Chapter 47: The Divine Ear Takes Action (Part 1)

Not long after Zhu Daodong and the others arrived at Chen Shuli's house, Chen Shijie and Hou Yong also came. Chen Shuli first reported the incident to the Chengguan Police Station, and then he sought out Deputy Secretary Wang. As a result, the county bureau had been alerted, and the county criminal investigation team took over the case. They first went to the county criminal investigation team to gather information and only came after obtaining accurate intelligence.

"Secretary Chen, Deputy Township Head Yuan, we can now confirm that the child is still in the county," Chen Shijie's first words greatly comforted Chen Shuli.

"Good, good, good!" Chen Shuli was overwhelmed with emotion. As long as the child was still in the county, he would find him, even if it meant digging up the earth.

"Because the report was timely, the police station first sealed off the train station and the bus station after receiving the case. After 9:30 PM, no trains entered or left the train station, so it's impossible for the child to have left through the train station. The bus station did have buses heading to the city and the provincial capital, but all of them left after 10:30 PM, by which time the police had already sealed off the bus station. Therefore, it's impossible for the child to have left through these two stations. It's rare for human traffickers to have their own vehicles, and the police have already sent people to chase in the direction of the city and the provincial capital. Even if the trafficker could hitch a ride, they wouldn't be able to escape," Chen Shijie explained the case details. This was why he was confident that the child was still in the county.

"You are the experts in this area. Now that everyone is here, you can decide how to proceed," Chen Shuli said, visibly moved.

"First, we need to ensure that everyone has a photo of your child, even a copy will do. The roads leading in and out of the county have been sealed off, but I'm concerned about the lack of manpower, so we need to add four to five people to each location. The remaining people will conduct a grid search of the county, aiming to find the child today," Chen Shijie, though somewhat indecisive, was clear in his instructions for the search.

Chen Shuli immediately followed Chen Shijie's instructions, assigning over a dozen people from the township government to assist with the blockade. The remaining people would start a grid search of the county, focusing on the main streets and side streets. Yuhua County was not large, with one main street and three side streets, but these streets were connected by alleys, making a thorough search challenging.

The remaining people were divided into six groups. The police station sent six officers, and each officer led six to seven township officials to search the pre-assigned areas. Zhu Daodong and Hou Yong were assigned to the same group.

Three of the six groups were responsible for the three side streets, while the main street was divided into three segments, with Hou Yong in charge of the middle segment.

"Everyone, our group will split into two teams and search both sides of the street. Each of you has a photo of Chen Wanli. Ask everyone you see, and pay special attention to children around five or six years old. If you find someone who looks similar, immediately take them to the police station for identification," Hou Yong instructed his group as they arrived at the middle segment of Yuhua Avenue.

Hou Yong, Zhu Daodong, and Wang Bo were in one team, searching the eastern side of Yuhua Avenue, house by house. Unfortunately, they had no luck, and no one had seen Chen Wanli.

"Daodong, why aren't you asking questions?" Hou Yong noticed that Zhu Daodong was unusually quiet and seemed distracted, which was very different from his behavior earlier in the day.

"Brother Hou, do you think we can find Secretary Chen's son this way?" Zhu Daodong snapped back to reality. He couldn't tell Hou Yong that he was actually "listening" for Chen Wanli's voice and breathing. Fortunately, he had met Chen Wanli before and was very familiar with his voice. If he heard it, even just the breathing, he was confident he could identify it immediately.

"As long as he's still in the county, we will definitely find him!" Hou Yong said firmly.

"Yes, we will definitely find him!" Wang Bo, though worried, encouraged Zhu Daodong.

The county department store was right in the middle of Yuhua Avenue. Zhu Daodong bought Chen Wanli a gift, an electric toy car, at the store. After this incident, Chen Wanli would likely be very frightened, and a new toy might help calm him down.

"At a time like this, you still have the heart to buy a toy?" Hou Yong was puzzled when he saw Zhu Daodong enter the store and come out with a toy.

"If we find Wanli, he will likely be terrified and crying. This toy might help him," Zhu Daodong held up the electric toy car and explained.

"True to your teaching background, your thinking is different from ours," Hou Yong, though not trained in psychology, found Zhu Daodong's approach reasonable based on his years of police experience.

They continued north along the eastern side of Yuhua Avenue, asking everyone they met, but no one had seen Chen Wanli that day. Two people recognized Chen Wanli, but that didn't help much; they just added to the gossip.

As they approached the northern end of Yuhua Avenue, there was still no sign of Chen Wanli. Hou Yong saw the other team on the western side and decided to switch areas. They would search the western side from north to south.

Despite a sliver of hope, the results were harsh. They found no leads. Hou Yong called Chen Shuli and learned that the others had also found nothing. Chen Wanli seemed to have vanished into thin air. No one had seen him at the bus station or train station, and the street searches were fruitless.

"Damn, how can a person just disappear like that?" Hou Yong cursed after hanging up the payphone.

"Brother Hou, should we check other areas?" Zhu Daodong suggested. Human traffickers weren't fools; they would have made detailed plans. They wouldn't come to the main streets, so if the child was still in the county, the best place to look would be residential areas.

"Alright, let's search the more remote areas. I don't believe they can vanish into thin air," Hou Yong said angrily, frustrated by the lack of leads.

Hou Yong informed the other team to act independently and report any news to Chen Shuli immediately. If they had accurate information, they should notify the police right away.

Although Hou Yong didn't work in the county, he was familiar with the terrain. He led Zhu Daodong and Wang Bo to the less crowded areas, focusing on narrow alleys where only two or three people could walk side by side. They knocked on doors and asked questions, but each time they left disappointed.

Unconsciously, they had been searching for over an hour and had reached the western edge of the county. The residents here were mostly from Chengguan Town, and the buildings were low. Zhu Daodong continued to listen intently, having adjusted his hearing to its most sensitive level. Although he hadn't asked many questions, he was the most exhausted of the three.

As they reached the edge of the county, Zhu Daodong's heart began to sink, and Hou Yong and Wang Bo felt the same. Hou Yong, being a police officer, was used to the difficulty of finding leads, but Wang Bo's face was filled with disappointment.

Suddenly, Zhu Daodong heard a familiar sound, distant and weak, but he was certain it was the one he knew. He focused his hearing and compared it to Chen Wanli's voice. Soon, his heart began to race...