case, but ignored some other things." Yan Yongjie turned sideways and continued: "We should investigate the three deceased in detail, maybe we can find useful clues from them .”

(End of this chapter)