ebookland Chapter 321: The Dark Collusion Behind the Kidnapping Case
Chapter 321: The Dark Collusion Behind the Kidnapping Case
Lei Tao hurried back to the militia compound, escorting the surrendered bandits, his steps heavy and his expression solemn. He knew that Shang Shanhe's rescue of Zhu Erba had made the situation extremely difficult. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he quickly arranged for the militia to detain the bandits, then sent for the new mayor.
A moment later, the mayor arrived, looking panicked. He was frail, his face etched with lingering anxiety, beads of sweat dotting his forehead. Lei Tao hurried over, saluted, and spoke with a sincere yet urgent tone, "Mayor, the Japanese officer Shangshan Heye was involved in Zhu Erba's escape. The situation is critical. Could you please elaborate on the circumstances surrounding your daughter's kidnapping? Any detail could be crucial."
Upon hearing this, the mayor's expression darkened. He sighed heavily and said slowly, "That day, my daughter and several of her female high school friends made an appointment to go out for fun together. They were kidnapped by a group of people near the woods on the edge of the town. Those people had their faces covered and were very agile. My daughter and her friends didn't even have time to call for help. I later learned that it was Zhu Erba who did it. He sent someone to deliver a message, saying that he wanted my daughter to be his wife and demanded a huge betrothal gift. He threatened me not to report to the police, otherwise he would massacre my entire family. I was angry and scared at the time, but I didn't dare to risk the lives of my family. I could only worry." At this point, the mayor's eyes were red and his voice trembled slightly.
Lei Tao listened, his brows furrowed tighter and tighter, and asked, "What happened after that? Was there any other movement from Zhu Erba's side? Did the messenger say anything special, or have any special characteristics?"
The mayor recalled, his face filled with pain and regret. "The messenger was a tall, thin man with a hoarse voice and an accent from another area. He emphasized that they had many eyes and ears, and if I tried to do anything, they would know immediately. After that, there was no news. I was worried every day, not knowing how my daughter was doing over there."
Lei Tao thought for a moment and asked again: "Mayor, have you offended anyone before? Or has anything unusual happened in the town recently? Even if it's a small matter, it may be related to this matter."
The mayor pondered for a moment, his brow furrowed in thought. He slowly shook his head and said, "I'm usually completely absorbed in town affairs, so I'm constantly busy, and my daughter rarely goes out. But a while ago, a man who claimed to be from out of town investigating the tea market stayed in our town for a few days. I once saw him and my daughter standing in the courtyard, exchanging a few lines of poetry. I thought it was just a casual exchange and didn't take it seriously. Could there really be something fishy going on here, and is he involved?"
At this moment, Chen Feiyang hurried in with hurried steps and a panicked look. He quickly leaned over to Lei Tao's ear and whispered something anxiously in a low voice. A flash of surprise and solemnity crossed Lei Tao's previously tense face, and his expression suddenly changed. He clenched his fists slightly, and his eyes revealed a hint of anger and vigilance.
Lei Tao suppressed his inner turmoil and turned to look at the mayor. His expression was serious and resolute, and he said in a steady and forceful tone, "Mayor, when we were interrogating the bandits, one of them revealed that Zhu Erba seemed to be colluding with the nearby security group. It seems that there is more to this than meets the eye. Don't worry, we will definitely rescue Miss Ling as soon as possible."
Upon hearing this, the mayor's already anxious face instantly became filled with fear and worry. His body trembled slightly, and his lips turned pale. The mayor tightly grasped Lei Tao's arm, his eyes filled with pleading and expectation. With a trembling voice, he said, "Mr. Lei, please, please save my daughter. What if the security team gets involved?..."
Lei Tao gently patted the mayor's hand, trying to calm him down. "Mayor, don't worry. The security team may be in trouble, but we are not completely helpless. I will immediately redeploy and plan carefully. We also have clues and will definitely find the whereabouts of Ling Qianjin."
After saying that, Lei Tao turned to face Liu Zishan and the others, his eyes sharp as an eagle, his voice loud and majestic: "Listen! Chen Feiyang and his men continue to interrogate the bandits strictly, not missing any details, especially to get more information about the security group from the bandits who are close to Zhu Erba.
Lei Tao cast his gaze at Liu Zishan and said in a deep voice, "Liu Zishan, you will immediately go and investigate the movements of the nearby security groups. Are their recent personnel movements an expansion or an evacuation? Also, investigate their stockpiles of food, fodder, and ammunition. Also, investigate their covert ties with gangs and other unidentified organizations. Be extremely cautious during the investigation and do not reveal your whereabouts. If you alert the enemy, the subsequent rescue plan and the investigation will be in jeopardy." Liu Zishan replied, "Understood." He saluted, turned quickly, and walked away.
"Yi Guang, I'll have to trouble you to go to the Military Control Station this time. Explain to them that during the bandit suppression in Dahezhuchang Town, we discovered traces of Japanese spies. This is not an ordinary bandit case; it involves collusion between Japanese spies and bandit armed forces. Ask Xu Keming from their action team to bring people to support us as soon as possible. Time is running out and we can't delay even a moment." Yi Guang took the order, turned around and quickly ran towards the Military Control Station.
Watching the group depart, Lei Tao frowned slightly, lost in thought. He knew that as the case progressed, the involvement of various factions would only make the situation increasingly complicated. The most urgent task was to investigate whether Shangshan Heye had returned to their village or gone elsewhere after rescuing Zhu Erba. So Lei Tao found a secluded area, retrieved the intelligent Hummingbird drones from the Bagua Gyro space, activated them, and using a tablet, set up a rough reconnaissance area. He then released them into the designated valley for reconnaissance.
Shangshan Heye ran frantically through the valley, carrying Zhu Erba on his back. His legs felt heavy as if they were filled with lead, and each step seemed incredibly difficult. His rapid breathing echoed in the silent valley, his chest heaving violently, his heart threatening to burst forth. Sweat streamed down his forehead, soaking his collar and mingling with the lingering smell of gunpowder in the air.
Finally, he reached a small river. Shangshan Heye could no longer hold on and threw Zhu Erba to the ground, angrily scolding: "You bastard, stop pretending to be dead and wake up!" As he said that, he ignored his tired body and quickly scooped up a handful of water from the river and splashed it on Zhu Erba's face.
The cold river water irritated Zhu Erba's cheeks, causing his eyelids to tremble slightly before he slowly opened his eyes. Confused, he looked at Uesugi Kazuya in front of him and asked weakly, "Where...are we?"