Chapter 840: Secrets in the Cellar
Chen Shi picked up the ashes from the ground and remarked, “These were burned last night.”
Lin Dongxue replied, “Those two must be in this village. Big sister, does anyone rent a warehouse or granary in the village?”
“There’s a granary to the west of the village. It used to store state reserves but was abandoned and rented out to those who collect rice…” The woman picking rice glanced around. “Even if this year’s rice is poor, burning it is wasteful. We’ll be cursed. Sigh!”
Lin Dongxue excitedly glanced at Chen Shi, who said, “I’ll park the car nearby quietly. If they’re still here, we’ll call for backup.”
To the west of the village was a large white house surrounded by birch trees. On the wall was painted, “Strictly No Open Flames in the Warehouse Area.” This was the granary. As they approached, Lin Dongxue held her gun at the ready. Chen Shi peered through the window and said, “It’s empty. They’ve moved everything.”
“But what about the missing police officers… Please don’t tell me they’ve been silenced,” Lin Dongxue expressed concern. Two police officers had been missing for four to five days, driving the local station crazy with daily calls to the city bureau.
The door to the granary wasn’t even locked. They pushed it open, greeted by the scent of rice and dust. Some broken woven bags lay on the ground, footprints marked in the dust. Chen Shi tried not to disturb the footprints as he picked up a small leaf and sniffed it. Just by the scent, it was hard to tell if it was rice or marijuana.
“Old Chen, there’s another room here.”
Lin Dongxue pushed open a small door, and inside they found a small room. Suddenly, Lin Dongxue exclaimed. Hanging from the ceiling was a figure in a police uniform. As their eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room, they realized it was a dummy made of rice stalks, dressed in a police uniform—a prank left behind by the rice collectors.
Chen Shi took down the dummy and checked the police badge. “Is this from one of the missing officers?”
“Yes, that’s a police badge.”
“I have a question. They weren’t carrying guns, were they?”
“No, they were just mediating a civil dispute that day. They wouldn’t have guns.”
“That’s a relief… These two are quite audacious, playing such a prank. They didn’t think to use their police status to escape.”
“Using their police uniforms, driving a police car, pretending to transport important items, and smuggling marijuana out of the city. It would make it difficult for us to trace them.”
“That’s your outsider’s perspective. These two are just scared thieves. They wouldn’t dare do such a thing.”
“Where do you think they’ve gone? It’s not about the people; it’s about the marijuana. Although there’s less marijuana than rice, it’s still several tons. Where could they have hidden it?”
“Let’s ask around the village!”
After some thought, Chen Shi said, “Let’s find a few of the rice collectors in the village!”
Four Horse Village should have had five rice collectors. Three were unavailable. When they finally reached the fourth house, the door was opened cautiously. A disheveled middle-aged man peered out. When he saw their police badges, he suddenly became alert. “What’s the matter?”
“Mu Wei and Luo Chuanlong, do you know them?”
“I know them. They collect rice and rent a warehouse in the village…” The man’s confidence faltered.
There was some commotion inside the house. Chen Shi glanced towards the door and asked, “Is someone there?”
“It’s my… my mistress…” The man blushed. “People gossip a lot in the village. Please don’t tell anyone.”
“Can you get in touch with these two?” Chen Shi asked again.
The man left for a moment and returned with a phone. “Looks like I can’t reach them. Shouldn’t you check other villages? They’ve been collecting rice all over the place recently. Who knows where they could be?”
“We’ll go there, but do you know anything about them? You must tell us everything.” Chen Shi’s gaze sharpened.
The man hesitated, “They’re just rice collectors. What can I say…”
“How much do you earn in a year? Has anyone among the rice collectors gone missing? Have you ever tasted the rice from your own field?” Chen Shi stared into the man’s eyes.
The man broke into a cold sweat. “I… I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m just a simple farmer. You’re interrogating me like I’m a criminal!”
Similar responses from these rice collectors had become their defense mechanism. Little did they know, many of them would soon face criminal punishment.
“Are the rice collectors still in the village?” Chen Shi changed tactics, probing for information.
“No… they’re not.”
“Did you see them yesterday?”
“No.”
Chen Shi could tell he was starting to panic.
“When they left, did they ask you to do anything?”
“No.”
“Alright, thank you…”
The man breathed a sigh of relief, but Chen Shi said, “Sorry, but we need to search your home.”
“Why? I haven’t done anything illegal.”
“Please cooperate.”
Frowning deeply, the man eventually relented. The two searched every room. When they reached the bedroom, a woman sitting up in bed covered her head and mumbled, “Has he done something illegal?”
“Are you from the village?” Lin Dongxue asked.
“No, from a neighboring village…”
“What do you do?”
“Farming… Has he done something illegal?”
“I can’t answer that. By the way, is your lover wealthy?”
“He’s quite generous usually. When I ask where the money comes from, he says his superior rice variety earns him more.”
“Did anyone visit him last night?” Chen Shi asked.
“I don’t know. I only came this morning. He went to work in the city this morning.” After a pause, the woman added, “We had an argument this morning.”
“Why?” Lin Dongxue inquired.
“I opened the cellar while he was out buying cigarettes, wanting to take some wild boar meat to fry. When he came back, he scolded me. I don’t know why he was so nervous. Is there a dead body hidden inside?”
“Where’s the cellar?”
The woman lifted a corner of the blanket and pointed with her hand, “Behind that dresser in that room.”
Accidentally obtaining this crucial information, the two moved the furniture and found a wooden door underneath. Chen Shi opened it, revealing a staircase. He descended, while Lin Dongxue called from above, “What do you see?”
“A body!”
“Really!?” Lin Dongxue ran down. In the less than four square meters of the cellar were some vegetables and salted meat. She asked where the body was, and Chen Shi pointed to the salted meat. “This.”
Lin Dongxue punched him. “Are you joking?”
Chen Shi noticed that the vegetables on the ground were already rotten, oozing a foul smell that filled the cellar. He picked up a plant and noticed a layer of plastic underneath, beneath which was a large bundle of brown leaves.
The two exchanged surprised glances. Chen Shi said, “Marijuana leaves!”
Chen Shi swept the rotten vegetables to the ground, revealing a pile of marijuana leaves, weighing several dozen kilograms…