401: Chapter 401 Fraud Case

Today was the twenty-eighth, and many people had already adjusted their schedules to go sweep tombs.

This date was extremely important to those who held strong ties to their hometown.

Some of their closest relatives were even buried here; after being busy elsewhere for a year, it was time to return for the New Year and pay a visit.

To see this place, and to see those who had passed away.

... ...

The group had just come down from the mountain, their faces still showing a touch of melancholy and loss.

Just moments ago, they had gone to visit the grave of a crucial relative who had passed away the year before last.

And very quickly!

They seemed to have noticed something.

Hmm!?

Up ahead...

Police officers??

Upon noticing the police cars parked ahead, the group that had just descended the mountain froze, their expressions quickly becoming tense.

Was there some danger nearby?

Or had a mountain fire broken out?

Or had some other incident occurred...

Just as they were lost in speculation, one of the police officers called out to them.

"You all... come over here!"

The officer took a slight breath and spoke with robust energy!

The inherent authority of a police officer was fully displayed!

Imposing even without anger!

The villagers in the hamlet had lived honest lives their entire existence and had never done anything immoral.

But facing the police now, they still felt that sense of the common people confronting officials, something almost imprinted in their genes.

"What is this about?"

One of the bolder individuals stepped forward.

If you have a clear conscience, you don't fear a ghost knocking at the door; they naturally stood tall and upright.

Hearing this, the officer's tone softened slightly.

But his expression remained serious.

They immediately asked, "Is there a person named Lin Heng around here?"

At these words, everyone suddenly paused.

Hmm!?

How did they trace it back to Lin Heng?

Or had that fellow committed some kind of offense?

Looking at the large number of police officers present now, even the police cars were numerous—it was clearly no small matter!

Hiss...!

Good heavens!

What on earth did Mr. Lin do??

The crowd subconsciously sucked in a cold breath.

The person who had spoken with robust energy moments ago now felt a bit uneasy.

Since the police had arrived, it naturally wouldn't be without reason!

He cautiously asked, "This... do you happen to know what bad thing Lin Heng did?"

Upon hearing this, the officer's brow twitched slightly, further confirming that these people before him were connected to Lin Heng.

He immediately became serious.

"Lin Heng might be involved in a fraud case, involving a very large sum of money!"

"We need to investigate Lin Heng now!"

What!?

At these words, everyone was instantly shocked.

If the police stated that the amount involved was substantial, it could only mean this matter was truly enormous.

That money... it certainly couldn't be small!

Previously, they had heard that when Lin Heng passed by the village entrance, he had given each of the Village Entrance Aunties a check for one million.

Good heavens!

That connects!

Everyone quickly understood.

They all felt like thorns were pricking their backs, and their complexions were far from good.

Gulp...

They subconsciously swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

No wonder they heard earlier that the old women had returned the checks; it turned out it wasn't because they disliked the money, but because the money was unclean!

Before, they had all assumed it was just a gimmick, especially since the news stopped at the Village Entrance Aunties, and even if someone accidentally let it slip, they were unwilling to say more.

Saying too much might ruin a young man's future, so they planned to handle it quietly.

As a result, everyone assumed it was just a joke and didn't take it seriously.

However, they never imagined that all of it was actually true!

Hiss...!

After coming back to their senses, they sucked in another cold breath; their expressions could no longer be described as merely complex.

"Hmm! ?"

At this moment, the police officer gradually raised his volume.

He snorted heavily, then continued coldly:

"You all know the consequences of withholding information!"

"Furthermore, anyone who shelters a criminal or colludes with a criminal will also face legal action! The amount Lin Heng is implicated in is huge! It's possible that you might spend the rest of your lives in prison!"

At these words, everyone froze, their faces quickly turning ashen.

Tsk...!

They didn't expect it to be this serious?

They quickly licked their dry lips and immediately confessed honestly.

"We did hear something about Lin Heng not long ago, but we didn't know this was the proceeds of his illegal activities..."

"After all, he's a University Student, and he's involved in international trade; earning a lot of money is reasonable. Moreover, he only returns once a year. How were we to know what he was really doing? Besides, this news didn't spread widely, so it wasn't easy for us to say much..."

"We didn't expect it to be this serious."

The villagers feigned innocence.

However, the police didn't have the spare time to waste talking nonsense with these people.

They just wanted to know where Lin Heng was right now.

"Whether this matter concerns you or not, you only need to tell us where Lin Heng is!"

During the New Year, anyone encountering such a situation would likely have a terrible time.

Especially for public servants like them.

Upon hearing about the situation here, they immediately put on their uniforms and rushed over.

"Oh..."

The crowd slowly breathed a sigh of relief.

Then they pointed behind them.

"At this time, Lin Heng should be burning paper offerings on the mountain; he'll probably be coming down soon."

"The mountain?"

The police officer paused.

They turned their heads...

Good heavens!

It was so dense, comparable to the most primitive forest.

It would be a miracle if they could find anyone up there!

The expressions of the villagers were also grim.

"Why don't you wait a moment? I estimate that what you mentioned isn't something Lin Heng did, and if he really committed a crime, he probably wouldn't have returned at such a critical juncture."

Seeing this, the villagers hesitated, then slowly said.

At these words, the faces of the police officers darkened.

Just then, a person who looked like a captain stepped out from the crowd.

He had a square face and an upright demeanor.

He said with a grim expression:

"Maybe he went hiding in there precisely because he knew we were coming!"

He glanced at the dense, almost impenetrable primeval forest ahead, gritted his teeth, and declared:

"Today, no matter what, I must find Lin Heng!"

"This is an order!"

At these words, numerous police officers showed expressions of difficulty.

However...

They also had no choice.

Even if the chance was slim, they could not give up.

The eyes of the group gradually became resolute.