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Lu Xiangyang nodded, glanced at me, seemingly hesitant to speak, but in the end, he said nothing and bid us farewell before leaving. As he walked away, he muttered, "This is one of the top schools in Dongxing City, yet such things still happen."
I shook my head helplessly, watching Lu Xiangyang's retreating figure. He was indeed a clever person; his words hinted not only at the bullying of the boy but also at the murder of his sister, Lu Zhiqiu. However, a prestigious institution only indicated high intelligence; morality and immorality are never determined by IQ.
Eventually, Lu Xiangyang disappeared from our sight, and I did not mention the murder case to him.
Zhao Mingkun looked at me and said lightly, "Have you made your choice? Are you going to let Lu Xiangyang go?"
I tugged at my hair and replied slowly, "I suppose so. When I think about it, the evidence we currently have is enough to put him away. Plus, with the police interrogation, I doubt a seventeen-year-old boy has a strong moral compass."
"I don't see it that way," Zhao Mingkun countered.
I explained, "The reason Lu Xiangyang appears confident is that no one suspects his involvement in this matter. If we expose that connection, he might not remain so composed. But the problem is, he can only be charged with incitement to murder. Since he was a minor at the time of the act, he would only serve a short sentence."
After a moment of silence, I continued, "Lu Xiangyang would only serve a brief time, but afterward, he would carry the weight of this incident for life. Although Lu Xiangyang provoked Jiang Xiaochun, Jiang Xiaochun acted on his own volition; otherwise, merely being provoked by a phone wouldn't lead him to kill so many people in one go."
"Given that," I said, "rather than burdening Lu Xiangyang with this incident and pushing him toward a life of crime, it might be better for everyone to forget about it. Under his sister's guidance, perhaps he learned quite a bit from her."
"Was that incident just now what finally led you to make your decision?" Zhao Mingkun asked.
I nodded slowly and replied, "Yes."
Zhao Mingkun then spoke again, "Or are you afraid Lu Xiangyang might become the second Wu Zui?"
I replied calmly, "That possibility exists; at seventeen, he already has the capability to plan so meticulously. If external pressures and stimuli increase for him, he might indeed become another Wu Zui. In that case, I think it’s better to let it go. What do you think?"
Zhao Mingkun shrugged and said, "You ask me; I don't really care. If your conscience can handle it, do as you wish."
After pondering for a moment, I sighed heavily and said, "Then let's leave it at that. At least we have evidence; if Lu Xiangyang benefits from this situation in any way, then I won't hold back."
"Yes," Zhao Mingkun said. "As long as one commits a crime, it might just be delayed, but eventually, they will face the consequences. Is that what you think?"
I looked at Zhao Mingkun, knowing that this question was about her situation, and I still couldn't find the words to respond.
What would I do when the time comes?
Just then, my phone suddenly rang. I glanced at it and saw that it was Gu Chen calling. Whenever Gu Chen called, it was never for casual conversation; he must have found some clues.
"Gu Chen, what’s going on?" I asked.
Gu Chen's voice took a while to come through. He said, "I have something to tell you. After your explanation of Lu Zhiqiu's case, I have a rough understanding now. I also know that the murderer returned to take revenge on Lu Zhiqiu, intending to kill everyone who might have wanted to harm her."
"That's right." As I walked back, I replied, "The murderer has killed a total of twenty-two people."
"But what if none of those twenty-two people ever intended to kill Lu Zhiqiu?" Gu Chen's voice was soft.
Even though I had anticipated such an outcome from the beginning, hearing it confirmed by Gu Chen still shocked me. I really didn't want my suspicion to be validated because it would be incredibly unfair to others.
Among those twenty-two people, even if many had thought about killing Lu Zhiqiu, none had chosen to act on it. These were all intelligent individuals who understood that taking a life would come with dire consequences. Despite Lu Zhiqiu possessing enviable resources, killing someone was simply not worth it.
I stopped in my tracks, cold sweat breaking out all over me.
I slowly spoke up, "Go on."
Gu Chen continued, "This morning, Rob finally came to collect the evidence. So I didn’t waste any time and took him down immediately. Rob thought I was a police officer, but when he saw me, he didn't try to escape; instead, he knelt down right away."
"He knelt down for you?" I asked.
"That's right," Gu Chen said, "Rob knelt down right in front of me. His first words were, 'You finally came.'"
Under Gu Chen's narration, the truth about the case finally surfaced.
On that night seven years ago, after Yang Licheng and Wang Yikai had left, and before Liang Mei was dismembered, someone had indeed come here. The person Xu Man had seen was none other than Rob. At that time, Rob did not intend to kill anyone; he was merely looking to steal something.
Rob had been fired by Foreman. Knowing he was leaving the construction site, he realized that the scrap metal there could be sold for money. He planned to steal some iron to sell at the junkyard. Although it wasn't much, it would be enough for a meal. However, when Rob arrived at the site, he saw someone.
Rob did not expect to see this person—Lu Zhiqiu. He didn't know what Lu Zhiqiu was doing there and looked around but saw no one else. After hesitating for a few seconds, he noticed a pregnant woman at the entrance of the site.
But Rob understood that if he didn't act now, he might never get another chance.
So he picked up a brick and struck Lu Zhiqiu hard on the head. With that single blow, Lu Zhiqiu's head caved in, blood and brain matter splattering everywhere, covering Rob in gore. He wiped the blood off his clothes with his shirt and wrapped the brick in it before hurriedly leaving.
As he left, Rob saw a man approaching. Although he didn't know who this man was, I suspect it was Hu Pei. Rob managed to hide in the shadows without being seen by Hu Pei.
When Rob emerged, he found Xu Man still waiting outside. She looked at him, and he looked back at her. Rob knew that once Lu Zhiqiu was dead, the police would surely investigate. This woman in front of him must have known something, but Rob didn't have time to kill her.
If Hu Pei saw Lu Zhiqiu's body, he might chase after Rob. Facing two people would likely lead to his capture, so he ignored Xu Man and ran away.
I frowned; during the time Rob escaped, Liang Mei must have been dismembering Lu Zhiqiu while Hu Pei hid behind a pillar, too afraid to come out.
Xu Man waited for both men but eventually left alone.
This is how things unfolded seven years ago; everything became clear. As for the others, they had indeed seen Lu Zhiqiu that night and may have even considered killing him in that moment. Yet none of them acted on it; instead, it was Rob—who had little interaction with Lu Zhiqiu—who committed the murder.
The rest of the story is all too familiar: having killed someone and knowing his actions were witnessed, Rob felt that it wouldn't be long before he was arrested. So he fled back to his hometown overnight.
In reality, due to numerous interfering factors, the case's murderer had never been identified. The police were even unaware that Xu Man had ever appeared at the construction site, and naturally, they had not investigated her. Yet this person, who was seemingly unrelated to the case, held the most clues.
Rob fled back to his hometown, feeling that it wouldn't be long before he was arrested. He withdrew all his money and brought it home to his mother, subtly explaining his wishes for the future and hoping Aunt Wu would live well after him.
However, after three or four days with no news at all, Rob sensed a shift in the situation. Although he didn't know what had happened, he realized that the police had not yet caught him. This led him to consider escaping. Thus began a seven-year life on the run.
At first, Rob would leave a city after just a week, but gradually he developed a routine. He would stay in one city for a month, working during that time. Afterward, he would send most of his earnings back to his mother while keeping just enough for himself to move to another city.
Each time he received a letter from his mother, Rob would leave that city behind.
Over those seven years, Rob's footsteps spread across the country. Not a single night passed where he could sleep soundly; every little noise would wake him up in a cold sweat. Whenever he saw police officers on the street, he instinctively avoided them. Each time he encountered unscrupulous bosses who withheld his wages, he found himself unable to seek help.
Though Rob lived on this land, he felt rootless—like a drifter destined to wander forever, never daring to return home.
When Gu Chen asked how he would choose if time could be rewound, Rob firmly stated that he would never kill again.
He could not enjoy a good night's sleep or return to his hometown; he lived in constant fear.
So Rob knelt before Gu Chen; finally, he could rest easy.
He no longer had to worry about being caught.
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