Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
"What is it?" Gu Chen asked.
I replied, "Have Mary look into Jiang Xiaochun's information. I'll send over some of her basic details shortly, focusing on her interpersonal relationships, especially those between men and women."
"Okay," Gu Chen said.
Just as I was about to hang up, I heard Gu Chen continue, "There are some leads regarding Guan Zengbin. From what we currently know, I suspect that after Guan Zengbin was taken from Xingdong Village, he stayed at a hotel for a while. However, the trail goes cold after that. When I asked Boss for information, he did see someone wearing a mask."
Hearing about Guan Zengbin stirred a pang of sorrow in my heart. It had been almost a month since his disappearance. During this time, Wu Zui seemed to have vanished without a trace; we couldn't find any clues. I wondered what he was planning and why he had kidnapped Guan Zengbin.
However, given the circumstances, Guan Zengbin should be safe for now; otherwise, Wu Zui wouldn't have gone through so much trouble to take him away. Could this have something to do with Guan Zengbin's identity?
I fell silent, grappling with several enormous mysteries that loomed over me. Without finding Wu Zui Gang, there would be no way to answer them. For instance, were my parents police officers or criminals? What kind of contact did they have with Lai San twenty years ago? Was Wu Zui's plan related to him and Zhao Mingkun's adoptive father, Shi Huacheng?
I also understood that there was no rush in this matter. Over twenty years had passed; I could afford to take my time.
Sighing, I said to Gu Chen, "I'm looking for solutions here too. Perhaps Zhao Mingkun isn't as bad as we think; we might..."
"Wu Meng," Gu Chen interjected at that moment. "I don't know what you're up to, but I remember what you told me in that cave in Xingdong Village—you asked me to trust you, and I do. Whatever you're doing, just remember your own identity first."
A warmth spread through me as I replied, "I trust you too. I'll leave Guan Zengbin's situation in your hands. If there's danger, don't go alone. It's been so long without any movement; you need to understand that Guan Zengbin is safe. Got it?"
"Understood!" Gu Chen said. "I'll send you the address right away; we will definitely rescue Guan Zengbin."
"That's right," I affirmed heavily.
Zhao Mingkun shrugged and said, "Why are you defending me?"
"I don't know," I replied with a light bitter smile. "You know I really don't have many friends around."
Zhao Mingkun wanted something, and my phone chimed with a notification.
"The address is here," I said. "Let's go check on Deng Xuemei. From every angle, it seems to me that Deng Xuemei is the murderer, doesn't it? Whether it's the motive, the timing, or the method of killing, Deng Xuemei fits all the criteria. Now, we can only visit and see, but I estimate that Deng Xuemei is probably not home."
After a simple meal, Zhao Mingkun took me to Deng Xuemei's house.
At two in the afternoon, we arrived at Deng Xuemei's home. As we stood outside, it was clear that calling this a house was quite a stretch. If I had to describe it, I would say it was merely a shed built from stones and wooden planks near a garbage heap.
From the outside, cracks were visible everywhere. A strong stench of garbage wafted from nearby, forcing us to cover our noses. This shed was about twenty square meters in size and had no windows. I looked around; the structure wasn't very sturdy, with most joints nailed together with wooden boards.
The door was made of iron sheets, already rusted and pockmarked. As I approached, I could smell the strong odor of rust. The lock was completely corroded; even with a key, it would likely be impossible to turn it. I gently touched the lock, and it rattled slightly, indicating that the door was somewhat loose.
"Step back," I told Zhao Mingkun.
He nodded.
I kicked the door hard; it made a loud noise and shook but did not budge. Just as I prepared to kick again, Zhao Mingkun had already done so. Another loud crash echoed as he managed to kick the door open.
As we stepped inside, a strong musty smell hit us. The shed had no windows, so sunlight couldn't penetrate; no wonder it felt so damp and stifling inside, making it hard to breathe at first. After waiting for a moment for the air to circulate, Zhao Mingkun and I finally walked in.
The twenty-square-meter room was crammed full of items, feeling quite claustrophobic. Upon entering, we immediately saw a coal stove against one wall, with its chimney extending out through the roof of the shed. The walls were covered with posters, but due to years of exposure to smoke from the coal stove, most of them had turned black.
Next to the coal stove in the corner lay a pile of coal balls—about several dozen of them. Beside that was another pile of charcoal stacked against the wall. On top of the coal stove sat a pot covered in cobwebs. It seemed this stove was used for both cooking and heating.
Looking deeper into the room, there were two beds on either side with bedding still intact. The quilts and covers on both beds were pitch black; when I gently brushed them aside, a wave of cockroaches scurried out, making both Zhao Mingkun and me feel quite uncomfortable. At the same time, a strong musty odor filled the air, making us hesitant to breathe deeply.
From the patterns on the sheets, one bed appeared to belong to Deng Xuemei's father while the other belonged to Deng Xuemei herself. In between the two beds stood a table cluttered with cups and other items. Against one wall was a bookshelf containing some high school textbooks; however, its glass had been shattered and cobwebs covered many of the books inside.
Underneath the beds were piles of miscellaneous items along with some decaying objects whose nature was hard to discern.
Some clutter was piled up beside the bed, such as a chamber pot, a thermos, and a washbasin.
It was evident that the father and daughter were living in such an environment, which was truly harsh.
Zhao Mingkun wiped away his tears and said, "If I really have to die someday, I will donate all the money I've earned over the years. If Deng Xuemei's family conditions were better, perhaps everything would be different. Then Lu Zhiqiu wouldn't need to support her, and she wouldn't have to come back for revenge."
I shook my head and replied, "It's best not to speak like that until everything is clear."
I understood Zhao Mingkun's feelings; his background had always been a burden on his heart, just like mine. If Zhao Mingkun's parents weren't criminals, if he had a normal childhood, if he had been adopted by ordinary people, then he wouldn't have taken this path.
But in life, the word "if" is the most frightening. People always hope to add various beautiful fantasies after "if." Yet they never consider that what follows could be even more tragic. What if one was born without a right foot? What if one suddenly developed cancer?
Sometimes we think we are living the most miserable life imaginable, but life never has a "most." It will use reality to tell you that there is no worst; there is only worse.
It can be as tragic as Deng Xuemei and her father—her father suffering from cancer and her mother missing. Perhaps Deng Xuemei understands death more profoundly than most. I had a suspicion: if Deng Xuemei's father had passed away years ago, then without any relatives, she might feel unburdened and fearless, making murder seem less significant.
I continued to observe the room; it had not been opened for a long time. Without sunlight streaming in, it felt extremely cold inside, sending chills down my spine. I spoke up, "It's clear that this room hasn't been lived in for quite some time. However, according to the records, their family used to belong to the Kang Family. It seems they ended up here after exhausting their savings."
Zhao Mingkun nodded and said, "This makes it clear that Deng Xuemei won't be coming back. I think we should check her former workplace; perhaps we can find more detailed clues there."
"Yes, it seems so," I replied to Zhao Mingkun.
The dilapidated house and the father-daughter duo relying on each other always tug at one's heartstrings.
"Let's go," I said as I braved the musty smell. "This place has been abandoned for too long; we probably won't find much here. According to the message Gu Chen sent me, she used to work at Kangtai Pharmaceutical. That company is quite large; she only resigned a few months ago, so we should be able to find some leads."
Just as we stepped out the door, we saw two elderly men in their fifties approaching us. They hesitated upon seeing us inside the house, seemingly wanting to say something but unsure how to begin.
I took out my police badge and said, "We are police officers here to understand the situation; there's no need to worry. We'll be leaving shortly."
The man scratched his head, glanced at my police badge, and after a moment said, "I can't make sense of this either. You are the police, right? We heard two loud bangs just now and thought something had happened, so we came to check it out. If nothing's going on, we'll be on our way."
"Do you live around here?" I asked as the two of them took a few steps.
They turned back and nodded in unison.
I pointed to the house behind me and asked, "Do you know who lives there?"
"Of course," one of the old men replied. "We built that house ourselves, how could we not know? It used to belong to Old Deng and his daughter. But Old Deng passed away a few years ago, and his daughter hasn't come back since. That house has been empty for quite a while. Officer, are you looking for someone?"
"Not exactly looking for someone," I said. "I'm here to understand the situation regarding Old Deng. Do you know him?"
"Know him? Of course we do," one of the old men said. "We took care of him quite a bit over the years."
I furrowed my brow and asked, "What was the situation like? Tell me."
The other old man said, "Old Zhang, let's invite the officer to your home to talk. Standing here isn't appropriate."
"Come on, Officer," Old Li said apologetically as he bowed slightly to us. "Let’s go to my place; I can explain everything in detail."
Comment 0 Comment Count