I Cultivate in a Government Office

Chapter 158: Chapter 105: Vice Director Gao’s Breakthrough in Seclusion

Liu Min’s appearance was a far cry from her usual meticulous and capable image. Her face was etched with clear exhaustion. She closed the door behind her and, before Yang Wenqing could speak, placed a thick manila envelope on his desk.

"Yang Group Leader..." Liu Min’s voice was filled with deep anxiety. "Something is really wrong in Lingshan Town."

Yang Wenqing put down his pen and gestured to the chair opposite him. "Sit down. Take your time and tell me everything." He picked up his communicator and quietly instructed Liu Qin outside not to let anyone disturb them for the time being.

Liu Min sat down and caught her breath before pointing at the envelope. "This contains all the official and unofficial records of missing persons from the Lingshan Town construction zone and the surrounding temporary settlements over the past three months. They’ve vanished without a trace—no sign of them, dead or alive. And it’s been happening every few days."

Yang Wenqing opened the envelope and pulled out a thick stack of documents. There were handwritten notes, rubbings of crudely made police reports, construction crew rosters with remarks on missing members, and even some oral accounts gathered through private inquiries. The time, location, individuals involved, and general circumstances were all recorded. Though varying in detail, everything was clearly organized. It was obvious Liu Min had put an immense amount of effort into this.

A quick look revealed a shocking total of eighty-seven missing people!

The disappearances spanned from when the exploratory teams first arrived during the preparatory phase to the recent start of large-scale construction. They occurred every few days, and the frequency had even been increasing lately. The victims came from all walks of life: low-level technicians from the survey teams, strong laborers from the construction crews, drifters who had heard of the project and come to the area hoping to do some business, and even two militiamen.

"With so many people missing, how has there not been a single word from the county?" Yang Wenqing’s brow furrowed. This was no longer an ordinary public security case.

"It’s been suppressed."

Liu Min’s tone was laced with scorn and resignation. "During the exploration phase, the ones who went missing were laborers from outsourcing companies. They filed the cases away, claiming the people had just left. Later, when things couldn’t be hidden anymore and families came to make a scene, the major contractors in the construction phase started placating them privately, using money and threats to shut them up."

She leaned forward and lowered her voice. "But this kind of disappearance—where they vanish without a trace—is too similar to certain blood sacrifice cases. I’m worried there’s something big going on. Besides, this is also a chance for the Major Case Team to get involved, which is why I came to discuss it with you first."

"That does make sense," Yang Wenqing said, looking at her. He then asked, "Does Zheng Hu know about this? What’s his attitude?"

"He knows part of it, but his attitude is very ambiguous." A look of contempt crossed Liu Min’s face. "He said accidents are unavoidable during construction, that the management of drifters is chaotic, and that it’s normal for some people to run off. He told me not to make a big deal out of it and to just focus on my paperwork and coordination. He said he’d be responsible for public security and the patrol teams."

At that moment, Yang Wenqing wasn’t thinking about the case itself. Instead, he was wondering why Liu Min had come to him instead of reporting directly to Vice Director Gao. After all, the Vice Director should have been happy to hear this news.

But he quickly understood. Liu Min wanted to uncover the truth and avoid being held responsible, but she was also afraid of getting caught in the crossfire of upper-level politics and becoming a sacrificial lamb.

"We can send someone to take a look first." Yang Wenqing subconsciously thought of dispatching members of the first squad, but on second thought, he used the Communication Array on his desk to contact Liu Qin. "Have Ah Rong and Old Wu come to my office."

At this, Liu Min stood up. Leaving the files she had brought, she said to Yang Wenqing, "Yang Group Leader, just pretend I was never here..." She seemed very perceptive. Then, she took a thumb-sized, half-moon-shaped Jade Pendant from her Storage Bag.

"Ever since I took up my post in Lingshan Town, I’ve had a bad feeling these past two days." Liu Min’s tone was somewhat distant. "This is an heirloom from my mother’s family. It’s not particularly useful, but it has special meaning to me. The other half is with a cousin I trust completely. If something really happens to me, I’ll have him find you, Yang Group Leader. I hope you’ll be able to get justice for me."

Yang Wenqing was stunned. The sudden turn of events caught him completely off guard.

But Liu Min had already turned and left.

Yang Wenqing stared at the grayish-blue, half-moon Jade Pendant on his desk, his mind clearing from the surprise. A complex mix of emotions washed over him. This woman had sharp instincts and a sense of responsibility, yet her position and the current situation constrained her at every turn, forcing her to walk on thin ice with every step.

「A quarter of an hour later.」

Wu Yan and Liu Rong arrived at Yang Wenqing’s office.

"Take a look at this file." Yang Wenqing pushed the documents Liu Min had brought toward the two of them.

The two immediately took the file and began to read it carefully. Wu Yan’s face remained largely expressionless, but Liu Rong’s was quite a sight.

Wu Yan finished reading the file first and said to Yang Wenqing, "Yang Group Leader, do you want us to investigate this case?"

Yang Wenqing nodded.

Wu Yan added, "I doubt we’ll find anything. The most we can do is conduct interviews."

Yang Wenqing smiled. "If this is really some kind of blood sacrifice, your presence will force them to lay low. They won’t dare to act so openly. But as long as you disrupt their plans, they’re bound to slip up. Your job is to catch them when they do."

Wu Yan thought for a few seconds before continuing, "Just the two of us won’t be enough. We should pull two people from the first squad."

Yang Wenqing kept his smile. "You can go discuss it with them, but don’t let this case become public knowledge. Understand?"

Wu Yan nodded, then asked with some hesitation, "Who’s the informant?"

Yang Wenqing answered without batting an eye, "A family member of one of the missing. Don’t ask any more questions. Just focus on investigating this case. Remember, once you’re in Lingshan Town, you only need to worry about this case. Ignore everything else."

As he spoke, he took out a signed, blank case file and a special authorization slip. "Go to the warehouse and requisition a rifle and thirty rounds of Explosive Bullets."