Chapter 36 Transition
Chapter 36 Transition
At 13:21 p.m., Ning Zhe finished his statement and came out of the police station.
Today, there were three accidental deaths in Gubei Town: Ye Miaozhu, Gu Yunqing, Xie Sining... If Ning Zhe hadn't hidden Zhang Yangxu's body and replaced his identity, that would have been four homicides in one day.
In addition, the causes of death of these three people were exactly the same, with no external injuries, no internal injuries, and no signs of poisoning, yet the places of death were nearly 3 kilometers apart.
This bizarre and sudden death with no trace of any cause is difficult to be classified as an accidental death in any way, and is enough to make any forensic doctor anxious.
"If nothing unexpected happens, we won't have to wait until tomorrow's news comes out. Speculations and conspiracy theories about these bizarre murders will flood bulletin boards, forums, and short video platforms by this evening."
Ning Zhe has always been confident in netizens' ability to eat and cut melons.
But on second thought, he felt that this might not be the case: "But if by tomorrow, there is still no discussion about these three murders on the Internet, and even offline, there is no movement... then it will be interesting."
That means someone covered up the news as soon as possible.
There was still some time until 7pm, so Ning Zhe took advantage of this time to learn about the specific situation of the land development in Gubei Town:
Gubei Town is a small place. It does not have any pillar industries that can boost the local economy, nor does it have any leading enterprises that can create employment.
Be it heavy industries such as coal mining and steel, or cutting-edge technology industries such as automobiles and digital technologies, these industries have nothing to do with this remote and poor area.
Qinzhou's rare earth deposits are indeed very rich, but this thing is a strategic resource and has been banned from development for almost half a century. Anyone caught stealing it will be sentenced to a heavy sentence of at least 15 years in prison.
After going around in circles, the only advantage of this small town is its unspoiled natural environment and its magnificent scenery, which makes it very suitable for tourism development.
The local government hopes to create a large tourist attraction centered on the "Xuanhu Waterfall" to the west of Gubei Town to revitalize the stagnant economy. The large amount of funding has attracted bids from many giant real estate developers.
Among all the bidding companies, Zhang Yangxu's "New World" Group and Feng Yusu's husband "Bai Fugui's" "New Home" Group have the strongest capital and are the two companies with the greatest hope of winning the bid.
In terms of business scope and corporate scale, New Home is actually larger than New World, and the solutions they can offer are also more attractive.
But Zhang Yangxu is a native of Qinzhou, while Bai Fugui is an outsider from Yongzhou. The local government is more inclined to give major orders to local enterprises in Qinzhou, which can better stimulate employment. It is for this reason that Zhang Yangxu has the capital to compete with Bai Fugui.
…That’s what they say on the surface, but how do you say that? When fellow villagers meet, their eyes are filled with tears.
Personal relationships are one thing, and business is another. If Zhang Yangxu does not put out some appropriate bargaining chips and make some concessions, it will be difficult for him to get the person who makes the final decision to give in at tomorrow's bidding conference just based on his identity as a Qinzhou native.
After all, it is not impossible for Yongzhou enterprises to hire people from Qinzhou to work.
The bidding conference is scheduled for 3 p.m. tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, and Zhang Yangxu's main schedule today is to conduct an on-site survey of the geographical conditions around Xuanhu Waterfall and to communicate with the few people who can speak.
"Zhang Yangxu is an interesting person. Even with his status, he is still willing to conduct field investigations in person." Ning Zhe was somewhat surprised by this.
But this is just right, as he was worrying about what to do with Zhang Yangxu's body.
The temperature in the south in June is very high. A few hours after a person dies, a bad smell will begin to emanate, and a lot of air fresheners are needed to temporarily suppress it. In the afternoon, Ning Zhe, accompanied by the driver and several locals, walked through several landmarks around Gubei Town. Many employees of New World Group arrived earlier than Zhang Yangxu, and Ning Zhe only had to check and accept the reports they submitted.
By the time we had finished inspecting all the attractions, it was already 17:47 in the afternoon.
Ning Zhe then sent the driver away and asked him to go to the booked hotel to arrange for food and lodging. He then drove up the mountain alone along the winding mountain road, saying that he wanted to visit more scenic spots.
As a senior high school student, he certainly doesn't have time to take a driving test, but Zhang Yangxu does. He has been a driver for almost 20 years.
Thanks to Zhang Yangxu's experienced driving skills, Ning Zhe drove as steadily as an old dog to the center of the future scenic area - Xuanhu Waterfall.
Xuanhu, to be more precise, should be called Xuanhu. It refers to a high-altitude barrier lake in the valley west of Gubei Town, which is more than ten meters above the ground. The turbulent water flows down from the gap, just like someone holding a teapot in the sky and pouring it down. It is spectacular from a distance.
Ning Zhe stopped the car on a mountain road about ten meters away from the shore. After making sure that there was no one around, he opened the trunk, carried Zhang Yangxu's body on his back, and took a small path into the mountain.
He grew up in this area and was very familiar with the geography of Xuan Lake. Ning Zhe soon found his destination in the mountains in the evening.
It was a deep cave enclosed by a barbed wire fence and surrounded by ferns. The sound of gurgling water could be heard from it, and there was a warning sign with the words "Warning!!!" in front of it.
Most of the mountains near Gubei Town are made of red soil and limestone. After years of erosion by running water, they have become the so-called karst landforms. Deep underground rivers flow in the dark caves, and the cracks in the strata and the dark wells are thousands of meters deep.
"If we throw Zhang Yangxu's body here, no one will be able to find it." Ning Zhe climbed over the barbed wire and threw the body on his back into the cave with ease. After a full seven seconds, the sound of a splash into the water was heard from inside the cave.
After dealing with the body, Ning Zhe, who had no worries, returned to the car and drove down the mountain.
Three murders occurred in Gubei Town in one day. Under such circumstances, it would be inappropriate to hold a lavish welcoming banquet in the hotel. Even if it was held, it would be difficult for the people who should come to come.
Ning Zhe happily returned to the hotel where he was staying. After a simple dinner, he went into his room and waited quietly with patience.
Gubei Town is a small place after all, and the best hotel in the town is not that good. If it weren't for business, there is no way someone like Zhang Yangxu would stay in such a place.
The time came to 19:24 in the evening, the sun set, and the town was shrouded in darkness.
A buzzing sound came from Ning Zhe's pocket, and a call came in at this time. It is worth mentioning that the phone that vibrated was not Zhang Yangxu's phone, but Ning Zhe's own.
Ning Zhe looked down at the number on the caller ID and answered the call while sitting on the bed in the hotel room.
As soon as the call was connected, before Ning Zhe could speak, an impatient and anxious voice came from the speaker: "Ning Zhe, are you okay?"
"Thank you for your concern, I'm fine." Ning Zhe laughed: "Congratulations to your aunt, it seems that you have returned alive from there."
There was a quick breathing sound from the other end of the phone. Feng Yuqin's voice sounded excited but suppressed: "Thank you, Ning Zhe. If it weren't for you, I... I would never have been able to come back alive. Thank you so much..."
"If you really want to thank me, then give me something valuable. What's the point of just saying it?" Ning Zhe said nonchalantly, "Come out and meet me. I have something to know about your daughter Bai Zhi."
For example, why did this girl dream about the scenes in Hejia Village again and again?
(End of this chapter)