Chapter 150 Let's solve the case quickly, Pearl!

"The deceased's mouth was pierced by a piece of threaded steel bar about 120 centimeters long and about 2 centimeters in diameter, which went all the way to the lower right abdomen. His facial expression was one of terror and fear, and his eyes were bulging. There were multiple blunt force injuries similar to those in the previous case on his chest, abdomen and limbs, multiple rib fractures, and large areas of soft tissue congestion, but the degree of injury was relatively minor."

Shen Zhenzhu moved to a different spot to make it easier for Wu Zhongguo to take photos. After a few seconds, she moved back and pressed Zhang Haijun's arm, saying, "Based on the initial formation of rigor mortis, the combined temperature of the body and the environment, the time of death is approximately around midnight today."

"So, he just died three hours ago?" Xiaobai said, "Lu Fuyi said Zhang Haijun returned to Liancheng. Did he get captured and tortured to death as soon as he got back?"

“It’s also possible that the murderer lured him back overnight,” Chen Zhenzhu said through gritted teeth. “This murderer is truly powerful and influential.”

"Can you determine the specific cause of death?" Gu Yanzheng turned off his flashlight and said in the dim light of dawn, "The sequence of events is quite complicated. I speculate that the murderer first used a hammer-like tool to beat the victim to extract a confession, causing serious injury and rendering him unable to resist. Then, he stabbed the steel bar into the victim's mouth until it pierced through his abdomen. But I can't determine whether this action occurred before or after the hanging."

Shen Zhenzhu said, "This requires a forensic autopsy to clarify. There are three possible causes of death: asphyxiation due to suspension, cervical spine injury, and blood loss due to steel bar penetration. If I had to make a judgment, I think it would be caused by a combination of asphyxiation due to suspension and massive bleeding."

Gu Yanzheng squatted down next to her, observed her carefully, and then nodded.

After taking the photos, Wu Zhongguo said, "I also feel that the murderer had a strong intention to punish and display the crime, and had a history of public execution and torture. It is very likely that he was still alive when he was hung here until he died."

“That’s right, I need to find out which highway exit Zhang Haijun came from and who he came into contact with.”

Shen Zhenzhu stood up, her mouth a little dry. She rubbed her frozen face and said, "While the murderer was playing games with the victim, he was also toying with us. Saying 'see you tomorrow' actually meant he had already planned to make his move. How did he manage to kill Zhang Haijun just four hours after receiving the 'helpful listener's' call? Did he let Zhang Haijun return from Shen City long ago?"

“If that’s the case, then the ‘enthusiastic listener’ is in cahoots with him,” Gu Yanzheng said. “It’s possible that he really is an insider in the construction industry and knows Song Zhantao and Zhang Haijun.”

"Then let's see who the 'death listener' will choose as their target today." Under Shen Zhenzhu's guidance, Xiaobai gradually developed a plan of investigation.

Shen Zhenzhu assigned tasks to the agents in front of her: "First, search the surrounding area to see if there is a suitable crime scene. Investigate according to the route they took and the steps they took to commit the crime. Also, see if there are any witnesses in the nearby villages."

“Okay, Sister Pearl.”

"yes!"

Lu Ye took off his peaked cap, scratched his short stubble, and said, "I'm going too."

Shen Zhenzhu said, "You and Uncle Wu will work together. You'll lead the team. You have three hours. This case is extremely difficult, so you must be careful."

"no problem."

Shen Zhenzhu conducted a preliminary examination beforehand, and after Rong Chengcheng arrived, he immediately took Zhang Haijun's body back to the Criminal Investigation Brigade. Even so, it was still witnessed by many family members of the family who rushed to the scene after hearing the news.

They searched everywhere for a possible "showcase," and after Song Zhantao's death, they decided to come to Sanhe Bridge last night. Due to the large number of people and inconvenient transportation, they didn't arrive until after 7 a.m.

However, it wasn't too late; at least they saw Zhang Haijun's face outside the fence and cordon.

"Good heavens, they brought firecrackers again." Wu Zhongguo covered his ears as he walked to the car, almost tripping over a firecracker someone had thrown.

Shen Zhenzhu walked past the family members who were squatting on the ground crying and burning paper money, her expression solemn.

"How come only one person died?" More than thirty family members had gathered to watch, and one of them shouted, "These beasts should all be dead."

"So many of us have died, they should all be hung up there to comfort our loved ones!"

"Don't rush, everyone, let's see what 'that person' has to say. He must have his reasons."

"That's right, at least they killed one of us first, it's really gratifying!"

"I don't know whose side these cops are on! If they arrest 'that person,' I won't stand for it!"

......

Shen Zhenzhu got into the car expressionlessly. If the case wasn't solved quickly, the thing she was worried about might actually happen.

She watched the family members shrink in number, her mind racing as she considered her next move. This was a case she had never handled before, but she refused to back down!

Gu Yanzheng drove in silence, deep in thought.

The moment Chen Zhenzhu closed her eyes, the Heavenly Eye appeared before her—

Wearing a hat and mask, Zhang Haijun disguised himself and transferred from the long-distance bus to an unlicensed taxi.

He owns a car, but he deliberately stayed in Shenyang as a cover. Since taxis only had drivers, he didn't dare take them. He found a crowded long-distance bus, paid extra to get a ticket from a fellow villager, and boarded the bus.

He was on tenterhooks the whole way. After getting off the long-distance bus, he looked around at the busy passengers with a shifty eye.

Unlicensed taxi drivers swarmed around, eager to steal their business. Zhang Haijun, the taxi driver, received a phone call and hurriedly found one, even picking up a young couple for a free ride before leaving. He figured they might have someone to take the fall if needed.

“Every time I come here, I feel a sense of unease. I wouldn’t have come if you hadn’t paid me so much.” The unlicensed taxi driver was a middle-aged woman. She observed that the passengers didn’t seem like bad people, which is why she was willing to come and earn some money.

"Auntie, what's wrong here?" The young couple, tourists from out of town, looked at the half-finished bridge and guessed, "Is it an abandoned project?"

The unlicensed taxi driver said, "It's a good thing the project was abandoned. The bridge surface was perfectly fine, but suddenly it collapsed and broke apart. People and cars fell from the sky. People died from the fall, burned to death, and were crushed to death. It was a terrible tragedy. I heard that more than 30 people died, but the higher authorities didn't report that many."

Zhang Haijun's right eyelid kept twitching; he kept feeling that the unlicensed taxi driver was implying something about him. But seeing her focused driving and simple face in the rearview mirror, he couldn't believe it.

The two young tourists were clearly frightened and kept looking towards the scene of the accident.

The young man, with a camera hanging around his neck, wanted to take pictures, but the young woman stopped him: "Isn't that bad luck? I didn't see you taking pictures of the beautiful scenery, but you're taking pictures of piles of dead bodies."

Zhang Haijun was tall and thin, with skin tanned from years of working on construction sites. He roared, "Don't talk nonsense! What pile of dead bodies, what thirty-odd people died, that's all hearsay."

Seeing his sudden change of attitude, the young woman frowned. The young man, however, swallowed his anger, as he was getting a free ride and there were no other vehicles available at midnight.

Upon arriving at the agreed-upon roadside farmhouse, Zhang Haijun paid the fare and got out of the car, his heart pounding with fear. The young man and woman continued their journey in the unlicensed taxi towards the city's hotel area, leaving without a word of thanks and both wearing stern faces.

Zhang Haijun knocked on the door, his whole body on high alert, and unfolded the folding fruit knife in his hand.

The door was quickly opened, and a figure walked in without saying a word.

"Why did they choose this godforsaken place, with no village or shop in sight?" Zhang Haijun, however, seemed relieved upon seeing him, and put away his folding knife, saying, "It's too scary to be contacting me at this time. What exactly did they find out? Is the person who was supposed to take the blame unwilling to do so, or do they want to raise the price again?"

The other person didn't speak, but walked ahead and bent down to put on black leather gloves.

"I heard there's another radio station that's been targeted for assassination. Someone's paying attention to the Sanhe Bridge accident. Damn it, it must be those family members' doing." Zhang Haijun didn't care and followed them straight to the backyard: "If they really find out, we're all doomed. Time is of the essence, so tell me your ideas quickly. You don't want to be the one cleaning up the mess, do you?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the man in front took off his cotton-padded coat, bent down, and picked up the hammer by the back gate.

Zhang Haijun looked at him, bewildered. "What are you trying to do?" After saying this, he finally widened his eyes, raised both hands to try and snatch the hammer back, and said, "You—ahhh—hahaha..."

He was so focused on looking ahead that he didn't notice someone following him into the room and injecting him with medication at a crucial moment.

Zhang Haijun didn't know how long he had slept; his blindfold made it impossible to tell whether it was day or night.

He was hanging from a tree trunk in the backyard, his arm aching as if being torn apart.

He didn't notice the rewinding sound coming from beneath his feet, followed by a "click" and a man's electronic voice:

'Zhang Haijun, are you ready to confess your crimes?'

Zhang Haijun cursed, "If anything happens to me, you and your dad will—ahhh—!"

The hammer slammed into his knee without restraint, so hard that he swayed back and forth as he screamed, leaving several lines of blood on the soil.

Crack.

'Zhang Haijun, are you ready to confess your crimes?'

......

......

"We've arrived." Gu Yanzheng parked the car and looked at Chen Zhenzhu, who had her eyes closed and brows furrowed.

Shen Zhenzhu slowly opened her eyes. She had just witnessed a brutal massacre, and her eyes were filled with rage.

Gu Yanzheng paused for a moment, then took out his car keys and said, "Don't take the family members' words too seriously. They're just eager for revenge. The reason the punishment hasn't been handed down yet is because they're passing the buck... Once the case is solved, things will be fine."

Shen Zhenzhu understood Gu Yanzheng's words of comfort and opened the car door, saying, "Brother Zheng, I'm only talking to you."

Gu Yanzheng looked at her and felt Shen Zhenzhu's trust in him.

Shen Zhenzhu said, "Zhang Haijun deserved to die."

Gu Yanzheng's expression changed, and he grabbed Chen Zhenzhu's wrist, saying, "You must not be influenced by the 'death listener'. Do you remember what you said? The law of the jungle can never be applied."

"Brother Zheng, I was just saying that." Shen Zhenzhu calmed down, smiled and said, "Don't you know me? I know what I'm doing."

"I know you understand, and you can talk to me about any issues you have. I won't report it; it's just out of concern as a friend, okay?"

Gu Yanzheng knew the exhaustion and pressure Shen Zhenzhu was facing. 24 hours had passed and there was no clue at all. This could easily cause a psychological tipping point. He often used this kind of grueling interrogation to make people doubt themselves, deny themselves, and even be led by the nose.

"Okay." Shen Zhenzhu grasped Gu Yanzheng's large hand and shook it up and down: "I promised Brother Zheng."

Gu Yanzheng carefully observed her micro-expressions and, seeing that her previous expression was no longer there, let Chen Zhenzhu get off the car.

Shen Zhenzhu closed the car door and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Wow, Brother Zheng is too perceptive.

She heard Zhang Haijun's words through the Heavenly Eye's retrospective and simply sighed from the bottom of her heart. She was almost startled by Gu Yanzheng's reaction.

Gu Yanzheng walked ahead without saying a word, perhaps realizing that he had overreacted.

As she walked, Chen Zhenzhu tugged at the ends of her hair and touched them, then touched her ears and finally her chest: "Touching the hair won't scare you. Touching the ears will scare you for a while. Touching the front of the coat will keep your little soul close to you."

This is a "spell" passed down to her by her sixth sister: whether you're happy or unhappy, you have to take good care of yourself.

Xiao Bai and Zhao Qiqi split up with them and followed the forensic doctor.

Shortly after Shen Zhenzhu returned, she received a call from Director Liu. After reporting the situation, she went to the broadcasting studio again.

Liu Mei had slept in the duty room all night and was getting water to make instant noodles. Seeing Chen Zhenzhu return, she casually made her a cup too: "How is it?"

Shen Zhenzhu said, "Another one died. The one connected to the Sanhe Bridge is named Zhang Haijun."

Liu Mei had worked on her case before and was currently handling the current case, so Shen Zhenzhu trusted her.

After finishing her instant noodles, Chen Zhenzhu washed her face and said, "It seems there are no problems here. I'm going out now. Call me anytime if you need anything."

He then called over two officers: "Come on, I just found some family members of the victims of the Sanhe Bridge accident. Let's go over and ask them to see if we can find any clues."

What she currently knows is that the killer is male and has an accomplice. They used a hammer and edited recordings.

Zhang Haijun's words, "you and your dad," clearly indicated that he knew not only the murderer but also the murderer's father. This further convinced Shen Zhenzhu that the other party was someone in the construction industry.

The "enthusiastic listener" was very likely arranged by him, and he had already prepared the choice of the person the other party selected.

With these clues, Shen Zhenzhu will continue to send people to search for Song Zhantao and Zhang Haijun's social connections to see if there are any suitable candidates.

***

As night fell, the people who had been working outside gathered again in the small broadcasting room.

Liu Mei sat in front of the microphone, facing Chen Zhenzhu's tense face.

As the melodious music began, Liu Mei cleared her throat and saw Chen Zhenzhu turn around and give instructions to the technical staff behind her.

"Good evening, friends. Welcome to FM 107.9's 'Night Talk with the Heart.' I'm your friend, Liu Mei, your substitute host."

Ma Xiaoyang turned the music into background noise, and three landline phones nearby kept ringing.

The news that the person responsible for the Sanhe Bridge accident was hanged on the bridge and had his body pierced by steel bars quickly spread among the public. Many victims, news media, and gossipy people spread the news, and it quickly became a hot topic of conversation.

The influence of “death listeners” is growing.

As per Shen Zhenzhu's request, calls from any popular listeners, except for those from the "death listener," are no longer being answered. This is to prevent them from publicly expressing their blind worship of the "death listener" on the radio and brainwashing other listeners.

Liu Mei spoke in a gentle tone about today's topic: "When the law is late, we should choose to wait rather than resort to violence."

This wasn't a multiple-choice question, but rather a script composed by Shen Zhenzhu based on professional analyses such as "the law of the jungle" and "the landslide effect." It instructed Liu Mei to promote legal knowledge, appease public sentiment, and express the thoughts of government law enforcement on the radio.

Liu Mei spoke slowly, and time ticked by. Half an hour later, Ma Xiaoyang gestured to her, trembling. Liu Mei calmed herself, realizing that the call from her "death listener" had come.

She looked up and saw Shen Zhenzhu and the others, who were busy and orderly carrying out their tracking.

The voice of the "death listener" spread from the radio to every household: "You've all been waiting for me for a long time, haven't you? Without further ado, let's start playing Mr. Zhang Haijun's 'confession of sin'."

['Zhang Haijun, are you ready to confess your crimes?']

"Ah...haha...ready, all set."

[“Five years ago, the Hongguanling Reservoir failed to release floodwaters, causing the entire area north of Hongguanling Village to be submerged. Three children went missing and seven adults died. Did you do it?”]

"It was...it was me who switched the construction materials and embezzled collective property...I didn't expect it to cause a flood, and it ended up flooding the area below the mountain...I got two thousand yuan from the difference and bought a designer watch and a gold necklace...Haha...I shifted the blame to the subcontractor. He...he committed suicide in jail."

[“Three years ago, you allowed substandard cement to be used in construction, resulting in a shoddy project that led to the collapse of the Fuqiang Pesticide Factory dormitory, killing three people. Was that your doing?”]

"Ah!!! Please stop hitting me... It's me, it's me. I took a 3,000 yuan bribe and let the cement on site. Let me go, let me go—ahhh!... Later we settled privately, each family got 5,000 yuan, I even lost money... Ughhh!!"

[“Two years ago, when the Sanhekou Bridge was being built, the construction company replaced the original high-strength steel bars with substandard ones. The quantity was enormous. As the supervisor, you ignored this substandard steel bar issue. How much bribe did you receive? Where did the money go?”]

"...I spent all that money on women. Waaah... I had no idea the materials were so bad, and they were so audacious. I was scammed too. I got 50,000 yuan, bought a house... Ahh! Uh haha... bought a car... and spent the rest on a life of debauchery. Liu Jianxin, Zhang Lei, and Wang Xiaojie were also in my group... they all took money too."

Where were you when the families of the victims of the Sanhe Bridge accident knelt at the branch office entrance demanding the accountability of those responsible?

"...I...I was in the office...I saw them kneeling through the window. I...I was...playing with women."

Why won't the company agree to pay funeral expenses first?

[“I… Waaaaah… I… I said there was no rush, the dead can’t be left lying around, they have to be buried sooner or later.”]

......

"The call has lasted for two minutes and ten seconds. Stall him, stall him as much as possible!" Shen Zhenzhu relayed the mission to Liu Mei.

Liu Mei made an "OK" sign in the inner room.

In theory, the ideal time from the start of a conversation to obtaining the accurate address is three to five minutes.

Once tracing is initiated—that is, from the very first second a call is answered—technicians must trace the call back through its path to find the port from which it originated. Ultimately, they can determine the physical location of the phone number: "Public Phone Booth No. 3, XX Street."

“Reverse tracing requires semi-manual operation. This telephone line is complex, and the ideal time is 8 to 10 minutes, but at the very least, it will take 5 minutes,” the technician promptly reported to Chen Zhenzhu.

Shen Zhenzhu wrote the time on the slip of paper and showed it to Liu Mei.

Liu Mei nodded.

She knew that every extra second of call time increased her chances of capture. All her strategies today revolved around stalling for time.

As the problems exposed by the recordings played by the "death listeners" increased, more listeners passionately dialed the hotline.

Ma Xiaoyang stood frozen, listening to the cruel words in the recording, until the very end, the "death listener" asked, as if in ritual:

【'Do you deserve to die?'】

[“…Please, please let me die, I deserve to die, I deserve to die—ah—ugh…uh…uh…ahhh—”]

Shen Zhenzhu lowered her eyes. She knew that at this moment, "Death Listener" was standing on the tree trunk and had suddenly pierced the steel bar into his mouth and through his lower abdomen.

"Protect Liu Jianxin, Zhang Lei, and Wang Xiaojie, the three people he mentioned, to prevent the victims' families from retaliating against them." Shen Zhenzhu knew their crimes were heinous and said through gritted teeth, "They must be punished by law; vigilante justice is absolutely unacceptable!"

Knowing the task was daunting, Lu Ye stood up and said, "I'll arrange the manpower."

He was meticulous and reliable, and then focused his attention on tracking the pearl, constantly counting down the seconds in his mind.

Liu Mei was already pale from Zhang Haijun's breakdown and screams on the other end of the phone. A friend of hers had seen Zhang Haijun's death and spoke to her on the phone before the program started.

The "death listener" seemed to be making the most of his time. After playing the recording, he didn't leisurely boast about himself like last time. Instead, he became agitated and frantic, saying, "Friends! My time is running out. The police will find me soon. Who do you want to kill? Who do you want to kill? Who do you want to kill?! My friend Liu Mei, please call the hotline immediately, or I will start randomly killing people! Don't even think about making me talk to the police; they are not worthy!"

Ma Xiaoyang broke down outside. He waved his hand at Shen Zhenzhu and said, "He called out Liu Mei's name. Could he know my name too? I'm quitting! I'm fucking quitting! Whoever wants to answer the phone can answer it. I'm leaving! I'm leaving!"

Just as Shen Zhenzhu was about to stop him, Xiaobai blocked her way and said, "Ignore that good-for-nothing, I'll do it. I've seen him do it before."

There were also two female editors and clerks on set, who surrounded Xiaobai to help answer the phone, and Xiaobai successfully took the call to the front.

The first phone call: "'Mr. Death,' hello. I'm a middle school principal. Two years ago, a female student deliberately framed me, saying I raped her, which led to my dismissal from the education bureau. Later, I learned that her uncle became the next principal, while I became a pariah, someone everyone talked about behind my back. Please kill her, kill her and her uncle. They're birds of a feather, willing to do anything to achieve their goals..."

The second phone call: "Hello, is this 'Death Listener'? I want to sue my ex-husband, Wu Biao. He runs a restaurant and often uses dead rat meat to pass off as mutton. He also has affairs—"

The third phone call: "Hello, uncle, please help me blow up the school, or kill the teacher who makes me copy texts as punishment—"

The fourth call, the fifth call... the ninth call, the "dead listener" merely listened without speaking.

After the tenth call connected, Shen Zhenzhu heard the technician shout, "Location found! The address is No. 2 Office Building, Shipyard, No. 7 Shanbei Road!"

"Act immediately!" Shen Zhenzhu picked up her mobile phone and arranged for people to make the arrest; the situation was urgent.

Just before leaving, Xiaobai saw Chen Zhenzhu frown and say, "Something's not right."

Xiao Bai didn't have time to ask what was wrong, and quickly followed Chen Zhenzhu downstairs.

Unaware of the frantic pace behind the scenes at the radio station, the caller choked back tears as she said, "A man surnamed L assaulted several of our female employees and forced us to take photos. If anyone dared to tell, he threatened to scatter our photos in every corner where people know us. One of my sisters couldn't bear the humiliation and jumped off a building. I have two children; how am I supposed to live now... If I don't tell you his name, can you really find him? Can you really avenge us? By the way, he's quite wealthy, but stingy and has a bad temper; he often beats and verbally abuses his subordinates!"

The 'listener of death' finally spoke, his voice crackling with static, saying gleefully, "I am omnipotent. I accept this commission; you will receive the answer you seek at the same time tomorrow..."

"Beep beep beep beep beep beep—"

Traffic radio station FM 107.9's "Night Talks and Heart Light" program fell into complete silence.

Liu Mei opened her mouth, but didn't know how to speak. Outside the window, Chen Zhenzhu and her entourage hurriedly left.

"Solve the case quickly, Pearl. I believe in you."

-----------------------

Author's note: Pearl chanted a spell to encourage herself: I am great, I am strong, I am the best!

***

(Pearl is reciting a folk saying to calm the nerves (?), not an original saying.)

See you tomorrow, there are 100 red envelopes! [Let me see]