Rebirth 78, the beginning of the marriage was broken off by the female educated youth

From around 11 a.m. onwards, the riverbank was bustling with noise and the sound of weapons clashing throughout the afternoon.

The police officers, with their trousers rolled up, waded into the icy river water, using shovels, sieves, and even their bare hands to meticulously sift through the silt from the riverbed and banks.

Due to the limited time available, Director Qi had no choice but to request reinforcements from the provincial department, which brought in the militia from Luzhou.

They dug around this riverbank for two whole days.

Everyone carefully turned over the soil that might bury the truth.

Everyone's emotions were as taut as a string.

Of course, their feelings were conflicted; they were afraid that if they actually found that small skeleton, it would confirm the cruel ending of twenty years ago!

But there was also the fear of finding nothing, which would plunge the hard-won hope for the case back into despair!

For two or three days, Li Xiangnan stood on high ground without rest, his eyes closely following the search progress of the entire force, afraid of missing any possible location.

Such nerves are no less strained than those of the police who dig them out.

His heart rose and fell with every shovelful of soil turned over.

As dusk fell that day, the setting sun bathed the busy crowds and the winding river in a weary golden hue.

The heads of the various search teams returned one after another.

Wang Defa handed them cigarettes and water, feeling very sorry for the disheveled police officers and militiamen.

These people looked exhausted from three days of searching, but their eyes were exceptionally bright.

Qi Zhiyuan finally emerged from the riverbed, sat on a rock, took off his shoes, wrung out his trousers, and waved his hand, saying, "Tell Consultant Li about your situation!"

"Reporting to Director Qi, Director Fan, and Consultant Li, the search of the 500-meter area upstream and downstream of the Jiazi section of the river has been completed, and no infant remains have been found!"

"The entire riverbed and both banks of the 'Y' section have been thoroughly searched, and no findings were found!"

"A thorough search was also conducted of the shrubbery and mudflats along the C-section, but nothing was found!"

Each person in charge explained the situation in their respective area, and an unusual silence fell over the room.

Immediately afterwards, someone let out a long, thorough sigh of relief, and the sound began to spread around them. As if it were contagious, more and more people began to relax, and the tense expressions on their faces were gradually replaced by a sense of relief at surviving a disaster.

This feeling, like a warm tide, quietly washed over everyone's hearts.

Finally, Li Xiangnan, Qi Zhiyuan, and Fan Deting exchanged glances and all breathed a sigh of relief!

If it wasn't found, that's the best news!

People turned to look at the passageway below the well.

The dark entrance to the cave still seemed to carry a trace of the shock from a few days ago.

That great mother, Guihua, was right there. At the cost of her life, she lifted her child out of the passage, which may have truly created a miracle!

Wang Defa wiped his face with his rough hands, not knowing whether he was wiping away tears or sweat. "This is wonderful... wonderful!"

Fan Deting patted one of his subordinates heavily on the shoulder, his voice tinged with excitement, "Advisor Li, that child... he might really be lucky!"

Qi Zhiyuan put on his shoes, stood up, and looked at the river and the setting sun. "There's always a way out!"

Saying this now is so fitting.

Li Xiangnan closed his eyes, feeling the warmth of the autumn sunset on his body, and the heaviness in his heart eased a little.

"Director Qi, Director Fan, if the child really survived, there must be clues to follow! Expedite the investigation of that case, and at the same time, allocate some resources to seek help from the Women's Federation. In the old coal mine and surrounding areas, focus on asking the older residents if they remember any rumors, such as a family suddenly having a new baby, or a child of unknown origin being adopted by an orphanage. Ask around and try to find this child!"

"Consultant Li, don't worry, we will definitely do this part of the work even more meticulously!"

Night fell quickly, and the main force began to retreat, bringing the search along the river to a temporary halt. However, the related population screening was still underway.

Back at the Municipal Bureau, Li Xiangnan met with Lu Hang, Wang Ming, and Hong Chunlin and told them the results of the search. The three professors were all deeply moved and sighed with emotion.

Li Xiangnan knew they felt the same way he did, so after comforting them for a while, he went inside to see Chen Hanguo.

The boy has been very weak these past few days, and his nerves seem to have been stimulated. He cries and makes a fuss every night, but he has fallen asleep under the influence of medication.

Li Xiangnan still felt lingering fear when he recalled the thrilling confrontation a few days ago.

I watched him by the bed for a while, then tucked the blanket around him before leaving.

Li Xiangnan did not wake Chen Hanguo and told Hu Jianjun about the baby.

At this moment, any uncertain hope would be an even crueler torment for Hu Jianjun's already ravaged soul.

"He hasn't been doing well these past few days?" Li Xiangnan saw Lu Hang waiting at the door when he went out, and knew that he had something to say.

Lu Hang closed the ward door, somewhat worried, and said, "Even when he's awake, Chen Hanguo doesn't want to talk. I suspect that his two personalities are actually communicating on a spiritual level, and he may have silently reflected on the current situation!"

Li Xiangnan hummed in agreement. Perhaps Chen Hanguo's main personality also knew about the current situation of the Hu family, which was why he was in a low mood.

Lu Hang frowned again and said, "Advisor Li, I have been thinking about a scientific theory to explain Chen Hanguo's experience these days, but unfortunately... I am not good enough to understand how such dissociative identity disorder is formed!"

Li Xiangnan said earnestly, "Perhaps, in the near future, scientific progress will give us the answer!"

It was very late at night, and the office building lights were already off.

As Li Xiangnan passed by Director Fan's office, he saw that the lights were still on and he could hear Zhang Zhidong's slightly hoarse voice, as he was having a meeting with Qi Zhiyuan and Fan Deting.

He stood at the door for a while, waiting for the conversation inside to end, before pushing the door open and going in. He saw Zhang Zhidong sitting on the sofa, rubbing his aching temple with one hand. The ashtray next to him was full of cigarette butts. Director Qi and Director Fan were standing at the table organizing a map of the alleys around the old coal mine.

"Uncle Zhang, it's getting late!" Li Xiangnan reminded him.

"Sigh," Zhang Zhidong raised his head, his face showing exhaustion but his eyes revealing surprise, "It's Xiang Nan! There's no other way, the investigation has come this far, we have to give everyone an explanation!"

"Let me give you a massage!" Li Xiangnan walked behind him, placed his hand on his strong shoulder, and said with concern, "Uncle Zhang, the case needs to be investigated, but your health is more important. You are the backbone of Nanwan, you can't afford to collapse from exhaustion! Director Qi, Director Fan, and I will do our best!"

"Sigh," Zhang Zhidong's shoulders and neck, which had been sore from the massage, were mostly relieved. He sighed, "This time, we owe you a lot. Otherwise, how could the case have been solved so quickly! I never expected the case to be so tragic, those four..."

His tone conveyed both shock at what happened back then and anger at the crimes committed by those four villains.

Li Xiangnan could also hear the sigh of sorrow, and even a hint of pleasure, in the voice of the man who lamented the murder of the four men in the street that day.

This is human nature.

"Uncle Zhang, this case... will definitely be solved!"

Li Xiangnan's premonition was correct; only a week later...

After days of intensive investigation and evidence review, the entire task force lost weight, but the case finally made progress.

That day, Li Xiangnan had just come out of Chen Hanguo's ward when Qi Zhiyuan came looking for him, carrying a thick stack of files and with a solemn expression that was both relieved and full of strength.

"Advisor Li!" His voice was steady and resonant, tinged with a hint of surprise as he handed over the case file. "After nearly half a month of continuous hard work, the complete chain of evidence linking Zhang Biao, Sun Lianfang, Ma Taihe, and Chen Xiaoyan to the brutal murder of Hu Jianjun's family of four twenty years ago, and their subsequent name changes and cover-up of their crimes, has been fully secured! All the links, witness testimonies, and physical evidence have formed a closed loop. Take a look!"

Upon hearing this, Li Xiangnan trembled, and almost instantly, his eyes became moist.

Is the truth finally about to come out?