Reborn in 1995, Criminal Investigation Records

"Secondhand smoke, secondhand talk, so that's what they're called?" On the way, Dai Yan was both amused and exasperated. The nickname was truly hilarious, as it included both the profession and the name.

It's even highly likely that this Sun Yan is the person who sold the used air conditioner?

Without delay, the two set off immediately.

According to the fellow villager, Sun Yan has been dealing in secondhand home appliances for a long time, and he has a very close relationship with Sun Weixin.

From what he personally witnessed, Sun Yan brought Sun Weixin to buy pig's head meat more than several times.

However, the boss's last words made the two of them a little nervous—they hadn't seen these two people for the past month or two!

An appliance repair shop located on the side of Heping Road in Chengnan Subdistrict.

Zhou Yang shook the lock in his hand, then looked at the wrinkled "Out on business" sign on the door and frowned: "It's been quite a while!"

Looking around, Zhou Yang noticed a public phone stand across the street, where an old man was leisurely listening to opera on a radio.

"uncle..."

The old man stopped fanning himself and slammed his hand on the timer in front of the phone: "Deposit 20, 5 cents within the province, 1 yuan for inter-provincial calls, 1 yuan for calls to coastal areas and further afield. Call now!"

As the old man spoke, he smoothly pushed the red landline in front of him forward.

Dai Yan hesitated for a moment, then took out his identification from his jacket pocket: "Hello, we are from the Ning'an Municipal Public Security Bureau. We need to ask you a few questions!"

"What a waste of time!" the old man muttered.

He slammed the timer on his hand and said, "I haven't even opened for business yet. Calling 110 isn't free, so you have to give me something!"

"Hey, you old man..." Dai Yan exclaimed anxiously, "Calling 110 or other emergency numbers is a legal obligation for telephone operators; they can't charge for it..."

The old man didn't even look up; he just turned up the volume on the radio.

Zhou Yang pulled Dai Yan back, who was about to confront him, and took out three yuan from his pocket: "Grandpa, give me a pack of cigarettes!"

The old man glanced at him, then turned and walked towards the counter: "Which one do you want?"

"Old Huangpi or Baicheng are both fine!" In the end, the old man handed over a dollar and a box of Baicheng tea, sat down, and pushed the phone towards the other party.

"We're open for business! Calling 110 again is free!"

Zhou Yang shook his head, unpacked the package, and handed one to the old man: "Grandpa, if I don't make phone calls, do you sit here every day?"

"Of course, young man, your grandpa may not have any other skills, but I can sit still for long periods of time. To tell you the truth, I can sit from morning till night." The old man said with a proud look.

"Grandpa, your eyesight seems pretty good to me, doesn't it?" Dai Yan leaned closer and lit a cigarette as well.

"Of course! I'm not bragging, but my eyesight is so sharp, as my grandson would say, it's 'eagle-eyed'!" the old man said, taking out two cups from the counter and pouring some cold tea for the two of them.

This was a world of difference from his previous attitude, making Dai Yan question his very existence.

"I can tell!" Zhou Yang chimed in, then, seeing the old man's beaming face, pressed his advantage: "Sir, do you know that appliance seller over there?"

"Secondhand smoke, I'm sure I recognize it!" The old man picked up his cup: "Water, water!"

"Speaking of secondhand smoke, it originated from me. I remember it was originally called... yes, Sun Yan, that's the name Sun Yan." After Zhou Yang reminded him, the old man continued his story.

Years ago, after graduating, Sun Yan spent a few years trying to make a name for himself outside. He ended up following a master from another place and working as an apprentice for two years before finally opening an appliance repair shop on this street.

This guy is worldly-wise and quick-witted. At first, he mainly did appliance repair, but gradually, people would come to his door asking if he would buy appliances that he couldn't fix or that were worn out. Before long, he started not only repairing but also recycling.

They not only collect old items, but also broken ones, repair them, and then resell them. Gradually, their business has improved, and I heard they've saved quite a bit of money in the past two years.

"Grandpa, when was the last time you saw this Sun Yan?" Zhou Yang pulled out another cigarette, and the old man glanced at it before taking it and clipping it to his ear.

"I used to see him almost every day, because he always came to my place to make and receive phone calls. But he bought a pager or something, so he came less often!" The old man curled his lip. "What's so good about that thing? It's a waste of time. It's much more direct to just call!"

Zhou Yang neither agreed nor disagreed with the old man's statement, but simply smiled and did not respond.

"Last time we met..." the old man said, his eyebrows furrowing. "Good heavens, it's been two or three months, hasn't it? Yes, it's been that long..."

Upon hearing this, Dai Yan and Zhou Yang exchanged a glance, a sense of foreboding rising within them.

"Sir, have you seen those people who often come to see Sun Yan?" Dai Yan asked.

"Do they come here often?" the old man recalled. "Besides his wife, there probably isn't anyone else, right? Actually, I don't really know..."

"Sun Weixin, is he the guy from the power supply station who comes to check electricity meters and collect electricity fees?" Zhou Yang asked.

"Right, right, right!" The old man slapped his forehead. "These two have been hanging out together since after the New Year. Judging by their sneaky behavior, nothing good could be going on. What, got into trouble?"

Zhou Yang and his companion did not respond to the old man's gossipy nature. Instead, after asking for Sun Yan's address, they spent a few cents at the old man's stall to make a phone call to the bureau, asking them to check Sun Yan's pager number and contact list.

Sun Yan was married and lived with his wife, daughter, and mother.

When Zhou Yang and Dai Yan arrived at the door, they were startled, thinking that Sun Yan had done something wrong. After Zhou Yang explained, they finally entered the house.

Sun Yan's wife was named Du Niu. She was not tall, wore a short-sleeved shirt with a ripped collar, and had neat short hair. At first glance, she looked like an ordinary working woman.

"Hello, did Sun Yan tell you where he was going before he left?" Zhou Yang asked as the two sat down, while Dai Yan took notes.

"I asked, but he didn't say. He always tells me not to ask too much, saying it's not my business to worry about. Taking care of my daughter and mother is my responsibility. I know nothing about business." Du Niu nervously twisted her hands, her words filled with unease.

"Officer, has he done something wrong?"

"Don't be nervous, we're just asking routine questions. You just need to answer our questions!" Dai Yan paused writing and looked up to reassure her.

"Okay, okay!"

"When did he leave home?"

......

According to Du Niu Niu's recollection, Sun Yan left on April 5th, which was just one day after the Qingming Festival. She remembers very clearly that on Qingming Day, he hurriedly returned from the cemetery and began packing his things.

Du Niu Niu remembers one detail very clearly: less than ten minutes after Sun Yan left, he came back and left three thousand yuan at home.

He also told us that he would be gone for a while this time, so we shouldn't worry. He also told us not to call the police if we couldn't contact him, as he would contact his family himself!

Zhou Yang felt a chill run down his spine: What is this guy up to?