Chapter 70

The Yang surname is a major clan in Wuhexian County, and Yangjia Village is one of the largest villages in Wuhexian Township.

Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, Yangjia Village was known for its brave and united villagers who were fearless in the face of death. Even bandits and bullies dared not enter the village to cause trouble.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, there were still villages that dared to challenge Yangjia Village over water resources, but all of them returned defeated.

Even during the ten years of turmoil, because many of the younger generation from Yangjia Village had served in the military, the Red Guards did not dare to enter the village to arrest people. This further solidified Yangjia Village's formidable reputation in Wuhexian Township.

Wuhexian Township has convenient transportation, with roads leading in all directions. Villagers from the surrounding areas dared not bully the people of Yangjia Village. For many years, Yangjia Village had never had any criminal cases, not even petty theft.

However, no one expected that when something did happen, it would be a major incident. Wang Guixi, who lived on the outskirts of the village, was actually murdered.

Wang Guixi, as a son-in-law in Yangjia Village, had worked diligently at the winery for many years. He was always smiling and never offended anyone, a good-natured person. At least, Yang Jie couldn't think of anyone who would want to kill him, especially on the short road between the winery and Yangjia Village.

Yang Xinhua, who had mobility issues and a military background, did not enjoy socializing. Therefore, apart from the winery's production and business operations, all external matters were handled by Wang Guixi. One could say that Wang Guixi was an indispensable helper to Yang Xinhua.

Now that Wang Guixi had encountered trouble, it was clear that it would have a significant impact on the winery. Worried about Yang Xinhua, Yang Jie stood up and said to Gu Jian and Chen Yinglong, "Brothers, something major has happened at the winery. Let's reschedule our lunch for another day. I need to rush back to Wuhexian Township. Has the criminal investigation team already left? Can I ride with them?"

Gu Jian nodded. The winery was operated by Yang Jie's father. With a murder case at the winery, it was reasonable for him to be in a hurry to return. Besides, there was plenty of time to build relationships.

"Having lunch can wait. The criminal investigation team left about half an hour ago. Director Yang has to report to the county in the afternoon, so he will arrive in Wuhexian Township later." Gu Jian said, taking a set of car keys from his desk drawer and handing them to Yang Jie.

"The traffic police department has many vehicles, mostly confiscated smuggled cars. The better-conditioned ones are kept for internal use. This Nissan Bluebird has a civilian license plate. Brother, you can take this car. There are plenty of other cars at the station, so I don't need it." Gu Jian put on his police cap, which was on the desk, and walked out of the office with Chen Yinglong to accompany Yang Jie.

The traffic police department has many vehicles, including confiscated smuggled cars. Some of the better-conditioned ones are kept for internal use, while others are auctioned off.

Gu Jian's car was a Nissan Bluebird with a civilian license plate, which looked very high-end, far superior to Chen Yinglong's Jetta. At that time, the Bluebird was considered a high-end car in Wuhexian County. Even the county leaders' cars were Santanas, which, though expensive, were still inferior to the imported Bluebird. Therefore, Gu Jian did not dare to use a police license plate to avoid attracting attention.

Yang Jie followed Gu Jian to the black Bluebird parked in the parking lot. He looked at the car, which had recently been repainted and was gleaming in the sun. The windows were tinted, making it difficult to see inside from the outside.

The car was in excellent condition and had an automatic transmission, which Yang Jie had never driven before.

Using the remote to unlock the car, Gu Jian saw that Yang Jie was a bit at a loss and guessed that he might not have driven an automatic car before. He didn't point it out but explained, "This car is a confiscated vehicle from this year. Because it's in good condition, it wasn't auctioned off but kept for internal use. I believe Brother Yang knows that to start an automatic car, you need to press the brake and turn the key. The gear positions are: P for parking, R for reverse, N for neutral, and D for drive. The rest is the same as a manual car."

Yang Jie watched as Gu Jian sat in the car, adjusted the gears and the air conditioning, and then demonstrated it to him. He then smiled and pulled down the sun visor, "There are several fuel vouchers in the back. You can use them to refuel at any gas station in the county. You can use the car, and I have a police car at the station. When you're done with your business, just bring it back to me."

"Thank you, Brother Gu! I need to rush back to Wuhexian Township, so I won't keep you. I'll treat you to a drink when I return to Wuhexian County." Yang Jie thanked Gu Jian and greeted Chen Yinglong before getting into the car.

Following Gu Jian's instructions, Yang Jie pressed the brake, inserted the key, started the car, and shifted into drive. He rolled down the window, waved to the two men standing by the car, released the handbrake, and slowly drove out of the traffic police station.

This was the first time Yang Jie had driven an automatic car. If it weren't for Gu Jian's quick explanation, he might not have even known how to start it. Once the car was running, he didn't worry about the rest.

After driving for a while, Yang Jie gradually got used to the car's performance. He found that driving an automatic was much more convenient than a manual. He didn't need to worry about the clutch or stalling, and the car accelerated quickly.

With the air conditioning on, the car was cool and comfortable. The scorching sun made the entire Wuhexian County extremely hot, and pedestrians on the street were mostly using umbrellas for shade. In contrast, Yang Jie felt very fortunate sitting in the car.

As he drove through the city and approached the toll booth on the southern outskirts, Yang Jie was about to open the window to pay when he saw the barrier automatically lift as his car approached. He realized that the toll booth must be familiar with Gu Jian's license plate, so it was normal not to charge him.

After leaving the city, thinking about Wang Guixi's case, Yang Jie drove very fast, eager to get back to Wuhexian Township.

Wuhexian County is only 20 kilometers from Wuhexian Township, and the road conditions are excellent. The Bluebird was in good condition, so it took only about ten minutes to reach Wuhexian Township.

Although Yang Jie grew up in Fuxin Tungsten Mine, he was not unfamiliar with Wuhexian Township. He drove through the streets of Wuhexian Township and arrived at the entrance to the road leading to Yangjia Village. Just as he was about to drive in, he saw more than a dozen young men from Yangjia Village blocking the road.

The village road was a gravel road, originally narrow enough for only a tractor to pass. With the winery's improved business, Yang Xinhua had funded the widening of the road, making it wide enough for two trucks to pass side by side, one of the best roads in Wuhexian Township.

The road was blocked by two fallen tree trunks, making it impossible for vehicles to enter. Yang Jie drove up to the road, rolled down the window, and frowned at the dozen or so indignant young men, "Yang Bing, why are you blocking the road?"

Yang Jie had a high status in Yangjia Village, being the only son of Yang Xinhua and the first college graduate from the village. His status was on par with the elders. When Yang Bing and the others saw Yang Jie, they hurriedly approached.

"Uncle Jie, something major has happened in the village. Brother Guixi was killed on the road near the village. Sister Juan has fainted several times. The criminal investigation team asked us to block the roads to prevent strangers from entering and leaving, so we blocked the entrance to the village." Yang Bing explained nervously.

Yang Jie frowned. If the murderer was from outside, they would have fled long ago. Blocking the village wouldn't help. If the murderer was from the village, they wouldn't risk going out and attracting police suspicion. Besides, there were countless small paths in the fields, which couldn't be blocked.

"Blocking the road like this won't work. Besides, there are so many fields in front of Yangjia Village. Do people have to use the main road to enter and leave? Remove the blockage to avoid affecting traffic." Yang Jie said to Yang Bing, who quickly turned around and gestured for the others to remove the tree trunks.

"Uncle Jie, you should go back quickly. We still need to guard the area!" Yang Bing nodded and called out to the young men in the village to be vigilant and watch the small paths in the fields.

Without further ado, Yang Jie drove forward and soon arrived at the winery at the foot of the mountain.

(Thank you, old friend 'Guzhu Yujian', for your generous support of 200 starting coins! Thank you!)

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