Chapter 91 "Boss, where are we going to work overtime?"
Since receiving treatment, Sheng Peirong can clearly feel that her legs are becoming stronger every day.
By this time, she had been standing at the kindergarten gate for a while, her legs could still stand easily, but she could no longer lift her head.
She lowered her voice, almost whispering as she negotiated with her younger brother: "Shall we go home first?"
"Why?" Fangfang looked up at him with her innocent eyes.
Sheng Peirong: ...
This kid, he even had the nerve to ask why.
For some reason, the children were particularly enthusiastic about him, and they all lined up to see the eldest sister in full bloom.
The school bus doors were wide open, but no matter what the driver said, the toddlers wouldn't get on. Parents waited at the school gate, urging them to leave, but the children refused. Kids are always like that; they love to join in the fun. Even unfamiliar faces from other classes came over, and Sheng Peirong, dumbfounded, waved her hand dismissively.
“There’s nothing to see,” she said. “Children, go home.”
The children in the toddler class were like little nails, stuck in front of Sheng Peirong.
They chattered excitedly about "Big Sister," their eyes sparkling, creating a lively atmosphere.
When Sheng Peirong was young, she took care of her daughter, but at that time, Coco couldn't even speak yet, just babbling adorably. Now, in the kindergarten's toddler class, all the children are about the same age as her little brother, their little mouths never stopping, their chatter is so dense that Sheng Peirong's ears are buzzing, as if she's been stuffed with a dozen surround sound speakers.
Several children had just visited Fangfang's house the day before yesterday and recognized Sheng Peirong, so they became her patient guides.
"This is Shengfang's eldest sister. I can testify that I saw her that day!"
"She also lives at Fangfang's house, with her niece."
"You all don't know, do you? Actually, she's my niece's mother!"
The child stared at her in astonishment, as if he had discovered a tremendous secret.
The entrance to the kindergarten was completely blocked.
Sheng Peirong had never experienced anything like this before. She didn't even have a chance to interject, feeling like a display item put up in a shop window by her younger brother for people to admire. She looked to Aunt Ping for help, but Aunt Ping just kept laughing, covering her mouth and laughing even more, even turning her back so that her shoulders shook from laughing.
In the end, it was Teacher Ji's appearance that rescued Sheng Peirong.
Teacher Ji is very resourceful and can handle her students. She persuaded the children who were watching to disperse with just a few words.
As they were leaving, the children turned back and waved goodbye with reluctance.
"I'm going now..."
See you another day, big sister!
"Big sister, I'll come to your house again next time."
Sheng Peirong chuckled dryly, "Welcome, welcome."
Teacher Ji suddenly remembered that the little girl's niece had become the niece of all the children in the class. Now, even his older sister had become the older sister of the whole class.
After the crowd dispersed, Teacher Ji smiled and stepped forward to greet the parent.
She had just stepped forward—
"Teacher!" The young master of the Sheng family gestured invitingly, "Come and take a look too."
"This is my eldest sister."
Fangfang had a warm smile on her face.
The little expression clearly said, "Don't worry, you can see everything."
...
The major crimes unit officers discovered a new lead before leaving get off work, which means they are destined to work overtime tonight.
The deceased, Wei Huasheng, made a will two years ago, in which he clearly stated that if he were to die, all his property would be inherited by his son.
At this moment, Xiao Sun and Zeng Yongshan gently placed the will documents they had just obtained on the conference table.
Colleagues immediately gathered around and passed the evidence around.
"He left all his assets to his son, Wei Ansheng?"
“This Wei Ansheng… I’ve never heard of him before, I don’t know who he is.”
Liang Qikai flipped through the documents he had retrieved from the household registration center.
"Wei Ansheng? There's no birth certificate, and no photo either."
"There's no record of this person at all. Where did he come from?"
The case suddenly became complicated and confusing.
The original records showed that the unmarried and childless deceased not only had a history of marriage, but his ex-wife was also involved in a child abuse case, and now he suddenly has a son... These clues are intertwined, and for a time, the police have difficulty sorting them out.
"In that case, the deceased's younger brother, Wei Xusheng, will not be able to inherit this money."
"That's good news... Just looking at his smug face makes me angry."
“Have you seen his statement? He said that being brothers is a one-life commitment... He only knows how to demand things from his rich older brother, as if everything is his due. He's utterly shameless.”
After carefully reviewing the contents of the will, Mo Zhenbang said, "Let's go to the deceased's house and take a look."
The deceased, Wei Huasheng, lived in an ordinary apartment in the back alley of the toy company.
Two maids were standing in the doorway. They had already learned of their employer's murder from the news and didn't know who to ask for details. When they saw a large number of police officers arriving to search the premises, the two women were stunned, as if they hadn't yet reacted, and stood frozen in place.
Zeng Yongshan reassured her, "Don't be so nervous, it's just a routine questioning."
The apartment was spacious and bright, but given Wei Huasheng's wealth, such a residence could hardly be described as luxurious.
When questioned, toy company employees mentioned that the deceased lived a simple life, which may be related to his difficult early experiences.
Mo Zhenbang looked around the residence and quickly realized that it was converted from two houses.
The deceased used to live in an old-style tenement building. His son fell down the narrow and steep wooden stairs inside the building. Perhaps for this reason, he instinctively resisted structures with height differences and chose to merge the two single-level apartments.
“Mr. Wei is a good employer,” said the maid, Sister Shuang, slowly. “He never puts on airs and is always very polite to us. He has never said a harsh word to us. Other employers are not like this. He is really rare.”
"Does he usually bring female friends home?" Mo Zhenbang asked directly.
“Never.” Another maid, Sister Chen, brought over a tea tray and continued, “Mr. Wei probably doesn’t have a girlfriend.”
Zhu Qing took careful notes.
During a previous visit to the toy company, an employee mentioned that company executives had introduced Wei Huasheng to a girlfriend, but he flatly refused. In everyone's eyes, he was an absolute workaholic.
“Our work is usually quite relaxed and easy. We are mainly responsible for cleaning the house and preparing Mr. Wei’s breakfast and dinner.”
“Actually, one person is enough for this job. But the housekeeping company made a mistake in the initial arrangement and sent two of us. Mr. Wei is a very kind person. He realized that we both needed this job, so he kept us both.”
According to the two maids, Wei Huasheng bought the house seven or eight years ago, and they started working there around that time. The deceased especially liked the natural light in the study, and in winter he often brewed a pot of tea and sat by the window to read.
"Mr. Wei never drinks alcohol and rarely socializes."
"When he's alone, he just reads or sets up a chessboard and plays against himself. One day he even asked us enthusiastically if we knew how to play chess—"
Sister Shuang and Sister Chen exchanged a smile, their noses stinging with tears.
"How would we know anything about this? We're okay at grocery shopping and cooking, but playing chess?"
"I don't even know where to place the chess pieces!"
"Does Mr. Wei spend a lot of time at home?" Zhu Qing's gaze swept over the tidy living room.
“He goes away for a few days every month, and the specific day of the week is uncertain, but he always lets us know in advance so that we don’t have to prepare meals for him during those days.”
Do you know where he went?
"Well... how can we possibly inquire about the master's affairs?"
Another maid said, "We guessed it might be a business trip. Mr. Wei is always very busy with work; he's a workaholic when he's working. Sometimes the light in his study is still on even in the middle of the night."
The initial search did not find anything obviously suspicious.
It should have been dinnertime, but Sister Chen and Sister Shuang stood blankly at the kitchen doorway. Normally, the house would be filled with the aroma of food at this time. The two women whispered to each other, still unable to accept the fact that their employer had passed away.
"Does his younger brother usually come over for meals?" Zeng Yongshan asked.
“He would come occasionally in the early years, but later…” Sister Shuang said, “They had a big fight once, I think it was about money… and I haven’t seen him since.”
“There are some things we shouldn’t say, but we just couldn’t bear to watch. Actually, Mr. Wei has been incredibly kind to his younger brother.” Sister Chen shook her head and sighed, “What his brother said was really hurtful.”
"That time, his brother overturned the table on the spot."
"The soup on the table was specially made by Mr. Wei, who said his younger brother has loved drinking it since he was a child."
"I heard his wife ran away with their daughter." Sister Chen lowered her voice. "He doesn't even have a proper job. He does everything half-heartedly. If you ask me, anyone would run away in his shoes. He deserves it."
“That night, Mr. Wei was sitting in his study.” Sister Shuang gently pushed open the study door and pointed to the spot by the window. “He was there, staring at the photo of the brothers for a long time. Later, he put the photo away. He must have been heartbroken.”
Police entered the study and conducted a thorough search.
The bookshelves are neatly arranged with various charity trophies and thank-you notes, and are spotless.
Xiao Sun flipped through a charity commemorative album and whispered, "Having handled too many cases, nine out of ten philanthropists have problems. Usually it's—"
"The worst thing a policeman can do is to have preconceived notions." Mo Zhenbang glared at him sternly, then turned to Zhu Qing and said, "Newcomer, remember this well."
Case handling requires evidence; subjective assumptions must be avoided.
Zhu Qing silently noted it down, but couldn't help but refute it—
She's no longer a newcomer.
...
No matter what she does on a daily basis, as long as she makes progress, Shengfang always receives praise from Qingzai.
Growing up in such an encouraging environment, Fangfang also learned to praise others generously. From the kindergarten gate to the way home, from dinner to the after-dinner walk, he has given his older sister countless thumbs up.
"Great job!" He clapped his hands. "Big sister has learned to walk!"
In the courtyard at night, Shengfang squatted on the ground and drew a crooked starting line with colored chalk.
"Let's have a running race!"
Sheng Peirong, holding onto the railing, almost thought she had misheard.
She always emphasized that she shouldn't treat herself like a patient, but now it seems that only her younger brother has truly done so.
"Isn't that right?" Aunt Ping laughed. "The young master was always like that when we were in the sanatorium. He thought 'Big Sister' was being lazy and sleeping, so he had to come close to your ear and wake you up."
Sheng Peirong's eyes were slightly red.
"Thank you." She gently ruffled her flowing hair. "Little brother."
Fangfang's hair was all messed up from being ruffled. Faced with her older sister's sudden outpouring of emotion, she blinked and became embarrassed.
"Okay, okay, stop being so mushy." Sheng Fang assumed a starting position like an athlete, "Ready—"
What was supposed to be a running competition turned into a nighttime exercise session for children.
He ran around the courtyard again and again, then suddenly made a sharp turn and darted to his older sister's side, throwing down the words "Come and chase me!" before disappearing in a flash, like a gust of wind.
Sheng Peirong laughed so hard she almost fell over, and every time the little one passed by, she would reach out and pat his head.
The house is now filled with laughter, a stark contrast to the atmosphere before. Aunt Ping, who has worked for the Sheng family for over twenty years, is the best person to say about this. Now the family is finally reunited, with the eldest daughter, Qingqing, and the young master all together.
When it was time to go to bed, Zhu Qing still hadn't returned.
Sheng Peirong temporarily filled in for her daughter, taking charge of telling stories to Sheng Fang.
Little Fangfang thoughtfully remembered that his older sister couldn't go up to the second floor yet, so he nimbly ran upstairs and brought back a stack of children's picture books. Then he ran back again, carrying a teddy bear. Finally, he brought back a small pillow. He skipped and hopped back to his older sister's room and "whoosh!" burrowed into bed.
Sheng Peirong sat on the edge of the bed, holding the picture book and reading the story aloud word by word.
The little girl poked her head out from under the covers and said, "It sounds awful."
"..."
“I’ve never told a story before.”
"Then you'd better practice hard!"
Sheng Peirong had never told bedtime stories before, and she was reading them with more seriousness than she was of the company's annual report.
The children hugged "Uncle Bear" and rolled around on the bed.
"Qingzai's explanation is the best."
Sheng Peirong pretended to close the book: "Then I'm leaving."
"No, big sister!"
The eldest sister's storytelling isn't as good as Qingzai's, but it's still passable.
This little one, I don't know where he learned this skill from, can be so good at acting cute.
Sheng Peirong read for a long time, and the picture books on her lap had piled up into a small mountain.
Fangfang held up her teddy bear and asked sincerely, "Do you think it sounds good?"
The next second, he patted the bear's head, forcing it to answer—
"It sounds nice."
We still need to give the eldest sister some encouragement.
Little people can't talk big, but little bears can!
When she was reading the fifth storybook, Sheng Peirong heard the door open.
She gently put down the book and tucked the blanket around her younger brother.
Now, the first thing Zhu Qing does when she gets home is look for her mother.
The feeling of having your mother and uncle waiting at home makes you unconsciously quicken your pace when you go home.
"It's too late." Sheng Peirong glanced at the clock, her eyes filled with concern. "You've worked so hard."
She never said things like "Quit this job," but just smiled and said, "When you become a boss, you can direct your subordinates in the office."
“Mr. Weng also just got off work at this time.” Zhu Qing took off her coat.
“But Mr. Weng doesn’t have to be out in the wind and sun,” Aunt Ping interjected. “He’s kept himself so fair and delicate.”
"I'll try my best." Zhu Qing chuckled, glancing upstairs. "Where's Fangfang?"
Sheng Peirong pointed to her room: "They've been quiet for so long, they must be asleep."
Zhu Qing quietly pushed open the door.
A little figure was bulging inside the blanket.
She tiptoed in.
Suddenly, little Fangfang jumped up, her head covered by a quilt: "Wow!"
Zhu Qing immediately fell to the ground.
Sheng Fang hurriedly jumped out of bed: "Qingzi, what's wrong?"
Zhu Qing squinted and peeked out, catching a glimpse of an anxious little face.
She burst out laughing: "I was so scared I almost fainted."
This was clearly one of Shengfang's specialties. But he never expected that his niece would actually learn it.
When she suddenly fainted, Zai Zai panicked, but then realized what was happening and lay down next to her.
I'm dizzy too!
A grumbling, half-annoyed and half-amused voice came from outside the door: "It's so cold outside, why are you lying on the ground fooling around like this..."
Aunt Ping seized the opportunity to complain: "Young Miss, the two of them often lie on the ground like this!"
...
The familiar aroma of coffee filled the police station's conference room in the early morning.
The officers reported on the clues they had collected, and the case details on the whiteboard gradually became clearer.
"Regarding my ex-wife Huang Qiulian, we checked her shift schedule." Xu Jiale opened his notebook. "On the day of the incident, she was on the early shift and went straight back to her dormitory after handing over her shift at 4 p.m. The preliminary judgment of the deceased's time of death is 3 p.m., when she was still on duty."
“The staff and administrators at the community center all said that she rarely leaves her home and is always alone.”
"Everyone at the center knows about her criminal record, that cruel child abuse case, it was even reported in the newspapers... Her colleagues keep their distance from her and don't dare to mess with her."
"But based on the current investigation, it is indeed as the social worker in charge of her case said: Huang Qiulian has been behaving herself since her release from prison."
Mo Zhenbang turned to another set of clues: "What about the deceased's younger brother, Wei Xusheng?"
Xiao Sun handed a note to Mo Sir: "Boss, take a look at this."
"An IOU?" Mo Zhenbang glanced at it, narrowing his eyes. "The amount owed is not small."
No wonder Wei Xusheng was so eager to ask his brother for money; it turned out he had incurred debts. This debt, with its compounding interest, was something he couldn't pay off even if he worked for ten years without eating or drinking.
"To owe such an astronomical sum, it's probably from gambling."
“It might not mean much to the deceased, but to his brother…”
"Does being rich mean you're destined to support a good-for-nothing brother?"
"If the younger brother killed someone in a fit of anger because he was refused money... the deceased was really unlucky."
"By the way, we checked his daughter, and she's exactly six years old. Could the paper under the prayer mat in the side hall really have been written by Wei Xusheng at her request?"
"That doesn't make sense... What's the point of all this mystification?"
Mo Zhenbang asked, "Have you compared the child's handwriting?"
"Not yet," Haozai said. "I'll do it as soon as possible."
“Last week, debt collectors splashed red paint on his apartment building,” Xiao Sun continued. “The debt collection calls were like death knells, calling from morning till night. Even the old lady next door to Wei Xusheng said it was too disturbing.”
Mo Zhenbang nailed the IOU to the whiteboard.
Everyone noticed that the repayment deadline on the IOU was exactly the day the incident occurred.
"The day before the incident, Wei Xusheng went to the company to confront the victim and demand money."
"He claimed that the deceased agreed at the time, but the surveillance footage showed that the two had a heated argument and parted on bad terms."
"Unfortunately, the old-style surveillance cameras only recorded video, not audio, so we don't know what they were saying. Perhaps Wei Xusheng had already arranged to meet him at the Tin Hau Temple the next day?"
The officers began to deduce the reasoning.
"The next day, Wei Xusheng called the deceased again to confirm whether he had arrived."
"Given the deceased's personality, he would have certainly received another scolding. Enraged, Wei Xusheng committed the murder."
"After committing the crime, he went to a mahjong parlor to play cards as if nothing had happened, and even took a call from his card-playing friends to create an alibi."
"The timeline and motivations are complete, as long as..."
Just then, Mo Zhenbang's cell phone rang.
He frowned as he answered the phone: "I'll send someone to pick it up right away."
A few seconds later, Mo Zhenbang hung up the phone.
"The autopsy report is out, anyone want to go get it?"
...
Zhu Qing, who was sitting by the conference room door, stood up on her own initiative.
This was a path she knew all too well.
Zhu Qing walked up the stairs and unconsciously stopped at the corner.
The metal nameplate was still gleaming.
Cheng Xinglang, Senior Forensic Pathologist.
The office door was tightly closed.
Zhu Qing withdrew her gaze and walked straight to Dr. Ye's office.
The newly printed autopsy report still carried the residual warmth of the machine.
Dr. Ye smiled apologetically, flipping through the report as she explained the latest findings.
"New clues have been found in the stomach contents, and the time of death needs to be revised."
"Not three o'clock?"
"It shouldn't be. The body has been tampered with; the initial assessment is incorrect."
Dr. Ye flipped to the autopsy photos and pointed to a close-up of the deceased's knees: "There are abnormal pressure marks on the knee joint. It is speculated that the murderer wrapped the joint with an ice towel and then used a heavy object to compress the back, forcing the victim into a kneeling position."
"Look at these marks on the back, don't they look like incense burner marks?"
Dr. Ye explained that the perpetrator's carefully arranged low-temperature environment and physical immobilization caused localized rigor mortis to form within thirty minutes, interfering with the initial determination of the time of death.
Zhu Qing stared at the report's conclusion: "So the exact time is between 4:30 and 4:40 PM?"
If the time of death was delayed by ninety to one hundred minutes, then Wei Xusheng, who had been at the mahjong parlor since 3:30...
In other words, the deceased's brother now has an alibi.
...
Ten minutes later, Mo Zhenbang received the autopsy report from Zhu Qing.
His fingertips moved rapidly across the pages, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper, as he raised his hand to erase the crucial timeline on the whiteboard.
"This Dr. Ye..."
How many wrong turns have we taken?
The group silently passed the autopsy report around.
The murderer was cunning. The forensic doctor deduced that the time of death was between 4:30 and 4:40 pm, but the scene was deliberately arranged to look like 3:00 pm.
What is the purpose of this time trap?
“Do you remember the deceased’s ex-wife Huang Qiulian’s work schedule?” Mo Zhenbang said. “On the day of the incident, she finished get off work at four o’clock. If the time of death was fabricated, then her brother Wei Xusheng’s alibi is valid, and her—”
Xiao Sun chimed in, "She has no alibi."
Liang Qikai flipped through the visit records: "The maid said that Wei Huasheng does not always live at home, but the company confirmed that he is not on a business trip."
"Could it be... that he has another family outside?"
"The household registration department is simply absurd. They are completely clueless about even the records of the deceased's divorce and the cancellation of his son's death. Once this case is over, I will definitely send them a complaint letter!"
"Exactly, why is the cancellation information for the child's death so unclear?"
"Go all out to track down the deceased's son, Wei Ansheng." Mo Zhenbang pondered for a long time in front of the whiteboard before giving the order. "Qi Kai and Xiao Sun, go and look through the deceased's large bank transfers over the past five years. Jia Le and Hao Zai, re-examine the Tin Hau Temple and focus on investigating witnesses to the time of death listed in the autopsy report."
"Uncle Li, re-interrogate the deceased's younger brother and find out about his older brother's relationship status."
Various possibilities swirled in the minds of the police.
If the "son, Wei Ansheng," was unaware of the will's existence, were the guardians aware of it? If Wei Ansheng was indeed the deceased's illegitimate son, why didn't he come forward to claim him after the Tin Hau Temple murder case was reported?
"Was he adopted at an early age, or was he born out of wedlock?"
"Zhu Qing, Yong Shan, investigate the deceased's ex-wife," Mo Zhenbang continued. "There's a community event tomorrow; take the opportunity to verify her alibi."
"Why do we need to conduct a side investigation?" Xu Jiale asked, puzzled.
Mo Zhenbang offered no explanation.
According to the information, Huang Qiulian went through a lot of hardship to find this job, and he did not want the police's public investigation to ruin her livelihood again when there was insufficient evidence.
The discussion was interrupted by a commotion outside the door.
"The deceased's brother is causing a scene in the police station!"
When the police arrived, Wei Xusheng was slamming his fist on the table in the reporting room and shouting.
"What kind of bullshit will?"
“He always doted on me, his younger brother, since we were little. Now his wife has divorced him, and his child has died. If he doesn't give me his child, who will he give him to?”
"What son! Where did he get a son? How come I haven't known about him all these years?"
He was still shouting when he was taken into the interrogation room.
"Officer, I need this money to save my life!"
"The loan shark company is chasing me for money every day..."
"Could you please put in a good word and let me pay back the money? This could really be a matter of life and death!"
Outside the door, the police officers watched from a distance.
"Judging from this younger brother's character, the deceased really did a lot of love for him in vain."
"Wei Huasheng's body is barely cold, and his own brother is already causing such a scene..."
Uncle Li leaned against his workstation, listening to the shouting and cursing coming from inside.
He slowly shook his head: "The most important thing now is to find that 'missing son'."
...
After a relentless and intense investigation, the police officers brought back a mountain of clues, but they still couldn't make sense of it all.
Before finishing her work, Zhu Qing went to visit a toy company as planned. When she passed by Weston Kindergarten in Kowloon Tong, she stepped on the brakes and picked up Sheng Fang, a child who had just finished school.
Fangfang skillfully climbed into the back seat of the carriage, took out her schoolbag, and did so in one smooth motion.
Zeng Yongshan turned around and joked, "Is the young officer going to investigate the case with us today?"
Fang Fang nodded vigorously.
Zhu Qing casually tossed her cell phone to the little one in the back seat.
Soon, the sound of children reporting their arrival could be heard in the carriage.
"Big sister, big sister, I'm not going home for dinner tonight. Qingzai is taking me to work overtime."
"Aunt Ping, don't prepare my dinner!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Shengfang came over.
He mimicked his police colleagues' tone and asked in a serious manner, "Boss, where are we going to work overtime?"
Sheng Fang was unaware that every naive request he made would be answered by Qing Zai.
The last time they ate stir-fried crab, Inspector Fang casually mentioned that he hadn't been involved in solving cases in a long time. In the blink of an eye, he followed two police officers to the headquarters of the deceased Wei Huasheng's toy company.
Wei Huasheng's office was located on the top floor of an office building; it was small but clean and tidy.
The documents on the desk were neatly arranged, and a teacup sat quietly on the corner, but the tea had long since gone cold.
Company veteran Director Fan invited the two police officers into the reception room.
The little boy's attention was completely drawn to the sample room next to the office, where toys were piled up like a small mountain, and he couldn't move his little feet any further.
"I'll wait here," Sheng Fang promised, tilting his head. "Be good."
He solemnly put his little hands into his pockets, indicating that he would never touch the toys.
The receptionist who followed was still smiling when she was suddenly called out by the young master.
"My sister will be watching over me!"
Receptionist: "Huh?"
Zhu Qing's footsteps faded into the distance, and she turned to Fang Fang, making a warning gesture.
A moment later, in the reception room, Chairman Fan let out a long sigh.
"The company was founded by Huasheng, who weathered the toughest times. Now it's thriving, but he..."
When the police inquired about the deceased's private life, Director Fan spoke with certainty.
“His private life is too clean,” he said. “I’ve never heard of any scandals… You say he has a son? I’ve never heard of that.”
Director Fan recalled the scene from ten years ago.
At that time, before the child abuse case occurred, Mr. Wei always had a family photo on his desk and even walked with a smile on his face.
"Later..." Director Fan shook his head, "you all know about it."
"Have they been in contact since his ex-wife was released from prison?" Zeng Yongshan asked.
“Qiulian? I’ve never heard him mention her,” Director Fan said.
“To be honest, I’ve known Huasheng for decades. Back then… I’ve never seen him so depressed. The issues with his child and his wife almost cost him his life. The only time Huasheng took leave was on the day Qiulian was sentenced.”
"A couple who were once so loving..."
Light footsteps came from next door. When Zhu Qing and Zeng Yongshan followed the sound, they saw a happy little child.
Shengfang was carrying a shopping basket that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, selecting toys.
Suddenly, he touched his pocket and looked up at his face.
"Sister, I didn't bring any money."
Shengfang spread out her little hands, empty-handed.
The receptionist laughed: "Then what should we do? Why don't you ask your parents?"
“She’s not an adult,” Sheng Fang said.
The children hung their heads in disappointment.
He knew that Qingzai wouldn't allow him to buy toys.
The children's room is already overflowing with toys. Zhu Qing always says that seeing rows of Ultraman and Transformers gives her a headache, but her little one insists on introducing each of his "friends" by name. His niece has a terrible memory; she forgets what she just heard.
"Sister," Sheng Fang said, standing on tiptoe and looking at the display case high up in the sample room, "Can I see that little train?"
"That is not for sale."
The display case high up in the sample room showcases Wei Huasheng's treasured collection.
At that moment, the receptionist looked down and saw the little boy staring at her expectantly.
That expectant look made her agree.
"You can only take a look."
Inside the glass case, there is an old-fashioned mechanical toy train.
Zhu Qing and Zeng Yongshan approached discreetly, their eyes fixed on a small photo frame next to the toy.
"This was the first limited edition from 1985. According to the company manual, that was the first time Mr. Wei developed this kind of clockwork train," the receptionist explained to the two madams. "The order volume was very high back then, and the order book was almost full."
When she took down the train model, the two officers saw the photograph in the frame.
A baby is grinning as he holds the same toy, his teeth haven't all come in yet, and there's a snot bubble hanging from the tip of his nose.
Zeng Yongshan's breath hitched: "This is..."
They recognized the child in the photo instantly.
This is clearly Wei Feiyang, the bruised and battered victim in the child abuse case file.
Zhu Qing took the toy train model; a line of words was hand-engraved on the bottom of the model—
Anson, summer of 1985.
“Anson…” Zhu Qing murmured softly, “that’s An Sheng.”
Wei Ansheng and Wei Feiyang are actually the same person.
After the child abuse case, the child mysteriously disappeared; it turned out that his father had hidden him away.
"No wonder the certificate from the household registration center is blurry. This is a transfer of household registration, not a cancellation due to death. In fact, the only one that clearly mentions Wei Feiyang's death is the obituary from the toy company."
"Why hide the child...?"
"Ten years ago, Huang Qiulian attacked him in a child abuse case—"
“Wei Huasheng knew she would be released from prison sooner or later, and this was to protect the child.”
He is neither an illegitimate child nor an abandoned child.
Perhaps this father simply wanted to help the victims of child abuse to completely escape the shadows of the past.
"The child should be eleven years old this year."
Where is he?
"That 'Amazing Dad' photo... could it be related to him?"
"Wrap them all up!" Sheng Fang said in a childish voice, holding the shopping basket above her head. "It's for Little Lucky Star."
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