Chapter 209 Who Has the Motive?

Upon hearing Qin Haifeng's accusation of "murder to silence witnesses," the rioting crowd panicked and began to offer their own explanations all at once.

"Misunderstanding, officer! We really didn't mean to cause trouble! It's just that this month's grain rations haven't been distributed yet. The higher-ups said that all the grain at the grain station has been stolen, and we won't get any... My wife and kids at home are starving!"

"Yes, officers! We were forced into a corner... that's why we came here to demand an explanation!"

Qin Haifeng's cold gaze swept over the crowd: "If you have grievances, you can go to the government to report them! Coming here to storm the hospital and interfere with the investigation, is that what you call right? You're lucky you didn't break in and cause a major disaster today! Otherwise..." He didn't finish his sentence, but the sternness in his unfinished words sent a chill down everyone's spine. He waved his hand: "Alright, everyone disperse! Go report wherever you need to!"

The crowd, as if granted a pardon, scattered like birds and beasts in an instant.

Qin Haifeng turned to the two still-shaken police officers and whispered, "Comrade Baozhu and I will move him away now. In an hour, you two go and process Director Zhang's discharge paperwork. Make a big fuss. Remember, no matter who asks, say that his condition has worsened and he has been transferred to a major city hospital for emergency treatment."

"Yes! Understood!" The two police officers understood without any further questions.

Qin Haifeng immediately returned to the ward, carried the still "unconscious" Director Zhang on his back, and Lin Baozhu led the way cautiously. The three of them quietly left the hospital building through the most secluded fire escape staircase.

Lin Baozhu led Qin Haifeng, familiar with the way, into a quiet alley and unlocked the door of an inconspicuous courtyard.

"This is the place I rented in town; it's very safe." She lowered her voice, her expression extremely serious. "From now on, Director Zhang will be hiding here. No one else, not just you and me, can know! Not even Captain Wang or the bureau chief!"

Qin Haifeng carefully placed Director Zhang on the bed in the inner room and nodded solemnly: "Don't worry, this place is very secluded, no one will notice."

He stood by the bed, his gaze sharp and piercing as he looked at the man with his eyes closed. His voice was deep yet carried an undeniable, penetrating power:

"Director Zhang, I know you're awake. Continuing to pretend won't do you any good. It will only allow those who want to harm you to continue to get away with it and throw all the blame on you!"

Lin Baozhu also walked to the bedside, exchanged a glance with Qin Haifeng, and spoke calmly but directly to the point:

“We all know you were framed. Otherwise, the person behind this wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to strangle you to death in the hospital room and then stage it as a ‘suicide out of guilt’ so that there would be no way to prove it! As long as you are willing to tell us what you know, we will do everything we can to clear your name!”

The person on the bed remained motionless, with only their eyelashes trembling very slightly.

Lin Baozhu wasn't in a hurry. She pulled up a chair, sat down steadily on the edge of the bed, crossed her hands on her knees, and spoke with a hint of understanding and a subtle sense of pressure:

"It seems Director Zhang still has many concerns. Are you worried that it won't make a difference if you speak up? Or are you afraid that speaking up might implicate someone?" She paused, her gaze seemingly piercing through the feigned coma. "In that case, I'll have to go talk to Comrade Zeng Limei, who's your 'closest' friend. Perhaps she can tell us something you don't know?"

After saying that, she pretended to stand up and said decisively to Qin Haifeng, "Officer Qin, please go to the cotton mill right now and 'invite' Comrade Zeng Limei to the bureau. As Director Zhang's 'good friend,' she might have some crucial clues!"

"Okay! I'll go right now!" Qin Haifeng said without hesitation, turning around to walk out.

"No! Don't go! You can't go to her!"

A hoarse, urgent shout suddenly rang out from the bed! Director Zhang sprang up from the bed as if he had been sprung from a spring, his face filled with panic and tension!

Lin Baozhu stopped what she was doing, slowly turned around, her sharp gaze fixed on his flustered face, her voice calm and even:

"Now, you're willing to talk? Tell me, who tried to strangle you that day in the hospital room?"

Director Zhang's chest heaved violently as he gasped for breath. After a long while, he finally spoke, his voice trembling with lingering fear:

“I…I don’t know…that person covered my mouth and nose from behind with a towel soaked in medicine…I fainted…when I woke up, I was already in the hospital…I was scared…scared that the killer would find out I was awake and come back to kill me…so…so I pretended to be unconscious…”

He took a deep breath, as if grasping at a straw, and looked anxiously at Lin Baozhu and Qin Haifeng:

"Comrade! I swear! The grain that went missing from the grain depot has nothing to do with me! I'm just an old man living alone, and the wages and benefits at the grain depot are good enough. I have absolutely no reason to steal grain to sell for money!"

Lin Baozhu nodded: "We believe what you say. But investigations require evidence. Right now, all the prima facie evidence is against you. Only you and Station Chief Guo have the key to the granary. Station Chief Guo insists that the key has never left his side. If he's not lying," she stared intently at Director Zhang, "then the prime suspect is you."

"He's lying!" Director Zhang raised his voice excitedly, veins bulging on his neck. "Police officers, you can't say that! I've never lost my keys! I've always kept them with me! Who's lying here?! And! Didn't you also find out? Someone wanted to kill me to silence me! Doesn't that prove I was framed? Someone wanted to make me a scapegoat!"

"That's why we risked moving you out of the hospital," Qin Haifeng said in a deep voice. "Now, it's your chance to save yourself. Think carefully: in the grain station, or among the people involved, who has the strongest motive? Who has the ability to get the key without your knowledge? Or... who might have copied the key?"

Upon hearing this, Director Zhang frowned, lost in deep thought. After a long while, he slowly shook his head, a hint of bewilderment in his eyes.

“I…I really don’t know. The grain warehouse key is important, but I’m just in charge of the keys. The specific entry and exit of the grain station, daily inspections, including coordinating with the transport teams…these core aspects are not actually my responsibility. I don’t have much contact with people…I really can’t imagine who would do this to me…” He paused, then added urgently, “But the keys! I’ve never lost my keys! Not even once!”