“Boss, something big just happened!”
It was barely morning when Huo Lümou arrived at the station, and Wang Hǔya—the guy who was on night duty in Luojialing village—came running in, panic written all over his face.
“What is it? Take a breath and talk like a normal person. How many times do I have to tell you not to barge in like you’re being chased by ghosts?” Huo Lümou sat down in his chair and started off with a classic scolding.
“Well… so last night I did the usual patrol—everything looked fine—so I went back to the dorm to catch some sleep. But in the middle of the night, Chen Xiaozǐ came knocking like a madman saying his wife’s been kidnapped! So everyone scrambled out to help search. And guess what? We found a fifty-meter-long rope hanging off the hillside behind the village. Pretty sure that’s where she escaped.”
“You’re talking about Chen Xiaozǐ’s nutcase of a wife?”
“Who else could it be? But seriously, who the hell kidnaps a mentally unstable woman? What’s even weirder is that the kid was left behind. I suspect it’s human traffickers—they probably changed their minds and came back to snatch her up for resale. I heard that woman was originally bought too.”
“Who did you hear that from? Stop spreading gossip! Has Ding Changsheng come back yet?” Huo Lümou’s eyes sharpened—he clearly had a theory brewing.
“Yeah, he’s in the backyard sparring with Zhang Qiang.” Wang Hǔya pointed a thumb behind him.
“Go call him here. We’re heading to Luojialing to check things out.”
“Right away, boss. But... uh, isn’t this out of our jurisdiction? I mean, we’re in charge of protecting property, not dealing with missing people, right?”
“Cut the crap and go get him!”
“Yes sir!”
After Wang Hǔya left, Huo Lümou lit a cigarette and sat quietly in thought. He was almost certain Ding Changsheng was involved. That kid’s got guts—pulling a stunt like this solo? At this rate, it’s only a matter of time before someone ends up dead.
“Boss, you called?” Ding Changsheng entered, sweat still dripping.
“Take a seat. Everything alright at home lately?”
“Eh… ‘alright’ is a stretch. It’s just me now. I went back, burned some incense for my folks, told them I’m still kicking. That’s good enough.”
“Good lad. Still respectful to your elders. Let’s go—we’ve got a situation in Luojialing. Looks like this year we can kiss that ‘Outstanding Unit’ award goodbye.”
“What happened now? Another cow gone missing?”
“Not the cow. A person. Someone just disappeared into thin air.”
“Kidnapping? Boss, that’s definitely not our department.”
“You’re not wrong, but we’re still going. Kidnapping’s a serious charge—minimum ten years behind bars.”
As Huo Lümou spoke, he studied Ding Changsheng’s face. Nothing suspicious. No nervous tics, no cold sweat. That made him hesitate. Could it really not be him?
This time, Huo Lümou drove himself. Ding Changsheng rode shotgun.
“Hey kid, how have I treated you?”
“Boss, come on. You’re practically a second father to me.”
“Cut the crap—I’m only in my thirties, and you just came of age. I’m not old enough to have a grown-up kid.”
“Heh, I meant like... spiritually, emotionally. You’ve looked after me. Same goes for Sister Dian. I remember everything.”
“Glad to hear it. I need to ask you something, and I want the truth.”
“Sure thing, Boss. If I know, I’ll tell. Just don’t ask about last night... and two other things... everything else is fair game,” he thought.
“Last night—was it you?”
“Last night? What are you talking about?”
“Chen Xiaozǐ’s wife. Gone. Kid still at home.”
“Boss, you really think I’d do that? Sure, I reported it to you, but you said not to interfere. I followed orders. I swear, I didn’t touch her. I mean, yeah, I used to sneak a chicken or two, but since I’ve been working under you? Straight as a ruler. You can check.”
Ding Changsheng raised a hand and swore to the heavens, looking as sincere as a monk on pilgrimage. Not a crack in the act.
“Alright, if you say so. But if Chen Xiaozǐ insists on pressing charges, we’ll still need to report it. A person’s gone missing—this is no small matter. With the village elections going on, little incidents are just sabotage. But kidnapping? That’s fire—you can’t sweep that under a rug.”
Lingshan Town was under Haiyang County’s jurisdiction. If they couldn’t sort this out, it would have to be escalated.
Ding Changsheng started to sweat internally. Was Duong Kim Thoa safely home yet? He replayed every step from last night. Too many loose ends. If the higher-ups sent investigators, he’d be toast. Just thinking about it made his back go cold.
Luojialing village was buzzing today—not just from the elections, but mostly from the kidnapping. That kind of stuff hadn’t happened since before Liberation. Never in modern times. Seeing the crowd on the streets, Huo Lümou knew this wasn’t going to be easy. He brought Ding Changsheng straight to Chen Xiaozǐ’s house.
“Captain Huo, you have to get justice for me! My kid is still so small—how’s she supposed to grow up without a mother?!”
The moment they entered, Chen Xiaozǐ dropped to his knees and latched onto Huo Lümou’s leg, bawling his eyes out.
“Get up. Let’s talk inside.” Huo Lümou scowled and dragged him into the house.
“Boss, we can’t let this go! The entire Chen family is already gathered outside. If we don’t find my wife today, we’re tearing the Li family apart! I don’t care if they’re the current village heads—we’re not scared of them!”
Chen Xiaozǐ shouted, eyes brimming with rage.
Even Ding Changsheng, who wasn’t afraid of anything, started to feel uneasy. He hadn’t expected Chen Xiaozǐ to suspect the Li family. The Lis held the village chief seat and were up for re-election. The Chen clan and a few others had made it clear they wanted to unseat them.
“What are you yelling for? Want to scream some more?” Huo Lümou barked.
“Damn right I’m yelling! Boss Huo, my wife is missing, not yours! If your wife went missing, wouldn’t you be shouting too?”
“Son of a—are you cursing me now?” Huo Lümou’s temper flared. The room only had three people. He shot a look at Ding Changsheng, who nodded and quietly stepped outside to stand guard.
Inside, the sound of crashing furniture and pained yelps echoed immediately.
“Chen Xiaozǐ, let me tell you—don’t you dare use your wife’s disappearance as an excuse to start a clan war. If you spark a feud between the Chens and the Lis, I swear I’ll see you rot in jail!”
“What the hell gives you the right to beat me? My wife’s gone and you hit me? I’ll sue your ass!” Chen Xiaozǐ’s voice trembled, but deep down he was scared. Crossing Huo Lümou wasn’t a smart move.
“What gives me the right? You know damn well. Forget her disappearance—remember how you got her in the first place? Human trafficking, rape, forced childbirth. You chained her up like a dog. You think you’ll get away with that? I let it slide out of pity, knowing it wasn’t easy for you to find a wife. But if you ignite a family feud, I swear I’ll have you doing twenty years. You’ve got one minute to decide.”
“But… she really is gone!”
“I don’t care. At least you’ve still got a daughter to raise. Thirty seconds left.” Huo Lümou’s voice was ice.