When I heard what Zhang Yihan said, I was stunned.
"Sister Zhang, you..." I looked at her in shock, quickly pulling her aside to a secluded spot and whispered, "Sister Zhang, how did you get infected with that virus? Captain Liu and I were both in the mass grave and we were fine!"
"Stop talking and quickly tie me up!" Zhang Yihan gripped my hands tightly, her palms sweaty. It was clear she was using all her willpower to suppress the urge to bite.
Seeing Zhang Yihan infected with the virus made me feel awful, but I knew this wasn't the time for sympathy. Once she lost control, things would get much worse.
I shouted to the group resting nearby, "Anyone with climbing ropes, bring them to me!"
I realized these people were hired by Zhang Yihan from the town to help us. Though we hadn't talked much on the way, I learned from them that Zhang Yihan had hired them immediately upon returning to the town.
They were young migrant workers from a construction site, each paid two thousand yuan, totaling ten men. All were strong and fit, particularly a tall man from Shandong who stood nearly two meters tall. It was no exaggeration to say that Shandong produced big men.
It was obvious Zhang Yihan feared for our safety, so she hired them to help us overnight. Fortunately, she arrived in time; otherwise, I might have been dead.
Seeing her in this condition now, I felt miserable.
The migrant workers were honest folk. Hearing my request, a few men quickly took the climbing ropes from their backpacks and handed them to me.
However, when they saw I was about to tie up Zhang Yihan, they exploded. All ten men surrounded us, "What do you think you're doing?"
I knew I needed to explain briefly, "If I don't tie her up, she will bite you. If she bites you, you'll get infected with a virus..."
At this point, I froze. Could the virus not have come from the mass grave? Because Zhang Yihan had never been there.
Could she have been infected because Ge Lao bit her?
The thought made my heart race, because I had also been bitten by Ge Lao.
"You're talking nonsense! If you kidnap her, who will pay us?"
"Exactly! She hired us; you can't tie her up!"
The migrant workers shouted, especially the ones who had handed me the ropes, now trying to take them back.
I was getting anxious because Zhang Yihan was about to lose control, her gaze becoming more unsettling.
She gripped my hands tightly and whispered weakly, "Xiao Lin, quick, point..."
"Everybody shut up!" I suddenly yelled, "One more word and I'll arrest you all. I'm a police officer!"
My shout startled them, especially the two young men who had tried to grab the ropes, who took a step back.
Seeing I had scared them, I quickly tied Zhang Yihan.
However, as I reached for her, the tall man from Shandong pushed me away, shielding Zhang Yihan, "She paid me, you can't tie her up. My dad said, take people's money and protect them from disaster. If you want to tie someone, tie me instead!"
"Damn it!" I was so mad I wanted to punch this idiot. Just then, Zhang Yihan jumped and bit his shoulder.
Her movement was swift and vicious. She bit his shoulder and climbed onto his back.
"Ah..." The crowd screamed. Someone yelled, "Run!"
In a blink, only the tall man, Zhang Yihan, and I were left.
I was at a loss, looking around for help, but there was no one.
As I was figuring out how to save the tall man, he spoke calmly, "My dad said, take people's money and protect them from disaster. You can bite me, but it will cost extra..."
Damn, I almost knelt. He spoke so nonchalantly.
Is his brain filled with crap? In such a dire moment, he was still thinking about extra pay...
I knew now wasn't the time to blame him. I rushed behind Zhang Yihan and struck her neck hard.
"Ugh..." She groaned and finally passed out.
Seeing her release her grip, I quickly caught her.
The tall man turned and said something that nearly made me swear, "She's unconscious. Who will pay me now?"
"Why are you so obsessed with money? Do you know how dangerous that was? If she bit your neck, you'd be dead!" I yelled.
He touched his shoulder and grinned, "My meat is thick; her bite didn't hurt..." He then asked, "How much extra for a bite?"
God, I felt like killing him.
"I'll pay you later, alright? Now help me tie her up!" I shouted.
"Okay, okay..." He got excited.
I realized he was the type who'd switch sides for money.
Though he was a bit slow, he worked efficiently.
With his help, we quickly tied Zhang Yihan like a dumpling.
And he was strong. When I asked him to carry her back, he suggested carrying her gently, "Carrying her like this would be uncomfortable. I'll hold her."
So, the tall man carried Zhang Yihan in his arms like a child, all the way down the mountain.
By the time we reached Lianhua Village at the foot of the mountain, dawn was breaking.
The migrant workers who had fled were waiting for us. I borrowed a phone to call the county bureau, and soon, police cars and ambulances arrived.
The workers wanted their pay, but seeing the police respecting me, no one dared to ask.
Except for the tall man. He openly threatened me in front of dozens of police officers, "If you don't pay me, I'll take her back to the mountains..."
Knowing he was stubborn, I realized I had to honor Zhang Yihan's promise. They had saved my life after all. So, I asked the tall man to accompany me to the county police station to get the money.
We took the ambulance to the hospital, settled Zhang Yihan, and checked on Ge Lao and Jin Zhijian.
Doctors said there was no effective treatment yet. Their cases were reported to the provincial CDC, and experts were working overnight to find solutions.
Knowing my anxiety wouldn't help, I rushed to the county bureau to discuss capturing Lao Wang and Li Dapeng.
Earlier, only junior officers had dealt with me, so I hadn't mentioned it. But upon arrival with the tall man, I was stunned.
A squad leader told me Li Dapeng was still in the hospital and hadn't escaped.
I was shocked but quickly realized something was off. Li Dapeng's voice in the mountains was different from before. It was possible he had a twin.
Li Dapeng had two older brothers. The eldest had been missing for years, and the second brother died before the eldest disappeared. We had skipped over this in his household records.
I shared my thoughts with the squad leader, who agreed to check Li Dapeng's second brother's records.
I also mentioned Lao Wang. He promised to request the director's permission to search for him county-wide.
After this, I called my mom to have Zhao Mingzhu's officers transfer 20,000 yuan to me.
I wasn't mooching; I had earned money from an online store during police school and my salary was with my mom. I saved diligently, never smoking or drinking.
The tall man only left once I handed him the money, happily heading back to the construction site.
By then, it was 10 AM.
Returning to the police station, two strange things happened.
First, Lao Wang from the county annals office was still at work.
Second, Li Dapeng agreed to confess, but only if he saw me.