204: Chapter 24 The Sinful "Bald Head"

Tian Jun's pupils constricted sharply; he didn't quite dare to look down as countless tragic scenes flashed through his mind.

His body was also trembling slightly.

After taking two deep breaths, Tian Jun gathered his courage and peered down from the edge of the opening.

A faint, foul stench wafted into his nostrils.

There was a flickering light inside, but it was still very dark, making it difficult to see clearly.

He could only vaguely make out a figure slumped on the ground, letting out a faint cry for help.

He pulled out his phone, turned on the flashlight, and said firmly to Tan Zhuo, "You stay here and keep watch; I'm going down to take a look."

"Okay," Tan Zhuo replied solemnly, his expression incredibly serious.

Tian Jun shook his body to loosen his tense muscles and then climbed down.

By the light of his phone, he saw a woman wearing only underwear, her body covered in injuries and her hair disheveled, lying on the ground.

Her hands and feet were shackled, and the chains on her feet extended into the darkness.

Her face was devoid of color, as if she might collapse at any moment.

Beside her lay a broom; the 'thud thud' sound must have been made by her using the broom.

She looked at the light, unsure if it heralded the arrival of that demon or a savior who would rescue her from this misery.

However, she did not give up and forced two words out of her mouth: "Help me."

"Don't worry, I'm here to save you."

Tian Jun suppressed his rage and spoke with a bitter tone.

Hearing his voice, the woman immediately became agitated and struggled to crawl toward him.

But as soon as she moved, she was yanked back by the heavy iron chains, letting out a shrill and unwilling scream.

"Don't move, I'm coming over right now."

After saying that, Tian Jun scanned the surroundings with his phone and saw a light switch on the nearby wall.

He walked over and pressed it.

The interior immediately lit up.

The scene before him was something Tian Jun would never be able to forget for the rest of his life.

He felt like his heart was about to jump out of his throat, and his breathing became labored.

Stacks and stacks of red bills were piled up everywhere.

Even with just a rough glance, the amount of money here was many times more than what was found in the Cen Minglan case.

It was too shocking.

He moved his body with difficulty and began to walk slowly, his heart sinking further with every step.

There was more and more money, and it wasn't just red bills.

There were also large amounts of change and coins—even one-cent and ten-cent pieces—all categorized and neatly stacked like small mountains.

They silently told the story of every penny of blood and sweat squeezed from the most ordinary believers.

Besides the woman he had seen upon coming down, there were six more women below, two of whom were pregnant.

Their eyes were dull, and they completely ignored Tian Jun's arrival.

Numb and vacant, they were like the walking dead who had lost their souls.

Tian Jun did not communicate with them, nor did he know what to say.

There was only a nameless fire in his heart; he wanted to beat the Baldy to death.

He returned to the opening, took out his phone, and made a call.

Ever since Lu Sihai was promoted to Deputy Director, his status at home had skyrocketed.

Just tonight, his wife had cooked several side dishes to go with his drinks and joined him for a few glasses.

However, he had been waiting for Tian Jun's call, so he didn't dare to drink too much.

Now, with his wife washing his feet and him leaning back on the sofa, he felt that even a god's life was nothing more than this.

Suddenly, his phone rang. Seeing it was a call from Tian Jun, his face broke into a wide grin.

Tian Jun had been on the move for so long before calling; it had to be good news.

He pressed the answer button and said heartily, "Speak..."

As he listened, his expression changed from relaxed to shocked, and finally, he blurted out, "What?"

He stood up abruptly and ran toward the door barefoot.

The foot-washing water splashed all over his wife's face.

"You stay there and guard it for me; even if the sky falls, you stay there!"

"I'll be there immediately."

While putting on his shoes, he shouted to his wife, "There's a major case; I have to go right now!"

Without waiting for his wife's reply, he had already run out.

This night in Yang City was a sleepless one.

The sirens of the 110, 119, and 120 emergency services wailed all night, disturbing the sleep of many.

...

In Hang City, at Wang Bo's home.

After dinner, Chen Shaoping and Zhang Ying were in no hurry to go to the hotel and stayed at Wang Bo's house to chat.

The elders' thoughts were quite simple.

When a child has no girlfriend, they urge them to find one.

Once they have a girlfriend, they urge them to get married.

Wang Bo's mother and aunt were both asking for Li Qian's opinion.

If Li Qian had no objections, the parents of both sides would meet and settle their marriage.

This level of attention made Li Qian blush furiously, and she didn't know what to do.

Instead, it was Wang Bo who generously put his arm around Li Qian.

He said that his parents didn't need to worry about the marriage; the two of them would decide for themselves.

Seeing her nephew had a girlfriend while her own son was still single made Wang Bo's aunt angry.

"Wang Lin, you haven't stopped playing with your phone since dinner. You don't even talk about finding a girlfriend. Are you going to spend your whole life with that phone?"

Wang Lin was already irritable, and being nagged by his mother, he replied curtly, "Mom, I'm busy right now, don't interrupt."

"I'll find a girlfriend. When the time is right, it'll happen naturally."

"Cousin, come over here quickly. No matter what you're busy with, it can wait a moment."

"I just finished getting scolded; now it's your turn."

After Wang Bo finished speaking, he prepared to grab Wang Lin, thinking that having one more person to absorb the fire would make things much easier.

Wang Lin looked at Wang Bo and suddenly asked, "Bo, you guys were also at West Lake today. Did you see the author who wrote that poem at West Lake?"

Wang Bo looked startled. "You couldn't have been looking for him this whole time, could you?"

Beside him, Chen Shaoping also looked toward Wang Lin.

"Yeah, I've been looking for him all night." Wang Lin sighed. "There are many videos of the poem online, but no one caught the author. I'm at my wit's end."

"I even contacted the scenic area management office and requested to retrieve all possible angles of surveillance footage around the Spring Dawn on Su Causeway."

"Brother, why didn't you ask me sooner? Seeking help from others is not as good as seeking help from me."

"I know that author. However, I'm craving... braised prawns."

Wang Bo suddenly realized something and followed up, "Why are you looking for him?"

"This poem is practically a calling card for West Lake. We're planning to engrave it there, so we need to find the author."

"If you know, just tell me. I'll treat you to those braised prawns."

Chen Shaoping's heart jolted. Engraving a poem at West Lake... that was something that would bring eternal fame...

Yet, he still maintained a smile on his face. "Brother Lin, you can't leave out the hairy crabs."

Wang Lin didn't understand the implication, but treating them was a small matter, so he said generously.

"Fine, don't you guys go on one by one. Tonight's late-night snack is on me. You can order whatever you want, how about that?"

"Now can you tell me who it is?"

Wang Bo put his arm around Chen Shaoping's shoulder and pointed. "Brother, he's right here in front of you."

"Hahaha!"

"I also went up and recited one. How about engraving me on West Lake too?"

"You're the person the internet says went down to recite 'Red Lotus'?" Wang Lin rubbed his eyes and then asked.

"That's right, it's me." Wang Bo was confident and proud.

Wang Lin gave him a cold glare, then smiled and asked Chen Shaoping, "Young Master Ping, I wonder if you will agree to our Culture and Tourism Bureau's request?"

"We will also work hard to push for it to be included in textbooks."

"No problem, I agree." Chen Shaoping replied. It would be strange not to agree to such a good thing.