Lin Shuyue's eyes fell on the young man. He was wearing a thick uniform and a fur hat on his head. Because it was too cold, he hunched over slightly.
Hang Jiaqing said with a serious face: "Let's get the brothers together later. We'll go over there early tonight to try it out."
To survive the cold winter, animals eat abundantly in the fall, leaving them plump in the winter. Add to that the heavy snow, and even the most agile animals will leave footprints in the snow. This is a true paradise for poachers.
For Hang Jiaqing and others who are forest police, winter is the season they hate the most, no doubt about it.
"Yes." The young man said, sniffed, and walked towards the two bungalows closest to the yard. That was where Hang Jiaqing and his colleagues' office was, as well as their canteen and dormitory.
Hang Jiaqing started the car after he left, and the rumbling sound was particularly abrupt in the quiet winter day.
They got off at the parking lot and went home.
Pushing open the thick cotton door curtain, but not feeling warm inside, Hang Yuhua didn't even go into the house. She carried the basket and went to the side building at the west end of the yard. That was their firewood shed. It was filled with firewood that everyone had picked up outside in the autumn, and some were dead trees in the forest that had been felled and cut into good wood blocks in order to replant new trees.
There was also a pile of coal inside, but not much.
The two Hang brothers took off their coats and started working in the house. There was a pile of firewood in front of the earthen stove outside the living room. The two of them lit the stove first.
There was also a fire burning in the big pot on the side. Hang Jiabai carried a batch of firewood to the west room. Lin Shuyue stood by the door, holding the hot water poured by Yin Xin, watching Hang Jiabai heat the kang.
Lin Shuyue felt as if she had traveled back to the 1960s and 1970s. She was an educated youth who went to the countryside without any knowledge, and a country man who took care of all the farm work and housework is Hang Jiabai.
The thought flashed through Lin Shuyue's mind, and she couldn't help but laugh. It was no wonder she had such thoughts. This place was truly too backward. Whether it was the living conditions of the residents or the local living conditions, it seemed as if it had lagged behind the outside world for years before the reform and opening up.
But soon, the TV in the east room was turned on, and the host's witty broadcast brought Lin Shuyue back to this century from the last century.
"Ah Yue, come and watch TV."
"Coming." Lin Shuyue responded and turned to leave.
Outside the house, Hang Jiabai and Hang Jiaqing started to make breakfast. Lin Shuyue leaned on the kang with a quilt draped over her body, cracking pine nuts and hazelnuts picked last autumn with Yin Xin, watching TV, with a pot of steaming tea next to them.
The two brothers in the outer room were chatting. Hang Jiabai was asking Hang Jiaqing whether the boy who told him what love was was the young man who had just stopped him.
"Yes, that's him. He's from Beigou, Badi. His name is Jin Wangsheng. He's twenty years old and has been a militiaman at the foot of the mountain for two years. Because of his good performance, his unit recommended him when the forest police were recruiting more this year."
"After he arrived, we conducted a series of assessments on him and he performed very well. He worked very hard and was quite lively. We all liked him very much."
Forest police have to patrol the mountains back and forth every day, and they are tired as dogs. They don't like to talk much. But with such a talkative person, the patrol becomes much more interesting.
Hang Jiaqing's liking for Cao Manjin was the conclusion he came to after being brainwashed by him during the patrol.
Hang Jiaqing felt depressed when he thought about this. He decided to listen to Jin Wangsheng selectively in the future. Listening to everything was too painful.
Hang Jiabai didn't ask more about this issue, but instead talked about Lin Shuyue's main purpose for coming. Hang Jiaqing already knew about this matter before coming, and he even reported it to the county forestry bureau in advance.
Hang Jiabai and his colleagues are considered a type of police officer, but they are not included in the police establishment. There is almost no mention of them in various media reports. Lin Shuyue wants to come for an interview, which is also for a documentary on May Day next year. The captain of the Forest Police Brigade of the Forestry Bureau immediately agreed and told Hang Jiaqing and others to cooperate with Lin Shuyue's work.
"Just come out with us later and come back when it's dark. It's too cold at night. A little girl walking outside will freeze herself."
Hang Jiabai was in a difficult position to make the decision, so he decided to listen to Lin Shuyue in everything.
Hang Jiaqing also saw clearly that Hang Jiabai could not make any decisions, just like his father, who was nothing at home.
Breakfast was hand-rolled noodles made by Hang Jiaqing and Hang Jiabai. The sauce was mushroom and meat, and some diced green peppers dried in the spring. When cooking the noodles, Hang Jiabai also specially cooked some cabbage in it.
Lin Shuyue also enjoyed the meal this time. After the meal, Yin Xin took out a basket of sand apples from the cellar. They looked not much different from apples, both red with a little yellow. They didn't taste like apples, but were crunchy and sweet.
After dinner, Lin Shuyue was persuaded to go to the room to rest. Lin Shuyue was lying on the warm kang in the west room. She heard a ding-dong sound from the system and the light screen popped up.
A documentary jumped to the front of the screen, the name was "Breaking Bad Terminator"
Lin Shuyue was slightly stunned, thinking of her evaluation of Li Xiaohe last night, and then thinking of Cao Manjin's sin value that soared in that instant, she could guess what the Terminator of Breaking Bad meant.
She wrapped herself in the quilt and turned on the documentary.
The documentary begins with a black and white video. The big words "Breaking Bad: Terminator" gradually appear and disappear with the clear and melodious recitation.
On the morning of January 7, 2005, a sharp scream echoed throughout the Mandian Forest District. Residents of the Mandian Forest District immediately ran out upon hearing the scream. When they found the source of the scream, they realized it was from Cao Manjin, who lived in the courtyard. Her daughter, Sanya, had frozen to death the previous night.
Police were quickly called from within the forest area, and they arrived quickly. Based on interviews with nearby residents, the police quickly identified Cao Jinhua's mother-in-law, Li Xiaohe, as having left the forest at dawn and headed down the mountain to her boyfriend's home.
Li Xiaohe was quickly taken back to the police station. During the interrogation, a case within a case came to the police's attention. As the case unfolded, the decades-long scheme, which claimed nine lives, gradually came to light.
After the monologue, there was an interview with the police. Based on this documentary, Lin Shuyue also understood why Li Xiaohe was caught so easily.
She chose to commit the crime not because of her strong mental qualities or her intelligence, but because she was born in an era when criminal investigation technology was underdeveloped and people could not distinguish between natural and unnatural deaths.
After she was arrested, she confessed to the police all the murders she had committed over the years. The earliest case could be traced back to when she was five years old. Because she was jealous that her sister ate more vegetables than herself, she pushed her sister into the river.
Her case was described in great detail, and the documentary also played the video of Li Xiaohe, handcuffed, leading the police to identify the crime scene.
When she pointed out the place where her eldest granddaughter was pushed into the river, a woman jumped out from the crowd, holding an extremely sharp fruit knife in her hand. When the police were caught off guard, she stabbed Li Xiaohe in the heart and killed her with one blow.
The murderer was Cao Manjin. Shortly after Cao Manjin was arrested by the police, Wei Guoyong died in a group fight in the detention center.
The documentary automatically disappeared after it was played. Lin Shuyue couldn't sleep. She didn't know what happened in her previous life that caused Cao Manjin to suddenly kill people, but she felt that something must have happened to Erya in her previous life, otherwise Cao Manjin would definitely not have killed someone.
She put on her clothes and went out, while Yin Xin washed clothes in the kitchen with water warmed in a large pot.
"Aunt, you said that uncle and others are going to pick up the child, nothing will happen, right?" The snow was still falling outside. Hang Yuhua and Cao Manjin followed Zhao Fu and other policemen at the dam bottom to the north ditch of the dam bottom to pick up Erya in the morning.
Yin Xin knocked on the quartz clock hanging on the wall and said, "It's already this late, it's time for them to come back. Something must have happened." Yin Xin also became anxious.
But she quickly regained her composure and said to Lin Shuyue, "Don't worry. If anything really happens, your uncle will definitely call and tell me. Why don't you get some sleep?"
"I couldn't sleep, so I came out to talk to you." Lin Shuyue brought a small stool and started chatting with Yin Xin.
After a short rest, Hang Jiaqing and his team went out for patrol. In order to cooperate with Lin Shuyue's filming and interview, they chose the patrol route closest to Lichangyuan.
Lin Shuyue pulled out a camera from her bag. It was the best model the newspaper had equipped her with. Their newspaper had always been unconventional, and ordinary reporters who showed outstanding work were also given cameras. However, she had never used this camera since it was given to her.
This was her first time using it, and also her first time as an outbound reporter, with Hang Jiabai acting as a temporary photographer.
Lin Shuyue also brought a microphone, slightly larger than a palm, with the Pengcheng Metropolis Daily logo printed on it. Before the formal interview, Lin Shuyue and Hang Jiaqing walked along the thin layer of snow that had already been broken to the camp ahead.
Here, Lin Shuyue met Hang Jiaqing's teammates for the first time. There were ten of them in total, forming a squad. Their captain was Liu Bo, who was already in his forties and had applied for a transfer. By next autumn, he would be transferred to a less dangerous post.
The deputy captain is Hang Jiaqing, who has now taken over most of the team's affairs.
Liu Bo and another man of about the same age have become regular guards in the forest area.
Lin Shuyue activated her Good and Evil Discrimination System upon entering the patrol's forested area. However, only Jin Wangsheng had a sin score of 86%. The remaining officers had a sin score of only 13% at the highest, and 0% at the lowest. Since she had activated the Good and Evil Discrimination System, this was the first time Lin Shuyue had seen someone with a sin score of 0%. Intrigued, she focused her attention on Wang Benguo.
What does a sin value of 0% represent? It means that this person has never told a lie since childhood, and his 50% goodness value means that this person is very kind. The gray area of 0 is a very normal threshold in the range of -10 to 30, where the minimum limit is.
Lin Shuyue focused on his information: [ Name: Wang Benguo, Sin Value 0%, Good Value 50%, Gray Area 0, Overall Evaluation: Oh no! This guy can't tolerate any injustice and has a very hot temper. You need a strong heart to get along with him~ ]
While Lin Shuyue was looking at Wang Benguo's information, Liu Bo happened to introduce him: "This is Wang Benguo from our team. He has a bit of a bad temper, but he is very loyal and responsible. He is the most feared and respected person on our team."
Wang Benguo was fiddling with something in his hand. When he heard his name being called, he nodded coldly at Lin Shuyue.
Lin Shuyue also smiled at him. At this time, Jin Wangsheng came over and said, "Are you a reporter? Are you here to interview us? What's there to interview us about?"
Jin Wangsheng said this with a smile, but his tone was not as kind as his smiling face.
Lin Shuyue looked up at him, smiling slightly as she asked, "Forest police protect forests, wildlife resources, ecological security, and public order in forest areas. Isn't that worth reporting on?"
Jin Wangsheng's face was truly grim. Neither Liu Bo nor Hang Jiaqing had told anyone about Lin Shuyue's visit to the forest area to interview the patrol team. Jin Wangsheng was unhappy when he thought about what he was about to do.
Criminals like them are like rats in the gutter. What they hate most are people like Lin Shuyue who carry the light of justice with them.
But Jin Wangsheng really couldn't say that he would not allow Lin Shuyue to go for the interview. If he didn't have another identity, he would want his career to get more attention than anyone else.
Jin Wangsheng's abnormal behavior attracted the attention of the team members. Hang Jiaqing and Liu Bo looked at each other. Since joining the patrol team, Jin Wangsheng has always been a lively, outgoing and dedicated character.
He is also a bit outspoken and often says things that belittle the government, but he has a sharp tongue with a soft heart. When there is something to do or a task to be done, he is the first to rush forward.
His genuine nature was greatly appreciated by the tough men in the patrol team, who were willing to take care of him and let him do any work that required merit but was not dangerous.
But Jin Wangsheng's true nature didn't include this statement. Being interviewed by reporters and even having the opportunity to appear on national television was, for them, an achievement, an honor! Given Jin Wangsheng's usual personality, he shouldn't and couldn't refuse, not even questioning it.
Wang Benguo stared at him intently. Jin Wangsheng finally realized his own gaffe. His face stiffened slightly, but after glancing outside, Jin Wangsheng regained his composure. "Of course it's worth it. Our work is incredibly sacred! I just think it's a bit inhumane for a woman like you to interview us on a snowy day like this. We're walking through the snow on a mountain road! You, a woman, can't keep up."
Jin Wangsheng attributed his recent misconduct to the physical differences between men and women, and used the disparity in women's physical strength to cover up his true purpose.
There were quite a few men like this. The weather outside and the conditions in the patrol area were indeed bad. Several team members withdrew their gazes from Jin Wangsheng.
Lin Shuyue didn't insist. She seemed unaware of Jin Wangsheng's identity and didn't show any unusual behavior in front of him. "Don't worry about that. Whether I can keep up with you is my business and has nothing to do with you."
Jin Wangsheng muttered that she didn't appreciate a good person's kindness and walked away.
After this incident, everyone's enthusiasm for Lin Shuyue remained undiminished, with the exception of Jin Wangsheng, who was still fussy about her. After discussing the content and details of the interview, everyone, including Liu Bo, changed into clean clothes.
In order to maintain his image as a person with a sharp tongue but a soft heart, Jin Wangsheng also went with them.
Lin Shuyue was debugging the camera outside and confirming the shooting direction with Hang Jiabai. Hang Jiabai was a bit talented in photography. In the subsequent test shots, he not only took a clear picture of Lin Shuyue, but also captured the scene that Lin Shuyue wanted. Lin Shuyue gave Hang Jiabai a thumbs up.
Hang Jiabai straightened his chest when his girlfriend recognized him. Hang Jiaqing, watching from the side, suddenly felt a little bloated from the noodles he had eaten at noon.
After Liu Bo and others arrived, the interview officially began.
Lin Shuyue, wearing thick clothes, made a brief self-introduction at the entrance of the site. When they saw people with cameras and microphones, the people in the yard came to watch as if they had seen a new world of gods and demons. Lin Shuyue interviewed Liu Bo, who was wearing a new uniform, and under Liu Bo's leadership, went to the camp and interviewed the patrol team members.
Lin Shuyue specifically interviewed Jin Wangsheng and asked him a very sharp question: "What do you think of poachers?"
The forced smile on Jin Wangsheng's face froze for a moment, then he looked at Lin Shuyue and answered with gritted teeth, "How should I see them? Of course, I'll use my gun to see. If I run into them, I will fight them to the death!"
Jin Wangsheng patted his gun, and the moment he lowered his head, he could not hide his murderous intent towards Lin Shuyue.
Liu Bo and Hang Jiaqing outside the field once again confirmed that something was wrong with Jin Wangsheng.
So on the way to Chuzigou, Hang Jiaqing and Wang Benguo walked beside Jin Wangsheng, Lin Shuyue and Hang Jiabai fell behind them, and Hang Jiabai was carrying Hang Yuhua's pistol, which was a must-have self-defense tool for every household in the yard.
Lin Shuyue held a camera in her hand, and the lens followed Hang Jiaqing and others.
They started talking as usual, and the conversation turned to women. Jin Wangsheng talked about his girlfriend at the bottom of the dam as usual.
"Captain Hang, let me tell you, I think my partner is really good, very capable, and she handles everything at home and outside. Before we even got together, she would always come to my door every now and then, and when I went to see her, she would run away."
"Her parents treat her badly, and her brother and sister-in-law are also worthless. They bully her all day long. Every time I see her being bullied, my heart is broken."
"Speaking of being bullied, don't you think Wei Guoyong is a complete jerk? He usually looks so dull, so why is he so cruel to his wife and children?"
"Besides, Cao Manjin has such a hard life. Her family conditions are not good, and she married such a jerk! Hey, Brother Zhang, if Cao Manjin had married someone else, a man like Captain Hang, wouldn't this kind of thing have happened?"
Jin Wangsheng kept talking all the way, and he never stopped. Even if no one responded, he could still talk excitedly, and he spoke more and more without restraint.
In the past, he only praised Cao Manjin's hard work and diligence, and talked about his feelings for his partner, which subtly led Hang Jiaqing to develop feelings for Cao Manjin.
The crunching sound of his footsteps in the snow could not cover up his noisy mouth.
Today, she was directly trying to match people up: "Captain Hang, I think Cao Manjin will definitely divorce that idiot Wei Guoyong. I think she's definitely interested in you. Let me analyze it for you. Cao Manjin is really nice to your family. Whether she's picking firewood or mushrooms, she takes special care of your family."
"Whatever good things she have at home, she send them to your house. And when she's wronged, she won't go to anyone else's house but yours. What's the matter, Brother Hang, don't you have any other thoughts about her?"
Jin Wangsheng came close to Hang Jiaqing and asked with sparkling eyes.
Hang Jiaqing noticed something was amiss with Jin Wangsheng while he was being interviewed by Lin Shuyue. After climbing the mountain, he allowed Jin Wangsheng to chatter around him. He even stopped a teammate who wanted to refute Jin Wangsheng's boring and inexplicable matchmaking.
Today he must see clearly whether Jin Wangsheng is a human or a ghost.
He made a few gestures. Except for Jin Wangsheng, Lin Shuyue, and Hang Jiabai, everyone present had been Hang Jiaqing's teammates for more than ten years. They had already established a tacit understanding of mutual trust among teammates.
Everyone's position shifted a little bit. Jin Wangsheng really wanted to complete his task. In addition, he looked ahead several times and saw that they were all heading towards Chuzigou. Occasionally they deviated a little, but they were still in the right direction. He didn't notice anything wrong.
A kilometer away from Chuzigou, the trees on both sides of the road were tall and large, and the snow in the forest was not thick, showing no signs of damage. Everyone moved inconspicuously in the direction of Hang Jiaqing's finger.
They are already very familiar with the environment within the forest area under their jurisdiction. If they deviate from this direction, they will circle around a hill near Chuzigou. From that hill, they can clearly see the entire terrain of Chuzigou.
Jin Wangsheng didn't notice and repeated what he had just said in a different way. Hang Jiaqing spoke up and tried to deal with Jin Wangsheng.
"What nonsense are you talking about! Comrade Cao Manjin and I have nothing to do with each other. My mother is good to San Ya, and she is kind to us in return. Didn't she also send firewood and mushrooms to Aunt Wang's family?"
"Besides, my mom is the director of the Women's Affairs Department. If she's in trouble, who else can she ask for help if it's not my mom? I didn't express it just now because I think you're young and outspoken, but shouldn't you just say it once? I didn't refute you, so shouldn't you just shut up and stop talking?"
"Now tell me again, what exactly do you want to do?"
Jin Wangsheng was dumbfounded after listening to what Hang Jiaqing said. He really couldn't understand why Hang Jiaqing, who had been led by him to like Cao Manjin, was so clear-headed at this moment?
Hang Jiaqing didn't even give him time to react. "Since half a month ago, whether on patrol or in private, you've been telling me that Cao Manjin is kind to my family and treats me differently, and that I have feelings for her, even a crush on her. What's your purpose?"
"Why do you have to match me with Cao Manjin?" Hang Jiaqing felt ashamed when he thought about how he had lost face like an idiot in front of his brother and future sister-in-law.
He didn't sleep well last night, and he kept thinking over and over again about why he found himself liking Cao Manjin at this critical moment.
He researched and researched, and found that the only person who could influence him was Jin Wangsheng, a newcomer to the patrol team. Furthermore, his influence on him start only two weeks ago; it was only then that he became more anxious.
After he joined the team, he paid close attention to Cao Manjin. For the first five years, Hang Jiabai's feelings towards Cao Manjin were gratitude mixed with a hint of pity for her plight. To the best of his ability, he helped Cao Manjin through Yin Xin.
When he met Cao Manjin on the street, he was also frank and open, without any other feelings. His understanding of Cao Manjin came entirely from the gossip that Yin Xin told him at the dinner table.
But since Jin Wangsheng joined the team, all his understanding of Cao Manjin came from Jin Wangsheng.
From small things like what kind of work Cao Manjin did today and how capable she is, to big things like her child being abused by her mother-in-law and husband, and how pitiful the mother and daughter are.
After hearing these words so often, Hang Jiaqing felt pity for the weak and his concern for Cao Manjin grew day by day. When he saw Cao Manjin's life with his own eyes, confirmed Jin Wangsheng's words, and found that Cao Manjin and Sanya were the most pitiful in the entire park, his pity and sympathy reached its peak.
Hang Jiaqing's heart, which was not sensitive to love, was blinded by gratitude, pity and sympathy. He thought that he "liked" Cao Manjin and even struggled with this for a long time.
When Hang Jiaqing thinks back on it now, he wants to slap himself in the face.
Hang Jiaqing had always thought that Jin Wangsheng was just a big mouth, a man who hated evil, and simply couldn't stand what the Wei family had done to Cao Manjin. He didn't have much doubt about Jin Wangsheng.
However, Hang Jiaqing's years of military and police experience made him subconsciously wary of Jin Wangsheng. Everything he said and did was scrutinized by Hang Jiaqing.
"Captain Hang, what are you talking about? I was just being frivolous and thought you and Cao Manjin were a perfect match, so I said something nonsense. You're not that bad at taking a joke, are you?" Jin Wangsheng smiled, but glanced in the direction of Chuzigou while speaking.
"Cao Manjin and I are a perfect match? In what sense? Putting everything else aside, let's just talk about our marriage situation. I'm single, she's married. How can we be a perfect match? Don't you think before you speak? Do you have any idea how much this will affect me and Cao Manjin if it gets out?"
Hang Jiaqing said this and took a step towards Jin Wangsheng, forcing him to step back. As soon as Hang Jiaqing finished speaking, he bumped into a solid wall of flesh. He turned his head to look, and his face was covered. Then he was handcuffed and tied up. He immediately realized that he had been exposed.
He opened his mouth to warn, but a piece of cloth, unknown in origin, appeared in his mouth. Hang Jiaqing, with a stern face, looked at Jin Wangsheng and said, "I want to see why you keep looking in the direction of Chuzigou. Lao Zhang, Lao Wang, you two keep an eye on him. If he makes any noise, I'll hold you two responsible."
"Just do it with confidence. There will be no problem with him. When the higher-ups come to hold us accountable, I will take full responsibility. You don't have to worry that I won't admit it. There are cameras filming it." Hang Jiaqing pointed at Lin Shuyue and Hang Jiabai who were carrying cameras.
Seeing them looking at them, Hang Jiabai and Lin Shuyue nodded at them, indicating that they were working hard.
Old Zhang, who was named, exchanged glances with Wang Benguo. Old Zhang said, "Old Hang, what are you talking about? I've noticed something's not right with him today. Why would a grown man like him keep looking at someone else's family? It's okay if he's older, but for someone in their twenties who want to intervened is a bit too hasty, isn't it?"
Wang Benguo also said, "I noticed that even when he was talking, he didn't forget to look at Chuzigou. There's definitely something wrong with this guy. Don't worry, Captain Hang. If you made a wrong judgment, I will be punished with you, and I will apologize to this guy!"
Old Zhang put his gun on his back, walked up to Jin Wangsheng and took off his coat. The cold air blew towards Jin Wangsheng's body. Lao Wang took off Jin Wangsheng's shoes, pulled off his socks, grabbed two handfuls of snow into his shoes, and then stuffed Jin Wangsheng's feet back into his shoes.
When people are extremely cold, their mouths are blocked, so they can't make any loud noises, and even walking will be shaky.
He was pulled by Lao Zhang and Wang Benguo, shivering as he walked forward. Lao Zhang would put clothes on him every few minutes, and when he warmed up, he would immediately take them off again. This cycle repeated itself, and Jin Wangsheng lost all his temper.
Lin Shuyue recorded this scene honestly.
As they got closer to Chuzigou, the uphill climb became more difficult. Lin Shuyue followed them around for several times, during which she photographed groups of pheasants foraging and saw hares jumping on the snow. They finally reached the top of the mountain.
Jin Wangsheng was tied up under a tree on the top of the mountain. The snow melted as he sat there, his pants got wet, and when the wind blew, his face turned unnaturally red.
[ Ding ~~~ A criminal with a crime value of 87% has been detected within 200 meters... ]
[ Ding ~~~ A criminal with a crime value of 59% has been detected within 200 meters... ]
[ Ding ~~~ A criminal with a crime value of 69% has been detected within 200 meters... ]
[ Ding ~~~ A criminal with a crime value of 49% has been detected within 200 meters... ]
[ Ding ~~~ A criminal with a crime value of 70% has been detected within 200 meters... ]
[ Ding ~~~ A criminal with a crime value of 94% has been detected within 200 meters... ]
The system broadcast one message after another. Before the previous message was finished, the next message started, as if it was stuck. As it broadcast, the good and evil radar automatically popped up. Lin Shuyue saw a river-like area about eight meters wide under her feet. There were more than ten red dots densely hidden on the high ground on both sides.
There are even two of them whose sin values on the radar are so dark that they are almost black.