Chapter 24 Li Yun, you are doomed
"Meng Zhijun was in a car accident three days ago. It is said that someone pushed him while he was crossing the road, which caused him to be hit by a car. He is currently waiting for surgery at the Central Hospital."
Zhou Chuanxi hung up the phone and said quickly, "His family is not well-off and can't afford the surgery. They're still borrowing money everywhere. The hospital said that if it's delayed, the blood in his brain will increase, and he might become a vegetable."
Lu Ye followed Gu Yanzheng downstairs and said, "Could it be that Zhou Qishan's parents think that a poor boy is not good enough for their daughter?"
Gu Yanzheng glanced back at Shen Zhenzhu, who was following closely behind them, clattering down the stairs. He then turned to Lu Ye and said, "Go to the laboratory and compare the phorate that the pesticide shop later sent with the samples in their bodies."
Lu Ye said, "Then, Sister Pearl, you'll come with me—"
“She’s going to the hospital with me,” Gu Yanzheng said before Lu Ye could speak, making the arrangements first.
Lu Ye stopped on the stairs, watching resentfully as Shen Zhenzhu brushed past him.
The boss is forgetting the old ones for the new ones.
They're just on temporary assignment; we'll see what you do when they get back.
Shen Zhenzhu went down to the first floor, and before she even reached the parking lot, she saw Zhou Qishan's parents being attacked by a group of people. Zhou Qishan's suicide note was found in the dormitory; a security guard had seen it before, which further convinced everyone that Zhou Qishan was guilty.
Even Li Yunyun, who accompanied her to buy pesticides, became an accomplice.
Shen Zhenzhu knew that Zhou Qishan was too innocent. She was clearly a victim as well, but she insisted on taking the blame for Li Yun. It was like snowing in September. She was really wronged.
Gu Yanzheng dragged Zhou Qishan's parents out of the police protection circle and into the Cherokee. Soon, the Cherokee started and drove away, leaving the chasing and shouting crowd behind in the exhaust fumes.
“My daughter could not possibly have done such a heinous thing.” Zhou Qishan’s father, a successful businessman, wiped his wife’s tears with a handkerchief, then wiped his own, and said in a calm and steady tone, “Please, police leaders, do not file a case. Please clear my daughter’s name.”
When the suicide note was displayed, not only did everyone agree that Zhou Qishan was guilty, but even the news media that followed the story widely publicized that Zhou Qishan poisoned and killed her roommates because of a breakup. Zhou Qishan's parents vehemently denied it and were almost beaten to death by the crazed parents.
"It's not settled yet, it's still early." Gu Yanzheng said while driving, "There are still doubts in the case, and the results are not out yet."
After saying this, Zhou Qishan's mother burst into tears: "I knew it wasn't her. She's had nightmares since she was little if she stepped on a duckling. She may be spoiled, but she's not a bad person. She's a good child."
Shen Zhenzhu thought for a moment and said, "Do you know about her relationship with Meng Zhijun?"
Zhou Qishan's mother, Liu Leqin, said, "Of course we know. The boy is handsome and polite. We had a meal with him once and had a good impression of him. Shanshan said she wanted to date him, so we let her be. As long as she doesn't violate any principles, we won't interfere. By the way, her father also bought Meng Zhijun clothes twice and invited him to our house for dinner on the Dragon Boat Festival."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "So they have a good relationship?"
Liu Leqin said, "That's right, love in the ivory tower is pure and beautiful."
Gu Yanzheng asked, "Then do you know why they broke up?"
"Break up?" Not only was Liu Leqin surprised, but her father Zhou Qiushi was also astonished: "When did they break up? We had no idea."
"Could it be that Meng Zhijun felt the family backgrounds were too different, or that someone else had the reason for leaving your daughter?" Shen Zhenzhu asked further.
Zhou Qiushi closed his eyes, sighed deeply, and said, "The first time he met us, he expressed his desire to marry my daughter. He's a good kid who takes relationships seriously. He's hardworking, smart, and diligent. Young people have everything, and I won't object. I know that sometimes opposition can be a driving force, and it's best to let things take their natural course."
After asking a few more questions, Liu Leqin looked out the window and silently shed tears.
Zhou Qiushi was in no better shape. When he got out of the car, he held Gu Yanzheng's hand and almost begged him to solve the case as soon as possible so that the deceased could be exonerated and rest in peace.
Shen Zhenzhu felt terrible and remained silent in the passenger seat on the way to the hospital. After a long while, Gu Yanzheng finally spoke, "You'll get used to it."
Shen Zhenzhu was an orphan in her previous life and never experienced intense paternal and maternal love. She didn't know how painful it was to lose a child. Presumably, her parents would have felt relieved when they abandoned her as an infant and wouldn't have felt any reluctance.
Even as Liu Leqin and Zhou Qiushi got out of the car, she still couldn't help but tear up.
When they arrived at the hospital, Gu Yanzheng got out of the car and saw Shen Zhenzhu standing with her head down and her back to him, wiping her left cheek with one hand and then her right cheek with the other.
Gu Yanzheng walked downstairs to the hospital ward. She had already regained her composure and ran over. Her eyes were still red, but her gaze was firm, and she was full of fighting spirit.
Gu Yanzheng subtly curled his lips into a smile, beckoned, and Chen Zhenzhu ran even faster.
Upon arriving, the two went together to Meng Zhijun's ward, where they met Meng Zhijun's parents and attending physician.
In the hospital room, Shen Zhenzhu asked him why he broke up with Zhou Qishan, and his parents were unaware of the reason. Surprisingly, Meng Zhijun's honest and upright parents actually opposed his relationship with Zhou Qishan, feeling that their son was not good enough for such a good girl.
Later, Zhou Qishan went to his home in the countryside and pleaded with him before he finally agreed.
While Shen Zhenzhu was asking questions, Gu Yanzheng went to the payment counter, took out his bank card, and swiped a large sum of money for the surgery.
"We've invited a specialist from the provincial capital to operate on him tonight." Gu Yanzheng returned to the car and said to Shen Zhenzhu, "Open-chest surgery carries certain risks. We'll try to minimize the surgical incision so he can wake up as soon as possible."
Shen Zhenzhu clutched her pocket and said, "How about I help you raise some money for the surgery? I can't raise too much, but don't mind if it's just a little bit."
Gu Yanzheng smiled and comforted her when he saw her like this, saying, "Don't mind, it's all for solving the case. If it's still not enough, I'll organize more money."
“Okay then.” Shen Zhenzhu believed her and ignored the long balance on Captain Gu’s bank card. She naively thought that Captain Gu was just a civil servant with a salary a few levels higher than hers.
The Cherokee drove through the streets, passing Lianshi. The intersection was congested because of a disturbance caused by parents.
Shen Zhenzhu was leaning back in her seat, deep in thought and analyzing the case, when suddenly a melodious song drifted in from outside the car window. She immediately looked over and was stunned.
Li Yun walked past the Cherokee carrying shopping bags, humming a song, her expression joyful, without a trace of sadness.
Gu Yanzheng's gaze was heavy as he watched Li Yun's departing figure. The vehicles ahead had already begun to move, but the giant SUV remained stationary, like a massive beast gazing at its prey.
The Cherokee didn't restart until the taxi behind honked its horn.
“She definitely has a problem,” Gu Yanzheng said.
Shen Zhenzhu thought to herself, "There's more than just a problem. She's not only the murderer, but she's also arranged for the voyeur Song Xinchen and the victim Zhou Qishan to take the blame for her!"
Back at the Criminal Investigation Team, Director Liu was already pacing back and forth at the entrance on the fifth floor.
"Why hasn't the case been settled yet?" In just one day, Director Liu had developed blisters on his lips. He had been waiting for a long time, and finally saw Gu Yanzheng return.
Gu Yanzheng said, "There are still doubts, so we cannot make a final decision."
Director Liu knew that Gu Yanzheng wouldn't say such things easily, so he nodded and asked Chen Zhenzhu, "How are you? Are you adjusting well?"
Shen Zhenzhu greeted the deputy director obediently and replied, "It's a bit mentally taxing."
Director Liu laughed: "They have a heavy workload. If you're temporarily assigned to this case and there are any things you're not used to, remember to work on it."
Shen Zhenzhu thought pettily, "After this case is resolved, I'll still have to go back to the police station for tea and mediate disputes." She pursed her lips and said, "Thank you for your concern, Director Liu. I'll remember."
Gu Yanzheng glanced at her, understood her frustration, and smiled inexplicably.
Director Liu returned to his office, closed the door, and asked Gu Yanzheng, "What were you laughing at just now?"
How can you laugh when the case hasn't been solved?
Gu Yanzheng touched his face: "I laughed?"
Director Liu said, "He was still smiling while staring at the young girl's face."
Gu Yanzheng pulled out a chair and sat down, saying in a serious tone, "Director Liu, I have some other thoughts to report to you about this case."
Director Liu, his topic diverted, rubbed his face and said, "You'd better give me a clear explanation. The family is going to the municipal government tomorrow to demand an explanation, asking why Zhou Qishan wasn't severely punished. Did the Zhou family give her some kind of benefit?"
These words made him feel depressed.
However, the provincial department is also under pressure. This case absolutely cannot be delayed, as the impact is too severe. A reporter published their deaths in the dormitory in vivid detail, and the Education Bureau's phone lines are ringing off the hook. Many high school graduates are changing their college applications, not only refusing to attend Liancheng Normal School, but also unwilling to study in Liancheng at all.
Shen Zhenzhu and Lu Ye met in the fourth team's office. They heard that Team Leader Gu had paid for the medical expenses, so no one was surprised.
Lu Ye whispered to Shen Zhenzhu, "Don't worry about your meager salary. Boss Gu's family is the second richest in the province, but he ended up in our small criminal investigation team for the sake of justice. Apart from being a bit stingy, he's great."
“You’re out of touch.” Gu Yanzheng came out of Director Liu’s office and walked to the blackboard. “In March of this year, my father successfully became the richest man in China. It was mainly because a gold mine was suddenly discovered in the mountain he had bought before. He was just reaping the benefits without lifting a finger. Don’t worry about it. Reaping the benefits without lifting a finger isn’t a great skill.”
Shen Zhenzhu thought she had misheard and stood there dumbfounded.
Others are born with a silver spoon in their mouths, but you're holding a gold mine. ...You're incredibly capable; that's a gold mine, a gold mine indeed!
The man, who was as indifferent as a chrysanthemum and whose pearl-like appearance was tinged with resentment towards the rich, secretly planned to stop rounding down the price for him every time they ate out.
The investigation meeting was held again. Gu Yanzheng sorted out the clues and doubts one by one, and drew a mind map on the blackboard for everyone to talk about and analyze.
Shen Zhenzhu kept analyzing Li Yun's criminal psychology. Li Yun should be certain that Meng Zhijun would not wake up easily, so he could speak boldly. In any case, Zhou Qishan and Meng Zhijun, one is dead and the other is in a coma.
Was that suicide note really written by Zhou Qishan to scare Meng Zhijun and hope he would come back and rewrite it?
Shen Zhenzhu didn't think so. She still remembered the card that Li Yun tore up; it must be very important!
Zhou Chuanxi said, "The laboratory staff brought the results. The two samples of phorate had the same composition, indicating that it was indeed purchased from a pesticide shop and was consistent with what the seven deceased had taken."
"Go back today, and we'll see what Meng Zhijun has to say tomorrow when he's sober." Gu Yanzheng sat in front of the blackboard without moving, looking down at the thick test report.
Shen Zhenzhu and Lu Ye went out together and encountered Li Lili, who was lingering at the entrance of the Criminal Investigation Team.
"Why are you here?" Chen Zhenzhu ran over and saw her standing in the sunset, covered in sweat. She handed her water bottle and said, "Sit down and have some water. Are you having low blood sugar?"
"I'm fine, Comrade Shen. I heard someone say that my sister accompanied Sister Shanshan to buy pesticides. Is that true? Is my sister really an accomplice?"
Shen Zhenzhu only found out about this by reviewing the pesticide shop owner's statement. Either the parents or the reporter followed the scent and went to the pesticide shop owner to find out.
Shen Zhenzhu said, "They came to the shop where you work and looked for you. Did they beat you up?"
"They didn't hit me, they just cursed at me a few times." Li Lili hesitated for a moment, not mentioning that they wanted her to pay with her life.
"Your sister wouldn't do such a thing," Chen Zhenzhu reassured her. The two stood at the entrance of the criminal investigation team's office when they suddenly heard a Cherokee drive by. Gu Yanzheng rolled down the window and asked, "Do you need a ride?"
Chen Zhenzhu asked, "Captain Gu, where are you going?"
Gu Yanzheng didn't expect Shen Zhenzhu to ask him in return, "I want to go to the scene again to take a look."
Shen Zhenzhu's eyes widened and she immediately said, "Captain Gu, can I go to the scene to take a look? I've never been to a division headquarters before."
Without hesitation, Gu Yanzheng said, "Get in the car."
Li Lili stood by the car watching them leave, her hands clasped under her chin in prayer: "Please give my sisters justice, please let them rest in peace."
Gu Yanzheng had already been to the site twice, and the security guards let him in directly when he entered the Lianshi campus. He drove to the girls' dormitory building with ease, and Chen Zhenzhu got out of the car and saw that many girls were moving out of the area.
She followed Gu Yanzheng into the dormitory. The room had already been examined many times by the forensic and laboratory staff, with white circles drawn around the locations where the seven students died.
After examining the inside, Chen Zhenzhu found that the items that might have led to this discovery had already been taken away by her colleagues from the laboratory; only the items with labels remained in place.
“This is Zhou Qishan’s drawer.” Gu Yanzheng saw her staring at a drawer, walked over, put on white gloves, and opened the drawer.
Inside were many high-end cosmetics and hair ties, as well as school meal tickets, cassette tapes, storybooks, and so on.
It turned out that Li Yun had opened Zhou Qishan's drawer.
Shen Zhenzhu suddenly pointed to a card and said, "Is this a student ID?"
Gu Yanzheng picked it up and handed it to her: "It's a Lian Shi student ID."
Shen Zhenzhu wondered why Li Yun took a student ID card from Zhou Qishan's drawer and tore it up. It was obviously not Zhou Qishan's. What secret was there?
She returned the student ID to the drawer, racking her brains to figure out how to let Gu Yanzheng know that Li Yun had torn up the student ID.
Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and she pointed to the empty trash can next to Li Yunyun's bed and said, "Captain Gu, was this trash can full or empty when you came this morning? I saw it was full in the photos."
"It's full. The trash can has been emptied, and the scene has been deliberately vandalized." Gu Yanzheng called over the police officer at the door: "Who has been here?"
“Only the parents came by and glanced at the door.” The junior police officer, suddenly called out by Captain Gu, swallowed hard and said, “Also, Li Yun came by and said there were soup scraps in the trash can. In this hot weather, she took them out and threw them away to prevent them from spoiling and ruining the scene.”
Gu Yanzheng and Shen Zhenzhu exchanged a glance. Shen Zhenzhu seemed to have been prepared, and took out a mask from her pocket and handed it to him: "Go to the garbage station."
"We remove the garbage every morning, and today's garbage is all in this area," said a staff member at the garbage station.
The garbage station reeked, flies swarmed everywhere, and occasionally rats would dart through it. Chen Zhenzhu's face, buried in the garbage, grew increasingly grim.
Gu Yanzheng remembered the color of the garbage bags. With the help of the garbage station staff, they found the mountain of garbage that had been dumped today and had been searching for more than two hours.
The young policeman ran to the wall and vomited again, his face ashen. He couldn't imagine the mess he would make if the trash couldn't be found.
Gu Yanzheng wasn't much better. He was a clean person, though not to the point of being a germaphobe, but it was really frustrating for the captain of the Liancheng Criminal Investigation Team to be rummaging through garbage at the garbage station.
He looked at Shen Zhenzhu, who was also disgusted. She would stand up straight and raise her head to breathe every now and then, and then lower her head to continue searching. Her spirit was commendable.
I originally wanted her to have this opportunity to gain experience, but instead I've caused her a lot of trouble.
Tired from rummaging through the pearls, she sat down in a shabby wooden box, looking utterly bewildered... This is so filthy.
I remember just a few days ago she was still able to lie down and flip through the book "The Little Flower Fairy's Daily Life of Chasing Her Husband and Following the Army" during her rest time, finding the adorable Xiangzhi in the book quite interesting. Now, looking at the garbage mountain, she feels quite amusing herself.
After resting for a while and venting her frustrations, she continued searching through the garbage mountain.
Just as she was about to be suffocated by the stench, Chen Zhenzhu picked up a blue plastic bag, opened it, and excitedly shouted, "Captain Gu! We found it!"
Shen Zhenzhu's voice was filled with joy as she ran towards Gu Yanzheng, carrying a garbage bag.
Gu Yanzheng shook off the trash bag in his hand, shrugged it off in disgust, and walked over. He saw Chen Zhenzhu rummaging through the trash bag and pulling out a few torn cards.
She quickly pieced it together on the ground. The young policeman looked down and asked, "Student ID? Li Yunyun?"
Gu Yanzheng frowned and looked at it for a while: "It's not Li Yunyun, the student ID has been altered."
Shen Zhenzhu examined it carefully and could tell that the character "云" (cloud) in the black printed font had been artificially modified with a black pen, adding a grass radical. The character "芸" (cloud) at the end also had subtle differences from the previous one, indicating that it was written in imitation of the printed font.
"Captain Gu!" Shen Zhenzhu called out excitedly.
Li Yun, I've finally caught you red-handed.
"Go to the student affairs office and ask about the situation." Gu Yanzheng saw her bright, smug eyes and wanted to pat her head, but he held back.
The teachers in the student affairs office had already left work but were temporarily called back.
“We are responsible for many aspects such as daily operations and scholarship management.” Teacher Wang was sweating profusely, and her complaints were suppressed by the principal’s repeated orders. She cooperated and said, “The student Li Yunyun you mentioned, she has never reissued her student ID. It was Li Yun who reissued her student ID.”
As he said this, he felt inexplicably guilty and touched his nose.
Men have corpus cavernosum under their noses, and they might touch it if they want to hide something or lie.
This subtle action did not escape Chen Zhenzhu's notice, and she pressed on, "Please cooperate, why is Li Yun's student ID being replaced? Have you inquired about it?"
Teacher Wang crossed her arms over her chest: "Why should I ask her? So many students carelessly lose their student IDs, am I supposed to ask them one by one?"
Another teacher, Ms. Li, came in after getting lunch, turned on the light, and asked, "Which department are you from?"
Seeing that Shen Zhenzhu's face was delicate, the principal repeatedly warned her not to speak carelessly.
Gu Yanzheng stood next to Shen Zhenzhu and took out his ID: "City Public Security Bureau Criminal Investigation Team".
"Oh my, that's amazing! You really can't judge a book by its cover," Teacher Li laughed. "You look even younger than the students here, and you're already a criminal investigator."
Shen Zhenzhu remained silent. She was no real detective; she was just a fox borrowing the tiger's power.
Fortunately, Ms. Li did not continue the topic. Instead, she glanced at Ms. Wang and said, "If you won't say it, then I will?"
Teacher Wang said angrily, "This isn't a big deal."
Gu Yanzheng's face darkened: "This is a serious criminal case. If you don't cooperate, we'll talk in the criminal investigation team's interrogation room."
Teacher Wang was taken aback. Looking out the now-dark window, she sighed and said, "Li Yun impersonated Li Yunyun and received a scholarship here. Later, Li Yunyun discovered this and came to me. At Li Yunyun's pleading, she said she wouldn't pursue the matter. You don't know, our teachers' college is very strict about students' moral conduct. If Li Yunyun had pursued it further, and the school leaders found out, Li Yunyun might have been expelled. How could she have stayed at the school?"
"'What should have stayed was left behind, and what shouldn't have stayed behind remained.'" Shen Zhenzhu suddenly remembered Zhou Qishan saying this before she died. And the student ID card that Li Yun had altered in her drawer had become a handle on Li Yun's wrongdoing.
Teacher Li also said, "The scholarship amount is not small; it's a special reward and subsidy from the school for Li Yunyun. If Li Yunyun pursues the matter, Li Yunyun might end up in jail, which would ruin her life."
Teacher Wang scoffed, "What use is she, an art student, if she stays? Seven people died in her dorm in one go, she's lucky to be alive. Hey, officers, come and question her, could she be a suspect?"
"How are her grades usually? Which teachers and classmates is she close to?" Gu Yanzheng didn't answer directly, but continued to ask a few unimportant questions. He couldn't let the witness realize that his testimony would determine the direction of the case.
Teacher Wang answered truthfully, but after listening to Captain Gu's rambling, he was also confused. Had he guessed wrong?
Downstairs, Chen Zhenzhu suppressed her wildly beating heart and looked at Gu Yanzheng: "Captain Gu, if the school finds out that she fraudulently claimed the scholarship, she won't be able to stay in school. Can that be a motive for murder?"
Gu Yanzheng carried an evidence bag containing a torn student ID. He stated clearly, "Yes. Not only can we confirm it, but we can also confirm that her criminal motive was to silence her."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "You also think Li Yun is the murderer?"
Gu Yanzheng had thought this from the beginning, and said in a low voice, "Intuition."
Shen Zhenzhu was truly impressed by his intuition. She said cheerfully, "Finally, a breakthrough."
Gu Yanzheng glanced at her; after a long day, he finally saw her dimples.
"You're very observant to notice things like the trash can; you've got the makings of a detective."
Shen Zhenzhu's face flushed from his praise, and then she heard Gu Yanzheng say, "Teacher Wang just mentioned that Li Yun studied art. What are your thoughts on that?"
After pondering for a moment, and drawing on her understanding of art students from later generations, Shen Zhenzhu cautiously said, "Some art students are good at imitation. And some art students can even use both hands."
Gu Yanzheng also considered this point and hesitated before saying, "We need to make a breakthrough in handwriting identification, otherwise it will still be very disadvantageous for Zhou Qishan. How about we—"
Shen Zhenzhu gritted her teeth and said, "Go and collect everything Zhou Qishan has written! So that Li Yun won't cause any more trouble."
Gu Yanzheng chuckled, "No need for all that trouble. You suspect Li Yun replaced all the assignments?... You've given me a good reminder. Are you hungry? It's already 7:30."
Shen Zhenzhu said anxiously, "What reminder? Captain Gu, stop keeping me in suspense."
Gu Yanzheng was efficient and wanted to give Shen Zhenzhu a break, as she had been running around all day. But Shen Zhenzhu couldn't wait a second longer, so he simply went to the school store and bought some biscuits to tide him over: "If Li Yun is cunning enough, she will definitely be able to secretly change everything she can reach to her own writing. But there is one place that she can't touch either."
Shen Zhenzhu took the chicken leg bread he offered, the last one in the shop, with a sausage inside. She took a big bite without hesitation, and surprisingly, it was quite delicious.
Her large eyes stared at Gu Yanzheng, silently urging him to continue. Gu Yanzheng put down the biscuit he had picked up: "Student files."
Student files are kept in a special archive room, which is a confidential room of the school. No one can enter without a designated person unlocking the door.
Student files contain basic student information, from personal details to family history, as well as school registration, academic records, awards and punishments. They also include completed forms, which serve as stronger evidence for handwriting analysis than assignments.
"Captain Gu, you're so smart. How come I didn't think of that!" Shen Zhenzhu knew that she was able to do this because she had the "Divine Eye" blessing, but Captain Gu clearly didn't have it, yet he still managed to get this far. He was truly remarkable.
"How long have I been in this line of work? How long have you been doing this?" Gu Yanzheng was pleased with Shen Zhenzhu's unvarnished praise, but he didn't overlook her emotions: "Studying requires a lot of practice questions, otherwise you won't be able to answer even if the answers are right in front of you. You've been working in police stations since graduating from police academy, so it's normal that you sometimes don't think of things when you're unexpectedly involved in cases. But you've already performed better than many newcomers, and I have high hopes for your future growth."
An idol is indeed an idol; he already knew the answer was right in front of her, and she still had to rack her brains to reply. Although she knew he didn't mean it that way, he was right nonetheless.
She will definitely strive to grow and sprout, make good use of her "heavenly eye," punish evil and promote good, and not let down the opportunity God gave her to start over.
***
"Do we need to compare the handwriting again?" Section Chief Zhao of the laboratory took the file, picked up the phone, and said, "Then I need to invite the handwriting expert over. They've already come twice today."
It was already nine o'clock at night, and Gu Yanzheng sat in the laboratory office, patiently waiting. It seemed no one was going to leave until the results were in.
After a long day's work, Chen Zhenzhu sat by the window, quietly eating calcium milk biscuits, as if she were enjoying something incredibly delicious.
She remained calm and relaxed; her tense efforts had not been in vain, and she had enough patience to wait for Li Yun to be brought to justice.
Gu Yanzheng stopped tapping his fingers on the table, casually put them in his pocket, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes to rest.
Handwriting expert Wang Mei returned, not complaining, but rather excited: "Has there been a new lead in the case?"
His guess was correct; otherwise, they wouldn't have repeatedly asked him to perform handwriting analysis. As a part-time university professor, he expressed his regret over the loss of the seven female students and hoped that the murderer could be caught as soon as possible.
"Although it was written in the first few years, it is impossible to judge it by the writing tools and paper. However, the way the strokes are connected and the pressure of the strokes are different from the suicide note found this morning in many places."
He spread out the suicide note and Zhou Qishan's personal information form from high school, pointing to her name and saying, "There are unnatural pauses here in the suicide note. The trembling and embellishments that appear when imitating someone else's handwriting are subtle but definitely present. Compared with the sample of homework that Zhou Qishan submitted this year, there are signs of a change in habits. The pen pressure and the stability of the lines are also different."
Shen Zhenzhu quietly clenched her fist, suppressing the urge to jump for joy. Her bright eyes sparkled, and the slight fatigue from before vanished. She couldn't wait to capture Li Yun right now!
Gu Yanzheng was calmer than her, but his brows had already relaxed: "What are the chances of the suicide note being forged?"
Such crucial evidence requires absolute certainty to secure a suspect's arrest. During the investigation, Gu Yanzheng was willing to expend considerable effort searching for evidence, prioritizing evidence over confessions in court. Even if a suspect eloquently confessed, decisive evidence would prevent them from escaping justice.
"The imitation is undeniably brilliant; it took a lot of thought and time. It's certain that Zhou Qishan's handwriting in the file folder and the suicide note were written by different people." This was the first time Wang Mei had helped with such a brutal mass murder case, and even the old professor couldn't help but get excited.
He patted his chest and said, "I guarantee with my entire professional expertise that there is a 100% chance that the suicide note was forged. Zhou Qishan was wronged."
Shen Zhenzhu clenched her fist tightly, then slowly relaxed it. Her bright, sparkling eyes looked at Gu Yanzheng, and she could read the joy in his eyes as well.
Encouraged by Gu Yanzheng, Shen Zhenzhu pointed to Li Yun's homework and said, "Teacher, what do you think of her handwriting?"
Wang Mei asserted, “They share the same writing habits; the turns of their pens and the pressure of their strokes are almost identical. It is reasonable to suspect that the suicide note was copied by this person.”
Shen Zhenzhu closed her eyes tightly and let out a sigh of relief.
Li Yun, your double insurance has finally been breached.
"Captain Gu! We've found something!" Zhou Chuanxi didn't go home after get off work, but instead ate dinner and went to Lu Ye to question the witnesses again.
"Boss, the pesticide shop owner has given us a new lead. Zhou Qishan isn't the only female college student who bought phorate. There's another female college student, about 165cm tall, with bangs, who also bought it. Should we investigate?"
Shen Zhenzhu said softly, "Captain Gu, if I remember correctly, Li Yun's height is 165 cm."
Gu Yanzheng said, "Hairstyles and appearances can change. When I interrogated her last time, I noticed that her hair was newly cut. It's very likely that she did this to avoid being identified by the pesticide shop owner."
Lu Ye was extremely anxious and stood at the door, saying, "Boss!"
Gu Yanzheng stood up and said to everyone present, "Get ready to go."
Police cars rushed to the company overnight.
Shen Zhenzhu watched as the agents rushed out of the car and searched the new teachers' dormitory. She stood outside the car, looking up at the oppressive darkness, wondering when the storm would break.
But Li Yun's thunderous storm had already arrived.
She wasn't in the new faculty dormitory. As one of the last batch of graduates to stay on as faculty members, Li Yun was in high spirits, chatting and laughing with her future colleagues as she walked towards the dormitory.
Shen Zhenzhu noticed that she kept trying to talk to them, but they seemed to ignore her.
She carried her newly bought washbasin, which also contained a brand-new toothbrush holder, towels, soap, and slippers. It seemed she had completely abandoned her past in dormitory building number five and was embracing a bright future with a fresh start.
But when she saw Chen Zhenzhu standing next to the police car, the smile on her lips instantly vanished.
Her colleague next to her hurriedly went upstairs, looking back frequently.
"Stop!" Shen Zhenzhu rushed over like an arrow. Li Yun's colleagues saw Li Yun being thrown onto the hood of the engine by Shen Zhenzhu, who then forcefully pressed down on his elbows and handcuffed him.
A flicker of panic crossed Li Yun's eyes, but she quickly regained her composure: "Why are you arresting me? I almost became a victim too!"
Shen Zhenzhu angrily said, "Keep this nonsense in the interrogation room."
Gu Yanzheng opened the car door: "Get in."
Shen Zhenzhu, representing law and justice, forcefully pushed Li Yun's head into the police car.
The case has made a significant breakthrough. Colleagues from the publicity department promptly notified reporters from the Liancheng Legal Daily and Liancheng Daily to come and take photos, at which time they will give the public a public explanation.
Female suspects must be escorted by female police officers. Gu Yanzheng nodded to Chen Zhenzhu as he stood by the car door.
Shen Zhenzhu couldn't wait to accompany Li Yun on the way, so she sat down next to Li Yun without saying a word: "Don't worry, Captain Gu."
Just wait and see if I don't teach her a lesson.
On the way to the criminal investigation team, Li Yun said more than once, "Comrade, could you loosen my handcuffs a bit? My wrists are going to break."
With a stern face, Chen Zhenzhu scolded, "Would loosening the handcuffs make it easier for you to escape?"
The police van was large, and Lu Ye, who was escorting it, had a loud voice. He had long disliked Li Yun and yelled, "You better behave yourself! Keep your tricks to yourself!"
Li Yun was startled by his shout, but gave a forced smile, seemingly unconcerned: "Zhou Qishan tried to feed me poison, and I refused. Just because I'm still alive doesn't mean you can treat me like a victim, right? You're under a lot of pressure, you can't just randomly drag people out and execute them."
Shen Zhenzhu was shocked by her shamelessness and kept rolling her eyes as she looked out the car window.
After a moment of silence, she smelled a faint sandalwood scent wafting through the carriage, which came from Li Yun.
Li Yun saw her roll her eyes through the window and was startled. She closed her eyes and gasped for breath, thinking that she had gotten away with it.
Shen Zhenzhu saw her little movements reflected in the window. Was she afraid too? Was the sandalwood incense burned to pray to Buddha?
If you're scared, that'll make things easier for me.
-----------------------
Author's note: Thank you so much for supporting the original work, I'm so touched!
The update will also be at midnight tomorrow. See you tomorrow!
If you like it, please bookmark my author page! You can see updates on the story's release and pre-orders there. Oh, and there's a red envelope in this chapter, plus a giveaway! [kiss][kiss]
***
I set up a giveaway but it's not showing up on the homepage for some reason, sob sob. I've contacted customer service. Thank you for your support, everyone. See you in the next chapter!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com