Chapter 71

The Wuhe Distillery is nestled against green mountains, with the Yangjia Village to its left. A clear mountain spring trickles down and meanders into the distillery. The clear, mineral-rich mountain spring water has laid the foundation for the Wuhe Liquor's fame in the Changyang region.

The bluebird car drove to the distillery's main gate, directly crossing the open gate and parking in front of the administrative building.

Production at the distillery continued according to the production plan and did not halt due to Wang Guixi's murder.

Seeing a nice car arrive at the distillery, the security guard thought it was a leader and was about to call the administrative office. However, he saw Yang Jie get out of the car, and Yang Li, who had put down the phone, walked out in surprise, "Uncle Jie, you're back!"

The Yang family in Wuhe County follows the generational names Ming, Shou, Chu, and Li. Yang Xinhua belongs to the Xiang generation, which is above the Ming generation, making him the highest living generation in Yangjia Village. Yang Jie belongs to the Ming generation, and Yang Li belongs to the Shou generation, so he calls Yang Jie "Uncle."

"Yang Li, aren't you the head of the factory security department? Why are you on duty at the gate?" Yang Jie stopped and asked, seeing Yang Li's serious expression as he approached quickly.

Yang Li's expression froze, and he showed a sad look, saying to Yang Jie, "Uncle Jie, Director Wang was killed on his way back to the village last night. His body was discovered this morning, and the whole village was almost in an uproar. The police and the county criminal investigation team have arrived and are investigating the scene. The criminal investigation team will come to the distillery to investigate Director Wang's situation. I am responsible for the factory's security, so I am waiting here at the gate."

"Was Guixi killed on the path from the distillery to the village? When did he leave last night? Why was he only found this morning?" Yang Jie only knew that Wang Guixi was killed on his way back to the village but was not aware of the details. Seeing Yang Li, he naturally asked for more information.

"Director Wang had a lot to drink last night while entertaining the township officials who were collecting the retained and coordinated funds. He didn't go home directly but took a nap in the office. After the night shift ended, he staggered back. The distillery is right next to the village, and the security in Yangjia Village is usually good. Since this wasn't the first time Director Wang had come back drunk late, the security guard, Yang Shoubing, didn't pay much attention. Who would have thought such a thing would happen?" Yang Li's expression was sorrowful, and his tone was tinged with sadness.

Wang Guixi was a son-in-law who had moved into Yangjia Village, making him part of the family. He had lived in the village for decades and was a kind and cheerful person who never argued with anyone, getting along well with everyone in the village.

Additionally, as the office director of the distillery, he often had to receive leaders who came to inspect the distillery and negotiate business, so he was also responsible for many external affairs of the village.

For example, he handled the reception of township officials who came to collect the retained and coordinated funds and the family planning officials who came to enforce sterilization. These village matters were mostly handled by Wang Guixi, so the village secretary and the village officials all held him in high regard.

Yang Xinhua had mobility issues, so Wang Guixi took charge of all the big and small matters at the distillery. Although his work ability was not high, he was well-liked in the village, and the Yangjia Village employees at the distillery never made things difficult for him. Over time, he became a competent office director.

No one could have imagined that such a good person would be killed right outside his home.

"Where is my father now?" Yang Jie asked. At that moment, a police jeep with flashing lights sped into the distillery and stopped next to Yang Jie's bluebird car.

"The factory manager went to the scene with the criminal investigation team." As Yang Li spoke, two forensic doctors, one in a police uniform and the other in a white coat, got out of the police car.

"Hello, we are forensic doctors from the county bureau. Could you tell us where the victim Wang Guixi's office is? We need to go to his office to investigate." An older forensic doctor with slightly graying hair asked Yang Li.

"I am the head of the factory security department, Yang Li. I will take you to Director Wang's office!" Yang Li's expression turned serious, and he apologized to Yang Jie before quickly leading the two forensic doctors, who were carrying investigation kits, toward the administrative building.

Yang Jie locked his bluebird car and did not follow them to the administrative building. Instead, he walked out of the distillery.

The distillery is located at the edge of the village, not far from it. There are two roads leading to Yangjia Village.

One road is the main road in front of the factory. Turning left at the factory gate leads to the national highway, and turning right leads to Yangjia Village. The gravel road runs around the entire distillery's wall, and it is about 300 meters from the factory gate to the village.

The other road is a small path to the left of the factory gate. This path, about half a meter wide, was formed by the long-term use of the distillery workers. It is about 200 meters from the small path to Yangjia Village, which is half the distance of the main road.

The small path leads straight to Yangjia Village, with wild grass growing on both sides. One side is the distillery's wall, and the other side is the village's orchard. Most of the distillery workers use this small path to go home, and Yang Jie often uses this path to return to the village.

Climbing up the steep slope to the left of the factory gate, the small path is lined with wild grass and wildflowers. The area is densely planted with plum trees, which extend almost to the village entrance.

The green leaves were vibrant under the scorching sun. Although the plums had already been harvested, seeing the plum trees, which were taller than a person, made Yang Jie's mouth water. No wonder there is a saying that looking at plums can quench one's thirst.

Yang Jie walked along the small path, hoping to find some clues. However, as he approached the crime scene and saw a crowd of over a hundred people gathered, he still found nothing useful.

"Move, let me through!"

Yang Jie pushed through the crowd of Yangjia Village residents and walked to the police cordon near the crime scene. He saw a body covered in a white cloth lying by the side of the path, with several criminal investigation team members taking photos and investigating the scene. A few police officers were maintaining order near the cordon.

Yang Xinhua, leaning on a cane, was inside the cordon, talking to the head of the criminal investigation team, Deng Xiancheng.

"Father!" Yang Jie called out, and Yang Xinhua immediately turned to look at him.

"Xiao Jie, why are you back?" Yang Xinhua's face showed a moment of surprise, but he quickly regained his composure.

"I received a call from Director Yang and learned that Guixi had an accident." Yang Jie explained to the police officer in front of him, then walked into the cordon and said to Deng Xiancheng, "Hello, I am Yang Jie from the county party committee office. How is the situation?"

Deng Xiancheng, who had been close to Yang Hua recently, had heard of Yang Jie. Seeing him, he quickly shook hands with Yang Jie and said, "Hello, I am the head of the criminal investigation team, Deng Xiancheng. After preliminary investigation, we can confirm that this is the crime scene. The murderer used a weapon similar to a dagger to kill the victim, Wang Guixi. The victim had thirteen fatal wounds, and his belongings were not stolen, so the possibility of a robbery-motivated murder is low. We currently believe that the murderer acted with premeditation.

We found some cigarette butts under a plum tree nearby, which we believe were left by the murderer. It is possible that the murderer was waiting in the area last night, watching for the victim. From this, we can infer that the murderer is very familiar with the area and knows the victim's routine, which is why he chose to act in this blind spot between the village and the distillery.

I believe the murderer is likely a local from Wuhe Township or someone who has a conflict of interest or a grudge against the victim."

The criminal investigation team had only been there for a short time, but Deng Xiancheng and his team had already completed the on-site investigation and reached a preliminary conclusion, demonstrating his strong professional skills, worthy of his position as the head of the criminal investigation team.

After listening to Deng Xiancheng's analysis, Yang Xinhua frowned and said in a deep voice, "Guixi has always been well-liked in the village. He has lived there for decades and has never had any conflicts with anyone, not even the children in the village. He was diligent and responsible in his work, completing every task well. I can't think of anyone who would hate him so much."

Yang Xinhua, a true war hero, had seen many life and death situations, so he felt only a sense of regret over Wang Guixi's death, not deep sorrow.

"Father, your mobility is not good. Leave the investigation to Captain Deng and his team. I believe that the murderer will be caught soon. I'll take you back to the distillery first." Yang Jie saw that Yang Xinhua was still standing on the path with his cane and went to support him.

"I'm not that fragile. Alright, Captain Deng, I won't interfere with your investigation. If you need any help, come to the distillery." Yang Xinhua pushed away Yang Jie, who was trying to help him, and smiled at Deng Xiancheng before heading back to the distillery.

Yang Jie smiled helplessly at Deng Xiancheng, apologized, and then hurriedly followed his father.

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