Chapter 65: Is This The Scene Of The Crime?
The grey pigeon was not afraid. When Lu Qiaoge came in earlier, it had already recognized her.
The Lu Qiaoge who could heal its injured wings and understand their speech.
It had been excitedly waiting for Lu Qiaoge to ask it questions.
At this moment, it naturally told her everything it knew without reservation.
【I saw it. An old woman stood at the main door shouting: Zhao Di, Zhao Di, come out. The little girl went out.】
【The old woman led the little girl along the road toward the staff hospital. As she walked, she said to the sobbing little girl, “Your mom was hit by a big truck and it’s hopeless. Let’s hurry.”】
Lu Qiaoge praised it: “You’re really great, as expected from the smartest pigeon.”
The grey pigeon happily flew up: 【Do you need my help? I’m very capable. I can even find herbs for my owner.】
Lu Qiaoge curled up the corners of her mouth. In some ways, these little creatures were much cuter than humans.
Seeing the grey pigeon’s eager look, Lu Qiaoge said to it: 【I’ll tell you the address. Can you find Zhao Qing’s home?】
The grey pigeon’s little head nodded repeatedly: 【Yes, yes I can.】
Lu Qiaoge told the grey pigeon where Zhao Qing’s home was, then instructed it not to rush but to secretly listen to what the people inside the house were saying.
If no one was there, wait for her there; she would go over shortly.
Zhao Xiubo’s nickname was Zhao Di.
That old woman must be Old Mrs. Zhao, who tricked the child by saying Sun Qin had been hit by a car and was in the hospital, so Zhao Xiubo followed her.
An eight-year-old child who depended on her mother for life would follow even if she didn’t like her grandmother upon hearing her mother was in trouble.
The grey pigeon flapped its wings and flew toward the District 3 Apartment Building.
No one noticed it except Qin Hengzhi.
Qin Hengzhi was now standing at the first crossroads, where there was a commute station.
At ten-thirty, there would be a commute car heading to the staff hospital.
Qin Hengzhi narrowed his eyes, watching the grey pigeon that had become a little black dot.
He felt this pigeon seemed familiar.
He calmly withdrew his gaze and involuntarily turned to look at Lu Qiaoge standing at the school main door. She was talking to someone beside her at the moment.
Qin Hengzhi clenched his hand, but his gaze turned to an abandoned room across the street.
This was the residential area, at the boundary between the apartment building and bungalows. When the buildings were constructed back then, many bungalows were demolished.
Later, the part near the school, due to the low terrain, was planted with many pine trees.
Over ten years, it had formed a small pine forest.
This abandoned room belonged to logistics. It was originally a consignment sale point but was now abandoned.
Qin Hengzhi pushed the door and went in.
Scanning with his gaze, he saw messy footprints on the ground and some scattered strands of hair.
Qin Hengzhi’s gaze immediately turned cold. Was this the first scene?
At this time, Lu Qiaoge and Sun Qin were talking: “Sister Sun, the child wouldn’t leave school for no reason. It’s very likely someone she knew came to find her and tricked her out in your name. We’ll wait for Representative Qin, then go to Zhao Qing’s home together.”
Sun Qin wiped her tears and said choking back sobs: “Thank you.”
Lu Qiaoge waved her hand: “This is what we should do.”
Shao Le felt excited again. His mind raced: “Could it be Technician Zhao missing the child but worried you wouldn’t let him see her, so he secretly took her away?”
Sun Qin and Lu Qiaoge both looked at Shao Le.
Shao Le looked at them puzzled: “Why? Did I say something wrong?”
Lu Qiaoge nodded: “That’s possible too.” Then she said to Shao Le: “Go to the school office and call Workshop Four. Have the workshop director relay to Zhao Qing that his daughter Zhao Xiubo is missing and tell him to come home immediately.”
Shao Le agreed and muttered as he walked: “Why are they all from Workshop Four?”
Lu Qiaoge also felt this made sense.
At Chunfeng Restaurant, the girl Liu Feng brought to eat was the daughter of Deputy Director Wang from Workshop Four. Zhao Qing and Master Liu were both from Workshop Four.
But this was just a passing thought.
Lu Qiaoge looked toward Qin Hengzhi and saw him standing roadside waving to signal her.
Lu Qiaoge was stunned for a moment, then ran over and also saw those things.
“I analyze that Zhao Xiubo’s grandmother tricked the child out, and someone was already waiting here. They knocked the child unconscious, then shaved her head and changed her clothes.”
Lu Qiaoge walked out and looked at the commute car station not far away.
She frowned and looked at Qin Hengzhi.
Qin Hengzhi nodded and said in a deep voice: “Same as what you analyzed.”
After the costume change, Zhao Xiubo was taken by someone onto the commute car to the staff hospital.
Or got off midway and went somewhere else.
They had likely already left the military compound by now.
No time to hesitate. Qin Hengzhi returned to the jeep. Surprisingly, there was a walkie-talkie in the car. With an icy voice, he notified the guard squad at the military representative office to mobilize and also alerted the police station…
The arrangements took only a few minutes.
After leaving the military factory, paths led in all directions.
Searching now was like finding a needle in a sea.
They couldn’t hesitate; they had to go to Zhao Qing’s home right away.
When starting the jeep, Lu Qiaoge noticed the way he looked at her had lost its probing quality but gained something else.
Lu Qiaoge couldn’t read his deep, pond-like eyes. He always remained composed yet somewhat distant in front of others.
The jeep slowly started. Sun Qin was burning with anxiety but still thanked Qin Hengzhi gratefully.
The atmosphere in the car was tense. Even the talkative Shao Le was on edge, and Sun Qin’s body trembled uncontrollably.
Both Duan Xiaoxiang and Old Mrs. Zhao could trick her daughter out of school.
That damned old woman never treated her daughter as human, always cursing the child as money-losing goods and giving her the name Zhao Di.
And Duan Xiaoxiang—that woman, ever since marrying Zhao Qing, had always seen her as a thorn in her side. With recent hard times, she might vent her anger on her again.
When they were sisters-in-law, that woman often did this.
Hatred rose from the bottom of her heart. It really was a habit to bully her.
If anything happened to her daughter, she would kill Duan Xiaoxiang and everyone in Old Zhao’s family.
Not one would escape.
Lu Qiaoge placed her hand on Sun Qin’s hand, which was suddenly filled with murderous intent, and softly comforted her: “Don’t worry. We’ll definitely find the child.”
When Lu Qiaoge saw the grey pigeon later, she smoothly obtained a bunch of information.
【Duan Xiaoxiang contacted an old woman called Third Aunt-Grandmother, who was in the business of trafficking people in the old society.】
【Her son is biological. The first daughter-in-law was tricked by her and tormented to death. The current one was married in three years ago.】
【Duan Xiaoxiang pretended to have a stomachache and didn’t go to work today. She and Old Mrs. Zhao conspired to sell Zhao Xiubo to Third Aunt-Grandmother for one hundred fifty yuan.】
【It was Third Aunt-Grandmother who carried away the unconscious Zhao Xiubo. She already shaved her hair and changed her into boy’s clothes.】
【I’ve already sent my partners to fly out and gather news.】
