104: Chapter 104 Obstructing the Investigation

"County Magistrate Xiao Bei!"

Director Zhao's voice suddenly rose, "The scene needs to be protected..."

County Magistrate Xiao Bei stood up and quietly tucked the note into his cuff: "Let's go, let's go to the meeting."

A guesthouse near the crime scene was being used as a temporary meeting room. When County Magistrate Xiao Bei pushed the door open, Secretary Ma Wendong was whispering to County Magistrate Xuan Lingyu. Seeing him enter, the two immediately separated.

"County Magistrate Xiao Bei is here. Let's begin."

Secretary Ma Wendong tapped the table, "First, I ask Director Zhao to report the situation."

Director Zhao cleared his throat: "The deceased, Chen Zhihao, 17 years old, is a senior student at Jinhe No. 1 Middle School. According to the on-site investigation and preliminary autopsy, he died from a fall from a height. The time of death is between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. tonight. The victim's schoolbag, personal belongings, and a mobile phone were found on the roof..."

"Are there any clues in the mobile phone?" County Magistrate Xiao Bei interrupted.

Director Zhao rolled his eyes: "Nothing has been found so far..."

"What about the wounds on the body?"

The meeting room went quiet instantly. County Magistrate Xuan Lingyu put down her teacup, and the sound of porcelain clinking was particularly crisp: "County Magistrate Xiao Bei, the forensic report hasn't come out yet. Don't jump to conclusions."

"I saw it with my own eyes."

County Magistrate Xiao Bei looked directly at County Magistrate Xuan Lingyu, "The deceased has multiple bruises on his body and ligature marks on his neck. This is clearly not a simple suicide."

Secretary Ma Wendong frowned: "Director Zhao?"

Sweat appeared on Director Zhao's forehead: "This... there are indeed some external injuries, but they may have been caused by collisions during the fall..."

"Can a fall cause binding marks on the wrists?" County Magistrate Xiao Bei sneered.

County Magistrate Xuan Lingyu suddenly slapped the table and stood up: "County Magistrate Xiao Bei! Now is not the time to pursue details! The urgent priority is to control public opinion and avoid triggering mass incidents!"

She turned to Secretary Ma Wendong, "Secretary Ma Wendong, I suggest establishing an emergency team immediately, led by me, with the Education Bureau and the Public Security Bureau cooperating, to handle comforting the parents and dealing with the media."

Secretary Ma Wendong nodded: "Agreed. County Magistrate Xiao Bei, you are responsible for assisting County Magistrate Xuan Lingyu."

County Magistrate Xiao Bei noticed a flash of triumph on the corner of County Magistrate Xuan Lingyu's mouth. She quickly assigned tasks: "The Education Bureau will immediately investigate the deceased's performance at school; the Public Security Bureau will retrieve surrounding surveillance to determine the deceased's activities before death; the Propaganda Department will unify the narrative and release a press release stating 'student committed suicide due to academic pressure'..."

"Not investigating the possibility of school bullying?" County Magistrate Xiao Bei interrupted again.

County Magistrate Xuan Lingyu's eyes were sharp: "County Magistrate Xiao Bei, don't talk nonsense without evidence. Jinhe No. 1 Middle School is a key middle school in our county, and there have been no safety accidents for three consecutive years..."

"That is exactly why it should be investigated clearly."

County Magistrate Xiao Bei did not give an inch, "If a student really committed suicide due to school bullying and we cover up the truth, that is the real dereliction of duty."

The small temporary meeting room was tense. Secretary Ma Wendong finally made the decision: "Execute according to County Magistrate Xuan Lingyu's plan first, but County Magistrate Xiao Bei's concerns are also reasonable. Director Zhao, the surveillance investigation must be thorough, especially regarding who the deceased had contact with before his death."

After the meeting, while they were leaving, County Magistrate Xiao Bei quietly unfolded the note he found in the deceased's school uniform. A few lines were scrawled on it:

"Was I really wrong?"

County Magistrate Xiao Bei then dialed the phone of Mayor Qin Ruoxi...

"County Magistrate Xiao Bei?"

"Mayor Qin Ruoxi, there has been a homicide in Jinhe County. A high school student has died. Currently, I have no way to influence the investigation. County Magistrate Xuan Lingyu has taken control of the entire incident... I need your help..."

"A homicide! Such a big thing has been suppressed so tightly that the city hasn't received any news!"

Mayor Qin Ruoxi slammed the table on the other end of the phone,

"Investigate! I fully support you!"

...

With the support of Mayor Qin Ruoxi, County Magistrate Xiao Bei felt much more confident.

Team Leader Zhang Yining called in a hurry,

"There is a discovery on the surveillance side—Technical Department member Xiao Liu is my junior. He said the surveillance near the unfinished building during the time of the crime was all encrypted and could not be cracked. Only a camera at a convenience store in the distance captured three students wearing the same school uniform entering and leaving the unfinished building that night."

"Three students?"

County Magistrate Xiao Bei frowned, "Has the identity been confirmed?"

"It's being investigated, but..."

Team Leader Zhang Yining suddenly stopped talking. After a few seconds, she said urgently, "County Magistrate Xuan Lingyu is here. Let's talk later."

Hanging up the phone, County Magistrate Xiao Bei walked out of the small meeting room. Before he could greet Team Leader Zhang Yining, he bumped into County Magistrate Xuan Lingyu and Director Zhao walking over.

"County Magistrate Xiao Bei,"

County Magistrate Xuan Lingyu's smile did not reach her eyes, "Secretary Ma Wendong asked me to inform you that tomorrow, leaders from the Provincial Education Department will come to inspect. You are responsible for accompanying the report on the newly built school in the Development Zone."

County Magistrate Xiao Bei immediately understood that this was a ruse to lure him away from the mountains—preventing him from contacting the case investigation.

"I'm afraid that won't work."

County Magistrate Xiao Bei looked directly at County Magistrate Xuan Lingyu, "I promised Chen Zhihao's mother that I would accompany her to identify the body tomorrow."

County Magistrate Xuan Lingyu's face changed suddenly: "You contacted the family? Who gave you the authority?"

"As a deputy county magistrate in charge of education arranged by Secretary Ma Wendong in the county, a student died abnormally in this county. Do I not have the right?"

County Magistrate Xiao Bei retorted, "Or is County Magistrate Xuan Lingyu worried that the parents will say something they shouldn't?"

A hint of panic flashed in County Magistrate Xuan Lingyu's eyes, but she quickly regained her composure: "County Magistrate Xiao Bei, watch your language! I am considering the big picture. It is easy for parents to get emotional and trigger mass incidents..."

"What truly triggers mass incidents is not the emotion itself, but the disregard for that emotion."

County Magistrate Xiao Bei turned and left.

Returning to the government office, County Magistrate Xiao Bei found signs that the door lock had been pried. He pushed the door open vigilantly—the room was a mess, the computer host was dismantled, and the hard drive had disappeared.

A government building! Such a thing actually happened!

County Magistrate Xiao Bei clenched his phone. A bolt of lightning flashed outside the window, illuminating the burning anger in his eyes.

The next morning, as soon as County Magistrate Xiao Bei stepped into the County Party Committee compound, he felt a strange atmosphere. Staff members avoided his gaze one after another, whispering constantly.

Team Leader Zhang Yining rushed over: "Something happened! Last night, Technical Department member Xiao Liu was suspended for investigation, saying he violated regulations in operating the surveillance system. The identity information of those three students has all been encrypted and processed!"

County Magistrate Xiao Bei sneered: "They moved really fast."

He handed over a USB flash drive, "This contains some data I recovered last night, the real accounts of Rainbow Garment for the past three years. Find a safe place to analyze it."

As soon as Team Leader Zhang Yining took the USB flash drive, Xiao Liu from the office suddenly knocked on the door and came in: "Please ask Deputy County Magistrate Xiao Bei to go to Secretary Ma Wendong's office immediately."

The atmosphere in Secretary Ma Wendong's office was heavy. Besides Secretary Ma Wendong and County Magistrate Xuan Lingyu, there was also Secretary Zhou Zhengping of the County Commission for Discipline Inspection.

"County Magistrate Xiao Bei,"

Secretary Ma Wendong got straight to the point, "In view of the current complex situation, the County Party Committee has decided to adjust your division of labor. Education work will be temporarily taken over by County Magistrate Xuan Lingyu, and you will be responsible for assisting Secretary Zhou Zhengping in grasping the construction of party conduct and clean government."

Luring him away from the mountains! County Magistrate Xiao Bei understood instantly that this was to deprive him of his investigative power.

"I object."

County Magistrate Xiao Bei's voice was calm but firm, "The Chen Zhihao case is full of doubts and must involve school bullying! Adjusting the division of labor at this time is not conducive to the investigation..."