Transcript 064

"What did she say?"
"'I'm fine, you don't need to worry about me. I'm safe right now. I want to divorce your brother-in-law, and I need to stay elsewhere for a few days.' That's what He Ru read aloud.
Zheng Kaixuan made a quick decision: "Call your sister."
"Okay." He Ru replied and dialed He Yan's number.
"Sorry, the number you have dialed is powered off."
"Sorry, the number..."
"It's switched off."
"Get the tech team here. Have them trace the location where the message was sent from," Zheng Kaixuan ordered.
"Yes, sir," Zhao Ming responded and left the office.
"Does this message look like it was written by your sister?" Han Bin glanced at the phone.
"I'm not sure either."
"Has your sister ever run away from home before?"
He Ru thought for a moment. "I remember she ran away from home once many years ago."
"When, exactly?"
"A few years ago, I think. She wasn't married yet at the time."
"How is the relationship between your sister and her husband?"
"It's been fine, as far as I know. I've never heard her mention divorce," He Ru said.
"How old is your sister's child?" Han Bin pressed.
"Five years old."
"Send her another message. Tell her to call you to let you know she's safe when she gets it," Han Bin suggested.
"Alright." He Ru nodded and began typing a message on her phone.
Zhao Ming and Lu Wen entered the office.
"Captain Zheng, you wanted to see me?"
Zheng Kaixuan pointed to a chair and indicated for Lu Wen to sit.
"The family of a missing person has reported to us. They just received a text from the missing person, but now her phone is off. Can your tech team help us locate where the message was sent from?"
"Captain Zheng, this isn't a kidnapping case, so the criminal division needs to submit a request before we can trace it," Lu Wen said with an awkward smile.
"The request process will take at least half a day. By then, it'll be too late. Just check it for me now, and I'll get the paperwork sorted for you afterwards," Zheng Kaixuan pressed.
"Well..." Lu Wen hesitated.
"Don't be so fussy. Be a man."
"What's the phone number?" Lu Wen asked, resigned.
"That's more like it." Zheng Kaixuan smiled and gave him He Yan's number.
Lu Wen sighed, got up, took a few steps, then turned back. "Don't forget the request form."
"Don't worry, I'll write it up right now."
...

"Did she respond to the message?" Han Bin asked.
"No," He Ru shook her head.
"Did your sister take any extra clothes when she left?"
"I don't know."
"Who does your sister live with?"
"My brother-in-law, her child, and her mother-in-law," He Ru answered.
Han Bin looked puzzled. "Why didn't your brother-in-law come to file the report?"
"He went looking for my sister, said he'd ask around where she often goes, and told me to come report it."
After thinking for a moment, Han Bin suggested, "Send your sister another message. Tell her you're really worried and ask her to call you to let you know she's safe, or you'll call the police."
Tian Li frowned. "Isn't that too risky? If He Yan has been kidnapped, mightn't it put her in danger?"
"Send it," Zheng Kaixuan said. "We need to determine what kind of case this is. Otherwise, He Yan could be in even greater danger."
He Yan had already sent a message. If she sent it herself, she's not in danger—just left home due to family conflict. In that case, as an adult, the police have no right to intervene.
But if someone else sent it while she's being controlled, then this could be a kidnapping, which would require a different approach.
Following Han Bin's suggestion, He Ru sent another message.
They waited for a while, but there was still no reply.
"Captain Zheng, Captain Zeng, waiting around isn't getting us anywhere. I suggest we visit the missing person's home. Her husband and mother-in-law might know more about her situation," Han Bin proposed.
"You and Li Hui go," Zeng Ping instructed. "Take statements from both the mother-in-law and the husband."
"Understood."
...
He Yan lived in an urban village on the outskirts of the city.
Inside an SUV, Li Hui was driving, He Ru gave directions, and Han Bin sat in the back.
"Officer Li, turn right up ahead and we'll be there," He Ru directed.
"Miss He, does your sister's family rent or own their home?"
"They rent. Her mother-in-law's family is also from out of town."
"Miss Li, are you married?" Li Hui asked.
"I am."
"You married quite young, then."
"The older a woman gets, the harder it is," He Ru replied.
"May I ask—when you got married, did your husband own a place in the city?" Li Hui glanced sideways.
"No, we're still renting. We live nearby, too." He Ru shrugged.
"Renting's fine. So do I," Li Hui said with a laugh.
After a short while, the three arrived at He Yan's home.
Han Bin got out and took in the surroundings. It was a two-story building with a tiny courtyard, barely more than a dozen square meters. The bathroom was outside in the yard, and the house looked rather old.
"The landlord, an old man, lives on the first floor. My sister's family is upstairs," He Ru explained simply.

The two-story house wasn't large inside. The stairs were outside, made of concrete with iron railings that were already rusting.
There were three rooms on the second floor—two bedrooms and a storage room.
In the east room, a woman in her sixties was playing with a little girl. The furnishings were simple.
"He Ru, have you found your sister yet?" the old lady asked.
"Auntie, these are Officer Han and Officer Li. They're here to help find my sister," He Ru introduced them.
"Oh, you're the police? Please, have a seat," the old lady said, getting up to greet them.
"Auntie!" The little girl ran over and hugged He Ru's leg.
"Good girl, Yuanyuan," He Ru said, picking her up.
"Officers, when will you find my daughter-in-law?" the old lady asked.
"Auntie, we're here to help you find her, but there are some things we need to clarify first. I hope you can assist us with the investigation and provide any useful information," Han Bin said, turning on his body camera.
"What do you mean?" The old lady didn't quite understand.
"Auntie, we just want to ask you some questions about your daughter-in-law so we can find her as quickly as possible," Li Hui explained.
"Oh, go ahead then," the old lady replied.
Han Bin paused for a moment.
"Auntie, may I have your name and age?"
"My name is Wang Zhaodi. I'm sixty-one this year," she responded, a little puzzled. "Aren't you supposed to ask about my daughter-in-law?"
"Just routine questions." Han Bin noted it in his pad and continued, "Has He Yan acted strangely lately?"
"No."
"How is the relationship between He Yan and your son?"
"Why, what does that have to do with my son?" Wang Zhaodi countered.
"My sister just sent a message saying she doesn't want to live with my brother-in-law anymore and wants a divorce," He Ru interjected.
"That's impossible," Wang Zhaodi exclaimed in surprise.
"Miss He, please don't speak during the statement," Han Bin cautioned.
"Understood."
"Auntie Wang, how is the relationship between your son and daughter-in-law?" Han Bin pressed.
"They've always gotten along very well," Wang Zhaodi said, blinking several times.
Everyone has their own way of lying.
If someone blinks too frequently, it often means they're emotionally unstable—a common sign of dishonesty.
Han Bin made a note of it and continued,
"Auntie Wang, how is your relationship with He Yan?"
"Very good," Wang Zhaodi blinked again. "Just like my own daughter."