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Early in the morning, Wang Zhiyuan arrived at the murder scene in the dead-end alley of Lao Cai with the police to search for evidence.
When Tao Ziwen reached the crime scene, Wang Zhiyuan had already completed a basic investigation. He said to Tao Ziwen, "Brother Ziwen, the deceased found this morning in the dead-end alley is named Cai Tonghui, 50 years old, a gambler, who was killed by a heavy blow to the head with a wooden stick. The murder weapon has already been found. The victim's belongings were not stolen, indicating that the murderer was not motivated by money but rather intended to take his life. It can be concluded that this was a revenge killing."
Tao Ziwen asked, "Was there any sign of the 'Thorned Rose' Dart at the crime scene?"
"No. This case should have no relation to 'Thorned Rose.' However, we did find this."
Wang Zhiyuan took out a shattered glass bottle.
Tao Ziwen took it and examined it closely.
Wang Zhiyuan continued, "This bottle contained a type of narcotic that instantly vaporizes when exposed to air. Both humans and animals will quickly fall unconscious after inhaling it. This type of bottle has also been found at some previous child abduction scenes."
Tao Ziwen suddenly realized that the person who killed Cai Tonghui might be the same individual responsible for the child abductions, so he asked, "Where did Cai Tonghui go before he was killed?"
Wang Zhiyuan replied, "He had playing cards on him; he might have been at a casino!"
After completing their investigation at the scene, Tao Ziwen and Wang Zhiyuan visited nearby casinos. When they arrived at the casino across from Cheng Sisters Café, the Cheng Sisters had just arrived outside their café.
It was morning, just as Cheng Sisters' café was about to open for business.
As Cheng Yuyao unlocked the door with her key, Cheng Yuwan noticed Tao Ziwen and Wang Zhiyuan entering the casino across the street. Tao Ziwen did not see Cheng Yuwan, and she felt a bit disappointed.
After Cheng Yuyao entered and saw that Cheng Yuwan was still standing outside, she asked, "Sister, what are you thinking about?"
"Nothing." Cheng Yuwan entered the café and began arranging tables and chairs with her sister.
Wang Zhiyuan and Tao Ziwen entered the casino and inquired about clues regarding Lao Cai at the chip exchange counter. The Tavern Keeper replied honestly, "Last night, Guo Zhuanghuai and Cai Tonghui were gambling. In the end, Guo Zhuanghuai accused Cai Tonghui of cheating, and they got into a fight."
Wang Zhiyuan asked, "Did Guo Zhuanghuai lose a lot of money last night?"
Tavern Keeper: "Guo Zhuanghuai doesn't gamble at all; every time he comes, he wants to recoup his losses, and he ends up losing everything. By the way, Guo Zhuanghuai has a bad temper and often gets rough. I think Cai Tonghui was killed by Guo Zhuanghuai."
Wang Zhiyuan asked again, "Do you know where Guo Zhuanghuai lives?"
The Tavern Keeper shook his head. "I really don't know that."
Afterward, Tao Ziwen and Wang Zhiyuan asked the Tavern Keeper about the details of the fight from yesterday before they left the Casino.
At the entrance of the Casino, Tao Ziwen spotted a café across the street.
Wang Zhiyuan asked Tao Ziwen, "Brother Ziwen, where should we go next? Should we check out Cai Tonghui's house?"
Tao Ziwen replied, "The killer has already been identified, so there's no need to go to his house. Let's go have a cup of coffee at the café and then head back to the police station. The rest of the work is just putting up notices to catch him."
"Ah? It's confirmed so quickly?"
Wang Zhiyuan was momentarily taken aback as Tao Ziwen crossed the street directly toward the café. Wang Zhiyuan hurriedly followed behind.
Inside the café, the Cheng Sisters were organizing the shelves at the bar when they heard the bell at the door and looked over. They were surprised to see Tao Ziwen and Wang Zhiyuan standing at the entrance.
Tao Ziwen looked at Cheng Yuwan and walked toward the counter. Wang Zhiyuan immediately understood.
Wang Zhiyuan said, "Oh no, Brother Ziwen, if you're not going back to the police station, I have to go. The Sheriff wants me to show him all the case files from the past month. I'll take my leave now."
With that, Wang Zhiyuan exited the café.
Cheng Yuwan asked, "Why are you here again?"
Tao Ziwen replied, "I missed you, so I came over."
Cheng Yuwan deliberately avoided looking at Tao Ziwen and said, "I've already told you to forget about me."
"Too difficult!"
The words "too difficult" deeply struck Cheng Yuwan's heart, igniting a surge of emotions within her. Cheng Yuwan looked up and locked eyes with Tao Ziwen, feeling increasingly overwhelmed.
Cheng Yuyao, watching from the side, reminded her sister, "Sister, if you don't cut ties when necessary, you'll only suffer the consequences."
"I know. I know." With those two phrases, tears welled up in Cheng Yuwan's eyes.
Tao Ziwen gazed into Cheng Yuwan's eyes and pressed, "Why do you have to cut ties?"
"I..."
Cheng Yuwan hesitated, unsure of how to express herself to Tao Ziwen.
Cheng Yuyao stepped closer and said, "She is already engaged and will be returning to Suzhou to get married soon."
Upon hearing this, Tao Ziwen was shocked, unable to believe what he heard as he looked at Cheng Yuyao and then at Cheng Yuwan. "Wan'er, tell me this isn't true! If it were true, you would have told me earlier."
Cheng Yuwan bit her lip and wiped away her tears. "This... this is true. You are leaving me for Zhang Xin..."
"I don't like her! I only like you!" Tao Ziwen interrupted Cheng Yuwan, gripping her hand tightly. "Take me to meet your parents; I want to discuss this matter with them face-to-face."
Cheng Yuyao coldly replied, "Our parents are not someone you can just meet whenever you want."
Tao Ziwen fell silent, quietly releasing Cheng Yuwan's hand and walking out of the café in despair.
Cheng Yuyao held Cheng Yuwan's shoulders and said, "I hope this lie will make Tao Ziwen stop coming after you."
Cheng Yuwan spoke unconvincingly, "I also don't want to see him again."
Wang Zhiyuan was walking ahead when he turned around and saw Tao Ziwen following behind dejectedly. He stopped to wait for him and asked, "Ziwen, why didn't you sit in the café for a while?"
"There's nothing to sit around for! Hurry back to the office and get the notice drafted and posted; that's what really matters." Tao Ziwen said, just catching up with Wang Zhiyuan.
"Right, right!" Wang Zhiyuan understood why Tao Ziwen was upset but didn't address it directly. He simply followed behind him as they walked back to the police station.
...
Zhang Xin sat in front of the mirror, putting on a hairpin, earrings, and a bracelet. Outside her room, Granny was instructing a maid.
"Mei, from now on, you will be the personal maid of your elder sister. Sometimes she may speak harshly, but it's for your own good; you need to listen."
"I understand."
"Cui has just died, and your sister is feeling unwell. You need to be observant around her; otherwise, you might end up in serious trouble."
"...Yes."
"Now you can go in."
"Okay."
Then there was a soft knock on the door.
"Come in!" Zhang Xin said lazily while looking into the mirror.
Mei pushed the door open and walked in. Seeing Zhang Xin combing her hair, she said, "Sister, let me help you with your hair!"
Zhang Xin replied, "No need. Go find Chen Master; I want to go out for a bit."
Mei lowered her head and stood still.
Zhang Xin asked her, "What's wrong?"
Mei hesitated and said, "Master Chen... has been executed by the master."
Zhang Xin looked at Mei and coldly turned his head away, saying, "Then find another Driver."
"…Sigh!"
Mei cautiously responded and turned to leave the room.
As Mei was coming down the stairs, Zhang Zhaolin, who was sitting in the hall reading a newspaper, suddenly coughed, startling Mei.
"Sir..." Mei stood in the hallway and nodded in greeting to Zhang Zhaolin.
Zhang Zhaolin asked, "Are you my sister's new maid?"
Mei quickly replied, "Yes."
Zhang Zhaolin continued to ask, "Is my sister still not up?"
"She... she has gotten up." Mei's response was very cautious. "She asked me to find a Driver; she wants to go out for a bit."
Zhang Zhaolin pressed further, "Her health has just recovered; where does she want to go?"
Mei stood there with her head down, trembling under Zhang Zhaolin's questioning. "Sister... Sister didn't tell me."
Zhang Zhaolin placed the newspaper on the table. "Don't look for her; she's not going anywhere today."
Mei hurriedly said, "Yes!"
Zhang Zhaolin added, "Go upstairs and call her down; I want her to keep me company."
"Yes!"
Mei hurriedly ran upstairs again to call Zhang Xin down.
Zhang Xin sat on the sofa with a dejected expression, while Zhang Zhaolin sat across from her. Granny brought a bowl of Braised Pork and placed it on the table before leaving.
Zhang Zhaolin said, "Xing Er, you haven't eaten for three days. Just eat a little today. This is your favorite Braised Pork."
Zhang Xin weakly replied, "Dad, my chest hurts. I don't want to eat."
Zhang Zhaolin insisted, "Even if you don't want to eat, you have to eat a little. Otherwise, your body will become weaker and weaker."
Under Zhang Zhaolin's insistence, Zhang Xin trembled as she picked up the chopsticks and brought a piece of Braised Pork to her mouth. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
Zhang Zhaolin said, "Xing Er, if you want to cry, just let it out. Don't hold it in."
Zhang Xin forced herself to swallow the half-chewed Braised Pork, but as she did so, a sobbing sound escaped her throat. Finally unable to hold back any longer, the chopsticks slipped from her hand and fell onto the table as she began to sob. Zhang Zhaolin quickly moved to her side and embraced her. Zhang Xin leaned on his shoulder, tears flowing like a fountain as she cried loudly. Her cries echoed throughout the Zhang family courtyard...
...
In Tao Gongjin's Laboratory's Glass Room, three pale yellow children were tied to iron pillars with steel wires. Sun Puyi and his assistant were extracting spinal fluid from these three children with yellowish skin. The children let out heart-wrenching screams.
Guo Zhuanghuai said to Tao Gongjin, "Chairman, can we stop these kids from screaming? My ears can't take it!"
Tao Gongjin leisurely puffed on his cigar and replied, "Yesterday an assistant tried to stuff their mouths shut; that assistant had one of his fingers bitten off. Why don't you give it a try?"
Guo Zhuanghuai chuckled nervously, "I think I'll pass!"
Once the spinal fluid was extracted, Sun Puyi instructed his assistant, "Put them under anesthesia."
The assistants nodded and switched to another syringe to inject anesthetic into the three pale yellow children.
Sun Puyi exited the Glass Room while removing his blood-stained lab coat. The pale yellow children gradually quieted down as they were anesthetized.
Sun Puyi said, "Chairman, Zhou Junsheng probably didn't tell the truth. The results of the experiment are not much different from last time."
Tao Gongjin flicked the ash off his cigar and replied, "Then you should ask Zhou Junsheng again tonight. You need to let him know what will happen if he continues to withhold the truth."
"Understood!" Sun Puyi agreed.
Guo Zhuanghuai added, "Chairman, if there's nothing else, I'll head back now."
Tao Gongjin quickly stopped him, saying, "Guo Zhuanghuai, wait a moment. Since Sun Puyi is here, I want to ask you something, and you need to be honest."
Guo Zhuanghuai asked, "What is it?"
"Did you go gambling again last night?"
Guo Zhuanghuai chuckled foolishly, revealing his big yellow teeth. "It's just a little hobby of mine."
Tao Gongjin scolded him, "You lost money and then killed someone. Is killing also your hobby?"
Guo Zhuanghuai quickly stopped laughing and defended himself, "That person was cheating. I just wanted to teach him a lesson; who knew he couldn't take a hit! Besides, I only used a stick to kill him; who could suspect me?"
"My son has already found out about you," Tao Gongjin said angrily. "By tomorrow, the entire Shanghai will have wanted posters up for you! Starting tomorrow, you shouldn't show your face in public. You'd better lay low and don't let him find your current residence or locate Zhou Junsheng!"
Guo Zhuanghuai finally realized the seriousness of the situation. "Alright, I'll listen to you."
Tao Gongjin asked again, "Is Zhou Junsheng safe in that cellar?"
Sun Puyi and Guo Zhuanghuai replied, "Chairman, rest assured. We have people guarding the cellar; he won't escape."
...
While Cheng Shuhua was having dinner with the Cheng Sisters, Cheng Yuyao suddenly thought of something. After pondering for a moment, she said to her mother, Cheng Shuhua, "Mother, I've thought of something; I'm not sure if it's right."
"Cheng Shuhua said, 'You.'
Cheng Yuyao replied, 'You are Guo Zhuanghuai, a thug from Dow Pharmaceuticals. Since Guo Zhiqian has confirmed that the person who robbed the child and kidnapped the father is Guo Zhuanghuai, why don’t we just wait at the Dow Pharmaceuticals Building and follow him when he comes out?'
Cheng Yuwan thought about it and said, 'Mom, I think this plan of my sister's is good. How about we start watching the Dow Pharmaceuticals Building from tonight?'
Cheng Shuhua considered it and said, 'This plan may seem foolish, but it might yield some unexpected results.'
Cheng Yuyao was overjoyed. 'Mom, so you agree?'
Cheng Shuhua nodded but then shook her head and said, 'Guo Zhuanghuai is cunning; I don't feel comfortable sending you. After dinner, I will go to the Dow Pharmaceuticals Building to keep an eye on him. If I find any clues, I will notify you right away.'
After dinner, Cheng Shuhua got ready and put on her night clothes, heading to the rooftop of a building next to the Dow Pharmaceuticals Building to watch everyone coming in and out.
Cheng Shuhua waited on the rooftop until all the office staff had left the Dow Pharmaceuticals Building, until all the lights in the building were turned off, and until the security locked the doors. Yet, she still did not see Guo Zhuanghuai.
Just as Cheng Shuhua was feeling anxious and disappointed on the rooftop, she suddenly saw a shadow quietly emerge from the rooftop of the Dow Pharmaceuticals Building and leap onto another building's rooftop.
Cheng Shuhua quickly followed.
This was a cluster of buildings in Shanghai's Bund area.
One shadow leaped ahead while another shadow closely followed behind.
The shadow in front suddenly stopped and looked back; the shadow behind hurriedly hid behind a chimney on the rooftop.
The shadow in front was Guo Zhuanghuai, while the shadow behind was Cheng Shuhua. Seeing nothing behind him, Guo Zhuanghuai jumped down from the rooftop. Cheng Shuhua rushed to where Guo Zhuanghuai had jumped down and looked down at the street; apart from a few distant cars, it was empty. Suddenly, Cheng Shuhua sensed movement behind her and quickly turned around.
Guo Zhuanghuai stood behind Cheng Shuhua.
Guo Zhuanghuai asked, 'Are you Thorned Rose?'"
Cheng Shuhua realized she had been discovered and quickly pulled out a Dart, throwing it towards Guo Zhuanghuai. Guo Zhuanghuai caught it with one hand, but when he looked back, Cheng Shuhua had already vanished.
After her failed attempt to track him down, Cheng Shuhua returned home to find the Cheng Sisters sleeping at the table in the hall. She carefully took off her night gear, but still woke her eldest daughter, Cheng Yuyao.
Cheng Yuyao asked, "Mom, did you find out where Dad is being held?"
Cheng Shuhua shook her head. "No. I was tracking Guo Zhuanghuai, but he noticed me. I'm afraid he will be more cautious in the future."
At that moment, Cheng Yuwan also woke up upon hearing Cheng Shuhua's words and looked at her disappointed mother.
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