Free Web NovelChapter 312: Chapter 306: Do you think I shouldn’t hate her?_1
This statement made everyone freeze, but everyone knew that now, the only way to prove the reason why the three victims didn’t resist was to find their skulls and confirm it.
Xu Dayuan didn’t speak for a long time, but finally pointed to the map and marked three spots, then circled them and looked at Zhou Ning.
"Before I came to you, I analyzed the three locations where the bodies were dumped with Zhenshan, all within this triangular area in Hai’an City, with the furthest distance being 4.1 kilometers, and the central point is right here."
Following the direction of Xu Dayuan’s finger, everyone looked and saw that it was indeed Hongqi Road Community.
Remembering the book written by Li Chengbin on criminal psychological profiling, Zhou Ning thought of his theory—it’s highly possible that the central point of multiple murder victims’ dumping sites is the primary crime scene.
However, Hongqi Road Community was one of the first residential areas built in Hai’an City in the 1980s, with a housing age of over thirty years. The houses from that era, from the materials to the design, had issues, and what’s left now are either dangerous or have been redeveloped.
"Has this place been demolished?"
Xu Dayuan’s cheeks twitched and he almost burst an internal injury from holding back.
"Talking to you is so unsurprising. Zhenshan just went to check, and this place has been designated for demolition. The residents have basically moved out, leaving only a few stubborn households that refuse to agree to the demolition and insist on living there. They’re being watched at the scene; I don’t know if there will be any discoveries."
Zhou Ning smiled and picked up Cui Yushang’s file.
"Alright, no need to be secretive. Since Director Xu has come to me, it means that although the classmates of the three victims have been here, they haven’t found anything special, probably similar to the reaction of Ai Qingsong. After all, no one is willing to voluntarily reveal more details, especially not the participants."
Mr. Zhao came over.
"So, shall we look for the skulls now?"
Xu Dayuan pushed him away with disdain and rolled his eyes.
"As if I don’t know to look for the skulls. The problem is that we have no lead." freeweɓnovel.cѳm
Mr. Zhao stiffened his neck, clearly not convinced.
"Zhou Xiaozhou has already given such a big hint. Clearly he has an idea; why don’t you just ask him?"
Xu Dayuan looked at Zhou Ning with hope.
"Do you have a direction?"
Zhou Ning sidestepped towards Liu Yongxin, keeping a bit of distance from Xu Dayuan and Mr. Zhao—after all, Xu Dayuan didn’t hold back with his hands, and when excited, a slap from him could be pretty painful.
"Two directions. First, find someone to contact the hospital where Ai Qingsong from Hushang City works and have them take photos of Ai’s hands. Second, we can check Cui Yushang’s hometown. I remember his family rented a place in Luo Zhuang Village and I guess his hometown is probably in Hai’an City too.
According to Ludong’s customs, those who die a violent death usually don’t keep the ashes, but that wouldn’t have been done in that era, especially for a 12-year-old boy who is considered the firstborn son. He would be buried in the village graveyard."
Now that the investigation has hit a deadlock and we have no other clues, let’s go check. If someone wanted to take revenge for Cui Yushang, could the three skulls be buried in front of his grave?"
Xu Dayuan nodded vigorously, the analysis sounding more and more feasible.
Just as he was about to leave, Xu Dayuan turned and waved his arm, standing right behind Liu Yongxin. Liu Yongxin gave him a stern look.
"My disciple is a technical talent; don’t get agitated. We can’t afford that slap from you."
Xu Dayuan rubbed his nose and withdrew his hand.
"What I meant was, don’t leave yet. Mr. Bai will bring Li Hua and Zhu Yufen over in a bit. Join me to listen to them. I’m going to arrange for someone to search now. Mr. Zhao, you call Mr. Yang and head to Cui Yushang’s grave together."
As his voice faded, Mr. Bai opened the door and as soon as he saw Xu Dayuan, he quickly said with a smile:
"Director Xu, I’ve brought the people over, placed in the interview room. Should we interview them together or separately?"
Mr. Zhao bent down to pick up the inspection kit, walked beside Mr. Bai, patted his shoulder earnestly, and said:
"Buddy, you didn’t let both the people come in one car and sit together in an interview room, did you? With your intelligence, watch out or Director Xu might lash out at you."
Mr. Bai was startled, his face full of confusion.
"What’s up?" fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm
Xu Dayuan waved his hand and called Zhou Ning and Mr. Liu.
"Let’s go together and listen."
He then gave Mr. Bai an indifferent glance.
"I told you to take two cars to pick up people. Surely you didn’t do what Mr. Zhao said, bringing both people back in one car, and now they’re sitting side by side in the interview room, are they?"
Mr. Bai nodded, unaware of the fury Xu Dayuan was keeping at bay.
"Hmm, both of them are waiting in the same interview room. I was just wondering what the leaders think the next step should be?"
Xu Dayuan raised his hand, and Mr. Bai instinctively dodged, only then realizing that his arrangement might differ from what the leaders had in mind.
"I’ll go separate them right away, isn’t that good enough?"
"It’s too late now, let’s go and don’t make things difficult for Mr. Bai. The kid has a face that looks smart, but if you don’t give him clear instructions, you can’t blame him for the outcome."
Liu Yongxin’s words did not ease Xu Dayuan’s frustration. He glanced at Mr. Bai and strode toward the interview room.
"What’s Mr. Liu really trying to say?"
Liu Yongxin patted Mr. Bai on the shoulder.
"Let’s go. Remember next time, when you bring people in, at least keep them from seeing each other, let alone put them together. We haven’t even begun questioning them. Don’t say let them chat together; even seeing each other might lead them to guess what’s going on. What if we have a suspect here, wouldn’t you be in a pickle then?"
Mr. Bai smacked his head, finally coming to a realization.
"Damn, that’s what you meant. Why didn’t Director Xu just say it clearly?"
That comment left Liu Yongxin speechless.
"Now I see why Xu Dayuan always has Liu Yufei and the others keep an eye on you. You’re not cut out for detective work. Your mind doesn’t keep up, and you’re too stubborn. After I’ve told you, don’t come asking me again. Talk too much, and my blood pressure won’t stay stable."
Mr. Bai scratched his head and followed the two towards the interview room.
Xu Dayuan wasn’t the only one irritated. Zhou Ning and Liu Yongxin were also somewhat speechless. With Mr. Bai’s way of thinking, he really wasn’t suitable for tasks that required brainpower.
Li Hua is Li Fang’s younger sister and still doesn’t know whether her sister was harmed by the three deceased, but the fact that the deceased are placed at the site of Li Fang’s car accident certainly signifies something.
As for Zhu Yufen, she is Cui Yushang’s own sister. According to the results of the scene investigation, at least two of the three deceased were involved, and the second one even drowned in a bathtub with bath salts, indicating that one of the murderers might be female. Although these two women were invited politely to assist in the investigation, they’re also suspects.
The group arrived next door to the interview room. Inside, a woman sat wearing a camel-colored cashmere coat, cinched at the waist. Her features bore a resemblance to Li Fang. Clearly, this was Li Fang’s younger sister, Li Hua.
After greetings were exchanged, Xu Dayuan sat across from her.
"Sorry for interrupting your work. I understand you know why we urgently called you here. To save time, I’ll get straight to the questions. Do you know the details of the incident involving your sister Li Fang? And can you tell us about the liquidation of your family’s company, Haichanglong?"
Li Hua nodded.
"I’m five years younger than my sister. On May Day of ’93, I was in school at Ludong City, studying for my junior year in nursing at Ludong Province Medical College. I rushed back immediately upon hearing about my sister’s accident to see her for the last time.
As for the details, they were recounted to me by my parents. My father consulted with the traffic police and conducted a thorough examination of the accident scene. He always felt it wasn’t a regular traffic accident, so he personally went to Qindao to bring a forensic doctor for an autopsy.
My uncle and older relatives strongly discouraged it, not wanting to disturb the remains. Being a medical student, I naturally supported my dad; his primary concern was always for us sisters. After the autopsy and further investigation,
it took a month of effort before the official conclusion was a traffic accident, caused by nonfunctioning street lights that limited visibility resulting in the crash through the guardrail and off the bridge. My father has always suspected that my sister’s job was the reason for this ’accident.’
He neglected Haichanglong, handing over managerial rights to Zhu Kelin, and then went around different departments to investigate the cases my sister was handling. However, the staff at the planning bureau were uncooperative. After much struggle, my father’s heart condition worsened.
I consulted the dean of our college and was advised that treatment abroad was the better option, considering the small number of heart surgery cases in China in ’95. Subsequently, my mother accompanied him abroad for surgery, which required over a year of recovery.
By the time they returned to China, Haichanglong’s troubles had surfaced. My father dealt with a number of personnel, but the company’s accounts were empty, facing insolvency. Zhu Kelin had even gained control of part of the company’s shares. My father was so upset, he suffered a stroke.
Before the liquidation of Haichanglong was complete, my father passed away. The following year, my mother also died of a stroke. My shares in Haichanglong were cashed out because I didn’t understand business and couldn’t contend with Zhu Kelin after both my parents had gone. So I accepted the transfer of my shares."
Xu Dayuan tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table.
"So, to the end, your parents never found out whether your sister Li Fang’s death was related to those three?"
Li Hua gave a nod and hugged her coat tighter. The room wasn’t cold, but this gesture was one of self-protection. Zhou Ning watched Li Hua’s eyes intently, waiting for her response.
Li Hua shook her head.
"Although they all worked in construction-related fields and seemed to have a connection with my sister, no evidence was found."
"Do you hate Zhu Kelin?"
Li Hua stared at Xu Dayuan, her expression very grave, even with a hint of disdain.
"What kind of question is that? Of course, I don’t like Zhu Kelin. My father’s Haichanglong was one of the largest enterprises in Hai’an City at the time. Not only did he build the company from scratch, but even the trade company alone spurred many industries. During my father’s illness, his actions were despicable.
But I don’t hate him. If I must speak of hate, I hate my sister more. She was too outstanding in every respect, and under her brilliance, I was just a wallflower. This is why I chose nursing instead of economic studies as my parents had wished.
I was compared to her every day since I was born. Whenever my sister fell ill, my father would go to great lengths to find the most advanced hospital for her surgery. As for her work, she advanced smoothly within the planning bureau and was incredibly successful.
Even after my sister’s death, I didn’t receive their attention; they were either immersed in grief or searching for the truth behind her death, seeing everyone as her potential killer. Because of her existence, I never felt the affection of my parents. Do you think I shouldn’t hate her?"
