Absolute power in officialdom

Chapter 64 The Mystery of the Disappearance of Tinghu Mountain Residence

Sun Runcai said in a deep voice, "The last mobile phone number that frequently contacted Su Taohong was registered to a villager named Zhao Laoshuan in Qingshan County, who is 68 years old this year."

Wu Zhiyuan frowned: "A 68-year-old man would frequently contact Su Taohong by mobile phone? This is clearly illogical."

Sun Runcai nodded and said, "I checked the call records of this number and found that it was only recently activated. Apart from the call with Su Taohong, there are no other call records."

Furthermore, feedback from Qingshan County indicates that Zhao Laoshuan claims he lost his ID card more than a month ago while going to the market in town and has not yet replaced it.

Wu Zhiyuan had a bad feeling that Su Taohong was probably in grave danger.

"Runcai, someone used a found ID card to register a mobile phone number and only contacted Su Taohong. This is probably not a coincidence, but rather premeditated, not wanting to leave any clues that could be easily traced."

Sun Runcai chimed in, "That's right. This method is commonly seen in organized crime or premeditated cases where the perpetrators intend to conceal their whereabouts."

The other party was well aware of modern investigative techniques and deliberately used a phone number that could not be linked to themselves.

Moreover, committing crimes in remote, mountainous areas makes it easier to conceal one's movements and uncover clues.

Wu Zhiyuan sighed softly: "Alas, this woman is very foolish and naive. She thought she could manipulate the entire Sang family father and son at will, but little did she know that in the end she would die without even knowing how she died."

As dusk fell, the car entered Longshan Town in Haihe County and followed the winding mountain road to Tinghushan Homestay, located at the foot of Longshan Mountain.

The environment here is quiet and peaceful, far away from the hustle and bustle of the city, connected to the outside world only by a cement road.

Because it is a mountainous area, the surrounding area is only surrounded by rolling tea plantations and dense forests, with only a few scattered farmhouses. It is even quieter and more desolate after nightfall.

The name Tinghu Mountain Residence sounds very poetic, easily conjuring up images of facing a large lake and listening to the waves.

However, there is an interesting gap between reality and the name.

There is indeed a large body of water not far from the guesthouse, but it is not a real "lake", but a pond with an area of ​​over 100 acres, which locals call "Big Pond" or "Longshan Big Pond".

This pond is formed by the convergence of mountain streams and underground springs, and the water is crystal clear.

The main building of Tinghu Mountain Residence was transformed from an old tea factory. With its blue bricks and black tiles, its simple appearance blends well with the surrounding mountain and forest environment.

The guesthouse is surrounded by rolling tea plantations, where guests can participate in the entire process of picking, processing, brewing, and tasting tea.

The guesthouse owner is a middle-aged man in his forties.

Sun Runcai showed his police ID, and the guesthouse owner said somewhat helplessly, "Officer, I've already told the officers from the police station who came before me everything I need to say."

Ms. Su checked in around 5 p.m. three days ago and only booked one night.

She seemed perfectly normal and went straight to her room after checking in.

Around 7 PM, I saw her answer a phone call, and then she went over there alone.

He pointed to a winding path behind the guesthouse that led deep into Longshan Mountain: "It was already dark when I reminded her that the mountain path was difficult to walk on, but she just smiled and said she was going to wait for someone."

Boss Wang sighed: "Who knew that once he left, he would never be seen again."

The next day, when it was time to check out, she did not check out. No one answered the door when she knocked, and her cell phone was switched off when she called.

A few hours later, fearing something might have happened to her, we opened the door and found her luggage still in the room, so we called the police.

That's how it is. Officer, when running a guesthouse or hotel, the biggest fear is something happening to a guest; if word gets out, it will affect your business.

Led by Boss Wang, Wu Zhiyuan and Sun Runcai, carrying flashlights, embarked on the dirt road that Su Taohong had last walked on.

The dirt road is only a few dozen meters away from Longshan Pond. Unless you deliberately go to the pond, you won't fall in.

Even if she accidentally falls into the water, Su Taohong can swim, and she is a very good swimmer.

The dirt road stretched all the way up the mountain. There were only two or three scattered houses along the roadside.

Mr. Wang explained, "Officer, the mountain road leads into the mountains. There are no houses inside, but there are tea gardens. Also, an outsider has contracted a piece of forest in the village to grow camellia."

Sun Runcai said, "Boss Wang, take me to the camellia oil plantation. We'll ask the boss if he's spotted Ms. Su."

Boss Wang readily agreed.

After walking for about twenty or thirty minutes, at the end of the flashlight beam, a relatively open slope appeared, along with a wall about two meters high, built of stones and bricks.

In the middle of the wall is a tightly closed, heavy iron gate.

The iron gate was locked from the inside, obscuring the view inside.

Sun Runcai knocked on the door.

A few minutes later, a man opened the door a crack, poked his head out, and asked unfriendly, "What are you doing here?"

The man is around forty years old, about 1.7 meters tall, with a strong build, and very average appearance.

Sun Runcai showed his police ID: "Hello, I'm from Longcheng Police. I'd like to ask you about something."

Three nights ago, did you see a very pretty young woman walk past your neighborhood?

The man glanced at the ID through the crack in the door, a strange glint in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure and vigilance.

He opened the iron gate, leaving only a narrow gap for one person to pass through.

Behind the door, a stray dog ​​bared its teeth and growled, but was reprimanded in a low voice by the man and reluctantly retreated to the side.

The man stood at the door, showing no intention of inviting them in, and said coldly, "Officer, this place is remote, and this door isn't at the intersection. I close the door as soon as evening comes. I haven't seen any woman, nor have I heard any unusual noises."

Using the dim light coming from inside the room, Wu Zhiyuan glanced around inside the doorway.

The courtyard was quite large, several hundred square meters, with six or seven simple tile-roofed houses, farm tools piled up at the entrance, a large vegetable garden, and pig squeals could be heard, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

But I always felt that there was an indescribable eeriness about this man, as well as an air of isolation from the world.

Sun Runcai continued, "May I ask your name? Are you the person in charge here?"

"My surname is Zhou, Zhou Dashan. I've contracted this camellia oil plantation," the man replied briefly.

"Mr. Zhou, do you live here alone? Do you have any employees?"

"I live alone most of the time. During the busy farming season, I hire villagers from the surrounding area to do the work."

"Have you found anything on the streets around here these past few days? Like a woman's purse, a cell phone, or something similar?"

"no."

"Alright, sorry to bother you, Mr. Zhou. If you remember anything or notice anything unusual in the future, please be sure to contact us immediately." Sun Runcai left a police-civilian contact card.

Zhou Dashan took the card, put it in his pocket without even looking at it, nodded, and didn't say another word. Then, with a "bang," he closed the heavy iron door, and the clear sound of the bolt locking could be heard from inside.

If you continue along the mountain path, you'll reach the top of the mountain.

The three people returned the way they came.

Mr. Wang said, "Now that the tea-picking season is over, there's basically no one on this mountain road at night."

As Wu Zhiyuan pondered what was unusual about Zhou Dashan, he asked Boss Wang, "How much do you know about Zhou Dashan?"

Mr. Wang said, "Zhou Dashan is from out of town. Four or five years ago, he contracted more than 100 mu of mountain land from the village collective to grow camellia."

This person has eccentricities and doesn't socialize. He usually lives alone.

He has a motorcycle, and he uses it to go to the market to buy groceries and so on.

I heard he's never been married and lives alone.

He lived in an abandoned tea factory, which he rented along with the mountain area.

I signed a five-year contract before, and I recently heard from the village officials that it has been renewed for another five years.

There are three households near Longshan Datang.

Both houses were locked.

Mr. Wang said that the two families went to work in the city and only returned for the Spring Festival.

There was another house with its lights on.

Wu Zhiyuan knocked on the door, and there was only an old woman in her sixties inside.