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Arriving at Xiao Jingguang's home, we noticed that the decor was elegantly understated, clearly reflecting careful thought in its design. After letting us in, Xiao Jingguang prepared a cup of tea for each of us before sitting down and asking, "What exactly happened with Zhao Kaifang?"
It seemed that Xiao Jingguang was genuinely concerned about Zhao Kaifang, so I decided to be straightforward. "A week ago, Zhao Kaifang was murdered. Our investigation revealed that over the past seven years, she had undergone twelve abortions and had a history of using her pregnancies to deceive others for money. That's why we came to Kaiyang—to investigate whether Zhao Kaifang had any grudges from her high school days due to these actions."
Xiao Jingguang nodded thoughtfully and replied, "Although Lanzhong University isn't too far from here, it still takes an hour or two by plane and an entire afternoon by car. The killer is likely from Blue Capital, so coming to Kaiyang to find the killer seems a bit misguided."
I shook my head and explained, "When we discovered the body, it was already a week later. It's possible the killer fled to various places after committing the crime. Moreover, we found no leads during our investigation at Lanzhong University, which is why we're looking for clues here in Kaiyang. Now, regarding Zhao Kaifang's abortions—are you aware of them?"
Xiao Jingguang nodded again, appearing somewhat contemplative. After a moment of silence, he said, "When I was with Zhao Kaifang, I knew she wasn't a virgin and that she had had an abortion before, but I didn't realize it had happened so many times. In fact, during our year together in high school, I almost became a father myself."
Although his words were vague, his expression showed no surprise; it seemed he was already prepared for this conversation. I asked him, "But your expression doesn't show any shock; it seems like you knew all along."
"This matter is quite complicated," Xiao Jingguang said with a resigned smile as he looked at me. "I wouldn't be surprised by anything that happened to Zhao Kaifang. Although we were together for over a year—counting our time in high school, it totals only two years—that's still too short for me to fully understand her."
"She was like a deep well," he added.
I nodded and gestured for him to continue.
Xiao Jingguang continued, "About six months into our relationship, we ended up in bed together. She confessed to me that she had previously had an abortion. She told me she was happy with me but that she would eventually break up with me. We spent that night together, only to later discover she was pregnant."
"To be honest, during her second year of high school, Zhao Kaifang didn't have many friends," Xiao Jingguang said as he took a sip of tea. "She only had one good friend named Zhao Ke'er. In private, Zhao Kaifang was actually a very kind person. She cooked wonderfully and had a sweet demeanor like a delicate girl; however, she wouldn't say much to those she wasn't familiar with."
"But when we were together, I always felt like there was something hidden within her. Sometimes she would stare blankly into the distance with an expression akin to that of a corpse—her heart seemed lifeless as if she would perish without something to support her."
"I don't know if others felt this way, but my feelings were quite strong," Xiao Jingguang added as he refilled our cups. "The longer I spent time with her, the more intense this feeling became. It's hard for someone to pretend to be another person for long. I once asked Zhao Ke'er why Zhao Kaifang's relationships never lasted long—usually just a few months at most—but Zhao Ke'er seemed reluctant to share her thoughts on it."
"My guess is that Zhao Kaifang harbored some secret within her heart. She didn't want others to know too much about what she felt inside; that's why she couldn't maintain long-term relationships," Xiao Jingguang concluded. "Otherwise, she'd risk exposing herself, which is why she acted so aloof."
Xiao Jingguang spoke eloquently, as if the memories were still fresh. In everyone's eyes, there was a different version of Zhao Kaifang. What kind of person was Zhao Kaifang, really? It was quite perplexing, peeling back the layers of falsehood; Zhao Kaifang was indeed shrouded in mystery.
I nodded and continued to ask, "According to our records, he got you pregnant twice during your relationship?"
"Twice?" Xiao Jingguang shook his head and then said, "The next time wasn't me; it should be Qiang, his next boyfriend. I don't know if you found that out. After Zhao Kaifang's first pregnancy, I initially wanted her to keep the baby, and I would take care of it. But she refused and insisted on having an abortion, so I had no choice but to agree to her request. After her abortion, I took care of her for a while."
"But by that time, we were already in a state of being practically separated," Xiao Jingguang sighed and continued, "My upbringing taught me that if I got a girl pregnant, regardless of whether she was ready to be a mother or not, I had to take care of her—either for life or until she found true love."
I nodded and said, "So when the next pregnancy occurred, you had completely broken up with Zhao Kaifang. Did you ever consider that she might have gotten pregnant to force you to break up?"
"I did think about that. But regardless of the reason, it was time for me to leave. If it was for true love, I should wish her well. But if it was for the latter reason, then I should leave even more. If she had to do this to make me leave, then I wouldn't be taking care of her; I'd just be a burden." Xiao Jingguang shrugged, a look of indescribable melancholy on his face.
However, from this point of analysis, it seemed that Xiao Jingguang might know Qiang's whereabouts. Before proceeding further, I needed to establish an alibi for Xiao Jingguang; otherwise, no matter what he said, he would still be a suspect. With this in mind, I had to say, "Mr. Xiao, although emotionally I tend to believe you're innocent, you must provide proof of your whereabouts from a week ago. Otherwise, we have reason and authority to investigate you. Do you understand?"
Xiao Jingguang drained his cup of tea and replied, "I haven't had any business lately, so I've been at home all the time. Every noon and evening, I go outside to feed stray cats or dogs. But this is something I've done alone; I can't exactly have those strays testify for me."
"Since that's the case, we will need to take you to the Police Department for questioning," I told Xiao Jingguang. "This is our procedure; you should know that. Dezi, contact the police in Kaiyang. Mary, prepare a copy of the information for the Kaiyang City police. Xiao Jingguang, after you finish your statement, we will restrict your movements; your phone must remain on. At least until the case is resolved, you cannot leave Kaiyang and must report regularly to the Police Department."
Xiao Jingguang nodded in agreement. He said, "I understand; recently I've really had nothing going on. I'll stay at home. If anything comes up, you can come find me anytime. I'll cooperate."
As we spoke, Dezi had already contacted the Kaiyang City police through the Special Investigation Team's hotline. Mary had copied a document onto a USB drive; now we were just waiting for the Kaiyang City police to arrive. The Kaiyang Police would respond as quickly as possible upon receiving the call from the Special Investigation Team.
In the meantime, we could ask Xiao Jingguang about Qiang.
I said to him, "Soon the Kaiyang police will take you to the station for your statement; afterward they will bring you back here. Before they arrive, I'd like to ask if you know where Qiang lives? Also, there's someone who often hangs out with Qiang; do you know who that is? Zhao Ke'er mentioned that they often hang out together."
Xiao Jingguang nodded and replied, "That's right; it is indeed like that. That person's name is Lu Weiguo; he often spends time with Qiang. When I hadn't completely broken up with her yet, Qiang and Lu Weiguo would frequently come looking for her at that time; she willingly agreed to go out with them."
"Do you know what kind of people Qiang and Lu Weiguo are? Do you know where they live now?" I asked.
Xiao Jingguang pondered for a moment, then said uncertainly, "I have a vague impression, but I can't be sure. Back in high school, I went there once with Zhao Kaifang. It seems to be in the southern part of the city, in a place called Weimin District. After they graduated from Junior High School, they didn't continue their studies, and I'm not sure how they got to know each other."
"I've only been there once too; I haven't gone back since," Xiao Jingguang shrugged and added, "I just have a little impression of it. But you should be able to investigate it clearly."
We nodded. With names and locations, the investigation would be much easier. Mary had already opened her computer and started searching. Just then, we heard police sirens outside; it seemed the police from Kaiyang City had arrived. We exchanged nods and began to head downstairs.
No one spoke as we walked to the door. When we reached the entrance, Xiao Jingguang stopped and turned to ask, "Officer, how did Zhao Kaifang die?"
I replied, "She was strangled with a rope."
Xiao Jingguang nodded and said, "I suddenly remembered something. Once, Zhao Kaifang was sitting by the window playing with a piece of rope. She said that if there were no expectations or attachments left in the world, she might have already left this world. I’m not sure what she meant by that."
With that, Xiao Jingguang opened the door and stepped outside. The police car was waiting downstairs for us. We conducted a brief handover. Mary handed over the backup materials for the case while we asked a few questions about Weimin District. After the police car left, we drove towards Weimin District to investigate matters concerning Qiang and Lu Weiguo.
【Unsolved Mystery】 A mysterious 21st-century 'Airborne Troops' appeared in North America, rescuing an Indian Red-Haired Beauty, enjoying adventures with a Blue-Eyed Busty Blonde, dominating Wall Street, amassing wealth across America, and initiating the Han Ethnic Colonial Global Model.
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