Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 637 Before Dawn

"It's not entirely hopeless! As long as we can confirm that Huang Guimei is indeed Sister Mei, we will have her real appearance and be able to reconstruct what she looked like before her plastic surgery. At that time, we can collect clues through public media, and some people will still have some impression."

Li Yiduo, however, felt that the dawn was just around the corner.

"Indeed! When it comes to finding someone, the most reliable thing to do is rely on the general public. After all, if someone buys a wife or suddenly has a child, the neighbors usually know. If they go to search for her or see Huang Guimei on TV or the news and feel that she looks familiar, that will be a new clue. Huang Guimei can't be moving around in a mask; people will inevitably see who she's with, where she's gone, and who she's been in contact with."

Zhang Yong tossed two bottles of mineral water over, which were caught by Zhang Ke and Li Yiduo.

By this time, everyone had arrived at the hotel arranged by the Yongshi Municipal Public Security Bureau. Zhang Yong and the other two were discussing the case with Lin Ge, while Sun Chang, Li Siyu, and Ai Yun were resting in the next room.

Zhang Yong took out a pack of cigarettes and gestured to the two men, but they shook their heads and refused. So he lit one for himself.

As if trying to exhale his frustration like smoke, Zhang Yong sighed and said, "You need to be mentally prepared. In cases like this, finding all the victims at once is almost impossible. Even if they are caught by the police like Huang Guimei, most of them will stubbornly refuse to confess. After all, given the severity of our country's crackdown on human trafficking, what she did is undoubtedly a death sentence, with no possibility of commutation! That old woman knows this too, so naturally she's determined to prevent us from getting our way. To put it bluntly, they themselves don't even know where they sold the people. How can we possibly find every single victim without missing one?"

"These kinds of words sound so depressing!"

Zhang Ke gave a wry smile, stood up to stretch his limbs, and then couldn't help but throw a few punches at the air.

"Yes! She only met Luo Jianlin once, and she sold Ai Yun to him. To say that Huang Guimei could remember those buyers is really giving her too much credit. In the end, it was like searching for a needle in a haystack. It's really frustrating to think about!"

Li Yiduo took a sip of water, then picked up a disposable cup from the side, poured a cup, and placed it on the table for Lin Ge before turning to look at the next room.

"I wonder how well Sun Chang and Siyu comforted Ai Yun. It must have been hard for her to come back to the place where she was sad."

Upon hearing this, Lin Ge stopped drinking water, and Zhang Yong and Zhang Ke also fell silent.

Ten years have passed, and things have changed drastically. Finding clues about the abduction is extremely difficult. Even if the victim is rescued, helping him find his family is not an easy task.

Because unless the victim's family continues to pay attention and search relentlessly, finding someone without any clues is extremely difficult.

The household registration system is not a panacea, especially the earliest version of the system in China, which now appears to be riddled with loopholes.

At present, although the culprit who caused Ai Yun's current situation has been found, and Huang Guimei will certainly be brought to justice, the identities of Ai Yun's family members and the city where she previously lived remain unknown.

Despite obtaining much valuable information after arriving in Yong City, the three men and the cat still couldn't help but remain pessimistic about Ai Yun finding her family.

Of course, we can't just not do it.

After drinking some water and stretching, Lin Ge decided to go next door to check on Ai Yun's condition.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Li Yiduo went to open it and found Wang Siliang standing outside with a haggard-looking middle-aged man and a capable-looking young woman.

"This is Xiao Zhibao, the head of a well-known charity organization in our southern province that helps find trafficked children. This is Song Jiao, a director of the Yongshi Volunteer Association."

Wang Siliang introduced the two guests to the three of them.

After exchanging greetings, Wang Siliang said with a wry smile, "Given the difficulty in solving human trafficking cases and the complexities of rescuing victims, we in Nan Province generally seek the cooperation and assistance of public welfare organizations and volunteers. Through their enthusiastic help and their channels, we can help find and locate human traffickers, and then help trafficked victims and their families. Oh! By the way, Xiao Zhibao is a victim in the Sister Mei case; his son was abducted by Sister Mei twelve years ago and has not been found since. Hearing that there were new leads in the Sister Mei case, he came specifically to inquire and offered to provide more assistance."

Xiao Zhibao gripped Zhang Yong's hand excitedly, thanking him profusely while his eyes gleamed with longing. "Thank you so much! Thank you so much! It's truly gratifying that you caught Sister Mei! This beast is finally arrested and will no longer harm others! You have no idea how many people cheered when I posted this good news in the group chat! We've all been waiting for this day; it's been so long! Officers, thank you so much! You are truly remarkable; you are our great benefactors! But... I wonder, now that Sister Mei has been caught, has she confessed where the child she abducted was sold?"

"..."

Zhang Yong did not answer Xiao Zhibao's question, nor did he know how to answer it so as not to disappoint the man.

He only turned his head to look at Wang Siliang.

"It's been confirmed that Huang Guimei is indeed Sister Mei?"

"Yes! Just now, Captain Li interrogated Luo Jianlin. This guy recognized her at a glance; Huang Guimei is the woman who sold the victim to him. Although she looks much older than before, and there are some minor differences due to plastic surgery, her general appearance and some details are still correct. We have questioned her repeatedly and used various methods to have her identify herself, and the result is the same: this Huang Guimei is Sister Mei!"

As Wang Siliang spoke, he himself became excited.

As the head of the anti-trafficking office, Huang Guimei's existence and her actions have placed immense pressure on Wang Siliang over the years. Now that this old woman has finally been arrested and is about to be brought to justice, Wang Siliang is more excited than anyone else.

Seeing Zhang Yong smile, Xiao Zhibao added, "I showed Sister Mei's photo to a parent in the group who has already found their child. He had his child identify her, and it's true that this bitch is the woman who kidnapped his child back then! Hehe... Before, we only had a sketch, and I heard that Sister Mei had plastic surgery, no wonder we couldn't catch her! Now it's finally over! Finally over! Officers, when will you be able to interrogate her and find out where she sold the child?"

Xiao Zhibao is still determined to get clues from Huang Guimei, because after so many years of searching for his child, this is his last and greatest chance.

Zhang Yong looked back at Zhang Ke and Li Yiduo. Li Yiduo opened his phone to check the internal messages at the police station and shook his head in acknowledgment.

Xiao Zhibao immediately showed a regretful expression.

But he had been disappointed too many times over the years, so he didn't blame the officers at Zhanghe Police Station for being incompetent. He just muttered, "I can still wait," and "As long as there's hope," while giving his seat to Song Jiao.

"Hello!"

Song Jiao first greeted everyone before warmly saying, "We received a call from the Municipal Bureau, and we will cooperate with the Municipal Bureau and relevant community personnel to conduct inquiries and visits throughout Yong City to see if anyone can recognize Sister Mei's portrait. Please rest assured, all 460 members of our Volunteer Association will do their utmost in this matter! It is also our Volunteer Association's hope that abducted children can be reunited with their parents."

"Then it's up to you!"

Zhang Yong's complexion improved significantly.

The addition of more than 400 new recruits can indeed effectively make up for the difficulties of insufficient manpower and clues, and may even be able to find hope in the predicament of this case.

"Our organization will also mobilize the victims' families to search for clues about Sister Mei! Now that we know what she looks like, good news is sure to follow! Our organization has more than 2,000 people and we are in close contact with family-finding organizations in other provinces across the country. This time, we will definitely fight to the end!"

Xiao Zhibao clenched his fist and cheered himself on from the side.

"Please don't hesitate to ask if you need our help or cooperation."

Zhang Yong nodded.

"Wait a minute! Mr. Xiao! You have contact information for most of the family-finding organizations across the country, right? Here's the thing, I have a victim who was rescued, her name is Ai Yun. I'll send you her photo and some basic information later. Could you please forward it to any relevant organizations and chat groups you've had contact with? And could you please add my contact information? If you have any relevant information, please contact me immediately."

Li Yiduo suddenly spoke up.

Xiao Zhibao paused for a moment, then nodded immediately without hesitation.

As a member of a non-profit organization searching for trafficked children, he has done similar things countless times. Although most of the time it doesn't yield a satisfactory result, quite a few people have ultimately found their families through this method.

Li Yiduo quickly led Xiao Zhibao to the laptop next to him, edited the general content, added Xiao Zhibao on WeChat, and sent him Ai Yun's relevant information.

"I will try my best to send this picture to all the relevant people! I just hope... she can be reunited with her family!" Xiao Zhibao promised.

After Li Yiduo expressed his gratitude again, Xiao Zhibao and Song Jiao left in a hurry, while Wang Siliang stayed behind.

"Thank you so much this time... I really can't say much at the Municipal Bureau before, but now that we're in private, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief. And, I want to say... thank you so much!"

Wang Siliang bowed deeply to Zhang Yong and the other two.

Zhang Ke quickly helped Wang Siliang up, but Wang Siliang stubbornly insisted on bowing deeply to finish.

After expressing his gratitude, he patted Zhang Ke's hand and said with a wry smile, "This time, it's all thanks to you all. Hehe... To be honest, we're all police officers, and we all know how difficult and complicated human trafficking cases are. Working in the anti-trafficking office, I deal with victims' families like Xiao Zhibao's every day. Every time I face their hopeful and pleading eyes, I can't give them a good answer. That feeling... to be honest, it's painful! Guilt! And the pressure is immense! As a police officer, I've been causing despair to the victims' families. Sometimes I feel so guilty that I want to slap myself! Sister Mei has been my biggest nightmare since I joined the anti-trafficking office. Now that she's been caught... I can finally breathe a sigh of relief..."

"Some things aren't your fault..."

Zhang Yong shook his head to speak, but was interrupted by Wang Siliang once again.

"I'm a police officer from the anti-trafficking office. If a trafficking case occurs and can't be solved in time, of course it's my responsibility! So I will always remember your kindness. Of course, I also know that things aren't over yet. Our mission isn't over until the abducted victims are found. Right? Catching the people isn't the point. Our mission is to help families like Xiao Zhibao's to fulfill their long-cherished wishes. Phew... So if there's anything I can help with, just let me know! I'd give my life if it meant finding the child! And I'll do my best to help with finding the families."

"It's not that exaggerated, just do your best."

Zhang Yong gave a wry smile.

The police are not omnipotent. Sometimes, whether they can satisfy everyone and ensure a satisfactory conclusion to a case is not guaranteed.

Now I just hope everything goes smoothly from now on.

Hearing the commotion, the door to the next room opened, and Sun Chang and Li Siyu led Ai Yun out.

Seeing Wang Siliang, Sun Chang thought there was some good news. But Zhang Ke on the other end silently shook his head at her, causing Sun Chang's face to fall again.

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Wang Siliang, who still had a lot of work to do, hurriedly left.

"No good news?"

Li Siyu came to Li Yiduo's side and gently tugged at him.

"It's been confirmed that Huang Guimei is Sister Mei. Isn't that good news? Mimi found the red notebook. Maybe this time we can really find those victims. That should be good news too, right?"

Li Yiduo glanced at Ai Yun and tried to force a smile.

"Unfortunately, we still have no clue about Ai Yun. Where exactly was she abducted by Huang Guimei, and how long did it take her to get to Yongshi? Our most important goal in coming here remains a mystery."

Lin Ge sighed, realizing that his abilities and strength were not of much use in this case, which was a little regretful.

Although as a police cat, his visit had already served its purpose, earning Yong City's respect for Zhang Yong and his group, Lin Ge still hoped to do more and that Ai Yun and Luo Jue could find their families.

These two have had a tough time relying on each other; they need the comfort of their loved ones.

……

My first day in Yongshi has passed just like that.

A lot of information has been obtained, leading to significant progress in the Huang Guimei case. However, no one can say for sure how far things will ultimately go.

Over the next few days, Zhang Yong and others, along with Lin Ge, worked with Yongshi police, volunteers, and community members to conduct a comprehensive survey of the entire urban and rural areas of Yongshi.

The process was tedious and exhausting, and most inquiries only resulted in a shake of the head or an "I don't know" response. It was like searching for a needle in a haystack, a task that would drive anyone crazy, both in terms of difficulty and the energy required.

More than a decade has passed, and too many memories and evidence have been completely erased.

Even police surveillance footage isn't kept for this long, let alone other organizations and individuals.

Ordinary street surveillance videos are typically stored for 30 to 90 days, with even in key areas, the storage time is only around six months. Only surveillance footage related to criminal cases is stored for longer periods, but even then, it's usually only extended for six months to a year after the case is closed. Only in major criminal cases is there a possibility of permanent storage of such footage. However, the possibility of a kidnapper appearing within this limited range of video footage is extremely low!

If no opportunity can be found through surveillance, then we can only look for other ways to obtain useful clues.

The Yongshi Municipal Public Security Bureau even screened a group of criminals who had been imprisoned or had served time in prison ten years ago and who might have had connections with human traffickers. They questioned them and showed them Huang Guimei's photo to identify her.

Meanwhile, Zhang Ke and Sun Chang brought Lin Ge back to Tuqiao Village.

This is where Ai Jun has lived for several years; perhaps we can find some clues here.

When Lin Ge came back again, he found that Tuqiao Village was still as lifeless as ever.

The villagers here had committed countless crimes, including the abuse of disabled women. When Lin Ge last came here, he discovered these crimes and handed them over to the Yongshi Municipal Public Security Bureau, which virtually destroyed the village, as if it were a devastating blow.

The strange old woman was no longer visible at the village entrance, and the village was so quiet that not a sound could be heard.

The village, which already had a small population, saw many people imprisoned and the victims rescued; as a result, Tuqiao Village looked even more oppressive and desolate than the last time I visited.

Lin Ge led Zhang Ke and Sun Chang to Luo Jianlin's house, where they saw Luo Xianjin.

The old man appeared to have been seriously ill, and looked extremely haggard. He and several other villagers were under surveillance for related crimes, not allowed to leave the village too far, and had to report to the township government every week.

Not only Luo Xianjin, but many others in the village have also been placed under supervision. As for the person directly responsible for the crime, like Luo Jianlin, they are already in prison.

Former village chief Luo Jinfeng was sentenced to two years and four months in prison.

"Luo Jue, are you alright now?"

Upon seeing Sun Chang and Lin Ge, Luo Xianjin's bewildered gaze brightened slightly.

However, the person he asked was not Ai Yun, but his only grandson, Luo Jue, who is now and may be his only grandson in the future.

"Can you tell me something about Ai Yun's time here?"

Sun Chang did not answer Luo Xianjin's question.

I'm asking for monthly votes, and I also hope there will be no more child abductions in China.
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(End of this chapter)