Siheyuan came through and sent Jia Zhang to prison

Mo Wen, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, quickly shook his head, putting on an innocent look: "I was only transferred here last month, and I really don't know anything. I only know that some time ago, the coal in the warehouse suddenly became less. At first, I thought it was a mistake in the accounting, but after checking several times, the accounts didn't match up, and I realized that it was really missing. As for how it was missing, who did it, I have no clue no matter how I investigate, otherwise I wouldn't have troubled you to come all this way in person."

He Feng glanced at him sideways, a half-smile playing on his lips, his tone probing: "Oh? You really don't know anything? You didn't even notice which worker suddenly had some extra money recently, or who's been hanging around the warehouse all the time?"

"Absolutely true!" Mo Wen nodded frantically, shaking his neck so hard it felt like he was swearing. "Director He, I'm not good with words, I don't know how to lie, and I don't like to pry into other people's business. If I really know anything, I'll tell you everything, I wouldn't dare to hide anything! You can rest assured!"

He Feng sneered inwardly—it was all just perfectly platitudes, not a single useful word. It seemed the mine was more murky than he'd imagined, and many people were probably involved. He didn't press further, chatting casually with Mo Wen about the mine's production progress, but his eyes kept glancing at Ma Xin, watching her use tweezers to pick up a small piece and put it into an evidence bag, which made him feel slightly more at ease.

Right now, everyone's eyes are focused on Ma Xin, as if all hope of solving the case rests on her investigation. The mine has seen a series of deaths and thefts, but clues are scarce. Even experienced detectives have been stumped, and they can only hope that Ma Xin can find a breakthrough from those overlooked details.

On the other side, Ma Xin was squatting in the ruins of the mine warehouse, carefully searching through the mess. She was unaware that people outside were eagerly waiting, and she was just using her professional instincts to examine the chaotic scene inch by inch—overturned shelves, scattered tools, trampled sacks... In the midst of the mess, countless hidden secrets seemed to be concealed.

Her fingertips brushed against a mud-covered wooden plank, and she suddenly stopped. Beneath a pile of discarded hemp rope in the corner, a small piece of cloth peeked out; on the dark fabric, faintly stained with dark red marks. She carefully parted the rope and pulled out the cloth—no bigger than her palm, its edges irregularly torn. Upon closer inspection, the marks were indeed dried blood. Aside from that, nothing else was found in the warehouse; there were no obvious signs of a struggle, nor any suspicious fingerprints or footprints.

Ma Xin stood up, clutching the piece of cloth, dusted off her hands, and stepped out of the warehouse. She saw He Feng and Mo Wen talking not far away. Mo Wen, a man close to Director Jiang, looked anxious and kept glancing towards the warehouse.

He Feng saw her first and called out, "Ma Xin, how's it going? Did you find anything?" As he spoke, he subtly gave her a look—a look that carried a hint of caution and a subtle, almost imperceptible, implication.

Ma Xin's heart skipped a beat, and she instantly understood He Feng's meaning. With Mo Wen here, there were some things she shouldn't announce on the spot, lest she alert the enemy.

Mo Wen quickly came over, his face showing urgency: "Comrade Ma Xin, is there any new discovery? Director Jiang is still waiting for news." He was obviously there to find out the progress, and his eyes revealed a hint of unease.

Ma Xin composed herself, looked at He Feng, and said in a calm tone, "Director, I have indeed found some things, but I'm not entirely sure. Let's go back and talk about it later; there are too many people around here."

He Feng nodded, satisfied with the answer: "Okay, then let's go back first."

He turned to Mo Wen, who still wanted to ask more questions, and said in a tone that was neither too soft nor too hard: "Comrade Mo Wen, then you should go back and tell Director Jiang that we will go back to the bureau to organize the clues. Once we have definite results, we will report to him as soon as possible."

Mo Wen wanted to say something more, but He Feng's unwavering gaze silenced him. He Feng had already turned and walked out side by side with Ma Xin. Their steps were slow, yet they exuded an unspoken understanding that brooked no disturbance.

Once they were out of Mo Wen's sight and out of the mine's gates, He Feng lowered his voice and asked, "Did you really find out something?"

Ma Xin nodded, took out the piece of cloth that was wrapped in an evidence bag from her pocket, and handed it over: "Chief, this is what I found in the corner of the warehouse. There is blood on it."

He Feng took the piece of cloth and examined it carefully against the light. The cloth was rough, like the work clothes fabric often worn by miners. Although the bloodstains had dried, the shape of the edges showed that they were splattered. He held a corner of the evidence bag and pondered, "Although it's just a small piece, it's at least giving us a direction. The bloodstains mean that there must have been a conflict here, not just a simple theft. Okay, let's go back to the station and have the forensic department analyze the blood type and the composition of the cloth. Maybe we'll find something new."

Ma Xin nodded and followed He Feng towards the parking lot. She couldn't help feeling frustrated—after working for most of the day, all they found was this insignificant little fragment, with no idea whose blood it was or how it was left there; it hardly amounted to a major breakthrough. She clenched her fist, thinking to herself: I must keep a close eye on the test results when we get back.

As soon as He Feng and Ma Xin left the mining area, Mo Wen, as if he'd been burned, hurriedly turned and ran towards the office building. His heart was pounding; Ma Xin's focused gaze during the survey and He Feng's subtle questioning had made his neck stiff. He rushed into the office building, just in time to find the conference room door open. Jiang Hu was sitting at the head of the table, holding a document, his brow furrowed as he spoke to several cadres.

Mo Wen didn't dare interrupt rashly and waited at the door until someone noticed him and reminded Jiang Hu. Jiang Hu glanced up and saw him, a hint of surprise in his eyes—coming at this hour must mean something urgent. He waved for the others to leave, and only when the two of them were left in the room did he ask, "What's wrong? Why are you in such a hurry? What did they find out?"

Mo Wen swallowed hard, his heart pounding. He had clearly seen Ma Xin use tweezers to pick up a small piece and put it into the evidence bag. The object looked like a scrap of oily fabric, which might be the key clue. He wanted to tell the truth, but the words caught in his throat—he knew Jiang Hu's personality all too well. The man seemed gentle, but he was actually very calculating. If he revealed that Ma Xin had found the clue, given Director Jiang's style, he might immediately try to cut off the lead. If things went wrong and He Feng and the others found out, he would definitely be implicated. More importantly, if this matter was handled poorly, his standing in Director Jiang's eyes would be greatly diminished, making it much harder for him to climb the ranks in the future.