Chapter 239 Witness
Zhao Qiqi walked over, leading a woman in her early forties, and whispered, "Sister Pearl, her name is Guo Erfen. She works at a nearby shop and says she has something to report."
"Sister Guo, let's sit down and talk. Don't be nervous." Shen Zhenzhu led Guo Erfen to an empty shop and let her talk slowly while sheltered from the wind and rain.
Zhao Qiqi stood guard at the door, keeping an eye on the situation inside the cordon and listening to the conversation behind him.
"Well, actually, I saw something, I don't know if it'll be of any use." Guo Erfen's cheeks were sunken and her teeth were protruding. She ran over from the shop diagonally opposite, her shoulders soaked with raindrops.
“You said we’ll judge for ourselves whether it’s useful or not,” Chen Zhenzhu said.
“You can make your own judgment, so I won’t disrupt your thinking about the case. I’ve heard that the thinking about the case is very important.” Guo Erfen said with a dry laugh, “It’s not a big deal, it’s just that I saw Wang Jiali was already on the street a long time ago. I don’t know why she appeared so late. Maybe she has something to do with a man.”
Shen Zhenzhu tried hard to understand her words and asked, "You mean, she was late because she was delayed by a man?"
Guo Erfen said seriously, "It's not made up, I saw it with my own eyes. Under the tree behind the statue, the two of them were talking for a long time."
Shen Zhenzhu asked, "What did that man look like?"
Guo Erfen slapped her thigh and said, "Oh dear, I have cataracts, I can't see clearly if it's too far away."
Chen Zhenzhu bluntly asked, "Then how could you recognize Wang Jiali at a glance? Do you know her?"
Guo Erfen defended herself, saying, "I'm not gossiping, but she has to call me 'sister-in-law,' so we're related by marriage. We both live in the railway housing. You don't live nearby, so you don't know, but a lot of men like her, but her mother-in-law doesn't like her and always wants her husband to divorce her. Outsiders say she's lucky that people like her, but we neighbors all think she's a jinx. She's pretty, supposedly a school beauty, and seems honest and kind—"
"Alright, Sister Guo, I understand what you're saying." Chen Zhenzhu interrupted her and called to Zhao Qiqi, "Find an umbrella and take Sister Guo back to the shop."
Guo Erfen wiped the saliva from the corner of her mouth, still savoring the story, and said, "I'm not making this up, everyone in the family knows she's unlucky, she brings bad luck to whoever she meets. Outsiders don't know this and still like her, but she's not lucky at all, she's just a jinx—"
"Why are you coughing again?" Zhao Qiqi, holding an umbrella, half-embraced Guo Erfen's shoulder and led her outside, saying, "Come on, I'll take you home. Remember to change your clothes, or you'll worsen your condition."
As he led her outside, Guo Erfen rolled her eyes at him and said, "Who's sick? I think you're the one who's sick."
After she left, Xiaobai ran downstairs, panting, and said, "We found the place where it fell, on the top floor. The investigators have already gone up, and just like you said, it was deliberately sawed off. This is murder."
“I’ll go up and take a look,” Chen Zhenzhu said.
Upon reaching the top floor, Chen Zhenzhu carefully examined the severed iron frame: "Although it was wet from the rain, it was clear that it wasn't cut in one go; the murderer was adjusting the angle while sawing."
Xiao Bai said, "No wonder there are different types of rust around it, old and new. It's been planned for a long time."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "A few days ago I asked Wang Jiali if she had any disputes with anyone, and she denied it. She only said that she had some conflicts with relatives, but they were not serious."
Xiao Bai said, "Yes, the last time there was a gas leak, Wang Jiali wasn't home either. At the time, the relatives said it was her doing. But did the deceased later admit that it was her own mistake?"
Shen Zhenzhu said, "That being said, the series of such incidents inevitably makes me wonder if the gas leak was caused by the deceased. She had Alzheimer's disease, could someone have taken advantage of that?"
"Why would anyone kill an old woman for no reason? To force Liang Guijin and Wang Jiali to divorce? That doesn't make sense," Xiaobai said. "And why are they all gathered here in this heavy rain instead of going home?"
Although Shen Zhenzhu knew the reason for being here, she pursed her lips, unable to say it aloud.
“Let’s go. Wang Jiali is at the hospital getting checked out. Let’s go ask her,” Shen Zhenzhu said. “At least we need to know what the motive was and what the killer wanted to achieve.”
She adjusted her raincoat and went downstairs, giving a few instructions at the crime scene. Some officers continued their examination, some forensic doctors removed the body, others searched the vicinity for suspicious persons and tools, and still others interviewed witnesses. Everyone worked methodically to investigate the case.
Xiao Bai glanced at it and sighed, "I wonder if the crew could film it in this condition. I should have had them come and take a look."
"I hope so."
Shen Zhenzhu questioned other people, but none of them gave valid testimonies. What's worse, Wang Jiali's second aunt was still trying to muddy the waters: "It's her, it's definitely her, you all say you saw her."
Only after Shen Zhenzhu gave her a stern warning did her second aunt finally calm down.
Zhao Qiqi stayed at the scene and volunteered, saying, "Sister Pearl, I will try my best to reconstruct the crime."
Shen Zhenzhu patted him on the back, offering silent encouragement.
Sitting in the police car, Xiaobai said, "The crime scene was undoubtedly the primary location, meticulously planned by the murderer, but the storm erased all the evidence."
Chen Zhenzhu started the police car and said, "Perhaps the stormy weather was also deliberately chosen by the murderer, otherwise why would the signboard fall down?"
Xiao Bai sighed, his pale face scrunched up in deep thought.
Knock knock knock.
Several people, men, women, and children, were standing outside the window, occasionally glancing at the scene of the crime.
Shen Zhenzhu got out of the car and was pulled to a corner by them.
"Officer, we see you seem to be in charge of this case. We have something to tell you."
"Don't listen to what the Liang family says. Actually, Wang Jiali has a very kind heart and often helps us secretly."
"She is kind-hearted, beautiful, and generous; she would never commit murder."
"Knowing that my old man has difficulty walking, they even helped me go to the hospital to get medicine."
"That's right, that's right. It's all the fault of the Liang family for bullying a woman who married far away. You don't know, the Liang family is stingy and domineering. They're the tyrants in our neighborhood, and nobody dares to offend them."
“If we hadn’t heard them say that Wang Jiali was the murderer, we wouldn’t have stood up for her. If they had come after our family, it would have caused a huge uproar.”
"My aunt even helped me sew my clothes. My aunt isn't a bad person."
Shen Zhenzhu listened attentively to their chatter and then said firmly, "Please rest assured, everyone. We will not wrong an innocent person, nor will we let a bad guy go free. We will uphold the law and present evidence. The investigation process is a process of investigation, and we will take it very seriously."
Chen Zhenzhu's assurance reassured the crowd. A few timid people ran away after saying some nice words, leaving behind a young couple.
"Is there anything else you want to report?" Shen Zhenzhu remembered them. When they questioned them in the empty shop at the scene, they knew nothing.
The young husband, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, scratched his head and said, "Are you still sending people to ask if there are any witnesses?... As for witnesses to what happened before the sign fell, we didn't see anyone on the top floor, but... but, well, let me be frank, Wang Jiali is a really nice person. I don't mean anything by it, I just saw her talking to a man for a while, and then she walked to the back of this building."
His wife, who was short and pretty, said with some hesitation, "We hesitated to tell you because we were afraid you would arrest Wang Jiali. She helped out at our shop and sold more in a month than we did in half a year. She's an honest and reliable person."
Understanding their meaning, Shen Zhenzhu said, "A man and a woman being together doesn't necessarily mean there has to be something between them."
The young husband nodded and said, "Yes, yes, I don't think it's a big deal either. Men often come to our store to buy things and talk to my wife, but it's nothing."
Shen Zhenzhu smiled.
The young man's wife said, "I noticed that Wang Jiali didn't look well, and I felt that the two of them had been arguing. It was about half an hour after the sign fell down."
Chen Zhenzhu asked, "Did you see what that man looked like?"
The young man's wife said, "His profile was turned to the side, and then he turned his back."
"Could you two please come back with me to have your portraits drawn? The clues you provided are crucial."
The young husband looked at his wife, who nodded: "Okay. Wait until we lock the door. But don't get in the police car so the Liang family doesn't see us. We have bicycles, we'll ride there ourselves."
"Thank you so much. It's on the fifth floor of the Criminal Investigation Division. I'll have someone pick you up." Shen Zhenzhu left her business card and handed it to them, saying, "Call me when you get there. I'd be very grateful."
"There's no need to be so polite." The couple felt a little embarrassed by Chen Zhenzhu's thanks. They turned around and saw that it was Liang's second and third aunts walking over. They quickly said, "We're leaving now."
After they left, Shen Zhenzhu got into the police car.
As the second aunt passed by them, she bent down and asked Chen Zhenzhu, "Did anyone provide any clues? Can we execute Wang Jiali now?"
Shen Zhenzhu said, "The details of the case will be kept confidential and will not be disclosed to the public."
Third Aunt and Second Aunt are cousins. They look alike, both very thin, and when they stand together under an umbrella, they look like sisters.
She bent down and said, "We're not outsiders, we're family, it's not wrong for us to show concern."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "You keep talking about shooting Wang Jiali. Is there some kind of dispute? Do you want to get in the car and come with me to the criminal investigation team to talk?"
After finishing her work, the second aunt stepped back, afraid that Chen Zhenzhu would drag her into the police car. The third aunt, splashed with water, said with displeasure, "Be careful."
Shen Zhenzhu didn't waste any more words with them and drove away from the market.
Upon arriving at Fu'an Hospital in Shahe District, a sliver of light peeked through the dark sky, reflecting the clear sky in the puddles, which were then rippled by hurried footsteps.
"Sister Pearl, Wang Jiali fainted from excessive grief before we arrived, but she's awake now. She's physically fine, but she's suffered a lot of emotional trauma, especially after what happened to her mother-in-law and husband." The assisting officer stood up straight and saluted upon seeing Chen Zhenzhu, explaining the situation meticulously.
Shen Zhenzhu was about the same age as him. She nodded with a stern face and went into the private ward.
Wang Jiali, praised by outsiders for her beauty and kindness, but bullied by her in-laws, had her hair disheveled and wrapped around her body, resembling a lovely painting. Leaning against the headboard, she was still charming and seemingly about to collapse.
Chen Zhenzhu glanced at her medical record; there wasn't even a soft tissue abrasion. Reporters trying to sneak in to take photos outside the corridor were chased out, making quite a commotion.
Some medical staff, having heard about the "lucky angel's" deeds, would occasionally walk past the door and glance at her curiously.
None of this could make Wang Jiali lift her head. She hugged her knees the whole time. The devastating blow made her cry silently, heartbroken and devastated.
Chen Zhenzhu sat down beside her, handed her a piece of paper, and said softly, "Are you ready to talk to me?"
Wang Jiali shook her head, then nodded: "I'm willing to tell you everything."
After she finished wiping away her tears, Chen Zhenzhu said, "You and your mother-in-law don't get along?"
"Yes, ever since she found out someone was spying on me, my mother-in-law has been urging my husband to divorce me. It's gotten worse lately, especially after the gas leak, she's like she's possessed."
Wang Jiali's thoughts were in turmoil. She ran her fingers through her hair and spoke whatever came to mind: "My man and I have a very good relationship. We fell in love and got married, and we have never planned to get a divorce. My in-laws have their own plans, and one or two of them are trying to prevent me from living peacefully with him."
Shen Zhenzhu asked, "What do you think their purpose is in making you divorce?"
Wang Jiali scoffed, strands of hair slipping from her fingers. She stared indifferently at the white and blue wall in front of her and said, "They think I've sucked away their good luck. Ever since I won 20,000 yuan buying milk, everyone around me has changed. 'No wife, the whole family begs; married, the whole family bullies.'"
Shen Zhenzhu wrote it down in her notebook, then looked up and asked, "Do you think it has anything to do with money?"
Wang Jiali said, "Their whole family is stingy and miserly, including my husband. Fortunately, he's relatively generous to me. When the rest of my in-laws found out I won the lottery and received compensation for emotional distress from the accident, they were hoping we would divorce and separate so they could take advantage of me. Human nature is terrifying; for such a small gain, they'd rather you be dead... Ah, my mother-in-law is really dead."
Shen Zhenzhu asked, "Who do you think did it?"
Shen Zhenzhu's intuition told her that someone close to her was the perpetrator. There's an old saying in criminal investigation: the motive for murder is either money or love. Currently, money seems to be a significant factor, but Wang Jiali and the stranger are also highly suspicious.
“I think it might be my husband’s older sister. She’s always buzzing around me like a fly. She steals anything good from the house. If we all die, won’t she get a share of the inheritance? Her daughter is in poor health and is often hospitalized. Where will she get the money? She’ll just squeeze it out of us.” Thinking of Liang Guijin still in critical condition, Wang Jiali was overcome with grief and stopped talking.
Shen Zhenzhu asked, "What do they do for a living?"
“My sister-in-law was supposed to take over my father-in-law’s job, but she was laid off and now runs a stall at the night market with her husband,” Wang Jiali said. “In winter, they sell insoles and cotton socks, and in summer, they sell slippers and underwear. Sometimes my brother-in-law helps collect water bills.”
Shen Zhenzhu said, "According to the eyewitnesses, your mother-in-law and husband were waiting for someone at the wrought iron table and chairs in front of the store. They were probably waiting for you, right?"
Wang Jiali said, "Yes."
Chen Zhenzhu said, "Why don't we talk at home?"
Wang Jiali said, "My sister-in-law's family and my aunts always interfere in our family affairs. I heard there were seats here and cheap drinks for sale. I didn't expect it to rain."
Shen Zhenzhu asked, "Who made that decision?"
Wang Jiali said, "...It's me, I can't take it anymore. I lied to my man, and if this continues, I won't stay with him anymore. We have to talk things out today. If we want to live well, then stop making a scene. If we don't want to live well, then let's get a divorce."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "According to witnesses, you weren't with them at the time? Was something holding you back?"
Wang Jiali pursed her lips and said, "Some personal matters kept me up, and I was twenty minutes late."
Shen Zhenzhu asked, "Where did you come from?"
Wang Jiali said, "They came directly from my family. While they were away, I tidied up the house."
"Spotless?"
"...Yes, I wiped it all over."
"No abnormalities?"
"No."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "You were just one step away from the iron signboard, and almost lost your life. Can you tell me how you escaped that fate?"
Wang Jiali covered her face, tears streaming through her fingers. Recalling that scene was like rubbing salt into her wounds.
It took her a long time to calm down before she sobbed, "A plastic striped roly-poly toy was suddenly blown by the wind to my feet. I saw it was from someone else's shop, so I bent down to pick it up... Before I could even stand up straight, it... Waaah... Is it okay? Can it hold on?"
Shen Zhenzhu stepped forward and patted her shoulder, comforting her, "The doctors will do their best to save him. Besides you, the doctors are the ones who most want him to live. Don't let him worry about you, hang in there."
Wang Jiali pressed her fists to her forehead, on the verge of collapse, and said, "If he dies, I won't live either."
Her face turned pale again. A patrolling nurse came in with a medicine bottle to change the dressing, adjusting the IV drip rate, and said, "Patient, please don't be too sad, or you'll faint again. Think about your family. He's working hard in the operating room, so don't hold them back outside."
Wang Jiali wiped away her tears, her red eyes looking at Chen Zhenzhu as she said, "Please make sure the murderer is caught. The things that have happened around me these past few years have been too bizarre. Winning the lottery out of nowhere, escaping death out of nowhere, some people love me, some people hate me, but all I want is to live an ordinary life."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Then I'd like to ask you, what time did you leave home?"
Wang Jiali said, "One o'clock in the afternoon."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "You agreed to meet at 1:40. It's no more than a ten-minute walk from your house to here, or at most twenty minutes if the weather is bad. Where did you go for the other twenty minutes?"
Wang Jiali was stunned for a moment, but still said, "I...I have private matters to attend to."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "I can keep your personal privacy confidential."
Wang Jiali said, "I saw an old lady fall, so I took her home."
Chen Zhenzhu asked, "And then?"
Wang Jiali's eyes flickered as she said, "Then I went to find my husband and mother-in-law."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Someone saw you walking with another man, and it seemed like you had a dispute. Why don't you tell the truth?"
While interrogating Wang Jiali, Shen Zhenzhu carefully observed Wang Jiali's subtle expressions. Before Wang Jiali answered, Shen Zhenzhu already knew that she was going to lie.
“I…I don’t know who you’re talking about. My in-laws are used to slandering me; they’d love for me to die,” Wang Jiali stammered.
Shen Zhenzhu nodded silently.
Wang Jiali was at a loss because of her gaze, as if Shen Zhenzhu could see right through her.
She covered her face, her loose hair becoming her armor: "You should go, my head hurts so much, I need to rest."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "You are suspected of intentional homicide. I will have someone notify you after Liang Guijin's surgery. Please do not leave this ward. After all the test results are out, please come with me to the Major Crimes Unit."
"I understand." Wang Jiali scratched her head, her knuckles turning white.
Shen Zhenzhu left the hospital and returned to her office.
Lu Ye and Wu Zhongguo, who had already returned, were changing clothes behind the sofa.
Lu Ye, shirtless and clutching his chest, quickly turned around. Chen Zhenzhu scoffed, "I don't care."
Lu Ye understood: "There's someone you'll cherish."
Looking at Shen Zhenzhu's face, Wu Zhongguo said, "Another person has died?"
Shen Zhenzhu said, "The signboard smashed it to death; there are signs of human intervention."
Xiao Bai put down the phone and said to Chen Zhenzhu, "I found that Anran Insurance Company has insurance records for Liang Guijin and the deceased. They are both accident insurance policies, and the beneficiary is Wang Jiali."
Lu Ye had just handled a case of murdering a wife for insurance money last month. Upon hearing the news, he said, "Why can't people these days work hard and earn some money? They're all ruthless."
Wu Zhongguo almost suffered a similar fate, and sighed softly.
Shen Zhenzhu asked, "Who was the salesperson? Did Wang Jiali go in person?"
Xiao Bai said, "They said it was for insurance over the phone, and there was a discount. I've never even met the agent. He doesn't even know if he's male or female."
"How can this be?" Chen Zhenzhu said, "It's too irresponsible of them to just give us a guarantee like that?"
Xiao Bai said, "The salespeople are just trying to meet their sales targets. I know someone who sells insurance, and he even buys insurance for others himself to cheat the company out of bonuses."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "The policyholder is very important, so we should try to find out as much as possible. In addition, we also need to know Wang Jiali and Liang Guijin's bank deposits, claims records, and award records."
Xiao Bai said, "Okay, leave it to me."
"I'm not comfortable with things on site, I'll go again. After that, I'll go to the hospital." Shen Zhenzhu walked to the door and instructed, "Call me if anything happens."
"Understood."
Lu Ye changed his clothes and prepared to write the case closure statement. He picked up his pen and said, "I'll be your driver. When you're done with your work, can you write one for me?"
"Forget it, my driving skills are much better than yours," Chen Zhenzhu laughed. "When the portrait artist comes over later, can you keep an eye on things for me?"
Lu Ye tapped his temples with two fingers and said, "No problem."
Wu Zhongguo followed: "The rain has stopped, let's go out for some fresh air."
Shen Zhenzhu waved: "Let's go."
Driving to the scene, Chen Zhenzhu went up to the fifth floor.
Zhao Qiqi was still trying to reconstruct the crime scene. Upon seeing Chen Zhenzhu arrive, he said regretfully, "I only know that the murderer went upstairs to saw through the iron frame, studied the wind direction and the angle of fall, and that the signboard falling was carefully planned by the murderer. Unfortunately, there are no footprints or fingerprints, making it difficult to deduce the specific details."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "If it's hard to deduce, then there's no rush to deduce. Hey, who is that person?"
Zhao Qiqi followed Shen Zhenzhu's gaze downwards and saw a man and several Liang family relatives outside the cordon shouting that they would teach Wang Jiali a lesson.
“He’s Liang Congjun’s husband, Liang Guijin’s brother-in-law.” Zhao Qiqi rubbed his ears and said, “He’s been making a scene for a while now, insisting on getting an explanation for his mother-in-law. The owner of Xianfeng Barbershop quit a long time ago, the sign is dilapidated and no one is managing it. First he said he would sue the owner, then he said he would find the management unit to argue with, and now he’s targeting Wang Jiali. He’s trying to take on every fish, big or small.”
Shen Zhenzhu said to Zhao Qiqi, "Brother Qi, go down and help maintain order at the scene. Otherwise, any witnesses with clues will be afraid to speak up."
Zhao Qiqi said, "I'm going downstairs to use the restroom; I can't hold it in any longer."
Wu Zhongguo took out a magnifying glass from his pocket and inspected the outer perimeter of the crumbling rooftop wall: "I know what to do, checking it a few more times will definitely not be wrong."
When an old general takes the field, one is worth two.
Shen Zhenzhu also put on white gloves and surveyed the top floor, her mind constantly recalling the scenes from the Heavenly Eye's retrospective.
The dark clouds dispersed, and the sunlight was dazzling.
Shen Zhenzhu walked around the moss and puddles and looked downstairs. In front of her, the broken iron support pillar was covered with rust, and the huge rectangular signboard stood abruptly outside the retaining wall after it fell.
While pondering on the top floor, Shen Zhenzhu suddenly saw a little boy downstairs being led by his mother's hand. He reluctantly walked to the edge of the cordon and pointed in a certain direction.
The mother wasn't very old, around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. She angrily slapped his bottom twice, and the little boy cried loudly.
As if afraid of attracting the attention of the police, the mother picked him up and quickly left.
"Stop!" Chen Zhenzhu shouted from upstairs.
The mother was so frightened that she almost slipped and fell, but the operative who was surveying the area nearby immediately got up and stopped her.
Shen Zhenzhu ran downstairs and came to the mother and son.
Seeing the little boy's shoulders shaking as he cried, he forced a smile and said, "Little friend, why did you point to that place just now?"
The mother hugged the little boy tightly and said, "Comrade, he said he peed over there. It's not illegal for a child to be unable to hold his pee, is it?"
Shen Zhenzhu glanced at her, then turned her gaze to the four- or five-year-old boy: "Really?"
The little boy buried his head in his mother's shoulder, hugged her, and said, "I want to go home, go home!"
The mother smiled at Shen Zhenzhu and said, "Can we go now?"
Shen Zhenzhu nodded, but did not move aside: "I am the head of the Liancheng Major Crimes Unit. A murder case has just occurred here, resulting in one death and one serious injury. If you have any clues, please cooperate with the police investigation."
Mom's face darkened: "No, please move aside."
Shen Zhenzhu stepped aside: "Intentionally concealing evidence in a murder case is illegal and may constitute the crime of harboring, concealing, or covering up the proceeds of crime."
"We don't know anything." The mother carried the little boy and walked faster and faster.
"Sister Pearl, they don't seem to be telling the truth, what should we do?" The investigator had just graduated from police academy a year ago and was in the prime of his righteous and passionate phase.
Chen Zhenzhu said, "Let's observe from a distance and wait for now."
Chen Zhenzhu walked to the spot the little boy pointed to and squatted down. It was a secondhand toy shop, and the owner had closed early because someone had died nearby.
The corner of the wall was damp and covered with moss, and the cracks between the stone bricks were marked with white lime, through which ants crawled.
There was nothing on the ground except a puddle of water.
Um?
In the flashback of Shen Zhenzhu's mind, the moment the signboard fell on Granny Liang's head was frozen.
As everyone was drawn to the sight, Chen Zhenzhu looked towards the sky where the signboard had fallen, where a blurry golden reflection flashed by, hidden by screams, raindrops, and howling wind.
After Granny Liang fell to the ground, a sudden burst of screams engulfed everything like a tidal wave. One, two, five, six—more and more people gathered.
"Call the police! Someone's dead. I told you a broken signboard could kill someone, now you believe me!"
"I saw it first, I'm going right now. The police won't say I killed him, will they?"
"What's it to you? Just make a phone call."
"I saw it too, oh my god, it's terrifying! Everyone stay away!"
They dared not approach, standing under the eaves watching in terror.
Between their legs, a young figure squatted down, curiously picked up the item with the golden light, put it in his pocket, and ran away.
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Author's note: The nutrient solution count has surpassed 100,000! I'm so happy.
See you tomorrow! There's a red envelope coming up! [Let me see]
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