Chapter 205 Irrefutable Evidence

When the technicians opened the freezer compartment of Liu's old refrigerator, an indescribable stench mixed with cold air rushed out.

At the very bottom of the freezer, several thick, black plastic bags were frozen solid.

Cut open the plastic bag.

Inside were female human tissues that had been dismembered, frozen white, but had not yet been processed.

After initial identification and subsequent DNA confirmation, it was confirmed that she was indeed Xu, the missing wife of Liu.

It turns out that after murdering his wife, Liu dismembered her body and hid it in the refrigerator to cover up his crime, planning to dispose of it in batches.

Lin Ling unexpectedly visited and stumbled upon the incident, but he also silenced her.

He chose to burn the wasteland because it was remote and had abandoned sheds that could keep him out of sight and provide some fuel.

He wanted to dispose of the bodies of two adults and the remains of a child all at once, but he didn't expect that the special material of the dentures and the calcium in the infant's bones could not be completely ashed under open-air burning conditions, leaving behind fatal evidence.

The evidence is irrefutable.

In the interrogation room, Liu initially resisted stubbornly, shouting that the police were framing him and that he didn't know where those things came from.

But as Lu Zheng presented him with one piece of evidence after another—photos of dentures and bone fragments found on the wasteland, an autopsy report on body parts found in the refrigerator, and evidence from a dashcam and a communication base station locating his presence on the wasteland—his face gradually turned ashen.

Even so, in his final moments, he still glared and roared, "I didn't kill anyone! They deserved to die! That old hag was always nagging, and her best friend wasn't any better! They looked down on me! And that good-for-nothing, she wouldn't even let me rest in peace after she died!"

Upon hearing the words "money-losing goods," Su Xiaonuan, who had been sitting quietly in the audience, could no longer hold back.

She jumped up, rushed to the one-way glass of the interrogation room, pointed at Liu's image inside, trembling with rage, her baby face flushed red, and shouted: "You're not human! You're a beast! You wouldn't even spare your own children! Do you have any humanity left?! They're your closest people! How could you do that! You don't deserve to live!"

Lu Zheng quickly came out and gently pulled her back to her seat.

Su Xiaonuan leaned against him, her chest heaving violently, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably. They were for the innocent mother and daughter who had died tragically, and for the fact that such a cold-blooded and cruel demon truly existed in this world.

Lu Zheng didn't say anything, but gently patted her back with his palm, silently comforting her.

His gaze was colder than ever as he looked at Liu in the interrogation room, as if he were looking at a pile of garbage that needed to be cleared away.

Shortly thereafter, the Intermediate People's Court of the city simultaneously delivered verdicts in two major cases.

Bai Furen was convicted on more than ten charges, including organizing and leading a mafia-style organization, intentional homicide, illegal detention, illegal human experimentation, bribery, and money laundering. The circumstances of her crimes were particularly serious, the social harm was extremely great, her subjective malice was extremely deep, and she showed no remorse whatsoever.

He was convicted of multiple crimes and sentenced to death, deprived of his political rights for life, and all his personal property was confiscated.

The death penalty shall be submitted to the Supreme People's Court for approval in accordance with the law.

Liu is guilty of intentional homicide and desecration of a corpse. The evidence is conclusive, the circumstances are extremely heinous, and the social impact is extremely negative.

Although his defense attorney raised concerns about certain details, these arguments were not accepted by the court.

He was sentenced to life imprisonment and deprived of his political rights for life.

Su Xiaonuan did not go to court on the day of the verdict.

She set up her stall as usual, selling the newly learned "sweet soup," the sweet and mellow aroma filling the entire street.

She was so busy she barely had time to breathe, but with a skilled and endearing smile on her face, she answered all sorts of questions from the diners.

Only when she occasionally stopped to wipe her sweat would she look up at the azure sky in the direction of the city court, then look down and stir the thick milk in the pot even more vigorously.

She knew that some justice needed the gavel of the law to proclaim it.

Some forms of healing require the busyness and warmth of everyday life, taking it one step at a time.

The three months flew by amidst the aroma of milk, the fumes of cooking oil, the diners' chatter, and the constant stream of tasks being released and completed by the system.

Su Xiaonuan's food stall has become a well-known sight in the city, and some people have even created a "predicting where Xiaonuan's stall will appear" guide to share online.

Her delicious food has healed the stomachs and hearts of countless diners, and has also steadily increased the amount of money in her account and the merit points in the system.

Lu Zheng is still very busy; the Municipal Bureau has a heavy workload after its reorganization.

But whenever he had free time, he would appear next to Su Xiaonuan's stall.

No longer under the guise of police "surveillance" or "protection," but naturally, they help her move things, collect money, maintain order, or simply sit on a small stool to the side, watching her busy, their eyes filled with a gentleness they themselves were unaware of.

The tacit understanding between the two grew stronger day by day.

A single glance or a gesture is enough to understand what the other person means.

Lu Zheng would remember that she didn't like to touch cold water during her period, and silently take over all the cleaning tasks; Su Xiaonuan would prepare light and nutritious late-night snacks for him after he worked overtime late into the night, and force him to eat them before he was allowed to go to sleep.

No one deliberately tried to say anything, but some things, like ice on a river in spring, melt silently and flow into a warm trickle.

Until one night after the market had closed, autumn was in full swing, and the moonlight was beautiful.

Lu Zheng helped Su Xiaonuan load the last of her things into the car, and Su Xiaonuan handed him a cup of warm honey grapefruit tea.

"You've worked hard today, Officer Lu," she said with a smile, her eyes sparkling in the moonlight.

Lu Zheng took it, his fingertips accidentally brushing against hers. Both of them paused for a moment.

A gentle evening breeze carries the sweet aroma of roasted sweet potatoes from afar, along with the subtle lingering scent of osmanthus blossoms.

The small light bulbs on the stalls cast a warm halo around their heads.

Looking at Su Xiaonuan's cheeks, slightly flushed by the night breeze, and at his own reflection in her clear eyes, Lu Zheng felt a sudden tenderness and certainty in a certain part of his heart.

He put down his cup, reached out, and very gently but firmly grasped Su Xiaonuan's hand, which was still hovering in mid-air.

Su Xiaonuan's hand trembled slightly, but she didn't pull it away. She looked up, somewhat surprised and shy, but more than anything, she felt a sense of understanding and joy that she had finally waited for.

“Su Xiaonuan,” Lu Zheng said, his voice lower and deeper than usual, with a hint of barely perceptible tension, “In the future… can I still come and help you pack up your stall? Not just today, not just after this case is over. It’s every day from now on, as long as you need me, as long as I’m here.”

The moonlight flowed quietly, like water.

The world around them seemed to quiet down, leaving only their clasped hands and the increasingly clear sounds of their breathing and heartbeats.