I was a rookie reporter in the 00s

Zhang Wanqing nodded and immediately stood up to leave. At this moment, Fu Siyuan suddenly said, "Wait, look at this."

He rewound the video a few seconds, pointed at the screen and said, "Look, this person is holding something in his hand."

Zhang Wanqing and Li Wei leaned over and looked at the screen carefully. They saw the man holding a small box with a red button on it.

"What is this?" Zhang Wanqing asked.

"It looks like a remote control." Li Wei said, "Maybe it's used to control something."

"Control what?" Fu Siyuan frowned and said, "Could it be the cameras in the factory?"

"It's possible." Li Wei nodded and said, "We have to go to the factory and take a look. Maybe we can find more clues."

The three of them quickly stood up and headed towards the factory. Their figures seemed especially hurried in the night. The factory was still pitch black, with only a few faint rays of moonlight filtering through the dilapidated windows. They cautiously entered the factory, carefully observing their surroundings.

"Look, there's a box there." Zhang Wanqing said, pointing to a corner of the factory.

Fu Siyuan and Li Wei walked over immediately and saw a shabby box in the corner, covered with dust. Fu Siyuan carefully opened the box, and inside was some wires and a small device.

"What is this?" Fu Siyuan asked.

"It looks like a signal transmitter." Li Wei said, "Maybe it's used to control the camera."

"Then this remote control is used to control the signal transmitter." Zhang Wanqing said, "This person must be in collusion with the dog dealer."

"We have to notify the police immediately," Li Wei said. "This person might be the dog dealer's insider."

At this moment, hurried footsteps were heard outside the factory. The three of them immediately became alert. Zhang Wanqing and Fu Siyuan quickly hid in the corner of the factory, while Li Wei slowly walked towards the door.

"Who?" Li Wei's voice sounded in the darkness with a hint of majesty.

"It's me." A familiar voice answered with a hint of fear, "I'm Zhao Dahai."

Li Wei was slightly startled, then he opened the door to the factory. Zhao Dahai was standing at the door, a look of fear on his face and panic in his eyes.

"Zhao Dahai, why are you here?" Li Wei asked.

Zhao Dahai took a deep breath and said, "I...I saw that person."

"Who?" Zhang Wanqing and Fu Siyuan walked out from the corner with a hint of surprise in their eyes.

Zhao Dahai nodded and said, "It was the contact person. I saw him enter the village and go towards the end of the village."

"The end of the village?" Li Wei's eyes flashed with a gleam of light, "Let's go and take a look."

The three followed Zhao Dahai along the village road towards the end of the village. As the night deepened, the surroundings were completely silent, with only the sound of their footsteps echoing in the darkness. Zhao Dahai walked ahead, leading them through fields and fields until they finally arrived at a dilapidated hut at the end of the village.

"It's here." Zhao Dahai pointed at the hut and said.

Zhang Wanqing and Fu Siyuan exchanged a glance, feeling somewhat nervous. Li Wei nodded and said, "Let's go in and take a look."

The village seemed remarkably peaceful in its slumber. Zhang Wanqing, Fu Siyuan, and Li Wei followed Zhao Dahai along the village road toward the end. Their footsteps seemed particularly heavy in the night, as if each step was on a taut string. Zhao Dahai walked ahead, frequently looking back to check if the other three were following. A hint of fear crossed his face, his eyes filled with uneasiness.

"Zhao Dahai, are you sure that person is walking this way?" Fu Siyuan asked in a low voice, with a hint of urgency in his voice.

Zhao Dahai nodded, his voice trembling. "I...I'm sure. I saw him enter the bamboo forest at the end of the village, and then he disappeared."

"Bamboo forest?" Li Wei frowned and glanced around. "That bamboo forest is very large. We have to be careful."

The three of them quickened their pace and soon reached the edge of the bamboo forest at the end of the village. Moonlight filtered through the gaps between the leaves, casting a dappled light and shadow. A rustling sound echoed through the bamboo forest, as if it hid countless secrets.

"Let's search separately and be careful." Li Wei said in a low voice, with an unquestionable firmness in his tone.

Zhang Wanqing and Fu Siyuan nodded, and the three of them quickly dispersed, each searching for clues. Zhang Wanqing cautiously entered the bamboo forest, taking every step with extreme caution. Her eyes scanned the darkness, trying to catch any suspicious signs.

At this moment, she suddenly heard a slight movement. It was a low whimpering sound, as if coming from deep in the bamboo forest. Zhang Wanqing's heart suddenly tightened. She subconsciously stopped, held her breath, and listened carefully.

"Who's there?" she whispered, her voice echoing in the bamboo forest.

There was no answer, only the sound of wind blowing through bamboo leaves. Zhang Wanqing walked slowly forward, taking every step with extreme caution. Her eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness, and finally she saw a vague figure.

"Siyuan, Li Wei, come here quickly!" Zhang Wanqing shouted loudly, with a hint of surprise in her voice.

Fu Siyuan and Li Wei heard her cry and immediately ran over. They saw Zhang Wanqing standing deep in the bamboo forest, facing a man in a black coat. The man was a little hunched over, and seemed injured. There was a hint of fear on his face, and his eyes were full of panic.

"Who are you?" The man took a few steps back in fear when he saw the three people, his voice trembling slightly.

"We're reporters, and we're here to investigate the missing dog case," Zhang Wanqing said, her tone firm. "Are you colluding with the dog dealer?"

The man trembled slightly when he heard this, and a trace of panic flashed in his eyes. He lowered his head, as if hesitating about something.

"You don't have to be afraid. As long as you cooperate with us, we will protect you." Li Wei said with a hint of comfort in his tone.

The man raised his head, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes, and finally nodded. He took a deep breath and said, "My name is Liu Qiang. I was forced by them."

"Who forced you to do that?" Fu Siyuan asked.

Liu Qiang took a deep breath and said, "It was the dog dealer's leader, Wang Dashan. He threatened me that if I didn't help him, he would kill my whole family."

"Wang Dashan?" Zhang Wanqing frowned. She had never heard of this name before. "Who is he?"

"He's a very powerful man with a lot of people under his wing," Liu Qiang said. "He often operates in this area, catching and selling dogs, and doing a lot of bad things."

"Do you know where he lives?" Li Wei asked.

Liu Qiang nodded and said, "I know. He lives in a cave not far from here. It's very hidden and hard to find."

"Cave?" Zhang Wanqing's mind moved. "Take us there."