A tragic childhood under the shadow of a stepfather, a desolate love that could never be, a clown-masked man in a late-night alley, the crisp moonlight, and the cold blade.
Oh, and the waiter...
After listening to the driver's description, Wang Shen and Captain Li exchanged glances and remained silent for a few seconds. "Did you know that woman before?" Wang Shen asked, pointing to Sang not far away.
"I don't know him, how could I possibly know him?" The driver shook his head frantically.
"Try to calm down. I'd like to know the specific circumstances of the accident. I hope you can tell us the truth." Wang Shen patted the driver's shoulder gently again to reassure him.
The driver nodded.
"Are you familiar with the road conditions on this road?" Wang Shen began by asking questions.
“I’m very familiar with it. The transportation route assigned to me by the company hasn’t changed in the past year. I pass through here almost every day to deliver goods.”
"So, you're in charge of transportation in this area, and you're very familiar with the road conditions here?"
The driver nodded again.
"Did you know that this intersection is a high-accident area?"
"I know. That's why I drive very carefully. Officer, you have to believe me. I wouldn't cause such a basic traffic accident just because I didn't get enough rest." The driver began to try his best to defend himself again.
"Have you never been in a traffic accident before? Oh, I'm pointing to this intersection." Wang Shen really wanted to hear the driver's answer to this question.
“No, not even once.” The driver shook his head violently.
"Okay, then please tell me, if the cause of this accident wasn't due to fatigue driving, what was the cause?"
The driver fell into a brief silence. Suddenly, he looked up at Wang Shen. "It's light! Yes, it's light!" The driver exclaimed excitedly, grabbing Wang Shen's sleeve again, his bloodshot eyes fixed on him.
"Light?" Wang Shen glanced at Captain Li, who shrugged. Both of them seemed somewhat confused by the driver's words. The traffic police standing nearby, hearing the driver's explanation, began to whisper amongst themselves. They were secretly laughing at the driver for making up such a clumsy excuse.
"Could you explain more clearly what kind of light it was?" Wang Shen remained understanding of the driver's response. Moreover, Wang Shen genuinely wanted to know how the driver would explain that the light had caused the traffic accident.
“I’m always extra careful when I drive through this intersection. But today, as soon as I got to this intersection, a bright light shone on me. I got nervous and I don’t know if I stepped on the gas. By the time I realized what was happening, I saw someone lying in front of the car. I really don’t know how this happened.”
A blinding light? If the driver wasn't lying, where did this blinding light come from? Wang Shen stood up, looked around the intersection, and lingered for a few seconds on the wide-angle mirror not far away.
"It's a sunny day today, and the sun is really strong. Could it be because of the sunlight?" Captain Li stood behind Wang Shen, looking at the bright sun overhead, and casually remarked.
"Impossible. I've been driving this road for so long, and this is the first time I've encountered something like this." The driver immediately refuted Captain Li's opinion and recounted his own experience.
Wang Shen turned to look at the driver, then at Sang lying on the ground, his doubts growing stronger. But this doubt was unsettling, because Wang Shen couldn't even be sure if there was any connection whatsoever between the traffic accident, the glare, the driver, and the deceased Sang.
"Captain Li, there's something I need to discuss with you." Wang Shen leaned close to Captain Li's ear, lowering his voice slightly. Captain Li nodded repeatedly. "Thank you for your help, Captain Li. I'll head back to the police station now," Wang Shen said, and left the accident scene.
Soon, Wang Shen's car pulled into the temporary detention center. Wang Shen got out of the car, and two policemen led him into an interrogation room. Wang Shen sat in the interrogation room for a while, a wisp of steam rising from the teacup in front of him. Shortly after, the door to the interrogation room opened. Zheng Wu was escorted into the interrogation room by two policemen.
"It's you! What are you doing here!" Zheng Wuyi became agitated upon seeing Wang Shen and turned to walk towards the door. His actions were immediately stopped by the two prison guards beside him. The guards escorted Zheng Wuyi and forcibly pressed him into a chair.
“I’m here today because I have something to ask you. If…” Wang Shen paused, considering his next words. “If the clues you provided today are indeed helpful, then I can plead with the judge on your behalf.”
Upon hearing Wang Shen's words, Zheng Wu's agitation finally subsided.