Chapter 420 Heading to Pyeongchang

As Bai Nuo and his companions drove along the ditch to the sewer outlet, it was getting late. Fortunately, the police station's car was always well-stocked with supplies, and Bai Nuo's trunk also had a special box for storing things, containing flashlights, raincoats, and rain boots.

The group carefully observed their surroundings with flashlights, and finally all squatted down in front of the sewer outlet.

"Captain, take a close look underwater, is there a trail?"

The ditch outside the sewer outlet was full of silt and emitted a foul, fishy smell. Bai Nuo felt the stench stinging her eyes, so she went back to the car, grabbed a few masks, and gave one to each of them.

Bai Nuo usually keeps some of these space-saving but frequently used items in her car or small bag, so that it won't be inconvenient to take them out when needed.

"You've prepared quite well!" Qiu Jun took the mask and put it on, glancing at Bai Nuo with admiration. "I'll apply for a batch of commonly used supplies for you later, and I'll reimburse you for these masks as well."

Most masks nowadays are made of cotton and gauze, and they are basically not sold outside. You can only apply to purchase them from institutions such as hospitals and clinics, and you also need a note from your employer, otherwise you simply cannot buy them.

Qiu Jun was no longer surprised by the things Bai Nuo had in her hands. She even had bodyguards around her, so how could she not get a few masks? However, he still had to reimburse the girl for the expenses. Their criminal investigation team was so big, they couldn't take advantage of a young girl.

Bai Nuo smiled and nodded: "Okay, no rush."

Yan Qingyun straightened up, supporting his aching back with both hands, turned to look at the captain and Bai Nuo, frowned, and sighed, saying, "Captain, Bai Ke, this sewer leads directly to the sewer outlets of several nearby counties and towns. If we check them one by one, we don't have enough manpower."

The bureau's technical, security, and political work teams have all been temporarily transferred here to help. If we need to transfer anyone else, we'll have to draw people from the office, but their staff aren't in good physical condition. Working on one case would probably break everyone in the office.

Their Public Security Bureau often issues some phased training tasks, and people from similar security groups, criminal investigation departments, technical groups, and forensic departments will participate. After all, those who do these jobs cannot do without physical strength.

The technical team includes the forensic medicine department, trace evidence department, and laboratory department. After Bai Nuo arrived, the director set up a physical evidence identification department in the branch office based on the department classification from the General Administration. Currently, Bai Nuo is the only person in the department.

The entire technical team is classified as clerical, but when there is work, they often work for more than ten hours without stopping. The people in these two departments are all top students in the bureau and are the treasures of the entire branch. The director keeps a close eye on their health.

Needless to say, the criminal investigation team and the public security team are capable of fighting and resisting, which is a necessary factor. But the people in the office are real clerical staff. In Yan Qingyun's opinion, the people in the office are all weak and bookish, how could they withstand such intense work?

Where are our people located now?

Bai Nuo frowned slightly and looked at Yan Qingyun. Their branch didn't have many people, but it was better than the other branches. It couldn't compare to the headquarters, but the fact that the director could successfully recruit talent half the time was enough to prove the status of their branch.

But when it comes to big cases that require casting a wide net, there aren't enough people. There's nothing we can do about it; that's just how things are in China now. The two police academies that are still open are only vocational colleges, and very few people can get in. Even fewer are actually assigned to our positions. The rest are all recommended. Their bureau chief basically doesn't want them. In his words, he particularly dislikes people who only have connections but no real skills.

"There are currently thirteen reported cases of missing children, all in small counties and production teams within our branch's jurisdiction. Most of the staff from the branch have gone to the local areas to assist the local police stations in their investigations. This morning, the brigade leader notified them to bring back all the witnesses for a unified sketch. They are expected to return tomorrow."

There are some small county towns nearby, with small areas and small populations. Most of them only have one or two police stations, which are under the jurisdiction of several public security bureaus in Beijing.

I don't know if those human traffickers have a grudge against their branch, but these dozen or so missing children are all under their jurisdiction, and now they're short-handed.

“It’s almost the end of the year, and all the branch offices are busy, and the headquarters is even busier. I heard that the brothers from the criminal investigation team of the branch office next to ours haven’t been home for a month. They’re constantly running around to different counties and production teams. They probably won’t lend us any more people.” Yan Qingyun curled his lip, looking helpless.

He has a cheerful and outgoing personality, and is also a high-achieving graduate of a police academy. He has alumni in several branch offices, and they keep in frequent contact when they are not busy, so he knows a lot of information.

"Forget it, it's better to rely on ourselves than to ask others." Qiu Jun didn't expect to be able to borrow anyone by the end of the year. It was already good enough that other branches weren't asking them for help. He glanced at his watch and frowned. "Here's what we'll do: we'll drive to Pingchang County tonight. It's a big county town with an armed team that's working with the local police station to help with the investigation. As for the other smaller counties, once we get to Pingchang, we'll call their local police stations and ask them to send people to investigate, especially the sewer systems."

"yes!"

The group obeyed orders immediately, turning around to pack their things and get into the car.

It takes about two hours to drive from here to Pingchang County. By the time they arrived, it was almost ten o'clock. They found a guesthouse that was closest to the police station and booked a few rooms. Qiu Jun told Bai Nuo and Chen Hui, the two female comrades, to get some rest, and left two male comrades from the security team in the next room in case anything happened in the middle of the night.

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