The danger was quickly neutralized. The culprit turned out to be Zhang Hongda, the leader of the local hooligans who had been on the run.
Ever since he lost contact with Cui Rumei, he had been racing to the Health and Epidemic Prevention Station to find out what happened. However, the staff there remained tight-lipped. Sensing something was wrong, he realized the situation had turned against him and fled that very day. Later, he tried to seek refuge with his brothers in a neighboring province, only to discover that he was a wanted man there as well.
During his flight, he narrowly escaped capture several times. Never had Zhang Hongda experienced such a wretched state of affairs, and he was filled with deep resentment. Clinging to the notion that "the most dangerous place is the safest," he secretly snuck back to Qingshan County. To make money, he had to resort to crooked paths. The train station became his target; it was crowded and noisy, and some victims, in their rush to catch a train, would give up on reporting the theft to the Public Security Bureau. Even if they did report it, the sheer volume of people made it nearly impossible to track anyone down. To him, it was a prime spot for "raking in cash."
Chapter 129