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Chapter 012
Dongfang Jenqyih
Feeling a little anxious, Jenqyih quickened his steps. In an instant, he was in front of his friends. Their faces didn't look worried. Jenqyih felt relieved. But he had to make sure.
"What's wrong? Why are you all standing here? Shinnshiow is fine, right?"
Yihshyong nodded. "Don't worry. Shinnshiow is sleeping. After eating, the doctor gave him a sedative. The doctor said he's still weak. So he has to rest. If we're inside, he definitely won't be able to sleep well."
Yihshyong's words made Jenqyih feel at ease. He watched the faces of the other friends. They all looked calm.
"Is he allowed to eat yet?" Jenqyih opened his mouth again.
"The doctor said he's much better. So there's no reason he shouldn't eat. Even the IV tube has been removed." Iren, swiftly, immediately answered.
"In that case, good." Jenqyih clapped his hands in slow motion. "Shinnshiow must be thrilled to be able to feed rice into his mouth. Eh? The hospital has already given him rice, right?"
"Yes, they gave him rice," Yihshyong said. "Not some porridge. He looked so happy."
"Speaking of rice, have you guys had your lunch yet?" Jenqyih asked.
"Of course not!" Iren uttered those words in a tone that was so enthusiastic. "We weren't as lucky as you. By now, you must be full!" He pointed at Jenqyih's stomach.
Jenqyih shook his head. "You're wrong. Right now, I'm starving." He rubbed his stomach. "How about we have lunch together now?"
"Eh? Didn't you just meet Mr. Jongli in the cafeteria across the street?" Yihshyong raised his eyebrows.
"Yes. But I didn't eat there."
"Why?" Iren looked at Jenqyih with a face that looked so odd. Like a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.
"Jongli said, the food there is expensive and not tasty."
"Has he eaten there often?" asked Iren.
"I don't know." Jenqyih shook his head. "But I decided to just believe what he said. Besides, I want to have lunch with you guys."
Everyone there laughed. Their voices invited reactions from the people who were passing by. Several people glanced briefly at them. They didn't say anything. However, Jenqyih felt a little uneasy.
<<Maybe our voices are too loud. Indeed, the people from Yeuandong are famous for being loud. I hope something like this won't make our image worse in the eyes of the people here.>>
"We'd better not make too much noise. I don't want us to be kicked out by the security guard for violating the rules." Yihshyong put his index finger in front of his lips.
Everyone nodded slowly.
"Let's go to the cafeteria in the basement of this hospital. I'm sure we can still eat the food, because it won't taste too bad." Jenqyih felt it was time for them to move on from there.
Yihshyong nodded. "I agree. However, we can't linger there. In an hour, some police officers will come from the police station in Yuehming. They will have a statement from us regarding last night's incident."
"Who said that? Why didn't I know?"
"Before you came back here, the two policemen who were on duty here said that," said Yihshyong.
"Ah! The two policemen told you. What did they say exactly?" Jenqyih was feeling curious.
"So, they, I mean the police officers who are arriving soon, want to take the statement from Dahge regarding what happened to him. Incidentally, since we are here, they thought that they might as well take this opportunity to hear our statements. In my opinion, this is definitely better. It is not certain that this afternoon we will all be able to return home to sit comfortably in our rather comfortable living room. Therefore, it's better if we finish those things as soon as possible." Iren explained excitedly.
Jenqyih looked around looking for the two policemen who had previously been on guard there. "Now where are they?" His eyes failed to find them.
"They're having lunch." Tsaehorng, who was also standing there, opened his mouth. As usual, his voice sounded so calm.
"No one is on guard here?"
Iren chuckled. "You saw it, didn't you? Now, we are the ones on guard here."
"I mean those police officers. Not ordinary people like us," Jenqyih said.
"The police said Uncle Beeihae doesn't need special care because now no one is going to target him," Tsaehorng said.
<<What about the poison? If it was intentional, then there is a possibility that the culprit will try to harm Shinnshiow again. Did the police not think of that possibility?>>
Yihshyong nodded. "That's why we'll still be here for a while. Let's wait for the police to finish eating, then we'll go to the cafeteria."
"Don't you guys think the cops have been a little careless?" Jenqyih looked at her friends. He couldn't hold back the astonishment that stirred up a bit in his mind. "Even if they think that there is no longer any danger lurking in Shinnshiow, they still can't act like this. There are two of them. So, they should be able to take turns taking breaks."
"Earlier, one police officer had to leave this place first because there was a summons that he said was important," said Yihshyong. "The other person was actually reluctant to leave this place. So, it was I who convinced him to rest for a while. I said that my friends and I would be here until they returned."
<<Still, I think it's against the rules!>>
"That's enough!" You shouldn't get angry over this matter," said Iren. "It must be because you are so hungry."
Jenqyih shook his head rapidly. "Okay, sorry. But, I think, instead of being in a crowd here, wouldn't it be better for some people to go to the canteen first? Just two people on guard here."
Yihshyong and Iren looked at each other. They looked like two kids who had just realized something simple.
Jenqyih turned to Tsaehorng.
<<Usually this kid is quite brilliant!>>
"I've also been thinking like that since earlier. But because the uncles here still seem to want to be here, so I keep quiet," said Tsaehorng.
Yihshyong opened his mouth. "Tsaehorng, you go to the car and take your driver to the canteen. I'm sure he is very hungry. Jenqyih, because I know you really want to eat lunch, so you go to the canteen first. Please order food for us. It's up to you to order what. You already know what we can and can't eat."
Jenqyih nodded. He and Tsaehorng then quickly left the place. Arriving at the ground floor, they immediately separated. Tsaehorng walked to the parking lot behind the hospital building, while Jenqyih headed straight to the cafeteria in the basement of the building. The atmosphere was not too crowded. Maybe because it was a little past lunch time.
It turned out that Jenqyih didn't have to wait alone for too long. Five minutes after Jenqyih got there, Tsaehorng and his driver showed up.
"Sorry it took so long, Uncle. My driver was asleep. So I had to wake him up first."
The driver didn't say a word. Nodding weakly, he just chuckled. His face looked so tired. Jenqyih felt a little pity.
<<Too bad he has to get involved in our business. I hope, after this, Tsaehorng will give him a good rest.>>
"I also haven't had time to order food yet. Just had a look. Now let's order food."
Immediately, they ordered food. As Yihshyong's instructions, Jenqyih did not forget to order food for his two best friends.
Less than five minutes after that, Iren and Yihshyong appeared. When they arrived, the ready-to-eat food was just being placed on the table.
"It means we came just in time!" Yihshyong smiled broadly.
After sitting down neatly, they all ate heartily.
"I noticed that now Tsaehorng has caught us. Just look at the way he eats," said Iren.
Tsaehorng laughed at Iren's words. He was eating even more voraciously than before. They all smiled widely and shook their heads.
Yihshyong later said that the two police officers guarding Shinnshiow informed them that the police had found the two bags and arrested several people. Jenqyih wasn't surprised at all when he heard that information.
"You must have also heard about it from Mr. Jongli. Your face didn't change at all when I said it," said Yihshyong.
"Mr. Jongli said that the police might close this case soon." Jenqyih added new information.
"Then what about Songfei?" Iren's voice sounded worried.
Jenqyih then recounted the things he had heard from Jongli Jyhren. But he didn't mention the part where he and Jongli talked about Shannchyuan.
"So that's what happened. Let's see what the police will say after this." Yihshyong said at a slow tempo.
After eating, they all, including Tsaehorng's driver, hurried back upstairs. According to Jenqyih's calculations, there was still some time before the police from Yuehming came to meet them to take their statements.
The two policemen in front of Shinnshiow's room greeted them with swift gestures. Yihshyong and Iren smiled broadly.
"They're here, Sir!" One of the two police officers immediately gave report. "Because gentlemen were having lunch, they decided to first ask for a statement from Mr. Duanmuh. Currently, they are in Mr. Duanmuh's room."
"Do the police think that the case of Mr. Duanmuh's disappearance is directly related to the case of Mr. Beeihae's kidnapping?" Jenqyih frowned. "All along, I had the impression that the police didn't seem to have that view."
"Of course not, Sir. It seems there had been a slight change in plans. The people who have come are the people who have handled the case that befell Mr. Beeihae from the start. In fact, the people who were supposed to be handling Mr. Duanmuh's case couldn't come for reasons unknown to us. The people who are now here represent those officers."
"Eh? Is something like that in accordance with the procedure that has been in force so far?" asked Iren.
"I think they will only ask a few initial questions. Chances are, after this, another officer will meet Mr. Duanmuh to ask further questions."
"So they won't spend long in Mister Duanmuh's room?" Yihshyong asked.
"Apparently not, Sir. But I can't say for sure."
"If they're only going to be there for a short while, then, later, in a bit, we can get an early start on giving statements." Iren's tone was so telling when he said those words.
The cop nodded. And sure enough, about five minutes later, two policemen came to approach them. The two policemen seemed quite senior. The two police officers who stood guard in front of Shinnshiow's room looked very respectful towards them.
They moved to another room. The police had borrowed a room in the hospital for them to use for questioning. The room was very close to the room where Shinnshiow was being treated. Taking turns, they entered the room. The sequence was Yihshyong, Jenqyih, Iren, Tsaehorng and finally the Tsaehorng driver.
Yihshyong didn't stay in there long. When he left the room, his face did not show any particular expression that Jenqyih could use as an indication of what tendencies occurred in that process. Jenqyih didn't have time to ask Yihshyong anything because right after that it was his turn to enter the room.
Jenqyih also only spent a few minutes. The policemen did not ask in great detail. Maybe because the bags had already been found, their statement didn't really matter anymore. On that occasion, Jenqyih asked about the possibility of a connection between the case and the Shannchyuan disappearance case. The two police officers did not answer directly. They just smiled politely. After that, they said that there was a chance they would ask Shannchyuan one or two additional questions.
As usual, Iren took the longest. After finishing eating, of course Iren was full of energy. That meant he could spend hours telling the cops. Jenqyih almost laughed to himself when he imagined the faces of those two police officers when they tried to stop the chatter that came out of Iren's mouth.
Tsaehorng didn't stay inside long, either. After the young man left the room, he said the two policemen asked them all to come inside to hear the latest on the case, as soon as they finished questioning Tsaehorng's driver.
"Earlier we heard a little from Jenqyih, who got information from Mr. Jongli. So later, if it turns out there is the same information, we have to act that this is the first time we hear about it," said Yihshyong.
"We already know from the two police guarding Shinnshiow that the police have found the two bags," said Iren.
"But they didn't say in detail," said Yihshyong.
"Okay," Jenqyih said. "This is normal for us."
Everyone, including Tsaehorng, nodded.
"What about your driver?" Yihshyong asked.
"Uncle, please don't worry. My driver knows how to act." Tsaehorng convinced Yihshyong.
Less than five minutes later, Tsaehorng's driver came out of the room. His face looked normal. He said the two cops asked them all to come in.
"Good afternoon, gentlemen." One of the policemen greeted them all when they were all back in the room.
"Good afternoon." They all answered in unison.
"To shorten the time, we will now explain the latest developments in the case we are handling."
Jenqyih and his friends were ready to listen to what the police had to say. The two police officers in front of them looked in stark contrast. One policeman had dark skin, curly hair, enormous eyes, a flat nose, mustache, and thick lips. Meanwhile, the other policeman had light skin, straight hair, narrow eyes, a sharp nose, and a clean-shaven face.
The dark-skinned police quickly provided photos of their find. Jenqyih looked at the photos of the two bags and the places where they were found.
"These two bags were found in separate locations. Completely separate, in the sense that the two locations were quite far apart. So we think the criminals deployed two different teams in retrieving these two bags." The mustachioed policeman seemed quite sure of what he was saying.
"So we will go through them one by one. I will start with the bag that Mr. Nangong and Mr. Mingju brought." The other policeman, the light-skinned one, added to his partner's words.
The thick-lipped policeman was ready to open his mouth again.
"One moment, Sir," Tsaehorng suddenly raised his right hand.
"What's wrong, Mister Mingju?"
"Can my driver go back to the car? Hasn't he finished giving his statement?"
"Please, Sir."
Tsaehorng's driver then left the room.
"Where did you send him?" Yihshyong asked.
"Earlier, I called another of my employees. I asked two people to come to this hospital with a car. So, at this time, I think my two employees are already waiting in the lobby on the ground floor of this building. One of my employees will still sit in the lobby to wait for us. Meanwhile, my other employee will go to the parking lot where there is the car that brought us here. Later, he will bring my driver, who just left this room, to his house. After that, he'll take the car to the parking lot at the exhibition."
<<Oh! So we're going home in a different car!>>
Yihshyong nodded at Tsaehorng's explanation. Jenqyih didn't dare to guess what was actually on Yihshyong's mind at this moment.
"Mr. Mingju? Can I continue my explanation?" asked the cop.
"Please, Sir," said Tsaehorng.
The police then told them the things that Jenqyih had heard before from Jongli. There were several additional information which contained technical matters that the police were doing. The point was that the police finally managed to find the bag that was previously carried by Iren and Tsaehorng. But unfortunately, the bag was no longer intact. The kidnappers apparently tried to burn the bag. When the police got there, no one was around the burning bag. Police tried to put out the fire, but only a third of the bag was not burned.
"What about the contents of the bag?" asked Iren. "Did it catch fire?"
"The bag is empty, sir. After checking every corner of the place, we found no remains of the items that were previously in the bag. So it seems they took the items out of the bag, then burned the bag ."
"Wait a minute! Those aren't the actual ransom items. Why would they run away with its contents?" Iren's facial expression looked strange. "And why did they have to burn the bag?"
"We don't know why they took the stuff away, but maybe they burned the bag to damage the transmitter we put in the bag. It's waterproof, so even if it's immersed in water, it won't break immediately. We've already tested it. After the device sank in the water, it took about six hours before the tool broke."
"No clues in that place?" Yihshyong asked.
"Regarding this, the forensic team is still researching the place. If there are any recent developments, we will let you know."
Then it was the turn of the other policeman to tell what had happened to the other bag, the bag Yihshyong and Jenqyih were carrying.
"Sorry, Sir," Jenqyih raised his hand.
"What's wrong, Mister Dongfang?"
"Can I use the restroom for a moment? I don't feel well in my stomach. Maybe I ate something wrong earlier."
"What happened to you?" Yihshyong asked.
"I think I'll be fine. After going to the restroom for a bit, I'll definitely recover in no time."
"If you still don't get better, you should see a doctor," said Iren.
"Take it easy, Uncle," Tsaehorng said. "Right now we're in the hospital."
Jenqyih smiled at the police officer. "You don't have to wait for me to come back here. Please, just start your presentation."
"All right, Sir. I hope you get well soon." The cop nodded.
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