Chapter 14: Liu Yixiong's Suspicion

Liu Yixiong was fretting over the afternoon fitness inspection when his phone rang. “Hello?”

“Director Liu, something terrible has happened.”

“Why are you panicking? Speak.” Liu was irritated with Lü Dayong, but the next words made him feel sick.

“Someone took Lu Xiujuan’s mother.” Lü’s voice shook. Someone had snatched an elderly woman from thirteen armed police officers. If word got out, Gaoshan’s criminal investigation unit would be a laughingstock.

“What?” Liu’s face changed. He trembled with anger and cursed. “A bunch of useless idiots! More than ten of you, armed, and you couldn’t guard one old woman? Lü Dayong, you’re worse than useless! You’ll be the death of me!”

Lü dared not answer. They were all police officers, yet none had even seen the attacker’s face. Was he a man or a ghost?

“Who did it?” Liu finally asked. With the old woman gone, Lu would never submit. He realized how serious this was. What had Lu written in that report?

“We couldn’t see clearly. He moved too fast and knocked us all out in a few exchanges. I think he used some kind of drug,” Lü said quietly. In truth, the man had used nothing but force, but Lü couldn’t admit that. He would become a joke.

“A drug?” Liu was surprised someone had helped the examiner.

“We were careless and he took advantage. But don’t worry, Director. We’re checking surveillance footage. We’ll find him soon.”

Liu wanted to fly over and slap him twice. Then he remembered the afternoon inspection and felt worse.

“Forget it. Come back immediately. Send a few people to look for Lu and watch her house. Act as soon as you hear anything. The bureau is holding a surprise fitness inspection this afternoon, so the rest of you come back.”

“What?” Lü was dumbfounded. A surprise fitness inspection?

“Director, can we skip it? We’re confident we can catch her.”

Liu wanted to curse. He wanted to skip it himself; he couldn’t meet the standard either. But if all his subordinates failed to attend, the new chief would surely explode. Gao Lan’s affair wasn’t settled yet. Better to keep a low profile. If it weren’t for the strange appointment, he wouldn’t have needed such care.

“Get back here. Don’t delay. It’s the new chief’s order!” He hung up, anxious. With the old woman rescued, Lu had surely fled.

But she couldn’t escape forever. Gaoshan was his territory. No one would get away on his watch.

With his own men tied up, he would have to call on those people. He dialed. “Dalong, it’s Yixiong.”

“Oh, Director Liu. What is it?” Wang Dalong sounded dismissive, though he restrained himself because of Liu’s position.

“I need your people to handle something.” Liu lowered his voice and explained about Lu Xiujuan.

Wang understood the seriousness at once. “Don’t worry. I’ll send people all over the county. We’ll dig three feet into the ground if we have to. But make sure your men guard the checkpoints so she can’t leave Gaoshan.”

“You can count on that. She won’t get out.” Liu hung up confidently.

Then another thought struck him. Li Jianmin, Lü Dayong and the others had all been called back. What was Lin Ying doing? Lü couldn’t pursue Lu, and Li had no time to interrogate Sun Ping. Did Lin know what Liu was doing?

The more he thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed. Why suddenly recall all officers at deputy section level and above? The fitness inspection clearly had another purpose. Was Lin working against him behind the scenes?

He considered calling Ma Guoliang, then put down the phone. Ma would ask about Lu; if he learned she had escaped, he might fly into a rage. Better wait a few days, or at least until after this afternoon.

Liu dropped onto the sofa. Still uneasy, he thought for a while and dialed another number.

“Hello? What is it? Are you coming tonight? You haven’t visited in days. Your son misses you.” A woman’s soft, alluring voice came over the phone.

“I’m tied up for a few days. I’ll visit when I’m finished. Where did you put the things I gave you last time?”

“What things?”

“Those boxes.” He was annoyed. They were important; surely she hadn’t neglected them?

“I put them all in that place. Isn’t that where you told me to put them?” She sounded displeased.

“Fine. Leave them there, and don’t touch anything.”

“You still haven’t seen the lacy underwear I bought. Come back soon!”

Her voice stirred him. He quickly hung up, muttering that she was a little temptress. But the thought that Lu might have escaped killed his mood again.

After sending Lu and her mother away, Lin Ying felt heavy-hearted. Gao Lan had been beaten so badly before her death that her bones were broken, and she had been assaulted. She was a county chief, a state official at full division level. If word reached the higher-ups, Gaoshan would be finished.

Realizing the gravity of it, Lin picked up her phone and dialed without hesitation.