Street Hustler and His Policewoman Wife

Chapter 368: Wind and Grass Soldiers!

Chen Xiao and Pan Huiping arrived together at the Xiuzhou City Wood Carving Association.

After explaining the purpose of their visit, they quickly met the head of the association.

He led Chen Xiao and Pan Huiping to the archives room to look for information on the 1990 exhibition.

After searching for a while, Chen Xiao first found the group photo from 1990 in a stack of materials.

"This is the one!"

Chen Xiao immediately noticed the date on the group photo.

Then, Chen Xiao started to identify the dozens of people in the group photo.

Soon he found Wu Guansheng in the group photo!

After finding Wu Guansheng, Chen Xiao continued searching for Boss Qiu.

Not long after, Chen Xiao found Boss Qiu among the tall individuals in the middle row.

After handing the photo to Pan Huiping, Chen Xiao asked the head:

"Chairman Yan, I seem to see you in the photo as well. You attended the event, right?"

"Yes, but I was just a minor character back then, just joined for the group photo fun."

The other responded humbly, Chen Xiao smiled and then pointed to Boss Qiu in the group photo:

"Do you have any impression of this person?"

Chairman Yan looked seriously.

The photo was somewhat blurry, and judging from Boss Qiu’s position, it seemed he was also a minor figure in the woodcarving circle back then.

However, Chen Xiao was not in a hurry and asked the other to take his time remembering.

Finally, Chairman Yan spoke:

"If I remember correctly, his surname was Qiu, Qiu as in autumn, which is quite uncommon!"

"Right, do you remember his full name?"

Chairman Yan thought carefully, then found a guestbook from that pile of old documents.

"Qiu Yu! Yes, that’s the name!"

"Do you remember that he once bought a woodcarving from a foreigner?"

Chen Xiao asked while flipping through the guestbook.

However, neither the group photo nor the guestbook showed the foreigner’s face or name.

Chairman Yan shook his head: "I can’t remember that. If not for this guestbook, I wouldn’t even remember who he was. It seems I never saw him again afterward."

"Was he previously in the woodcarving circle?"

"Not sure."

Although Chairman Yan was uncertain with each question,

Chen Xiao could understand.

Moreover, they now knew Boss Qiu’s full name, which was considered a gain.

However, it’s a pity that there was still little progress regarding the "Ten Demon Sons."

Soon, Chen Xiao and Pan Huiping left the Wood Carving Association together.

In the car, Pan Huiping did not start driving immediately. Instead, she sat in the driver’s seat rubbing her temples.

Chen Xiao glanced at her, feeling she seemed very tired.

At least Chen Xiao knew she hadn’t slept all night last night and had fallen into the water.

"Want me to handle things? You can find a place to nap?" Chen Xiao asked.

Pan Huiping rubbed two drops of essential balm on her temples and shook her head, saying:

"No, I’m just feeling a bit confused right now."

"It is indeed a bit confusing — first Qiu Tingfang, then Mu Rong, followed by another Qiu Tingfang, now Zheng Xiang, and Boss Qiu, five people in total."

Pan Huiping echoed: "That’s why I feel the case is no longer as straightforward as it seems. What truly caused all these events to happen is likely going back to what happened sixteen years ago?"

This question conveniently opened a topic for Chen Xiao.

"Does Captain Pan know Lou Xiaodong?"

Pan Huiping looked at Chen Xiao in surprise: "You know him too?"

"Yes, I caught his son. After his incident, he had Hu Yue send me a wood carving piece, the one Boss Qiu bought from the foreigner at the exhibition."

Pan Huiping was astonished: "So you have such a connection. But by saying this, do you mean the two matters are related?"

"I don’t know, but as things become more complicated, I have a very strange feeling."

"What feeling?"

"Could we be seeing enemies everywhere?"

Chen Xiao asked back.

Pan Huiping paused: "What do you mean?"

"It’s like mistaking every bush for a soldier — are we too anxious, making everything look like an enemy?"

Pan Huiping’s initially puzzled gaze cleared quite a bit.

But her clarity wasn’t because she understood the metaphor, but rather the deeper meaning of Chen Xiao’s words.

"You mean to simplify the case?"

"Not exactly simplifying, but I feel many things are converging at one point. So, it’s like solving a multiple-choice question with scratch paper!"

"How do we choose?"

"What’s in front of us is Qiu Tingfang killed, Zheng Xiang’s death, and Qiu Yu’s death. All three deaths seem to revolve around one event. So, we should choose an event for focused investigation."

Pan Huiping replied: "I’ve already called the team, informing them to organize a police search at Leigong Mountain to see if we can find Zheng Xiang’s remains."

"What happens once found?"

"Hmm?"

This question stumped Pan Huiping.

Indeed.

If Zheng Xiang’s remains are found, what next?

The interest in Zheng Xiang’s grave is simply to confirm if his death was suspicious.

Now, suspicion is as good as confirmed, so continuing to expend significant police and manpower resources might yield little in return.

Pan Huiping furrowed her brow: "What do you think should be done?"

"Return to the starting point."

"You mean focus on Qiu Tingfang’s death?"

"Yes!"

"But with Qiu Tingfang’s death, we’ve already investigated quite extensively with little progress."

"I mean another Qiu Tingfang!"

Pan Huiping realized: "Then, is it Xiuzhou here?"

"Please stay here to handle the aftermath, Captain Pan, and I’ll notify you as soon as I find any clues when I return."

"Alright." Pan Huiping replied without hesitation.

But Chen Xiao then added: "I have another favor to ask. I suspect Lou Xiaodong might have obtained his wood carving during his two visits to Hai City."

"So I need Captain Pan to help find everyone he met in Hai City and preferably inquire how he acquired that wood carving."

"Sure, I’ll help investigate this. His two visits, if my memory serves, were staying at the same hotel both times, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to investigate."

Chen Xiao nodded and didn’t say more.

When returning to Zheng Xiang’s grave, Chen Xiao called Liu Dayou to return to Hai City together.

On the journey, Chen Xiao let Liu Dayou drive while he sat in the backseat, keeping his thoughts busy.

Investigating the case up to this point, Chen Xiao felt every murdered victim was significant.

Once the causes of their deaths are uncovered, the entire case will become clear.

But that reason is the crux of this case, and everything revolves around it.

So Chen Xiao couldn’t help but mumble: "Dayou, what do you think — did Zheng Xiang die first, or Boss Qiu?"

"And Boss Qiu, could he really have been Qiu Tingfang’s father before Qiu Huasheng?"

Chen Xiao asked, and Liu Dayou furrowed his brows: "I can’t explain the latter, but which do you think died first? Whoever died first surely knew something they shouldn’t have."

Listening to Liu Dayou throw the question back, Chen Xiao smiled, then became serious:

"Then never mind who died first; we’ll follow the timeline. Let’s head to the welfare home where Zheng Xiang worked first!"