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墨書 Inktalez
At that moment, someone covered Wang An's mouth. The person who blocked Wang An was none other than his adoptive father, Hao Ren. Hao Ren had been missing for two months, and now he appeared even thinner than before, with dark circles under his eyes, as if he hadn't had a good night's sleep in a long time.
Hao Ren covered Wang An's mouth and then slowly said, "Some may know, while others may not, that I am the adoptive father of these four unfortunate children. I haven't been home for the past two months because I lost my job. The reason I lost my job is that I caught a thief."
Hao Ren looked around and continued, "This happened two months ago when I caught three thieves stealing phones at an internet café and turned them over to the police. But when they were released, Zhang Bin retaliated against me. He used particularly despicable means to ensure I lost my job."
Hao Ren gently patted Wang An's head and smiled, "I learned martial arts from my master, and dealing with these thugs is easy for me. However, my master often told me that we should learn the art of combat not just for strength but to uphold justice, not to harm others."
"I often talk to Wang An; his anger is too intense." Hao Ren looked at Wang An and said, "I had a similar temper when I was young, but my master taught me that we practice martial arts to help those in misfortune. So if my absence can bring some peace to them, then I'm willing to go."
Hao Ren continued, "That's why I left. Coincidentally, I had an acquaintance in Dongxing City who needed workers and offered me a job for two months with a salary of ten thousand yuan. I knew it was close to the New Year, but the temptation of ten thousand yuan was too great because I needed to support these four children; Fang Qi and Wang An both needed money for school."
"I sent Wang An to stay with Teacher Zhao while Fang Qi stayed with a classmate. Zhao Li and Du Ziguo are both adults now and can take care of themselves. So I went to Dongxing City to earn money for the family and also to avoid these young people; Zhang Bin is also filled with anger."
Hao Ren's voice was filled with sorrow, as if carrying a sense of helplessness: "But I never expected that after two months away, this is what I would return to find. It hasn't been easy for the four children. When I adopted Du Ziguo, it was winter; he was only four or five years old, scavenging for food on the ground. Fang Qi is my second adopted daughter; her parents abandoned her long ago. She doesn't speak much but has always been kind-hearted."
Tears streamed down Hao Ren's face like two flowing streams: "These children have had such difficult lives; they finally seemed to have a bit of hope, only for it all to vanish like this. I heard that Zhang Bin was released due to insufficient evidence. I'm just a rough man who knows how to fight; I don't understand these things. But if that's what the police say, then I won't pursue it further."
"No!" Wang An shouted. "He killed my brother and sister!"
Hao Ren shook his head and said, "Wang An, I haven't scolded you yet; how can you think of killing someone? Have you forgotten what I've taught you? When did I ever tell you to use a knife to kill?"
Wang An remained silent but wore a stubborn expression.
Hao Ren sighed and continued, "I always had this dream of opening a martial arts school where I could teach others how to strengthen their bodies because a healthy body leads to a long life. But now I've realized how wrong I was; martial arts are just the most basic skills. To truly destroy someone isn't just about breaking their body."
"Du Ziguo, Fang Qi." Hao Ren suddenly broke down in tears: "I'm sorry for you both; I hope you can rest in peace below. And Zhao Li and Wang An, during your hardest times, I wasn't there by your side; I've let you suffer."
As he spoke, the three of them cried together.
Many people around began to sob as well because the scene before them—a father’s deep love for his children—was truly moving.
Teacher Zhao trembled slightly and said, "If we cannot guarantee the safety of those who act bravely in the face of danger, then the country should not advocate such actions at all. A family has been shattered because of this incident; three lives have been lost due to it while the murderer remains at large."
Teacher Zhao pointed at me and said emotionally, "Officer Wu, I know you're responsible for this case. Tell me what kind of evidence you need! Is this not enough proof? Are these photos fake? Answer me!"
Teacher Zhao pointed at us, and the surrounding reporters rushed over, hoping we would answer some questions about the case.
I never expected this situation to escalate to this point.
"Someone has been colluding with the police for a long time! I didn't believe it before, but now it seems to be true!" someone shouted. "The truth, the truth, we want the truth!"
I knew that avoiding this was futile. I stepped onto the stage and picked up a microphone. "Calm down, everyone. We are still in the investigation phase. Based on the evidence we have collected so far, we cannot definitively say that Zhang Bin is the Murderer. Give us some time to prove it; otherwise, we are all murderers. How can we so easily and casually take a person's life?"
But my words stirred no waves in the already agitated crowd. People only wanted to hear what they wanted to hear, and dissenting voices were always ignored. Their individual power was insignificant, but collectively, their strength was unimaginable. Each member of the Crowd feared becoming the target of public opinion.
Teacher Zhao looked at me and said, "All the evidence points to Zhang Bin. If the law cannot ensure our safety or bring wrongdoers to justice, then what good is the law? If those who represent justice do not embody it, then we must seek justice ourselves."
The scene became chaotic. Gu Chen tugged at my arm and said, "Nothing we say will help now; let's go. Otherwise, tensions will escalate further, and we won't be able to control the situation."
I nodded, suddenly feeling very weary inside. As we walked outside, I could hear various insults from the Crowd. They accused us of colluding with Zhang Bin, of being lackeys for the wealthy, of protecting each other in power. Although we weren't guilty of these accusations, hearing them repeatedly made me feel suffocated and distressed.
Even after leaving the press conference for a while, I could still hear the angry shouts of the Crowd.
In the car, Guan Zengbin took out her phone.
"Now it's not just about Zhang Bin anymore; you're becoming well-known in Yumu City too," she said.
"Me?" I asked.
Guan Zengbin nodded. "People online are calling you a disgrace among police officers for not helping victims solve cases while aiding the Murderer. Some even threaten to beat you up if they encounter you."
I shrugged helplessly.
Guan Zengbin continued, "But right now, you're nowhere near as infamous as Zhang Bin. Someone has dug up all his details online—he's twenty-one years old, stands at one hundred seventy-five centimeters tall, and weighs one hundred thirty pounds. He’s not from Yumu City, but from elsewhere. He’s an orphan who has survived by stealing since he was young. He currently lives in a short-term rental place called Shunchang, and his phone number is 1..."
I frowned because this information contrasted sharply with what had been exaggerated in previous posts; this post contained entirely accurate details. Zhang Bin had been detained multiple times before; I had seen his records previously, which matched what was online. His phone number and address were also correct.
While many might know Zhang Bin's phone number, only a few knew he lived at Shunchang short-term rental—besides us, probably only Cheng Yimin and Zheng Shuai were aware of it. This information likely came from them, indicating what kind of life Zhang Bin was leading now.
The other two thieves kept a low profile; no one mentioned them. They needed to distance themselves quickly to prevent others from discovering their connection with him; otherwise, the furious Crowd would surely drown Cheng Yimin and Zheng Shuai in their wrath.
Zhang Bin truly had no one to rely on.
Gu Chen said, "I also think it was Zhang Bin who did it, but he was clever about it and left very little evidence. However, with just fingerprints and so many witnesses, we still can't convict Zhang Bin, can we? If Zhang Bin isn't convicted, I don't think the citizens of Yumu City will let this go easily."
I remained silent for a moment before replying, "We can't. Without absolute evidence, we cannot close the case. You must understand that in criminal investigations, witnesses are the least reliable element. The same event can be interpreted differently by different people. We cannot lean towards one side just because their voices are louder."
Gu Chen replied, "It's not about how many people believe what; the issue is that it seems no one believes Zhang Bin is innocent except you."
I shook my head. "I don't believe Zhang Bin is innocent either. It's just that until the case is thoroughly investigated, I won't rashly draw a biased conclusion. That would make it too easy to lose my judgment. If that happens, our sense of justice will be compromised."
Guan Zengbin said, "The pressure is too great. If we don't solve this case quickly, the angry crowd will eventually vent their frustrations on us."
I closed my eyes and pressed my hand against my temple. My mind was chaotic at that moment, echoing with the frenzied shouts of the crowd from the conference room.
Just then, my phone rang.
"Captain Shao? What’s the update?" I asked.
Captain Shao replied, "We have some leads in Dongxing City. I found an IP address; it's from a computer at an internet café. However, the surveillance at that café is under maintenance, so we don’t know who posted it. But street cameras show that Hao Ren entered that café at some point; we just can't determine if he was the one who posted it."
After a brief pause, Captain Shao continued, "Or rather, we can't prove that this video belongs to Hao Ren."
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