Skin - Chapter 56

Chapter 56 – Silk Banned for Lu Shichen

　　Meng Zhao walked out of the ward and took out the note left by the girl while waiting for the elevator. He looked at the name and contact information on it.

　　Ordinary scumbags fall in love with every girl they meet, but Lu Shichen’s method is unique. He didn’t even think about whether he liked the girl or not.

　　It’s simply a level of scumbag.

　　Meng Zhao tore the note paper into pieces beyond repair and threw the shredded paper into a nearby trash can.

　　Meng Zhao’s biological father is a real scumbag. Meng Jing was the leader of the serious crime team at that time. She was very busy at work and often worked overtime until late at night. So Meng Zhao’s father took the opportunity to have an office romance with his subordinate in the company.

　　After Meng Jing passed away, Meng Zhao unilaterally cut off contact with the man. The man later came to Meng Zhao and wanted Meng Zhao to live with his new family, but Meng Zhao refused extremely coldly.

　　Afterwards, the man immigrated to live abroad, and Meng Zhao completely cut off contact with him. Even in the household registration book, only his name alone existed.

　　Because of his biological father, Meng Zhao once had no good feelings towards people with chaotic emotional lives.

　　But just now, when Lu Shichen’s gaze swept over him, he was moved again.

　　Lu Shichen, male, a scumbag. Based on these two points alone, Meng Zhao felt that his recent heartbeats were very strange.

　　Could it be that the arrhythmia was caused by working too much overtime recently? Meng Zhao planned to take time to do this year’s physical examination after the case was over.

　　Meng Zhao walked to the parking lot, opened the car door and got in. As soon as he sat down, his cell phone rang.

　　He took out his cell phone and took a look. The call was from Lu Yang.

　　He had been so busy these past few days that he almost forgot about Lu Yang. Could it be that this guy was still trying to find out the truth behind Zhao Yunhua’s suicide?

　　Meng Zhao answered the phone: “What’s the matter?”

　　Lu Yang said on the other end of the phone: “Officer Meng, are you okay?”

　　”What’s wrong?”

　　”I just saw a piece of news saying that the city police went out to search a sanatorium overnight, and that the ambulance encountered a serious traffic accident on the way back. I saw the pictures of the accident scene, and that car was the one you drove last time. I thought it was you who was in the accident…”

　　”I can’t afford such an expensive car. It belongs to my friend. He was indeed seriously injured, but he is fine now.”

　　”The friend who was with you last time? Officer Meng, have you started investigating other cases? Is the case of Zhou Yan’s murder and Zhao Yunhua’s suicide just shelved? I…”

　　”Lu Yang,” Meng Zhao interrupted him, “I know you feel guilty about Zhao Yunhua’s suicide, but the case is more complicated than you think. I want to find out the truth more than you do. I can only say that we are getting closer to the truth step by step. If there is a breakthrough in the case, I will tell you as soon as possible.” Seeing that Lu Yang still hadn’t given up on investigating the case, Meng Zhao asked sensitively, “Are you still investigating this matter recently?”

　　”I…” Lu Yang hesitated.

　　”Tell the truth.” Meng Zhao urged.

　　”I…Didn’t I say last time that I wanted to find out about Lin Lang’s boyfriend back then? But I never found out…The information channels I have access to are too narrow, and I can’t find out even if I want to…Officer Meng, did you mean to say that the matter of the sanatorium is related to Zhao Yunhua’s suicide? How can these two things be related?”

　　”Okay, I’m not in a position to reveal the specific progress of the case. Just run your official account well and stop interfering in police affairs. The information you provided about Lin Lang last time was very helpful to the progress of the case. I promise you that as long as you listen and stop interfering in the case, I will reveal some exclusive details to you after the case is solved, so that you can do an in-depth analysis of the case.”

　　”Really?” Lu Yang was really interested when he heard it. “Then Officer Meng, I will listen to you. You have to keep your word.”

　　”Don’t worry.” Meng Zhao laughed, “Whether I keep my word or not depends on whether you listen to me or not.”

　　After hanging up the phone, Meng Zhao drove to the police station.

　　Zhou Qiyang had already retrieved the information of all the contracted artists from Yunya Technology. He came back with the information and happened to run into Meng Zhao who was about to push the door open.

　　”Brother Zhao,” Zhou Qiyang walked over quickly, “I checked with Yunya’s HR department, there is no contracted anchor named Shao Qi… I personally saw the HR manager search the system and confirmed that there is no such person.”

　　”Is this the information of all their contracted artists?” Meng Zhao took the information from Zhou Qiyang, opened the door and walked in. “Did you check if the other girls rescued from the sanatorium are included?”

　　“No. And the HR manager said that they cannot sign an underage anchor.”

　　”They haven’t seen Shao Qi either?”

　　“No.”

　　Shao Qi ran away from home because she wanted to be a live streamer. Did she not become a live streamer? Meng Zhao took a copy of the contract information and looked through it.

　　After thinking for a while, he took out his phone and sent a photo of Shao Qi to the technical detective, and then sent a voice message: “Brother Chao, this girl is called Shao Qi. She might have been a live streamer before she disappeared. Can you help me search for any videos of her as a streamer?”

　　After sending the message, Meng Zhao found the photos that Director Cheng sent him and looked at them again.

　　The several shocking scars on the girl’s skinny back made Meng Zhao so visually shocked that he didn’t notice any other details.

　　But this time he looked carefully at the scars on the girl’s back and found that the scars varied in lightness and thickness, and did not seem to be more like marks left by long-term abuse.

　　If these girls had been subjected to long-term abuse before being locked up in the basement, then what on earth happened to them between running away from home and being imprisoned in the basement by Wu Weihan?

　　Streamer, sexual abuse… Could it be that these scars were not caused by Wu Weihan alone, but that these girls were deceived into becoming illegal pornographic anchors?

　　Thinking of this, Meng Zhao sent another message to Zhang Chao: “Brother Chao, don’t limit your search for this girl to regular live streaming platforms. Try to find out if there is any lead related to pornographic live streaming.”

　　Ren Bin came over at this time and said, “Captain Meng, the investigation results of each branch are out, and no other missing women cases have been found.”

　　”Where’s that old man?” Meng Zhao looked up at him, “Any clues?”

　　”There are even fewer elderly people. There are too many missing elderly people every year. Some families think that the elderly are a burden and will not report them even if they are missing.”

　　”Then expand the scope of the investigation,” Meng Zhao pondered for a moment, “Don’t just limit it to Mingtan City. I’ll go to Director Xu to apply for a notice of joint investigation and expand this investigation to the whole country.”

　　Just as Meng Zhao was about to get up, the office phone on the upper right corner of the desk rang. He picked it up and it was Director Xu calling: “Come see me.”

　　Arriving at Director Xu’s office, Meng Zhao pushed the door open and walked in. Director Xu pushed a document over to him: “Take a look at this.”

　　Meng Zhao picked it up and saw that it was Wu Weihan’s application for bail pending trial.

　He took a quick look and looked up at Director Xu: “Wu Weihan had a cardiac arrest? Is that true?”

　　”Is this true? The detention center has already sent him to the hospital for emergency treatment.”

　　”How could he suddenly have a cardiac arrest?” Meng Zhao frowned. “I interrogated him in the middle of the night before, and he didn’t seem to have any heart problems even when he was so panicked. How could he have a cardiac arrest as soon as he was sent to the detention center? Something is wrong. There must be something fishy going on.”

　　”Wu Weihan is now applying for bail pending trial on the grounds of heart disease. What do you want to do?”

　　”Of course not,” Meng Zhao said in a deep voice, “If the bail pending trial is approved, then Wu Weihan won’t have to go back to the detention center. How can such a good thing happen? Let him take good care of himself in the hospital first, and then we will send a doctor to check him out. Once we are sure there is no problem, we will send him in.”

　　”Let’s do as you say.” Director Xu pushed the application to Meng Zhao, “You can send it back.”

　　Meng Zhao took the application form and handed over another document: “This cooperation notice needs your signature.”

　　Director Xu took the document and asked while browsing the contents: “By the way, how is your friend? I heard from Yanyan that he has woken up. Are there any follow-up problems?”

　　”The doctor said it’s nothing serious.”

　　”How come your friend was there when we searched the sanatorium last time?”

　　”He has family living there, so he’s quite familiar with the internal structure of the nursing home,” Meng Zhao took the opportunity to talk about Lu Shichen’s involvement in the case. “And he’s a top student who graduated from Harvard University, with a very high IQ. It was he who provided me with the key idea of finding the basement of the nursing home.”

　　”You found a consultant for yourself? Your friend is called Lu Shichen, right? I heard that he is the son of lawyer Lu Chengze? If you think he is reliable, you can recruit him as a consultant for the Municipal Bureau. This will be more in line with the procedures.”

　　”Okay, I’ll ask him about his wishes after he recovers from his injury.” Meng Zhao took the signed document and said, “If there’s nothing else, I’ll get busy now.”

　　”Xiao Meng,” Meng Zhao was about to turn around and leave when Director Xu called him and took out a long tube-shaped object from under the table. “Your friend was injured so badly, I asked Yanyan to order a silk banner. You can take it first. I’ll go to the hospital with you after I get off work to comfort him.”

　　Meng Zhao took the banner, shook it open and saw four large golden characters “SACRIFICE ONESELF FOR OTHERS” written on the deep red banner.

　　In the upper right corner is the title: Presented to enthusiastic citizen Lu Shichen.

　　In the lower left corner is the signature: Gift from Mingtan City Public Security Bureau.

　　Meng Zhao: “…”

　　As soon as he got off work, Director Xu pushed the door open and called Meng Zhao, “Xiao Meng, let’s go.”

　　Meng Zhao walked over and picked up the banner standing by the door: “Are you really going? You are so busy, so there is no need. I will just give it to him.”

　　”No matter how busy I am, I have to go,” Director Xu said in a loud voice. “Your friend saved an entire ambulance full of people and was seriously injured. This kind of thing must be commended. If it weren’t that the case hasn’t been solved yet, I think we should contact the TV station to do a report on it.”

　　On the way to the hospital, Meng Zhao was driving. Thinking of Lu Shichen’s character of never considering other people’s feelings, he felt that Lu Shichen would most likely take the banner and throw it directly into the trash can.

　　After getting off the car and taking the elevator from the underground parking lot to the inpatient building, Meng Zhao quickly sent a message to Lu Shichen: [My leader is here to express his condolences to you. No matter what happens later, you have to give him some face.]

　　The message was sent at a timely moment. When Meng Zhao pushed the door, Lu Shichen had just finished reading the message.

　　Director Xu stepped in, dragged a chair and sat next to the bed, and said to Lu Shichen in a friendly manner: “Xiao Lu, how are you? Are you feeling any discomfort?”

　　Lu Shichen put his phone and pad aside and glanced at Meng Zhao at the door. Meng Zhao had his arms folded across his chest, leaning against the door frame to watch the fun.

　　Lu Shichen said briefly: “Not bad.”

　　Director Xu changed his usual temper of glaring at Meng Zhao and treated Lu Shichen kindly: “You have made a great contribution to this case. Like father, like son. When your father Lu Chengze was your age, he was still fighting the lawsuit of migrant workers seeking wages, right?”

　　”I remember that Xiao Meng’s mother was a friend of your father and helped your father a lot. Now you have helped Xiao Meng a lot. Speaking of which, you should have met each other when you were young, right?”

　　Lu Shichen glanced at Meng Zhao again: “I don’t remember.”

　　”How can we remember it now?” Meng Zhao said, “It was so long ago that I don’t even remember it.”

　　Director Xu asked Lu Shichen a few more questions about his work and life. Although Lu Shichen’s attitude was lukewarm, he answered them one by one.

　　Finally, Director Xu held out a silk banner, shook it open and handed it to Lu Shichen: “Xiao Lu, this is a little gift from the Municipal Bureau, you must accept it.”

　　Meng Zhao looked at Lu Shichen, and a barely perceptible trace of disgust appeared on his usually expressionless face.

　　Meng Zhao turned his head to the side and looked out the window, trying to hold back his laughter until he almost hurt himself.

　　Director Xu handed over the banner, but Lu Shichen had no intention of accepting it.

　　The situation was deadlocked and somewhat awkward for a moment.

　　After all, Director Xu had experienced big occasions. He waved his hand and called Meng Zhao over: “Xiao Meng, come here and find a way to hang this silk banner on the wall.”

　　Meng Zhao stood up, walked over and took the banner from Director Xu, glanced at Lu Shichen, and said with a smile, “Okay, I’ll find a way to hang it up later. It’s getting late, shall I drive you home?”

　　”No need. Yanyan is nearby. She will come to pick me up.” After presenting the silk banner, Director Xu was ready to leave. “Then Xiao Lu, take good care of your injuries. If you need anything, just tell Xiao Meng anytime.”

　　Meng Zhao put down the banner and sent Director Xu out of the hospital.

　　When he returned to the ward, he saw the banner spread out at the head of the bed and burst into laughter.

　　Lu Shichen said with a dark face: “Take it away quickly.”

　　Meng Zhao laughed for a long time before finally stopping. “Did you know that Director Xu wanted to invite a TV station to come and record the whole process?” He tilted his head towards the TV screen. “If I hadn’t stopped him, the headline of tonight’s evening news would be, ‘Xu Zhongfa, Director of the Mingtan Public Security Bureau, cordially expressed his condolences to enthusiastic citizen Mr. Lu.'”

　　Lu Shichen’s face suddenly turned darker.

　　Meng Zhao picked up the banner and looked at the wall: “Where should I hang it? I think the spot above your head is a good one…”

　　Lu Shichen: “You dare.”

　　Meng Zhao rolled up the silk banner and said with a smile, “Okay, I won’t tease you anymore. I’ll put the silk banner away. You can do whatever you want with it.”