"This is the third time we have changed trees. Although we are a public institution and have funding from above, no one can bear the number of times we can replace trees! We still need to be held accountable by higher ups to find out what is going on."

Seeing the helpless expressions on Wu Chaoping and Wang Wei's faces, Hu Pingtao smiled understandingly and asked: "Then who do you think did this?"

Different industries have different views and focus on affairs.

Wu Chaoping turned around, looked at the shops facing the street across the sidewalk, and lowered his voice: "It should be them...or...one of them."

"Why?" Hu Pingtao asked.

Wu Chaoping explained: "When we first started planting trees the year before last, someone came to stop us. They said that we were blocking his facade by planting trees on the street."

Hu Pingtao couldn't help but shook his head: "Is there such a thing? Planting street trees is a municipal project, why should he stop it?"

Wu Chaoping said: "The sidewalk in this section is very narrow. The south side is a residential area and the red line cannot be retreated. In recent years, more and more vehicles have been added, and the roads in the city are crowded. Look at the bus stop over there. It was originally set up on the roadside.

Yes, later during the rectification, it was moved to the middle of the road, and the side was made available as a non-motorized lane. The space was so large, the sidewalk could only be compressed and moved back as a whole. In the past, the distance between the sidewalk trees and shops was about six meters, but now it has been reduced.

Halfway through, it’s getting narrower and narrower.”

After saying this, Hu Pingtao understood.

"Okay, I've written it down." He nodded and took notes: "Do you have any other suggestions or clues?"

Wu Chaoping smiled bitterly and shook his head: "As for clues... there are really no clues. Although our water truck comes to water every morning and evening, we can't supervise this area at night. Even what I just said is just

My personal guess."

Wang Weidao: "We really had no choice but to call 110 to call the police. The street trees on this stretch of road have been replaced three times. If they fall down, they will die. On the one hand, it is a waste of resources. On the other hand, we have been held accountable several times by the superiors.

.Citizens called to complain that the street trees in this area are not growing well, so we can only check the feedback. Going back and forth, our legs are almost broken."

"If the trees died due to problems with transplanting techniques, then we wouldn't have any problem punishing them. But the problem now is that someone deliberately caused damage, which is very annoying."

"To put it bluntly, do we, the greening people, have any grudge against you?"

Hu Pingtao understood this very well. He raised his hand and patted Wang Wei on the shoulder, advising: "It's difficult to do anything, just be open-minded. I've written this down and will do an investigation later. If there are any results, I'll call

I’ll call you to inform you.”

…

Back at the station, Hu Pingtao called Wang Xiongjie and reported the situation. At the same time, he made a request: He hoped to get the cooperation of the criminal police team and review the surveillance video of the relevant section of Jinping Road.

It is not difficult to check this matter. After all, now is different from the past - the streets are full of surveillance cameras, which are a guarantee to reduce the crime rate.

Tan Tao pointed to the frozen surveillance screen: "This is the target we selected. She appeared after three o'clock in the middle of the night for two consecutive nights. Look at her movements, walking from under one tree to another.

He had something in his hand, I guess it was a knife. No normal person would squat under the roots of a tree for that long, unless he was cutting bark."

The picture shows a woman. The shooting angle is from the back. She is dressed in a neutral style - jeans, a jacket, running shoes... The most obvious gender identification feature is her long curly wavy hair.

She was wearing a mask and a pair of very large sunglasses. The street lights were bright, providing her with enough light.

Hu Pingtao nodded: "I'm sure it was this guy who did it. If you peel off the bark and destroy the cambium, the tree will be hopeless."

Tan Tao said: "I took people to Jinping Road for a walk this afternoon. That section is full of shops. The perpetrator must be one of those shops, and the motive of the crime makes sense - the street trees blocked their shops, reducing the number of shops.

Increased passenger flow.”

Hu Pingtao tapped his fingers on the table a few times: "The problem now is how to identify the suspect."

Tan Tao frowned: "Arrest all the operators on that stretch of road and question them... This will definitely not work. First, it will alert the snake, and secondly, it will be easy to be fooled. After all, we have the surveillance video, and there is no update.

There is a lot of evidence. But this guy is still difficult to deal with, and the surveillance did not capture her face at all."

Hu Pingtao thought for a moment: "This is not difficult to say, but we have to work hard."

Tan Tao understood: "You mean, let the greening department cooperate with the action?"

Hu Pingtao nodded: "Although Jinping Road has replaced street trees three times in a row, whether the trees planted were deliberately damaged or died naturally, the replacement of trees must continue. I have contacted the district greening department.

Oh, Wu Chaoping said that the engineering team will arrive next Wednesday and replace the dead trees that day."

Tan Tao asked: "Then let's strengthen patrols in that area starting from next Wednesday night?"

Hu Pingtao shrugged his shoulders: "This is the only way. There is no other way, this is our jurisdiction."

…

Wednesday.

In the morning, Hu Pingtao and Wang Gui specially patrolled along Jinping Road.

A huge crane was parked on the side of the road, and greening workers tied steel cables to the trunk of the dead street tree. With the force of the robotic arm, the entire tree was easily uprooted and hoisted to the waiting truck next to it.

The entire process is mechanically operated. Greening workers are responsible for twisting the angle of the new tree placed in the tree pit, spreading rooting powder and sulfur powder, filling with soil and watering, and finally installing braces to stabilize the tree and tying ties.

Seeing the electric car with the police badge approaching, Wu Chaoping quickly walked over, said hello to Hu Pingtao, lowered his voice and said sincerely: "Director Hu, I leave the matter of this tree to you."

Hu Pingtao comforted him with a smile: "I have made arrangements to strengthen night patrols."

"Thank you!" Wu Chaoping said with some emotion: "Actually, it's not troublesome to replace the tree, but after all, it costs the country's money. I really don't understand the psychology of these people. Why do you want to kill such a good tree?

!”

Hu Pingtao said: "You go ahead and get busy! I'll let you know when I have news later."

…

It's late at night.

There is a guard box in the middle of Jinping Road. Hu Pingtao asked the traffic police department to borrow it for the evening recently. He arranged for Meng Hui to put on casual clothes and leave the police station after 8 pm, and quietly entered the guard box, dozens of meters away.

distance, carefully observe the row of shops across the road.

There are a total of five clothing stores, a milk tea shop, and a restaurant in this section.

Clothing stores are very small, with street-facing shops covering tens of square meters. They operate on a small scale, buy goods from the wholesale market, and earn the price difference. The prices are not expensive, and their customers are mainly middle- and low-end income groups.

She is a woman. The price of her clothes and skirts is between one and two hundred yuan.

The milk tea shop is a brand franchise store, and its business can only be said to be average. According to Hu Pingtao's observation, the passenger flow in this area is not large, and the surrounding residents are older and have low desire to buy. If this continues, it will be a matter of time before the milk tea shop closes.

.

The restaurant is also a chain brand, Fujia Restaurant. It is said to follow the traditional Yunnan style, mainly targeting Meituan customers, the "braised chicken and rice" kind.

The task Hu Pingtao gave to Meng Hui was very simple - record the closing times of these shops. From eight o'clock in the evening to ten o'clock, contact him every hour to report the situation.

From ten o'clock to twelve o'clock, we will contact you every half hour.

This is a leisurely job. You don't need to keep track of the various people entering and exiting the shops. You just need to keep track of when the shops close.

This area is not a commercial district in the true sense, nor does it have a large-scale night market. Shops generally start to close after nine o'clock in the evening.

Meng Hui has been observing in the guard box for several days, and the closing time of the shops opposite has formed a pattern: around nine ten, the lights in the store are turned off, and both the shopkeepers and the clerks change their clothes one after another, pull down the rolling shutter door, and leave.

Returning from the store.

The first to close the stall every day is the milk tea shop. The business of that shop is not good, and it closes early at 8:30 a few days.

The stall that closes last is "Fujialou". This shop does a very good business, and the door is often full of errand riders waiting to take orders. Even across the road, you can smell the strong aroma of the food coming from the opposite side.

Sometimes it closes after eleven o'clock, sometimes it closes after twelve o'clock.

Whether it's a milk tea shop, a restaurant, or a clothing store, all shops are facing the street, are small in size, and don't have the depth of a second floor.

Because of its small area, this kind of shop cannot accommodate people, and even the workers who live in the shop at night cannot arrange beds.

At nine o'clock, Meng Hui called Hu Pingtao: "Director, everything is normal."

Hu Pingtao asked: "Are the clothing stores and milk tea shops closed?"

Meng Hui said: "The milk tea shop is closed, and there are two clothing stores that are still closed."

Hu Pingtao said: "Continue to observe."

At ten o'clock, Meng Hui called: "All the clothing stores are closed. As usual, there is still "Fujia Building"."

More than twenty minutes later, Meng Hui called again: "Director, the lights are out at Fujia Building."

The tone of his words was a little weird, and Hu Pingtao felt something was not right.

The business of Fujia House is very good, especially at this hour, many people like to order late night snacks on the Internet. According to Meng Hui's previous observation records, Fujia House is often open until after eleven o'clock.

"Turn out the lights?" Hu Pingtao heard another meaning in Meng Hui's words: "Is there anyone left in the store?"

"Yes." Meng Hui's slightly excited voice came from the other end of the phone: "Director, I think something is going to happen tonight. Come here quickly!"

…

More than ten minutes later, Hu Pingtao and Wang Gui rushed to the scene.

He did not turn on the police lights of the electric car, and the car stopped as soon as it reached the corner of the alley on the back. Hu Pingtao and Wang Gui walked around in a circle and entered the traffic box from the side.

Through the glass, you can see that the "Fujia Building" across the road has closed its store door. Through the gaps at the bottom and edges, you can see a faint light coming from inside.

Hu Pingtao lowered his voice and asked, "Is there anyone else in the store?"

Meng Hui nodded and counted with his hands: "I asked, there are four people in this store. One chef, two waiters, and one is the boss. The owner's surname is Wang, and his name is Wang Kai. The store is very small and can only

There are six tables. Usually Wang Kai is in charge of business, and when he is busy, he also works as a waiter."

Hu Pingtao has learned about these situations and is very clear about them. He frowned and looked at the opposite side: "Why did they close it so early today?"
To be continued...