Chapter 1254
"Villain" Zhao Qingyang, Li Aiguo's Discovery, the Enemy's Target
A person's public image is far less reliable than they themselves believe.
Some people wear motorcycle suits, straddle motorcycles, and weave through traffic and bends on the road, thinking they are incredibly cool. But to others, they are just silly.
And you, who are reading this right now, may seem like just a reader, but you are actually a real handsome guy.
Most people maintain their public image through tone of voice, facial expressions, and gestures.
However, they overlooked the most important point: these outward disguises can never truly hide what's in one's bones.
Just like this little old man in front of me, he deliberately puts on the arrogant look of a villain in a face-slapping novel, but he just lacks that ruthlessness.
How to explain it? Li Aiguo thought for a moment.
I felt that the old man was like an old sheep who had temporarily put on a wolf's skin.
Everything else was suitable, except for his tail, which was showing – his blinking little eyes.
"Kid, where did you come from? You dare to meddle in this kind of investigation? Go back to where you came from!"
"I've built more ships than you've ever seen! If I can't figure this out, what can you possibly do?"
The old man strained his voice and put on a great show, hoping to provoke the young man into revealing his origins and the methods he used to investigate.
As a result, Li Aiguo just looked at him with amusement, without getting angry or saying a word. The old man felt as if he had kicked a hornet's nest.
Hey, why isn't this young man being fooled?
But they've already put on half the villainous act, and now they're packing up and changing their appearance? Wouldn't that ruin their character?
The old man felt trapped and had no choice but to put on a stiff front, his face almost frozen.
"This is Chief Engineer Zhao Qingyang from Jiangnan Shipyard. Chief Engineer Zhao, this is also your comrade on the train, Comrade Li Aiguo from the Qianmen Locomotive Depot." Old Cat also found the old man interesting and stepped forward to smooth things over.
Zhao Qingyang, as expected, is a sheep. *Ahem*, Li Aiguo extended his hand to Zhao Qingyang: "Qianmen Locomotive Depot, Li Aiguo!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Qingyang's face suddenly showed surprise: "You're the national model worker in our railway system?"
Li Aiguo was not surprised.
These days, no matter how brilliant an expert is, their reputation can't compare to that of a national model worker.
After learning Li Aiguo's identity, Zhao Qingyang stopped his loud and boisterous manner and immediately got to work.
"You've come at the right time. This situation is a bit complicated. Come on, I'll take you to see it."
Before Lao Mao could react, Zhao Qingyang grabbed Li Aiguo's arm and ran towards the evidence room.
The meteorologists nearby tried to stop them, but Old Cat waved his hand, signaling them to let them pass.
This place is called an evidence room, but it's actually just a large office.
Upon entering, Li Aiguo's first sight was of the broken propeller roller on the table.
"So, what do you think caused the roller forged from high manganese steel to break? Was it explosives?" Zhao Qingyang's small eyes shone brightly, but the corners of his mouth were turned up.
Li Aiguo smiled inwardly; this old man still didn't believe in his abilities.
Then all I can do is show off.
Li Aiguo put on gloves and picked up the roller: "Engineer Zhao, it is very difficult to use explosives underwater. Moreover, the cracks on this seem to be left by an explosion, but they are finer and do not have the consistent patterns that are characteristic of explosions."
Upon hearing the first half of the sentence, Zhao Qingyang felt that his little scheme had been exposed, and he was somewhat discouraged. Was this all he was capable of?
Upon hearing the second half of the sentence, Zhao Qingyang instantly perked up.
"You can even see that?"
“I’ve studied the traces of the explosion, including the explosive material on metal surfaces, inside the watermelon, and in other situations,” Li Aiguo said as he continued to examine the roller.
Zhao Qingyang rolled his eyes and muttered, "You're quite free, always researching weird and strange things. What a waste of your talent."
Li Aiguo smiled and shook his head, without replying.
Because he studied explosives for his work.
The young men in the equipment department of the weather station often staged some strange and unusual explosion scenarios.
Putting a bomb inside a watermelon isn't so bad; even if it explodes, it won't stop you from eating it. The real problem is that there's also... a feces bomb.
Even now, when Li Aiguo thinks back to that scene, he is still amazed. The power of that thing... it was truly immense, a full-blown mental attack.
"Then what do you think caused this?" Zhao Qingyang saw Li Aiguo nodding and shaking his head, his expression complicated, and assumed he had discovered something, so he asked impatiently.
Li Aiguo ran his gloved fingers over the roller.
"I do have some ideas, but I can't tell you. I want to meet the suspect first."
Li Aiguo was speaking to Lao Mao. Without hesitation, Lao Mao called Zhou Ke and asked him to take Li Aiguo to the interrogation room.
Zhao Qingyang was displeased to see that Li Aiguo was allowed to see the suspect while he was not: "Team leader, why didn't you keep it a secret from him?"
“He’s a national model worker, you’re not,” Old Cat joked.
"."
For the first time, Zhao Qingyang felt ruthlessly crushed in terms of status.
But there's nothing we can do; there are only a handful of national model workers in total.
After Li Aiguo left, Zhao Qingyang turned his gaze to the roller and muttered to himself, "What exactly did that kid Li Aiguo discover?"
A young expert stepped forward and said, "Teacher, he's just making things up. He's a national model worker who drives trains, not a shipbuilder!"
Zhao Qingyang sternly reprimanded, "What do you know! There isn't a single simple national model worker. You guys shouldn't always think you're so great just because you're professional shipbuilders, and look down on laymen."
The expert was reprimanded, and although he was indignant, he dared not utter a sound and stood silently to the side.
Zhao Qingyang bent over, peering closely at the roller, his brows furrowed in confusion.
What exactly did this kid discover?
"Brother Aiguo, what exactly did you find out?" On the way to the interrogation room, Zhou Ke asked the same question.
Li Aiguo also did not answer him, because this might relate to the direction of the subsequent investigation, and without certainty, caution was necessary.
"How did you catch the suspect? What is the suspect's background?" Li Aiguo asked directly.
“We originally went undercover as staff members of your Qianmen Locomotive Depot to visit the Xiaguan Station of the Jinling River Ferry Management Office, and we conducted an investigation, especially targeting Tang Zhi, who is the maintenance worker who was reported.” Zhou Ke recounted the events of the past few days.
Simply put, the old cat is still using the same old methods.
First, they would conduct covert investigations to confirm the suspect's identity before contacting the weather station, changing their identity, and apprehending the suspect with lightning speed.
In this way, we can avoid wrongly accusing the accused and also avoid alerting the perpetrator.
This method, though simple, is effective and is the most commonly used technique in weather stations.
But this time, something went wrong.
The case is actually quite simple. After the ferry accident, everyone initially thought it was an accident.
Later, however, signs of an explosion were discovered in the bearing, which prompted the security department to take the matter seriously and begin an investigation.
Just then, the security department received an anonymous letter reporting that maintenance worker Tang Zhi had deliberately sabotaged the work.
After being arrested, suspect Tang Zhi refused to admit to damaging the ship, which was not a big deal.
After all, Dieter knew he couldn't avoid it, but he would still put up a stubborn resistance.
The real problem is that Tang Zhi had absolutely no motive for committing the crime.
Hearing this, Li Aiguo glanced at the interrogation room not far away, stopped, and looked at Zhou Ke, asking, "Did you bring Tang Zhi's file?"
“I brought it, it’s here.” Zhou Ke handed over the file that he had prepared beforehand.
Li Aiguo took it and opened it; the file contained very detailed information.
Tang Zhi is 21 years old this year. His parents are both employees of the Jinling River Ferry Management Office and have a clean family background.
Since joining the maintenance workshop group 2 at Xiaguan Station of Jinlingjiang Ferry Management Office, I have been learning from my mentor, Pei Yihuai.
Because of his excellent technical skills, although he was only a first-class maintenance worker, he was able to work with the second group to maintain and service the "Pukou" ferry.
Tang Zhiping has performed very well, actively participating in activities and moving closer to the organization, which is already considering accepting him.
Moreover, Tang Zhi has already submitted a marriage application to the management office and plans to get married soon. His fiancée is a ticket seller at Xiaguan Station.
How could someone who was about to get married and had a bright future vandalize a ferry?
This is completely illogical.
No wonder the old cat sensed something was wrong.
"After Tang Zhi was arrested, his fiancée went to the security department several times, wanting to see him, but was turned away each time. The young woman cried quite a bit," Zhou Ke added.
"Let's meet Tang Zhi first."
Talking.
The two had arrived at the interrogation room, and Zhou Ke had someone bring Tang Zhi over.
A moment later, Tang Zhi was brought in. He was a pale-faced young man with disheveled hair and a face full of fear.
Upon seeing an unfamiliar face sitting behind the table, Tang Zhi instinctively stood at attention.
"Comrade, I'm innocent! I don't know anything, but they don't believe me!"
Zhou Ke slapped the table: "Sit down!"
Tang Zhi was startled and quickly sat back down in her chair.
The interrogation room had no windows, and the dim light from the desk illuminated the files. Li Aiguo, with a cigarette between his fingers, flipped through the files again before taking a drag and looking at Tang Zhi.
"Tang Zhi, please repeat the details of the last maintenance of the Pukou ferry."
Upon hearing this, Tang Zhi was slightly taken aback.
You know, in the past, interrogators would bang on the table and tell him to confess honestly, so why did this one go straight to the point from the very beginning?
Tang Zhi sensed that this interrogator was somewhat different. He pursed his dry, cracked lips and thought back for a moment.
"That was the 12th of last month. I remember it very clearly because that night, I asked Xiao Qiao to go to the movies. Xiao Qiao is my girlfriend..."
Tang Zhijian saw Li Aiguo nod slightly and cursed himself inwardly for saying all this; the other party must already know it.
He took a deep breath and continued, "Our second group has eleven maintenance workers, each with a different role. I am responsible for maintaining the power system, including the propeller and rollers."
I remember it clearly: I completed all the maintenance procedures, and the rollers showed no abnormalities before I reinstalled the baffle and left the repair shop.
No wonder everyone suspected this guy. You see, the propeller shaft is in a very special position, and if it's not during maintenance time, there's simply no way to get in using the equipment in the dock.
Li Aiguo then asked, "How do you maintain it?"
Tang Zhi honestly replied, "First, lift open the propeller protective baffle and use a wrench to unscrew the end cap."
Clean the rollers and raceways of oil and impurities, measure the gap, add grease and rotate the rollers to ensure even filling.
After inspecting the raceway and Babbitt alloy layer and confirming no abnormalities, the end caps and baffles were reset. A no-load test run was conducted to confirm no abnormal noise or leakage. A record was filled out, and the team left.
When Tang Zhi started talking about her work, her mood improved, and she seemed more confident, even straightening her back.
Li Aiguo then asked, "Are there any requirements for adding lubricating grease?"
Zhou Ke, who was standing to the side, frowned and began to have doubts.
Why are you asking these useless questions, patriotic brothers?
Even if Tang Zhi were Dieter, he would never slip up on such a basic question; wouldn't that be a waste of interrogation time?
But seeing Li Aiguo's serious expression, he swallowed back the complaint that was on the tip of his tongue.
Upon hearing this, Tang Zhi confidently replied, "The requirements are very strict! We absolutely cannot add anything arbitrarily!"
Especially the old ships like the Pukou, left behind by the Japanese, have propeller rollers made of Japanese Babbitt alloy composite bearings, which are different from the newly built Shanghai and Jiangsu ships.
Those new ships were either steam-powered or diesel-powered, using Soviet-standard lubricating grease, but the Pukou couldn't!
"What would happen if we added other types of grease?" Li Aiguo pressed.
"That would be terrible! It would directly scratch the raceway, and it wouldn't be long before it started making strange noises! In more serious cases, it could even cause it to explode due to overheating."
The moment the word "explosion" left his lips, Tang Zhi's expression changed instantly. After the accident, he was in charge of disassembling the propeller rollers, and even he himself felt that the marks on the rollers indicated an explosion.
Looking back now.
Big mistakes.
That wasn't an explosion, it was a burst!
Seeing Tang Zhi's expression, Zhou Ke was still somewhat puzzled: "What explosion? Is it related to the case?"
At that moment, the interrogation room door was pushed open from the outside, and Old Cat stepped in. It was clear that he had been watching the interrogation inside from outside the window.
"Master!" Zhou Ke immediately stood up when he saw Old Cat come in.
Old Cat immediately retorted, "To become an excellent investigator, you must have a broad knowledge base in various fields! Otherwise, even if someone presents evidence to you, you won't be able to discern it!"
Zhou Ke was frustrated and said in a low voice, "Master, didn't you also fail to notice? We still have to call the train driver over."
"You've got some nerve, kid! I'll deal with you when we get back to the capital." Old Cat was also quite annoyed.
He felt that his reputation was going to be ruined by this apprentice.
It's not that Zhou Ke didn't work hard, but rather that he was too used to using the methods employed by the railway police station when handling cases.
After reprimanding Zhou Ke, Lao Mao looked at Li Aiguo and asked, "Comrade train driver, do you already have an idea about this case?"
Li Aiguo nodded: "I suspect that the propeller rollers burst because substandard lubricating oil was used."
Cat Team Leader, you know I have a special understanding of mechanics.
When a propeller roller is moving at high speed, its normal temperature is only around 50 or 60 degrees Celsius. However, if the wrong lubricant is used, it cannot effectively form an oil film and carry away the frictional heat, and the temperature can soar to over 1,000 degrees Celsius.
At such high temperatures, it was only a matter of time before the rollers burst.
We were lucky this time; only the roller broke. If it had been more serious, the propeller might have also been damaged.
At that point, the entire ferry might go out of control, and even with extraordinary skills, it would be difficult to save it.
Upon hearing this, Tang Zhi suddenly stood up and corrected him, "It's impossible to use the wrong grease! I went to the warehouse to get it that day, and the warehouse manager, Old Zhang, can testify that I got the Japanese-style special grease. I even checked the label, and it's absolutely correct!"
“We did investigate the grease bottle, and the label was fine. The grease inside was also tested and found to be safe,” Old Cat added from the side.
Li Aiguo took a puff of his cigarette and exhaled a sentence that sent chills down everyone's spine, yet was also absurd.
"What if someone reapplies lubricating grease, adds metal shavings, or even uses some kind of chemical agent after you've maintained the propeller rollers?"
This statement sounds absurd.
Why didn't Tang Zhi do this on purpose?
Zhou Ke instinctively wanted to refute, but after thinking about it carefully, he immediately felt relieved.
As the person in charge of maintenance, Tang Zhi knew very well that if he caused any damage, others would definitely suspect him, and he would never do such a stupid thing.
Tang Zhi was also taken aback by this viewpoint.
Completely forgetting that he was still a suspect, he stood there stunned for a long time before asking a crucial question: "Why would the other party do this?"
Yes, why would they go to such lengths to damage a ferry?
Is it really just to throw a few empty train carriages into the Yangtze River?
The dim desk lamp flickered twice.
Li Aiguo and Lao Mao's expressions suddenly changed.
Neither of them spoke. Old Cat stood up and had Tang Zhi sign and fingerprint his statement. Then he called the weatherman and planned to send him back to the detention room.
“Wait, from now on, apart from me and Lao Mao, no one is allowed to interrogate Tang Zhi. You will get Tang Zhi’s meals from the canteen, the same meals as the workers, understand?” Li Aiguo stopped the meteorologists.
The meteorologists all nodded: "Don't worry, train driver."
Tang Zhi was taken away, and the interrogation room door closed again.
Zhou Ke was still wondering: "Why would the enemy want to damage a ferry?"
Old Cat looked at Li Aiguo and said, "Aiguo, you speak."
Li Aiguo said, "The enemy may be conducting an experiment to see if this method is effective."
"Making such a big fuss just to test what the enemy is trying to deal with." Zhou Ke suddenly remembered something and his breathing became rapid.
Old Cat nodded: "That's right. In a while, someone will be coming here to inspect, and I think that's the enemy's target."
The words were spoken.
The interrogation room was completely silent.
Everyone felt a chill run down their spines.
What was initially thought to be just an ordinary Dieter case has unexpectedly involved...
If the enemy succeeds, the consequences will be unimaginable!
The silence was broken by Li Aiguo.
"No matter what, we must find the enemy before the inspection."
The direction of the investigation has been determined, but there is still a long way to go before we catch the real Dieter.
After Lao Mao had someone send Tang Zhi back to the detention room.
Li Aiguo went to the office of Section Chief Liu of the Security Department and requested to see the list of all people who had access to the ferry during the maintenance period.
"Isn't the suspect Tang Zhi? Although we don't know how he did it, it must be him. Investigating other people now would be a misdirection."
Section Chief Liu was somewhat reluctant. He had personally led the arrest of Tang Zhi, which was a merit he deserved.
That's why Section Chief Liu invited Zhao Qingyang over.
As a result, Zhao Qingyang failed to find the cause, and instead, these people in the capital wanted to expand the scope of the investigation.
"Section Chief Liu, on behalf of the meteorological station, I order you to cooperate with our work!" Old Cat was also getting angry.
Since the arrest, Section Chief Liu has been focused on closing the case and has repeatedly obstructed the investigation.
Upon hearing this, Section Chief Liu was startled and quickly said, "Sir, don't worry, I will definitely cooperate with the investigation. I will personally bring over the files of all the personnel in Group Two now."
After saying that, Section Chief Liu hurriedly left the office and headed towards the archives.
I had only taken a few steps out of the office building when a figure suddenly darted out from the side.
"Section Chief Liu, where are you rushing off to in such a hurry?"
The person blocking the road was a middle-aged man wearing gray overalls, carrying an aluminum lunchbox in his hand. He smiled at everyone he saw and looked quite honest.
When Section Chief Liu saw the newcomer, he frowned. This man was none other than Pei Yihuai, Tang Zhi's mentor and a veteran of the second group.
Section Chief Liu was in a foul mood: "Old Pei? Didn't I tell you already? Tang Zhi is a key suspect! No one is allowed to visit him or bring him anything until the case is solved! Why are you here again?"
Pei Yihuai smiled awkwardly: "Section Chief, please calm down. I only have this one apprentice, he's like half a son to me."
Even if he makes a huge mistake, he's still my apprentice, isn't he?
He's not in good health to begin with, and he must not have been eating well these past few days. I made some chicken soup at home, just this once, please make an exception..."
"What do you mean by 'made a mistake'? It's not settled yet! Old Pei, can you stop causing me trouble here?" Section Chief Liu waved his hand impatiently and turned to leave.
Upon hearing this, Pei Yihuai's eyes narrowed slightly, but Section Chief Liu was too annoyed to notice.
Pei Yihuai took two quick steps to catch up, lowering his voice to probe, "Section Chief Liu, from what you're saying... my apprentice has been cleared of suspicion?"
"Master Pei, you're a veteran of the second group. You've been working in the factory since before Liberation, and you've even attended training courses. Have you forgotten all about the confidentiality regulations? Don't ask questions you shouldn't! Don't you know the rules?"
Section Chief Liu tossed out a sentence, then ignored Master Pei and strode away.
Master Pei's face darkened as he watched Section Chief Liu enter the archives room.
It seems.
This fire is about to burn me.
*****
As the sun sets, golden sunlight spills onto the Yangtze River, creating shimmering waves—a truly beautiful scene.
But the person squatting by the reeds on the bank had no interest in appreciating the scenery whatsoever.
Master Pei, holding a broken fishing rod, squatted in the grass, his eyes neither looking at the river nor at the float, but constantly looking behind him.
Then, a series of rustling footsteps approached, and a pretty figure emerged from the reeds.
Pei Yihuai finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Why are you only arriving now?
"What's the rush? Haste makes waste."
The woman's voice was charming and had a languid quality.
She was wearing a fitted floral shirt with a low neckline that revealed a glaring patch.
"Those militiamen were searching everywhere like mad dogs. I almost ran my legs off trying to avoid the checkpoints. What's the rush to call me here? Do they want a big fight on the riverbank?"
The woman spoke in a flippant tone, her eyes gleaming as she looked Pei Yihuai up and down.
Pei Yihuai felt a tingling sensation in his bones, and his previous anxiety was instantly suppressed by a surge of anger.
"You little vixen! If it weren't for you, would I have gotten myself into such a mess?"
"Oh, what's going on? They've traced it back to you?" The woman raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised.
"That shouldn't be the case. That method was meticulously designed by me, flawless. How could those bumpkins have found out?"
"Tch, look at you, such a coward." The woman curled her lip in disdain, took out a handkerchief from her pocket, and wiped the sweat from her forehead with disgust.
"What's wrong with checking the files? We did it cleanly. But this time, I asked you to test the effects of that medicine, how did you end up breaking the roller? And making such a fuss."
"You think that thing is so easy to control? But don't worry, although there was a mishap, I've already obtained the key data for the Jinling's rollers. Next time I make my move, I'm 100% confident that I can completely destroy the ship without anyone noticing."
After saying that, Pei Yihuai seemed to remember something and looked at the woman with some unease: "I say, what kind of important person is going to take the Jinling? Is it worth us taking such a big risk?"
"Shut up! This is none of your business! Have you forgotten the rules of the organization?"
Seeing Pei Yihuai's unpleasant expression, the woman's eyes darted around, and she put on a smiling face again.
She stepped forward, extended her fair fingers, and gently drew circles on Pei Yihuai's chest, her breath sweet as orchids.
"Old Pei, don't overthink it. As long as this matter is settled, your gambling debt will be wiped clean. Then, I can even arrange for you to go abroad and live a good life."
"Sigh, I have a feeling I've been tricked." Pei Yihuai's eyes were complicated.
"What? You don't like this pirate ship?"
The woman giggled, her body as limp as a beautiful snake, and pressed herself against Pei Yihuai from behind, wrapping her arms around his neck.
A rich scent of face cream mixed with a woman's unique body fragrance instantly filled Pei Yihuai's nostrils.
Strands of hair gently brushed against his earlobe, like countless tiny ants crawling.
Pei Yihuai's body stiffened for a moment, then he turned around abruptly, his breathing becoming heavy.
"You wicked devil..."
"Ouch, be gentle..." the woman said coquettishly, but instead of pushing him away, she leaned into his arms, her eyes glazed over.
"Don't do it here, it would be troublesome if someone saw us."
She gestured towards the dense grove of trees next to her.
"Come on, let's go inside... I'll treat you to a good meal."
Pei Yihuai could no longer restrain himself. He picked up the woman and rushed into the woods, not even caring about the fishing rod on the ground.
At sunset.
Their shadows disappeared into the dark woods.
(End of this chapter)