In the blink of an eye, several bags had disappeared. What I thought was that the flesh would rot away in the river in a few days, and with no head or limbs, no one could identify who it was, so I didn’t care if soone found the flesh.
I rode back to Yang Liang’s house, where it was already two in the morning. Before entering the yard, I had already scrubbed the three-wheeled cart’s rear bin clean of any stench of blood. Only then did I switch vehicles and lock the door securely.
Driving out, I headed straight back to Shen City. To be honest, I was startled when you found . I didn’t expect you to identify Fu Chunyu only ten days later. At the ti, I really wasn’t afraid, thinking you were questioning because I was her ex-boyfriend.
At this point, Zhang Hongwei sighed deeply, as if doing so could lessen his guilt sowhat—although perhaps for him the very concept of guilt was aningless.
Mr. Huang had grown experienced; this ti he didn’t rush, nor did he blurt out any inappropriate questions at the wrong mont. Actually, until this point, the murder confession had been made clear.
"That’s it. I thought you would suspect Yang Liang, as they bore grudges against each other. At most, I’d made a fake certificate, but that’s no big deal. As for the compensation money, with a bit of shalessness, I could have easily explained that away. I just didn’t expect that I had left behind evidence."
Mr. Huang nodded.
"During the investigation, the forensic expert explained to that you probably failed to notice you had torn your gloves and injured your finger because when you are extrely tense and excited, adrenaline secretion is high, which completely blocks out the sense of pain. Later, when you thought about it, you didn’t rember whether the injury occurred during the cri."
Zhang Hongwei ca to a realization, then laughed at himself ironically.
"I thought, experts are all swindlers, with their various unreasonable questions and suggestions, things a normal person wouldn’t think of or say. I didn’t expect you’d consult with a real expert, soone who found the evidence and guessed I was the murderer?"
Mr. Huang waved at the scribe who stood up and checked the record one last ti before approaching him.
Mr. Huang laid the transcript and pen on the small table, then looked up intently at Zhang Hongwei and said:
"It wasn’t a guess. He concluded from the condition of Fu Chunyu’s fetus and several test results that she suffered from preeclampsia and gestational diabetes. Based on the fetus’s small size, he estimated the month of pregnancy and then traced the list of expecting mothers who had undergone screenings, finally pinpointing Fu Chunyu.
The process was a bit complex; to tell you the truth, I too didn’t expect we could solve the case within the city’s ti limit. After all, you really didn’t seem like the culprit, or else we wouldn’t have released you after questioning that day."
Zhang Hongwei seed uninterested in these words, his gaze fixed on the direction of the one-way mirror, familiar with the layout of the interrogation room from being questioned multiple tis.
"Is he watching over there?"
Mr. Huang nodded and tapped the small table with his finger.
"Look at the transcript, and sign it if there are no issues. I imagine you haven’t slept well these past ten days. Now that you’ve confessed, at least you can sleep soundly tonight."
Zhang Hongwei’s eyes remained fixed as Zhou Ning, from behind the glass, seed to feel Zhang Hongwei’s stare. He looked straight at the glass without moving for what seed like a long ti, and then he smiled.
Shaking his head slightly, he grabbed the pen.
"If I threatened to sign only if I could see the forensic expert, you wouldn’t agree, right?"
Mr. Huang shook his head without uttering another word. There was no point in saying more now; the progress had been so smooth thanks to Zhou Ning’s text ssage. It was just a matter of insisting at this point.
"Just sign, the forensic expert isn’t from Dayao City."
Zhang Hongwei sighed regretfully, said nothing more, signed and fingerprinted. After all these formalities, the clerk called for soone to co in. They changed the handcuffs, and Zhang Hongwei looked at Mr. Huang, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Will I be executed by firing squad?"
Mr. Huang shook his head.
"I don’t know; it’s not up to to decide. If I could decide, I would choose the most brutal execution for you. A single peanut to finish you off would be too comfortable."
Zhang Hongwei was stunned and didn’t react even as he was handcuffed. When the detectives were about to escort him out, he struggled briefly but only to turn around and look at Mr. Huang.
"Can I see my parents?"
Mr. Huang shook his head.
"Before the trial, you can’t see anyone but your lawyer. Go rest well at the detention center; today you can finally get a good night’s sleep."
Zhang Hongwei seed to want to say sothing else, but Mr. Huang waved him off.
"Stop talking; it’s too late for regrets. Let us rest too. Take him away!"
As the officers pulled Zhang Hongwei away, Mr. Huang took off his hat, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and hurried back into the interrogation room. He grabbed Mr. Qu’s hand and shook it vigorously.
"Hahaha, thank you all so much! If I have another case here, I won’t bother calling for provincial support; I’ll just ask you guys to co over to the rescue directly."
Before he could finish, Zhou Ning arrived in the interrogation room with Liu Yongxin, glancing at the ti. It was nearing dawn, too late to leave now, and considering his master’s age, it wouldn’t be right to make him travel at night. Zhou Ning didn’t join the conversation, allowing Mr. Huang and his team a mont of joy, but Liu Yongxin cut Mr. Huang off.
"Leader, don’t just celebrate. The interrogation is over, and all the evidence is gathered. We’re leaving right away."
Mr. Huang was taken aback.
"Co on, stay until tomorrow. Give a chance to treat you to a al as a token of gratitude. I really don’t know how else to express my thanks."
Liu Yongxin waved him off.
"It’s all in the family; no thanks necessary. My precious apprentice is in a hurry to care for his future mother-in-law, who isn’t well, so we won’t linger. Let us know the outco of this case once it’s concluded. Take so rest; you all must be busy too!"
Such words left Mr. Huang at a loss, and he turned to look at Cao Pingzhang, who gestured.
"Mr. Huang, you go ahead with your work. I’ll walk our guests out. They are indeed in a rush, so let’s not make it awkward with further pleasantries. We have ample ti in the future."
Mr. Huang grabbed Zhou Ning’s hand, his face unable to conceal his excitent.
"Alright, I’m a straightforward man, not good with pleasantries. If you won’t let see you off, then I won’t, but rember, if you ever need anything, just say the word. We at the Dayao City Bureau will be at your disposal!"
Zhou Ning smiled, feeling Mr. Huang’s sincerity.
"Sure, we’ll speak up if we need anything. Goodbye!"
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