At this moment, Zhang Biao led the action team and arrived by car at the neighboring city, Wuhe City.

According to information shown by the household registration system, Li Mountain’s ex-wife, Li Mei, currently resides in Jiupiao Community, Wuhe City.

The vehicle drove towards the entrance of Jiupiao Community according to the navigation prompts.

Seeing that it was a police car from a distance, the security guard at the gate raised the barrier without any questions, quietly allowing them through.

The police car slowly drove into the community, with the young officer, Wan, observing the distribution of buildings while asking Zhang Biao in the passenger seat, "Captain, the navigation says this is the place, which building exactly? I’ll drive there directly."

Zhang Biao lowered his head to double-check the household registration records, responding in a deep voice, "Building 7, Unit 2, Apartment 601, Jiupiao Community."

"Understood."

Wan turned the steering wheel, and the vehicle quickly stopped at the open space in front of Unit 2.

The group got out and looked up. Before them stood a typical seven-story, old-style residential building. The exterior walls were slightly mottled, and the building structure was compact.

Wan rubbed his slightly sore legs and couldn’t help but mutter, "This building doesn’t have an elevator... The sixth floor, it’s pretty high."

"We just drove for over three hours straight; now we have to climb up in one go?"

Zhang Biao glanced at him, speaking decisively, "What, you want me to carry you?"

Wan hurriedly waved his hand, "No, no, Captain, I’ll go, even if it kills me!"

Zhang Biao said no more, waved his hand, and led three officers into the entrance of the unit.

The staircase was dimly lit, with a damp smell in the air. Scattered trash was seen on the stair edges, and some yellowed advertisements stuck in the corners.

Their footsteps echoed in the narrow space.

Wan softly said, "This corridor environment... is quite grim."

"People living here probably don’t have it easy."

Zhang Biao, leading ahead, didn’t respond, his gaze quietly scanning every corner, his steps steady and fast.

In less than five minutes, the four of them reached the sixth floor.

The dark-colored security door of Apartment 601 was tightly closed, the outside quiet and silent.

Although this was merely a routine investigation, Zhang Biao’s demeanor showed no hint of relaxation—during the early stages of a case investigation, anyone related could potentially hide key clues, or even become a real suspect.

He knew well that if the person inside was truly involved with the case, faced with the sudden visit from the police, instinctive resistance or evasion were both possible.

Before knocking on the door, Zhang Biao turned sideways, lowered his voice to tell the few people behind him, "Be prepared."

Immediately, the other officers drew their guns and quickly went into alert mode, bodies slightly turned, eyes sharply scanning the surroundings and any possible movements inside the door.

As the lead officer, Zhang Biao stepped forward, stopped in front of the door, and knocked on the door with a steady and powerful rhythm—"Knock knock knock, knock knock knock, knock knock knock."

After three knocks, a woman’s slightly hesitant voice responded from inside, "Who is it?"

Zhang Biao didn’t immediately reply; instead, he raised his hand again, continuing to knock at the same frequency.

"Knock knock knock, knock knock knock—"

This time, the voice inside was clearly impatient, "Who is it? Why are you knocking?"

Before the words were finished, the door was pulled open a crack from inside, then fully opened.

A middle-aged woman, sleeves rolled up and with water dripping from her hands, appeared behind the door, as if she had hurriedly come from the kitchen sink.

When her gaze fell on the four men outside the door, her face instantly showed a clear expression of surprise.

"You guys..." She didn’t finish her words before Zhang Biao retrieved his identification from his waist and handed it forward, solemnly speaking, "May I ask if you are Ms. Li Mei?"

Li Mei’s brow suddenly tightened, a trace of unconcealable panic flashing in her eyes.

She nodded, her voice slightly tense, "I am... What do you want with me?"

"Li Mountain is your ex-husband, right?"

"...Yes."

"The child you had with Li Mountain, where is he now? We need to talk to him about some matters." Zhang Biao stared straight into her eyes, his tone calm but conveying undeniable force.

Upon hearing this, Li Mei subconsciously clenched her sleeves with her hand, answering in a low voice, "He... he’s not living here."

"Where is he?"

"Working in Jin City, on a job."

"Specifically at which company?"

"It’s an electronics factory, the name is quite long; he told me, but I... I didn’t remember."

Before she finished speaking, she hurriedly asked, "What exactly do you want with Tao Tao? Has something happened to him?"

Just at this moment, a burst of strong rhythm rock music suddenly blared from inside, the drum beats dense, electric guitar sound piercing.

Zhang Biao quickly glanced in the direction of the sound, not seeing any other figures, and then turned back to Li Mei, asking, "How many people are in this house right now?"

"Just me, really only me."

Li Mei answered quickly, but her voice was somewhat unstable.

A slight alarm rang in Zhang Biao’s heart—the style of music was utterly inconsistent with her age and the present situation, more likely a young person’s preference.

He took a half step forward, his tone intensifying, reinforcing the question, "Ms. Li Mei, please answer truthfully: is Li Tao living here with you?"

"No, really no!" Li Mei shook her head, at the same time instinctively wanting to close the door.

But just as she exerted force, Zhang Biao and officer Li beside him simultaneously held the door panel, pushing it inward—

"Bam!"

The door slammed into the wall behind with a dull sound.

Li Mei’s face instantly paled, her voice raising in panic and resistance, "Get out! He’s not here, truly not here!"

Just as she finished speaking, the bedroom door was slammed open, a man stormed out angrily, shouting, "What’s going on, what’s going on! Are you bullying my mother?"

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