Chapter 4: Thick Fog

  The sky is overcast, with occasional light rain drifting down, and the feeling of stuffiness in one's chest disappears unknowingly.

  Hou Jianjun rode a motorcycle with sidecar, carrying Lu Zhong and Du Xiaohu through the streets and alleys of the county town. Although their movements seemed irregular, they were actually visiting some special marks on Lu Zhong's map.

  According to the home addresses, living areas and locations where the remains of three consecutive victims were found after they went missing, the county bureau had initially defined a possible area where the perpetrator might be. This dangerous area covered almost half of the county town. Police officers visited every household in this area, but couldn't find any clues until finally, Li Weijun was caught at the edge of this designated area.

  Lu Zhong is now back in the originally circled area where the suspect might live, hoping to clarify the clues in his mind in this region.

  The task force was about to announce the case closed, but there was really no one available in the bureau, so Lu Zhong had no choice but to call Hou Jianjun over.

  Before Gao Zhikai can make this case ironclad, a breakthrough must be found.

  Hou Jianjun took Lu Zhong and Xiao Du with him, but in his heart, he was confused, not knowing what he was doing. The case that was about to be closed, Lu Zheng wanted to find fault, and he followed along, if High Zhi Kai found out, wouldn't he be finished?

  Although Lu Zhengwei has lost power, he himself cannot immediately shirk and not help him. From a personal emotional point of view, it is also impossible to do things in such a way that it would be too self-serving.

  Hou Jianjun's current mood is anxious and worried, but as for whether Lu Zhengwei will find any clues and turn the case around, Hou Jianjun doesn't have much expectation. Over the past year, he has become familiar with Lu Zhengwei's style of handling cases, which is similar to his own temperament, but Hou Jianjun also knows that his own temperament is not suitable for achieving great things.

  In front of a yard with a chimney emitting black smoke, Lu Zhong suddenly signaled Hou Jianjun to stop the car.

  The gate of the courtyard is hung with a vertical plaque with white background and black characters, which reads "Guangning County Department Store Ice Cream Factory".

  Lu Zhong exclaimed and said: "There is also a boiler here."

  Hou Jianjun wondered what was wrong with the boiler room. Was it rare? Just now, he had accompanied Lu Zhong to three boiler rooms in a row.

  "Come on, let's go take a look."

  Du Xiaohu smiled and said, "So, the 'Building Snow Ice Cream' is from here?" In the summer, in Guangning countryside, every village would have peddlers selling popsicles on the streets. The highest-end ones were called "Building Snow Ice Cream". Ordinary ice sticks cost 2 cents each, while Building Snow Ice Cream sold for 5 cents. The taste was indeed not bad, but for Lu Zheng, who had tasted all sorts of ice cream and ice bars before, it didn't have any special feeling.

  The large iron gate was wide open, allowing people to come and go freely. Several workers inside the yard saw Lu Zhen and his two companions enter the factory, but they only looked at them with curiosity, thinking they were looking for someone. The social atmosphere is still good now, and small factories don't have much awareness of defense.

  The boiler house is close to the courtyard wall and is responsible for supplying hot water to workers and workshops. The boiler house is very large, with a coal heap like a small mountain inside.

  The old worker who was burning the boiler had a kind face, but his legs were not very convenient, and he limped as he looked at the three uninvited guests and asked, "Who are you looking for?"

  Lu Zhong and the other two were all in plain clothes, so they took out their work certificates to show the old worker. The old worker's face turned serious, with a hint of suspicion, "What's going on? Looking for me?"

  "Take a look around and chat casually."

  So far, the public security police have not been able to truly determine the scene of the crime, and can only confirm that Li Weijun took the victim to his residence and killed him based on his confession.

  However, at present in Guangning County, the only private car is also registered under the name of the Commercial Bureau. Last year, there were not many floating population, and according to the daily life circle of the three victims, it can be ruled out that they were taken to the countryside by the murderer and killed. The crime scene must be within the designated area, which makes Lu Zhong have to think about a problem: how to deal with the large amount of blood produced during the murder and dismemberment?

  In the residential areas of various units, many of the early buildings have shared kitchens and bathrooms among several households. Therefore, the killer would have limited space to dispose of blood through the sewage system, and it would be very easy for someone to discover. If Li Weijun was indeed the murderer, this could explain the doubts surrounding him. As a butcher at a food company, he often brought home bloody pig organs to process, so even if he mixed chopped human flesh in with them, no one would have noticed.

  But what if Li Weijun wasn't the murderer? Then the boiler room could also be a perfect place to commit the crime, with the bloodstains on the coal pile being very inconspicuous and easily burned away soon. Of course, if the boiler room was the scene of the crime, then another condition would have to be met, that is, this boiler room was in a semi-enclosed state, with very few people entering or leaving.

  Lu Zhong asked the old worker with some curiosity: "In winter, we came here and didn't see smoke coming out of your courtyard's chimney?"

  "Winter? In winter, our ice pop factory stops production. The cold storage in the factory is used to store other things for external units, and the boiler room doesn't burn." The old worker said as he turned back to add coal. As he opened the furnace cover with a pair of iron tongs, a wave of heat rushed out.

  "Clang", the furnace lid was closed, and a lot of dust floated in the boiler room for some reason.

  Hou Jianjun was fed up with this cold and hot torture, patting the dirt off his body, cursing: "Damn it, this is not a place for humans."

  This is a bit of an insult. The old worker was good-tempered and didn't say a word, but Lu Zhēn still keenly sensed a hint of anger in his eyes.

  Lu Zhong smiled and said: "Master, there are rarely people coming to the boiler room usually, right?"

  The old worker's eyes flashed with a strange emotion, and then he lowered his head to pick at the coal, muttering: "It's not that, someone always comes." He was very meticulous, arranging the surrounding coal pieces neatly, even not allowing small coal fragments like tofu dregs to fall outside the coal heap.

  Watching his movements, Lu Zhong's eyes slightly condensed. This is a manifestation of obsessive-compulsive disorder, and people with this condition have some mental problems to varying degrees, of course, it cannot be equated with mental illness.

  After leaving the popsicle factory, Du Xiaohu was somewhat dissatisfied with Hou Jianjun's recent words that made people feel uncomfortable. He said: "The old man is dedicated to his work and shines in the most difficult position. Commissar, isn't this what you often say about loving one's job?"

  Lu Zhong smiled slightly, his mind somewhat absent.

  He was thinking of this teacher Wang, before the Spring Festival, when the task force searched door-to-door in this area, the boiler room was on holiday, so when he turned his suspicious gaze to the boiler worker, he didn't notice this boiler room. Now, the boiler room and Teacher Wang have entered his field of vision very prominently, causing many previous case analyses to change.

  The three victims were all killed last summer and early autumn, in other words, at the time when this boiler room was operating normally.

  Today, Master Wang's performance was also very strange. Although the three of them had just been there for more than two hours, and no one else could be seen around, he insisted that someone always came to the boiler room.

  Of course, perhaps Wang Shifu was just because of his self-esteem, especially after hearing Hou Jianjun's unintentionally hurtful words, he lied and said that many people would come to his boiler room to show "this is where normal people live".

  This subtle mentality is Lu Zhong's insight after experiencing all kinds of human nature in his two lifetimes, which he couldn't have felt if he hadn't been reborn.

  But what if it wasn't self-esteem? Wang Shifu had very convenient conditions to turn the boiler room into his criminal paradise, the boiler room was too cluttered, hiding a corpse was not a problem, and dismembering and transporting it out at night was even easier.

  Moreover, Wang Shifu also seems to have some kind of mental distress.

  Lu Zhong thought for a moment and said to Hou Jianjun: "Jianjun, after this is over, help me investigate the background of this Master Wang."

  Hou Jianjun was arguing with Du Xiaohu for Wang Shifu, but in fact he wasn't as childish as Du Xiaohu, and instead liked him very much, just enjoying the argument.

  Lu Zhong helplessly said: "Are you a pair of happy enemies? If it's one boy and one girl, I think you two are quite compatible."

  Hou Jianjun smiled slyly and asked in surprise: "You suspect this old man?"

  Lu Zhong said: "Just take a casual look." After glancing at his watch and seeing it was past 12, he said: "Let's go, let's eat."

  In the county town, private restaurants and snack bars have emerged like bamboo shoots after rain in the past two years. The ice cream factory is adjacent to No. 1 Middle School, and opposite the school gate of No. 1 Middle School, there is a small eatery without a sign, which sells steamed dumplings.

  There were only a few people in the small shop, Lu Zhong and his two companions sat by the window seat, ordered three steamer baskets of dumplings, dipped them in vinegar and started eating. The white cabbage filling was almost meatless, but it was hot and steamy, and quite tasty.

  At another table, there was a young couple, both in their early twenties. The man wore a jacket and looked elegant, while the woman wore a popular light brown female suit and trousers that were currently trending in Wushan. She looked very pretty and neat. Just by looking at how they dressed, you could tell that not only did they work in the county town, but they must have also seen the world and lived in big cities.

  The girl had been sizing up Lu Zhong, and when she saw that Lu Zhong and the other two were about to finish eating and leave after paying the bill, the girl suddenly stood up, hesitated, and tentatively called out to Lu Zhong, "Comrade, you... are you Lu Zhong?"

  Lu Zhong was taken aback for a moment, looked at the girl a few times, but didn't have any impression.

  Hou Jianjun smiled with ill intentions, never having seen Lu Zhong interact with young women before, and really wanted to know how the usually stern and scolding "black-faced" judge normally acted around girls.

  The girl had already confirmed that he was the person she was looking for, and ran over excitedly, saying: "Zhengzi brother, I'm Liu Xiaohui, you really don't recognize me?"

  As she spoke, she brushed up the wisps of hair falling on her forehead and held her face in both hands for Lu Zhen to see, this action adding a few points of cuteness to her.

  Lu Zhong exclaimed, took a closer look and said: "Little fatty?" Looking at the eyebrows and eyes, he gradually remembered who she was. She was his childhood playmate when he was in Nanying. When he left his adoptive parents' home, she was still a little fatty with a runny nose. He didn't expect that after a few years had passed, she would grow up to be so pretty and elegant, and her temperament must have improved as well.

  "What's that!" Hearing Lu Zhong call her childhood nickname, Liu Xiaohui scolded with a hint of embarrassment, her face slightly red. But the great joy of reuniting after a long time soon washed away those few moments of shyness. She quickly asked: "Zhong-ge, when did you come back? Third Uncle and Third Aunt didn't mention it, this year during Chinese New Year I went back to my hometown in Nanying, they also went back, but I didn't hear them say you were coming back to Guangning." Then she said: "Zhong-ge, I recognized you at a glance, your appearance hasn't changed much."

  Lu Zhong's face was still tender, and indeed only slightly more mature than when he was a teenager. Many of his old friends who hadn't seen him in years could still recognize him at first glance.

  Liu Xiaohui's "Third Uncle and Third Aunt" were Lu Zheng's adoptive parents, Lu Guobin and Ma Cuihong.

  Lu Zhong smiled and didn't know how to explain, but from Liu Xiaohui's words, it seemed that his adoptive parents were no longer in Nanying. He couldn't help but ask curiously: "Where did Aunt Cuihong and Uncle move to?" When Lu Guobin and Ma Cuihong adopted him, he was already 8 years old and very sensible. Ma Cuihong and his deceased adoptive mother were close friends and sisters, so he had always called them by their old names. In his heart, however, he directly addressed Lu Guobin by name, because unlike Ma Cuihong who cherished the memories of her sisterly relationship with his deceased mother, Lu Guobin was extremely cruel to Lu Zhong, often beating and scolding him. He had agreed to adopt Lu Zhong solely to have an extra pair of hands to help with chores.

  Liu Xiaohui sighed and said, "You still haven't changed your tone." Then she was taken aback, suddenly understanding the situation, and asked, "Haven't you found Third Uncle and Third Aunt? You don't even know where they live?"

  Lu Zhong now also feels that his past self in his early twenties was a bit excessive, after all, Aunt Cuihong had been good to him, it's just that he couldn't be the master at home, so he said vaguely: "I just came back, so..."

  Liu Xiaohui suddenly said, "So, your family is doing well now and has moved to the city. Three Uncle brought Three Aunt out two years ago and found her a job at the fertilizer plant's kindergarten."

  Lu Zhong hummed in agreement. Previously, Lu Guobin was a worker at the fertilizer plant, while Cui Hong's aunt worked as a farmer at home. Lu Guobin had diligently worked at the factory for decades, and it was only reasonable that he should have been able to bring his family to the city by now.

  "By the way, do you know where they live? I'll take you there?" Liu Xiaohui's face was full of excitement.

  Actually, when he saw Liu Xiaohui, Lu Zhongyuan was not as calm as he seemed on the surface. He thought of many past events, in Nanying, although there were many nightmare-like memories, there were also warm past events, such as his little playmates.

  "Don't be in a hurry," Lu Zhong waved his hand and looked at Liu Xiaohui, saying: "What about you, what are you doing now?"

  Liu Xiaohui said with a smile: "Guess what? Here's a hint, I've achieved my dream."

  Lu Zhong smiled and said: "Congratulations, congratulations! You've really become a people's teacher now. Great, you've become an intellectual who educates and teaches others!"

  Lu Zhong still remembers his childhood dreams, and Liu Xiaohui's heart is also warm. She is a few years younger than Lu Zhong, who was the child king of Nanying Commune back then, the most capable fighter and little devil, and also her idol in the past. Now recalling the bits and pieces of their childhood, it's so carefree and innocent.

  Lu Zhong pointed to the school gate opposite and asked: "Teaching here?"

  Liu Xiaohui said with some embarrassment: "I guess so, but I graduated from a vocational normal school and taught junior high school in a middle school."

  Lu Zhong said: "That's also very impressive." When he heard that Liu Xiaohui was a teacher at No. 1 Middle School, Lu Zhong's heart couldn't help but move slightly.

  At this time, the young man who was with Liu Xiaohui couldn't help but feel dissatisfied, his face showing some discontent. He took two steps forward and asked: "Xiaohui, who is this?"

  Liu Xiaohui burst out laughing and said, "Look at me, I'm so pleased with myself. Come on, let me introduce you...". She stretched out her hand towards Lu Zhong and said to the young man, "This handsome guy is Lu Zhong, the commander-in-chief of our 'Red Movement' in Nanying back then. You can call him Director Lu or Brother Zong." Then she turned to Lu Zhong and said, "This is Qin Mingliang..." After a slight hesitation, she added, "My boyfriend."

  Liu Xiaohui was thoughtful and felt her boyfriend's dissatisfaction, also thinking that she had just been too intimate with Lu Zheng, leaving Qin Mingliang aside which shouldn't be the case. Although Zhengzi was like a brother to her, she couldn't let him affect her relationship with Qin Mingliang, so she made it clear that Qin Mingliang was her boyfriend.

  Qin Mingliang's face slightly cleared, sizing up Lu Zhong. He had heard about this person from Liu Xiaohui's mouth a long time ago, and his impression was that he was just a countryside boy who loved to fight. Now, he estimated that he was probably a big roughneck. But at this moment, seeing the real person, he couldn't help but feel that this young man with a strong masculine aura was indeed a huge threat.

  When Liu Xiaohui mentioned "Hong Dong", Lu Zhong couldn't help but laugh and shake hands with Qin Mingliang.

  "Red Storm" was a youth vanguard organization established by Lu Zhong in his teenage years, emulating the Red Guards of big cities. The full name was "Red Movement Youth Vanguard", and Lu Zhong appointed himself as its commander-in-chief. This "organization" was not recognized by the Nan Ying Revolutionary Committee, but it was well-known among the local youth, with many boys proud to join the "Red Storm".

  "You go ahead, Jianjun, don't forget what I asked you to do." Lu Zhong turned back and gave a signal with his eyes to Hou Jianjun and Du Xiaohu. Upon hearing that Liu Xiaohui and Qin Mingliang were both teachers at No. 1 Middle School, and that Qin Mingliang's parents taught high school, and that Qin Mingliang lived in the residential building of No. 1 Middle School, Lu Zhong had an idea. He was thinking of going to the residential building of No. 1 Middle School to take a look around and see if he could find any clues.

  Du Xiaohu hesitated for a moment, but was pulled out by Hou Jianjun with a smile.

  Watching the green scooter speeding away, Liu Xiaohui asked in surprise: "Zhengzi brother, who are they?"

  Lu Zhong smiled and said, "It's a business matter. I want to do some small business and ask for their help." This kind of three-wheeled motorcycle is only equipped by law enforcement departments, so Lu Zhong just casually responded, as long as he didn't reveal his identity as a public security officer.

  Yizhong residential area is a newly completed residential district two years ago, each unit of the building has an independent structure, unlike old residential areas where kitchens and toilets are shared. Yizhong residential area is also located in the possible residence area of the suspect at that time. If the suspect lives here, it will be very convenient to deal with the remaining bloodstains. The special case team has found excuses to enter every household in the possible hiding area of the murderer. For those households where kitchens and toilets are shared, if they were the crime scene, some clues can always be found.

  However, the residential building of the First Middle School was home to some respected and prestigious old teachers, who were considered high-level intellectuals in Guangning. The special case team did not cast too much suspicious gaze here, and Lu Zhong from his past life was no exception.

  But now, Lu Zhong had no choice but to rethink - what if the murderer was among them?

  Liu Xiaohui was very excited, and said in one breath: "Zhuangzi brother, our village has produced many talents. Xiao Guang was admitted to Beijing Primary School, some work in the city or county government... Oh, and there's also Guo Weisong, who is in the propaganda department of Qinglong County Committee."

  Xiao Guang and Xiao Song are Lu Zhong's best friends, the lively "Chief of Staff" and "Deputy Chief of Staff". Hearing that they have both made a good life for themselves, Lu Zhong can't help but be happy for them. He smiled self-deprecatingly: "Looks like I'm the one who's mixed up in the most awkward situation."

  Actually, Xiaoguang and Xiaosong's pursuit of knowledge is related to Lu Zhong's subtle influence. Lu Zhong's deceased nanny, who came from a wealthy family, was well-versed in the ways of the world and often taught Lu Zhong about morality. Although Lu Zhong had to participate in labor during his primary and secondary school years, his academic foundation was solid. His two close friends were influenced by him to some extent.

  However, if we talk about other people who participated in the "Red Movement", almost all the young people from 7 to 16 or 17 years old in Nan Ying Commune joined the "Red Movement". There were also some older than Lu Zhen, but they couldn't beat him in a fight. They could only acknowledge Lu Zhen's position as the "Commander-in-Chief". At that time, among the children in Nan Ying, Lu Zhen was unparalleled.

  It can be said that many people who "made it out" of the village are numerous, after all, almost covering an entire generation of young people in the commune. However, most still ended up living a life with their faces to the ground and their backs to the sky as peasants.

  Liu Xiaohui sighed again and said: "However, the most outstanding one in our Nanying is still Ma Suzhen..."

  Lu Zhong was taken aback and asked: "Landlord's wife?"

  Liu Xiaohui smiled and said, "You still remember her?"

  Lu Zhong nodded slightly, with a faint impression that the little girl was four or five years younger than him. He remembered that she had been elegant and well-dressed since childhood, looking quite different from the children in the rural courtyard. It was said that her grandfather was originally a municipal leader from outside, who was sent to Nanjing Hospital as the director for reform through labor.

  Because she was different from the children in the farmhouse since childhood, she had the nickname "landlord's wife". At that time, some of the Red Guards were also shouting and running to the Ma family to catch the landlord's wife for criticism. Lu Zhong felt it wasn't right for a group of big men to bully a little girl, so he came to her rescue.

  So Lu Zhong made an impression on her.

  Liu Xiaohui said with envy: "Now she's doing great, I heard her father is now a big official in the city, and she graduated from art school and works as an anchor on the city TV station, and is very popular in the city, and even acts in TV dramas. Just recently, our county TV station invited her to train our anchors, and I heard it was the vice-county head who personally went to pick her up."

  Lu Zhong smiled and said, "Is that so?" He didn't expect the landlady to be so capable, even saying that the landlady's father was a city leader who came to pick him up. Lu Zhong didn't take it seriously, as for official families, they were all like floating clouds to him.

  Isn't that right? Without mentioning Grandfather as one of the most powerful old men in today's Republic, let's talk about Father Lu Tianhe. As the eldest son of the Lu family and a second-generation leader, he is already in a high position at the age of 50, serving as the Deputy Minister of the Central Organization Department, one of the most powerful positions among the regular ministers. Mother Han Jing, like her father, was a female general officer in the Republic's 70s, the youngest of her time.

  He is the true pride of heaven, but as the eldest son of the Lu family for many years, he was left behind as a young child and has been estranged from the Lu family.

  In the following decades, it should have been the heyday of the Lu family, but as the saying goes, "prosperity is followed by decline". With Grandfather's untimely death after failing to outlast some old rivals, Father's retirement due to age, and the defeat of the Lu Group in a series of ideological struggles, the once-prominent Lu family gradually withdrew from the highest echelons of power in the Republic. Moreover, due to some unworthy descendants offending too many people, they were settled accounts after autumn, ending up with a downfall like a tree falling and monkeys scattering.

  But now I must make every effort to change all of this.

  Lu Zhong's mood was slightly heavy as he thought about his past life. Fortunately, Liu Xiaohui suddenly chuckled and pulled him back from that oppressive feeling.

  "Now the landlady has changed her name to Tong Susu, and I don't know if it's a stage name she came up with herself or if her father was originally surnamed Tong," said Liu Xiaohui.

  Lu Zhong nodded and said, "Never mind her, Xiao Hui, can you take me to your school for a walk?" Lu Zhong smiled, but nobody could see that his conversation had just entered the main topic.