Reborn in 1995, Criminal Investigation Records

"Did something happen to Xiao Tao?" Yao Fengshou asked tremblingly as he saw Zhou Yang and Wang Chao return. He already had a guess in his mind.

This question was unanswerable, and the silence between the two men was, in Yao Fengshou's mind, a tacit admission.

He plopped down on the bed, his mouth slightly open, his already weathered face now etched with a look of utter misery: "How could this happen? First it was Brother Zhong, then the mother abandoned her child, then Zhong Yue, and finally Xiao Tao. God, you're not giving this family any chance at all..."

Once the other party had calmed down a bit, Zhou Yang revealed the purpose of his visit: to find the so-called item that could be used to test DNA.

Even if we assume the case remains unsolved, as long as the evidence is preserved, the perpetrator can be found immediately by comparing it with the national database in a few years. This would mean their efforts haven't been in vain.

However, Zhou Yang didn't think it needed to wait that long.

Just as he said, it wouldn't take more than three days. As long as that crucial piece of the puzzle appeared, the case could be solved immediately. All he had to do now was wait and make sure nothing went wrong.

Yao Fengshou took the two to Zhong Tao's home and his former dormitory, but they found nothing.

Even Zhou Yang was the one searching, with Wang Chao and Yao Fengshou accompanying him, because the two of them didn't know what they were looking for, and Zhou Yang couldn't say either, but he was certain that what had appeared so far was not it.

If he appears, he will definitely recognize him at a glance.

"Are there any other places?" Zhou Yang asked Yao Fengshou.

"Xiao Tao is usually either at home or sleeping there when he's working late. Is that all?" After the ordeal of the past two days, Yao Fengshou was in very poor spirits and spoke weakly.

"I think there's another place!" Wang Chao said, looking at Zhou Yang.

"Okay, then you should go back and rest first. We'll go check on Zhong Yue one more time!" Zhou Yang told Yao Fengshou before preparing to head to the sanatorium.

"How did you know I was talking about that place?" Wang Chao leaned back as soon as he got in the car. "Brother Yang, you have to teach me your mind-reading skills!"

"Alright, alright, just drive your car properly, what kind of mind-reading nonsense is this!" Zhou Yang waved his hand irritably.

Wang Chao chuckled and remained silent.

Zhong Yue was drawing near the wall, just like before, but this time she was alone. When she saw Zhou Yang, he actually greeted her.

"Do you know me?" Zhou Yang squatted not far from her wall, looking up as he asked.

"Yes, I know you! You're a police officer, the one who catches bad guys!" Zhong Yue answered matter-of-factly. "My brother said bad guys get arrested by the police!"

Zhou Yang's heart skipped a beat: "Does Yueyue know what her brother's most precious possession is?"

"Of course I know!" Zhong Yue raised her chin. "My brother said I'm the most important person to him!"

Zhou Yang smiled and nodded: "Then what is Yueyue's most important thing?"

Fortunately, Zhong Yue didn't say "brother".

Instead, after thinking for a while, he said uncertainly, "Little cloth man?"

"Does Yueyue know where this little cloth figure is?" Zhou Yang prompted.

Zhong Yue ignored him and continued writing something. Annoyed by Zhou Yang's questions, she put her hands on her hips and moved to a different spot.

Zhou Yang looked at Wang Chao, who was standing aside grinning foolishly. He should have known that he had come with Fang Duo; at least he could have coaxed her and helped her out.

Fortunately, a savior arrived soon. Yuan Lili had just finished work, her clothes still covered in brick dust. She came in panting with a lunchbox and was clearly taken aback when she saw Zhou Yang.

"Officer, has Brother Tao been found?" she asked casually as she opened her lunchbox.

"We're still looking. We'll let you know when we find him. If he contacts you, remember to let us know immediately. It's the phone number I gave you!" It seems that Yao Fengshou gave her the information.

Zhou Yang didn't tell her about Zhong Tao because he felt it wasn't the right time.

Yuan Lili nodded in agreement, and then took care of Zhong Yue's meal. Zhong Yue was like a five or six-year-old child. After each bite, she would run off and wander around for a few minutes. She would be coaxed back to eat one more bite, and then run off again.

Even Zhou Yang had to admire Yuan Lili's patience; he and Zhong Tao weren't even married yet, and his sister-in-law had already taken such good care of her.

......

"By the way, have you seen the little cloth doll that Zhong Yue was talking about?" Yuan Lili was feeding Zhong Yue, and Zhou Yang couldn't keep watching, so he asked casually.

"The one missing an eyeball, I saw him this morning..." Yuan Lili picked up another bite and handed it over without looking up.

"Where?" Zhou Yang asked, trying to contain his emotions. "Is it in this sanatorium?"

"Yes, it's on Yueyue's bed..." she said, then looked at Zhou Yang, "Should I take you there now?"

"Brother Chao, come over here and comfort her, we'll be right there!" Zhou Yang said, taking the bowl and chopsticks from Yuan Lili and placing them in Wang Chao's hands, before following her to the dormitory building.

It was still a converted old-style dormitory building. As soon as I entered the building, I felt a chill, which was completely different from the warm and cozy atmosphere I had just experienced. Correspondingly, there was also a strange smell.

This is the smell of someone who has grown old.

Led by Yuan Lili, Zhou Yang quickly arrived at a room. The space was small, with six small beds, and Zhong Yue's bed was the one at the very back against the wall.

Yuan Lili habitually stepped forward, smoothed out the thin blanket and sheets, then picked up the pillow and saw a slightly worn-out little rag doll there.

Zhou Yang took two steps forward to examine it carefully; it had taken quite a long time!

"I heard from Taozi that their parents bought these for them when they were little, one for each of them. But after Zhong Tao went to work and Yueyue went to college, they didn't know where they were. They only found them recently!" Yuan Lili explained to Zhou Yang.

This is a doll with a base color of cyan, two long braids, and two black buttons for its eyes. Including its arms and legs, it should be about 20 to 30 centimeters long.

Zhou Yang held it in his hands, examining it from all angles for a while: "Does Zhong Tao know any handicrafts?"

"Huh? How did you know?" Yuan Lili's eyes widened, then her face flushed red: "Brother Tao always says I'm too carefree to do that kind of thing, so he's the one who usually mends and sews things up around the house..."

Zhou Yang didn't laugh, nor would he tell her that he had clearly seen the strips of cloth wrapped around her fingers when she fed Zhong Yue earlier.

Admiring Zhong Tao's needlework, Zhou Yang couldn't find any obvious marks on the little cloth figure. However, he thought that it was impossible for an object that had been around for so many years to be preserved so perfectly.

whole?

Zhou Yang held up the small cloth figure and looked at Yuan Lili: "You just said that this cloth figure was missing an eye before?"

"Yes!" Yuan Lili replied.

She was originally thinking about when to get a replacement, since a one-eyed person doesn't look good. Even if her needlework wasn't great, replacing an eye shouldn't be a big problem; it's just a button.

"Huh? How come...when did you get eyeballs?"

When Zhou Yang held the little cloth figure up to her, she exclaimed in disbelief. The two black buttons that made eyes were perfectly placed on it, looking exceptionally harmonious.