Zhu Yufen’s interrogation, they did not hear, the next day early in the morning, Xu Dayuan looked through the transcript once and handed it over to Zhang Chunbo.
"Since the materials are ready, let’s follow the normal procedure. I’ve already reported this case to Mr. Hu."
Zhang Chunbo nodded and sighed, looking at Xu Dayuan as if he had a lot to say. However, in the end, he clenched the transcript of Zhu Yufen, swallowed back all his words, laughed at himself mockingly, and turned his gaze towards Zhou Ning by Xu Dayuan’s side.
"I ntioned before, I have another ongoing case here. The victim’s face was destroyed, making it impossible to identify the deceased. I don’t know if Doctor Bai has told Director Zhou about this?"
Zhou Ning nodded, he knew about this matter.
"Yes, Doctor Bai and Mr. Qu have scanned the victim’s head. The facial damage is too extensive for software reconstruction. However, it has been sent to the lab, and later Mr. Xia will help with the sculptural facial reconstruction. This will take ti, though, because Mr. Xia is still teaching students, given that software purchases are ongoing in various provinces."
Zhang Chunbo laughed.
"That’s good, that’s good. I’m aware there are other places with cases, so I won’t keep you any longer. Thanks to Director Xu and Director Zhou for your help. When you have the ti, I’ll take you out to eat in Qindao."
Xu Dayuan waved his hand.
"We’re all in the sa business, let’s skip the pleasantries. But once the case is transferred, you need to follow up, you know who to keep an eye on, right? No need for to remind you."
"I know. I’ve looked up the detailed data on the corruption cases involving the three victims. I’ve compiled a list and held a eting last night, assigning tasks to keep an eye on certain places. Rest assured, nothing will go wrong, at least not until the case is transferred to the Interdiate Court. I will have people watching."
Xu Dayuan patted Zhang Chunbo on the shoulder.
"I used to work in Qidong, I know many tasks down the line are tough. But the fact that the bureau is exerting such effort to clean up backlogged cases—it speaks volus, and you should think about it. Alright, we’re leaving, no need to see us out!"
Xu Dayuan led everyone to the car, Bai Hua and Zhang Chunbo still walked them to the door. Bai Hua approached Zhou Ning.
"Doctor Zhou, if there’s anything I can’t resolve later on, I hope I can still consult with you."
"It’s not about consulting. If there’s a problem, we can study it together. After all, Qin University’s lab is still at the city bureau’s technical division. Besides, your software here has just been put to use, and as for the upcoming upgrades, soone will still co over to handle them, like for this deceased with the destroyed face, it would eventually be possible to use the software for symtrical reconstruction."
Bai Hua also smiled and waved to Zhou Ning, and the car slowly pulled away.
Mr. Zhao drove the Iveco, looking at Xu Dayuan through the rearview mirror.
"Boss, give a direction. Just saying ’let’s go’ without telling where exactly -- what am I supposed to do? Or are you thinking of finding a place to eat again?"
Liu Yongxin, who was sitting behind Mr. Zhao, slapped his head.
"Eat, eat, eat – that’s all you think about. Last ti, you even tricked during a al. Just drive towards the return route to the city center. The remaining sub-bureaus are all around the urban area; at least we can go ho to stay. What’s there to ask about?"
Mr. Zhao sheepishly twisted his mouth and pressed harder on the accelerator. The car sped up and rged into the traffic flow, with the police cars behind following his lead towards the direction of the highway entrance.
Liu Yongxin turned back to look at Xu Dayuan, who had his eyes shut; he knew Xu Dayuan was conflicted at the mont.
"What’s wrong, boss? If you feel troubled, why not talk to us?"
Zhou Ning opened his eyes, glanced at Liu Yongxin, and seeing him making eye signals and miming the turning of a page motion, Zhou Ning realized Xu Dayuan’s low spirits must be related to having just seen Zhu Yufen’s transcript.
Previously, during Li Hua’s interrogation, which Zhou Ning had watched, she narrated content similar to Ai Qingsong’s, but she took all the bla upon herself. However, when it ca to coherence and key evidence, so things didn’t quite align.
Li Hua was just a head nurse. The people and matters she dealt with rarely involved these aspects. Thus, her testimony appeared feeble in wanting to take responsibility. Ai Qingsong, on the other hand, had been writing whistleblower materials for many years and collecting relevant evidence; when he confessed, he was fully prepared.
Zhu Yufen, although similar to Li Hua, had been abused by her uncle for many years, giving birth to two children. The aunt who took her away that year might have died because of this, and her short-lived ex-husband Fang Guoli turned out to be the twin brother of Fang Guoying, a classmate of Ai Qingsong and others.
All this could be Ai Qingsong’s help, and for soone who pulled her back from hell, Zhu Yufen would undoubtedly assist without hesitation. This testimony might reveal even more secrets.
Zhou Ning looked at Xu Dayuan and slowly said:
"In Zhu Yufen’s testimony, did she talk about the process of how Zhu Kelin abused her? Did she also ntion that Ai Qingsong helped her escape from Zhu Kelin’s control, even finding an identity for her son, Zhu Pinghai?"
Xu Dayuan was taken aback and glanced at Zhou Ning with a wry smile on his face.
"You, my boy, are far more perceptive than Mr. Zeng and Mr. Bai. Zhu Yufen disclosed a lot of things. When she was taken to Zhu Kelin’s ho, she was only ten years old, and at first, Zhu Kelin didn’t think much of this niece of his.
After raising her for two years, Zhu Kelin noticed Zhu Yufen had grown up and beco increasingly beautiful, so he took his wife’s advice, changed her surna, and that was when she officially beca the Zhu Family’s adopted daughter. But that was also when her nightmare began.
Back then, her cousin was found to have allergies to over a hundred foods, but Zhu Kelin was too busy to care for him, and her aunt took the child to Jing City and Hushang City for treatnt for over a year. Zhu Yufen was left at ho, to live with Zhu Kelin.
Zhu Kelin started to lay his hands on Zhu Yufen, at first just touching her without any substantive act, but Zhu Yufen was beaten when she resisted, and was threatened to be sold. One night, when Zhu Kelin had drunk too much, he raped her, and she was sent to the hospital the next day due to excessive blood loss.
When she was discharged and Zhu Kelin returned, it marked the beginning of Zhu Yufen’s abuse. It wasn’t until she got into university that she managed to escape his clutches. However, in May 1991, she fainted at school and was found to be pregnant at the hospital. She was terrified and didn’t know what to do.
Her classmates and teachers couldn’t possibly help her, and if the school found out about it, her life would be over. Desperate, she contacted Zhu Kelin, as surgery required a signature, but by a stroke of bad luck, her aunt overheard the call.
At that ti, her cousin had just been diagnosed with leukemia and was preparing to go to Hushang City for treatnt. Her aunt, mad with grief, insisted on finding Zhu Yufen. Zhu Yufen knew seeking help was futile, so she took leave from school and went straight back to Hai’an City, hiding out at Hongqi Road No.29.
In August, her cousin died, and her aunt was crazed with grief. She was placed in an old house by Zhu Kelin for soone to take care of her. Zhu Yufen was found by Zhu Kelin, and due to extre fright, she gave birth prematurely. Zhu Kelin took the baby away as soon as it was born, and she didn’t know if the child was alive or dead. To avoid being controlled, she returned to school.
After the turn of the year, after New Year’s Day but before the winter vacation, Zhu Yufen received a ssage from her teacher that her uncle was coming to pick her up, saying that her aunt had died. Zhu Yufen, trembling with fear, t with Zhu Kelin, who took her away to arrange her aunt’s funeral and then started going to various temples to stir up trouble.
She wanted to know where her child was. Zhu Kelin told her, if she wanted the child to live, she had to graduate properly and return to Hai’an to take care of him. Otherwise, he would torture the child. With no choice, Zhu Yufen graduated and went back to Hai’an City. That’s when Zhu Kelin made the child’s existence public.
Of course, Zhu Kelin strictly forbade Zhu Yufen from seeing the child. For the sake of the child’s safety, she could only submit to him. In 1993, she accidentally got in touch with her brother’s classmate and t Ai Qingsong.
Ai Qingsong liked her, and Zhu Yufen knew it, but she didn’t want to ruin him, so she told him of her childhood experiences. Ai Qingsong wanted to take her away, but Zhu Yufen refused. Her child was registered as Zhu Kelin’s son. What would happen to the child if she left?
Subsequently, when Li Fang had her accident, Zhu Yufen felt that Ai Qingsong was also in danger, so she told him about Zhu Kelin’s plans, saying that they couldn’t stop them. Moreover, Zhu Yufen revealed the true circumstances of Cui Yushang’s death at the ti, as she was on the other side of the railway track.
Actually, Cui Yushang tried to ditch the car and run, but Zheng Chuguang, Yu Guangyao and Zhang Qiujiang called out from Zhu Yufen’s side, saying that if the car broke, her father would kill her. This caused Cui Yushang to miss the chance to escape and she was killed by the oncoming train. Ai Qingsong said that those three people were responsible not only for the death of Cui Yushang but also for Li Fang.
After understanding the whole story and learning about Li Hua’s experience, the three of them decided to seek vengeance. As for the details that followed, they were similar to what the two of them had said. Only, Zhu Yufen took all the plans upon herself, claiming that everything was her design and she was the mastermind.
As for the marriage, at that ti, she beca pregnant again in 1995. Keeping it from Zhu Kelin, she found Ai Qingsong who, not wanting to involve Zhu Yufen in his problems, got his classmate’s younger brother Fang Guoli to marry Zhu Yufen.
The child was born and they divorced soon after. Zhu Yufen completely broke away from Zhu Kelin. As for the previous child, he never lived with Zhu Yufen and was raised crooked by Zhu Kelin. Zhu Kelin only gave Zhu Yufen a sum of money regularly and didn’t bother her further."
Having said all this, the car fell silent.
These three people, to a greater or lesser extent, had their lives ruined by those three deceased individuals, and Zhu Yufen’s case was even more tragic - both of her children were fathered by the man she most despised in the world, Zhu Kelin, and one of them was forever recorded on the family register as her elder sister.
After a long silence, Xu Dayuan let out a sigh.
"Alright, stop thinking about it. Mr. Liu was right, the case is already concluded, and it’s the best outco possible."
Mr. Liu snorted twice, dissatisfied, glancing sideways at Xu Dayuan.
"Focusing on the future rather than the past, now that I am of no use, you keep bringing up Mr. Liu. Why didn’t you call that before?"
"This old man, really fussy. You’re unhappy when I call you old man, and you’re still unhappy when I call you Mr. Liu. Should I call you forensic doctor so we don’t beco estranged? Or would you prefer, like Mr. Zhao and the others, that I call you Uncle Liu?"
Mr. Liu laughed.
"I think that’s fine."
Mr. Zhao coughed, interrupting the conversation between them.
"So, where are we going? We’re about to get off the highway."
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