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墨書 Inktalez
Although that was the case, Old Shao and Jiang He did not directly enter Zhuang Qinyun's bedroom. This was indeed a good habit, one that meant they would not disturb the evidence at the scene. Often, it was the first officers to arrive who inadvertently compromised the integrity of the scene.
Jiang He and Old Shao looked around Zhuang Qinyun's clean and tidy room, and Old Shao spoke almost immediately upon seeing it.
"The room is very clean and orderly. There is no dust on the windowsill or under the bed, especially at the foot of the bed. If someone didn't have a slight obsession with cleanliness, these areas would be easily overlooked and difficult to clean. The bed is neatly made, with the pillows placed on top of the quilt. The chair is pushed under the desk, and the books on the desk are arranged neatly."
As Old Shao observed the bedroom, he quickly noted its features.
"However, this clearly indicates that she must have left on her own accord, rather than being abducted," Jiang He remarked.
"Exactly," Old Shao nodded. "From the traces at the scene, there are no signs of a struggle."
Jiang He continued, "After I entered the room, I took note of everything. First of all, we are on the seventh floor, and given that it's noon, the likelihood of the murderer climbing in through the window is five percent at best. Also, I checked the lock on the entrance door; there are no signs of forced entry."
"So there are only two possibilities," Old Shao said, raising two fingers. "The first is that there was no murderer at all; she left on her own. The second is that the murderer is someone she knows well, and she opened the door for them. Didn't you see anything unusual on the surveillance footage?"
Zhuang Father shook his head. "Today just happens to be a day for maintenance on the surveillance system, so there are no recordings. After I reported it, I immediately contacted property management; they informed me."
Old Shao nodded. "Then things just got complicated."
At that moment, Jiang He spoke up again. "What about her backpack? Where did it go?"
"What backpack?" Old Shao asked.
Jiang He pointed to the desk and said, "There are many books on the table—some are middle school textbooks, some are extracurricular books, and there's her pencil case—but I didn't see any backpack in the room."
Old Shao's eyes lit up as he turned to Zhuang Father and Zhuang Mother behind him. "Does she take a backpack to school?"
"Of course," Zhuang Father replied. "What child goes to school without a backpack?"
"Then where could her backpack have gone?" Old Shao countered.
"I don't know..." Zhuang Father and Zhuang Mother were too preoccupied to care about a backpack.
"Check if you've lost anything at home," Old Shao added.
Zhuang Father and Zhuang Mother began searching their house. Zhuang Qinyun's home was quite tidy, showing no signs of being rummaged through. At that moment, Zhuang Mother spoke up, "I can't find the more than a thousand yuan I had under the mattress."
"Under the mattress?" Old Shao asked.
Zhuang Mother nodded.
"It's confirmed then; Zhuang Qinyun has run away," Old Shao stated decisively. "I don't know how many clothes your daughter has, but take a look and see if some of her clothes are missing."
Zhuang Mother took a few steps into the bedroom, opened the wardrobe, and was stunned after just one glance.
She slowly said, "There are indeed a lot fewer clothes inside."
Old Shao looked at Zhuang Mother and said, "She took all the money she could get her hands on and enough clothes to last her. Everything she did is telling you that she has left on her own, and you shouldn't look for her."
"What do you mean?" Zhuang Mother finally understood. "Are you saying she ran away?"
Zhuang Father shook his head and replied, "Impossible. She has always been obedient. If I told her to go east, she wouldn’t go west. If I told her to eat potatoes, she wouldn’t dare eat fried chicken. Has she suddenly grown so bold as to rebel?"
Seeing Zhuang Father nearly explode with anger, Old Shao asked, "Don't get angry just yet. Did you have an argument this morning? That could very well be the trigger."
"No," Zhuang Father waved his hand dismissively. "Since I came back, I've been too lazy to talk to her. I haven't said a word; how could we have argued?"
In Old Shao's mind, an image of a girl appeared:
She was a smart and gentle girl but also one who had been suppressed for over a decade. She lived in an elite family; her father was a typical strict lawyer, while her mother was a strong businesswoman always on the go. Her parents were outstanding—perhaps they had always been—and this was both a blessing and a curse for Zhuang Qinyun.
The blessing was that she came from a relatively affluent family; she didn't have to worry about food or shelter. She could buy clothes she liked and enjoy delicious meals from all over. The curse was that no matter how well she performed in exams or whether she received awards, her parents never praised her because they considered it normal; that was just how they were.
Her parents were busy with work and rarely had time to care for Zhuang Qinyun. Beneath her delicate exterior lay a heart that had long since turned rebellious. After the bullying incident at school, Zhuang Qinyun's parents had given up on her; they stopped talking to her, offering no criticism or comfort.
Criticism often does not destroy a person; what shattered Zhuang Qinyun was the indifference of her parents. Disheartened, she decided to take her clothes and all the money she could find and leave this home, never to return. To ensure her parents would not find her, she even chose to leave her phone behind.
It was not just a phone; it was a symbol of Zhuang Qinyun's determination to sever ties with her old life completely.
"I can say with absolute certainty that Zhuang Qinyun has run away," Old Shao said to Zhuang Qinyun's parents. "From the moment I stepped into your home, I felt a significant difference compared to other families, and it's precisely this reason that led Zhuang Qinyun to leave."
"What?" Zhuang Father asked in confusion.
Old Shao replied, "Cold. Don't you feel that your home is too cold?"
"Cold? How can it be cold in summer? We don't even have the air conditioning on," Zhuang Father responded.
Old Shao sighed and continued, "Do you know what color Zhuang Qinyun likes? What are her hobbies? Who are her favorite singers? Does she have a crush at this age? Does she prefer Chinese class or English class? Do you know any of this?"
The two parents exchanged glances, both at a loss.
"Blue," Jiang He suddenly spoke up.
Everyone turned to look at Jiang He.
Jiang He explained, "Seventy percent of her clothes are blue, and her pencil case is also blue. I'm seventy percent sure she likes blue."
Zhuang Father and Zhuang Mother looked at Jiang He in bewilderment, while the project team members understood Jiang He's personality; often, he did not grasp the nuances of people's words or social situations.
Xu Yiman tugged at Jiang He's arm and reminded him, "This is just a question; you weren't supposed to answer."
"Is it time to discuss what color Zhuang Qinyun likes? If she's run away, where could a girl go? It must be a classmate's house or a relative's place," Zhuang Mother said anxiously as she pulled out her phone. "I'll contact them right away."
With that, Zhuang Mother began frantically dialing numbers, but after several attempts, none of the calls went through.
"Damn it! These people used to call us for everything, and now they won't answer our calls as if they've all dropped dead!" Zhuang Mother couldn't help but curse.
"Do you think you're still the manager? Do you think I'm still a lawyer? Those people are very snobbish; we are of no use to them anymore. And who doesn't know about the good things your daughter has done? You still expect others to answer your calls? Not blocking you is the last kindness they can show you."
Zhuang Qinyun's parents might be capable and earn a lot of money, but they are also very harsh and never consider whether they have made any mistakes.
"No need to ask," Old Shao said as he walked out of the bedroom. "Since she left her phone, it clearly shows she doesn't want you to find her. Even if someone has taken her in, she wouldn't go to a place where you could find her."
"Many people leave home at least leaving a note, telling their parents not to look for them and not to worry. But she left without a word. Perhaps she has made up her mind, or perhaps you have driven her away; you have made her feel that she is unnecessary in this family."
Old Shao had already brought several people to the entrance hall. He turned back and said, "We will do our best to find your daughter, especially at this critical moment. I hope you can also mobilize your relatives, those snobbish people you mentioned, to help look for her."
"Just now, I have dispatched police forces to major train stations and bus stations to search for Zhuang Qinyun. If we have any leads, we will inform you. If you have any information, please let us know as soon as possible," Old Shao said sincerely.
With that, Old Shao led his team out.
At that moment, a hand grabbed Old Shao's arm. He turned around to see it was Zhuang Mother.
Seeing Old Shao looking at her, Zhuang Mother realized she had lost her composure and released her grip. After a moment of silence, she finally set aside her strong demeanor and said, "Officer, please, I beg you, you must bring my daughter back. I can't lose my daughter."
As they reached the elevator, Xu Yiman turned back to look at Zhuang Mother still leaning against the doorframe. In that instant, Xu Yiman suddenly felt as if she had aged ten years.
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