Chapter 107

Qin Cheng had been missing for nearly a month now, and Jiang Ping was worried. Given that he has been in a state of constant nightmares and sleepless nights, Jiang Ping has been feeling tense, as well as mentally and physically drained. If this continues, his body wouldn’t last for much longer.

Although Jiang Ping knew full well that Qin Cheng was taken by that man, no matter how many times he checked, he couldn’t find any piece of information about him. Even when he had found a similar man in the Household Registration, it wasn’t him.

After having to exclude another person again, Jiang Ping’s face showed an expression of disgust.

Originally, Jiang Ping planned to find out details of this man from Qu Zhiwen. After all, after the attitude Qu Zhiwen showed that day, it seemed that he already knew who that man was….

However, after that day, Jiang Ping hadn’t been able to find Qu Zhiwen either. His cell phone was turned off, and his rented house had been emptied. Jiang Ping even called his detective friends in Beijing to inquire about Qu Zhiwen, but no matter what, he couldn’t find any traces.

‘ If I keep waiting without doing anything or making any progress, I’m afraid the only thing I’ll end up finding at the end of all this will be Qin Cheng’s corpse! ’

“Chief! There was a car accident in Lintong District!”

After having his thoughts interrupted by a voice coming outside his office, Jiang Ping yelled back with annoyance: “Damn it! Traffic accidents go to the traffic police department. What does it have to do with us, the criminal police?!”

“It’s just, Chief….” The young policeman touched his nose and continued: “The person who had an accident was Qin Cheng’s friend. The one called Zhang Jun, or something. I heard about it from my friend who works at the traffic police department, so I thought I should let you know.”

“Zhang Jun?” After hearing that name, Jiang Ping froze for a moment. After remembering who that man was, he quickly stood up and asked: “How did he get into a car accident? Is he badly hurt?”

“He’s fine, only superficial injuries and a slight concussion. However, the other person was seriously injured and even broke a leg. He’s now in the hospital for emergency treatment….”

“Was it Zhang Jun’s fault?”

“No. My friend told me that the other person was driving drunk and occupying the lane. When the two cars collided with each other, the hit was a little hard, and half of the car was destroyed. Zhang Jun was too lucky, if he had sat in a slightly different position, he would have been crushed.”

Jiang Ping didn’t speak. After pondering for a while, he asked his subordinate: “Tell me….what do you think of this incident?”

“Ah? What else can I think….?” The young policeman smiled. It took him a while before he could correct his face, and with some hesitation, he said: “I think the car accident is a bit untimely. Qin Cheng has been missing for a while, and now one of his close friends got into an accident. If it were a minor accident, I wouldn’t even think twice about all this. However, my friend told me that Zhang Jun was extremely lucky that he didn’t end up seriously injured. If I hadn’t heard my friend mention that detail, I wouldn’t have started to think that….”

“Moreover, although there were many cars on the road, and this incident happened at night, it just so happened that only Zhang Jun’s car was hit. As I see it, this case starts to look more like a deliberate act rather than a car accident.”

Jiang Ping had also guessed this. If this incident was really what Jiang Ping suspected, then Zhang Jun may be involved in a disaster. However, for Jiang Ping, who hadn’t been able to advance in his investigation for a long time, this was a breakthrough. What he had to do now was find out who wanted to end Zhang Jun’s life….

“Where’s Zhang Jun now?”

“He’s still being examined by a municipal doctor. He’s still injured after all.”

“Alright, let’s go over there now.” Jiang Ping said as he took his coat and put it on. “Quickly ask your friends in the traffic police department to keep an eye on Zhang Jun. It’s better to prevent any further ‘accidents’.”

“Yes!”

After giving orders, Jiang Ping followed his subordinate to the hospital.

Within 20 minutes, Jiang Ping was able to find Zhang Jun sitting in front of the emergency room in the hospital.

Zhang Jun’s face looked a bit pale, and his lower lip trembled slightly. It seemed that the car accident had scared him, to the point of making him fall into a small trance. Even when Jiang Ping approached him, it took a long time for Zhang Jun to notice.

“Captain Jiang?”

Jiang Ping nodded: “Indeed. Why are you sitting here?”

After guessing that Jiang Ping may know the whole story, Zhang Jun smiled bitterly and said: “That person’s life is still in danger and the doctors are trying to save him….”

“I heard from my subordinate. You’re not responsible for this.”

“I know.” Zhang Jun’s voice trembled a bit. “But it’s a life…. It doesn’t feel right when you think someone might die, does it? Especially when you already know ghosts exist…..”

Jiang Ping understood this predicament quite well.

“Where’s your family? Did they not come?”

“I asked them to not come, so they wouldn’t worry.”

Instead of continuing this topic, Jiang Ping looked at the people coming and going around them and said: “You’re also injured, you know? You’re supposed to rest after having a concussion. Let’s go somewhere quieter so we can talk.”

Zhang Jun was a clever man. He knew Jiang Ping was a criminal policeman, and as such, he wasn’t in charge of traffic accidents. Zhang Jun was sure Jiang Ping wouldn’t come to see him just to comfort him, which meant something else was going on.

Zhang Jun nodded: “You can go find the place. Now that you’re here, those traffic officers can finally let me go.”

At noon, many doctors in the hospital went to the cafeteria to eat, so there were many empty offices. Jiang Ping greeted some of his acquaintances at the hospital and then walked with Zhang Jun to an empty office to ask him some questions.

Jiang Ping didn’t hide his true intentions and told Zhang Jun straightforwardly: “In reality, I have some guesses. Although what I suspect may sound impossible, something did happen to you, and it could’ve been fatal.”

Jiang Ping could only see Zhang Jun’s external expression as he slowly frowned. However, Jiang Ping didn’t know that when Zhang Jun heard his words, some of his own guesses were confirmed. Others may not know where and why Zhang Jun was driving that night, but he himself knew very well.

Two days ago, Zhang Jun attended his faculty gathering as usual. Zhang Jun thought Li Guoxian wouldn’t attend after the poster incident, in order to avoid arousing suspicion. However, when Zhang Jun arrived at the gathering, Li Guoxian was already there.

Nevertheless, Zhang Jun didn’t have much contact with Li Guoxian, and instead, he chatted with another professor. This professor was the same one who told Zhang Jun about Li Guoxian’s past a while ago at Li Guoxian’s celebration dinner.

Since Zhang Jun and Wu Hai were unable to get in contact with Qin Cheng for almost a month, both of them were very anxious and worried. At that gathering, the professor who was chatting with Zhang Jun drank too much and started talking ‘nonsense’. Zhang Jun wanted to set up a conversation, but given the place they were at, they couldn’t really talk much. So, Zhang Jun, who doesn’t drink alcohol, took it upon himself to take the professor to his house. Upon arrival, the professor offered Zhang Jun tea and they started chatting again. This time, the professor told Zhang Jun what had happened when the tomb in Ninghua Village had been discovered for the first time.

At that time, Zhang Jun learned that in 1999, four of Li Guoxian’s students died under mysterious circumstances. The peculiar thing was that before they died, those four students had secretly dug a tunnel to the main chamber….

This matter was later suppressed by ‘some people’. Not to mention Li Guoxian’s great background, at that time, when science education was being promoted, the news about such a strange phenomenon wasn’t allowed to spread. Besides, it’s also known that Li Guoxian knows those ‘above’….

Later, the death of those four students was considered a mountain accident, and the university compensated their families with several tens of thousands of yuan.

When Zhang Jun left the professor’s home, the professor finally said to Zhang Jun: “Some people have become so addicted to their personal interests that they have long since forgotten what an archaeologist’s true intentions are, causing only a lot of harm to a lot of people. This karma will pay off sooner or later. Zhang Jun, I can see you’re a wise man.”

After taking a pause, the professor added: “As for that young man called Qin Cheng….It’s a pity he had followed Li Guoxian….”

“He….is indeed an archeology nerd….” Zhang Jun said.

‘ Although half of his enthusiasm for archeology is now because of a female ghost…. ’

Over the past two days, Zhang Jun visited the professor to ask him some questions. Last night, after leaving the professor’s house, Zhang Jun got into a car accident on his way home….

After telling Jiang Ping these things, Zhang Jun took a deep breath and said: “A few days ago, Wu Hai and I called you to ask about Qin Cheng and you told us not to worry….but now, it doesn’t look like nothing is happening. If I hadn’t been lucky enough, I would have lost my life, wouldn’t I?”

“….To tell you the truth, it’s been a month since the last time I could get in contact with Qin Cheng. Someone took him away, and I haven’t been able to find any information about that person.” Jiang Ping said.

“You can’t find him?”

‘ There’s someone in this world who even the police can’t find? Isn’t there a legend that says that ancestors can be unearthed to find out which family they belong to? ’

Zhang Jun’s facial expression fully revealed what he was thinking at the moment, but Jiang Ping could only shake his head: “It’s really impossible to find that man. Without knowing his name and address, it’s really difficult to find his information among 1.4 billion people.”

“Then, do you think that this car accident may be related to the man you just mentioned?”

Zhang Jun’s words stunned Jiang Ping. For some reason, Jiang Ping had been thinking that it was impossible for that man to do such a thing, to harm innocent people. However, when thinking more rationally, Jiang Ping couldn’t really deny such possibility.

After thinking that he may be being affected by that General’s soul, Jiang Ping clenched his teeth and frowned: “It’s possible. But we can’t dismiss the possibility of Li Guoxian also being involved in this matter.”

“Is it because I’ve been inquiring about him lately?”

“That’s right.” Jiang Ping let out a long breath and then said: “Li Guoxian hasn’t been having a good time recently, and if you go asking about him like this, it’s impossible to affirm he wouldn’t do something extreme to silence you. No, it should better be said that he has done this in the past. For him, what you’re doing could send him to jail, so what isn’t he willing to do to save himself?”

“However, I still have some doubts. How can Li Guoxian have the power to convince other people to risk their lives to kill me? How could the person lying in the emergency room be willing to trade his life?”

Jiang Ping looked at Zhang Jun and whispered: “Do you want to know what I heard from my subordinate?”

“What?”

“The man who crashed into you has cancer, and it’s terminal.”

As soon as these words were said, Zhang Jun felt his head buzzing. He opened his mouth, but couldn’t say anything.

“Li Guoxian probably used a large sum of money to bribe him, and he…with that illness, he was going to die sooner or later anyway.”

“….Fuck….” When Zhang Jun, who’s usually very chatty, heard this, he could only spit out curses. “Fuck, what on earth are these people trying to do?”

“Greed can make people do insane things.”

“So, is Qin Cheng still alive?”

“….I don’t know.” Jiang Ping said.

‘ I don’t even know if by insisting on investigating this case, I will somehow end up causing a major backlash….just like the Director of the Bureau said. ’

Then, the room fell silent for a while. After what felt like an eternity, Zhang Jun finally opened his mouth to say: “Jiang Ping, Qin Cheng is the most innocent person here….”

“I know.”

“….So, now…. Who else can help him….?”

⭐🌟💫✨Extra Chapter from the Ko-fi Goal✨💫🌟⭐

Yay~ finally the extra chapie~~

Oh, Zhang Jun is really lucky, is that Qin Cheng’s protagonist halo protecting his bff? lol

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I’ve set up a new Ko-fi goal for extra chapies 👀 (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ ✧