Chapter 98 My Excellence Is Undeniable
On the second floor of the provincial department's "Grand Competition" venue, Yang Mei looked down and whispered, "I've never seen so many corpses coming off a hearse."
The forensic doctors were extremely busy, carrying the bodies up and down the stairs. The five autopsy rooms and morgue in the forensic department were full, and police tape was put up along the corridor to temporarily store the bodies.
"We don't have enough stretchers, hurry over and help."
"How many corpses have they dug up? How come they can't carry them all away?!"
The commotion was so spectacular that even the leaders and officials in the nearby provincial government building, regardless of whether they were off work, all came to witness this rare and grand event.
"I heard they were all killed by a single hammer."
"Good heavens, this is a serial murder case."
"I've seen that man before. He looks so honest and unassuming; you'd never guess he's a devil."
The weapon used in the crime—a hammer—was taken to the evidence room.
The head of the evidence room deliberately placed it in a prominent position so that his colleagues could all see this cruel murder weapon.
Perhaps it was the killing of 58 people that imbued it with a ferocious and bloodthirsty aura; even from the outside, one could feel its chilling coldness, and its menacing metallic gleam could be seen from afar.
"She actually solved Case No. 1... How is that possible? Could it be that Gu Yanzheng helped her?" Song Xinchen walked to Yang Mei's side and saw Shen Zhenzhu appear in the parking lot. She was surrounded by people and walked up the stairs with a swagger, her head held high.
"Didn't I tell you to talk less? If you're going to keep interrupting, your Captain Liu could solve the case sooner. Just remember, there are always people more capable than you, and the leaders can tell whether you're capable or not just by saying a few words."
Yang Mei's case number 9, supported by Liancheng Information Technology Department, has entered the final round of screening, faster than expected. She's in a good mood and doesn't mind teasing Song Xinchen.
Song Xinchen knew, of course, that it was Shen Zhenzhu who solved the case, but he was extremely shocked and subconsciously unwilling to admit that the young girl could lead the team to solve Case No. 1 in just 19 days.
This is a long-standing, difficult case that the Shenyang Public Security Bureau has carefully selected; being listed as Case No. 1 is quite remarkable.
Song Xinchen was annoyed by his own erratic behavior these past few days. He was mainly unhappy with Gu Yanzheng, who always acted high and mighty and always looked down on him.
He couldn't bully Gu Yanzheng. He knew that Shen Zhenzhu was trained by Gu Yanzheng himself. He originally wanted to suppress Shen Zhenzhu, but he didn't expect that Shen Zhenzhu would actually solve the case.
Shen Zhenzhu has something on her body.
Footsteps echoed from the stairwell. Chen Zhenzhu, her voice hoarse, entered the corridor, receiving enthusiastic applause from her competitors in the "grand competition."
What could be more exhilarating than the applause of your competitors?
Shen Zhenzhu stopped and looked around at the more than twenty colleagues and the corpses lying haphazardly at their feet. For a moment, she didn't know what to say.
Yang Mei walked over and hugged Shen Zhenzhu, saying, "You've really made us female police officers proud! From now on, I'll learn more from you! I'm so happy for you!"
Yang Mei's joy was genuine. Chen Zhenzhu pursed her lips and nodded, saying, "Sister Yang, thank you for being happy for me. Although the situation is not optimistic, I still feel fortunate that the killing will stop in the future."
Everyone had heard about this, and when they learned that Li Mancang's motive for killing was money, they thought they had gained a lot.
When they heard the number, they all thought they had misheard. But when they heard he needed to save 3000 yuan, they were all horrified. If the case isn't solved today, who knows, he might have to kill thousands of people in the future.
Liu Yiyang stood at the door of the small conference room, waiting for Shen Zhenzhu to finish receiving congratulations from her colleagues. He walked over, extended his hand, and said, "Comrade Shen, thank you for your contributions to Shenyang City. I am very grateful to you for solving the 'Hongmei County Serial Disappearances Case' and preventing the crime from escalating further."
Shen Zhenzhu turned around and saw Lu Ye, Zhao Qiqi, and Xiaobai. She smiled and said, "It wasn't just my strength. You should thank them too."
Liu Yiyang nodded, shook hands with Lu Ye and Zhao Qiqi to express his gratitude, and when he got to Xiaobai, he paused and then smiled and said, "You have good taste; you followed the right person."
"That's right, my sister Pearl is no ordinary person."
Liu Yiyang smiled and said, "So, do you plan to come back to my place after graduation?"
Xiao Bai said, "My home is right here, so I'll definitely be assigned to your municipal bureau."
Liu Yiyang had an answer and nodded, saying, "That's good. We can't go to another place and make your father worry. I learned a lot from Comrade Shen this time, and you seem very happy."
"That's right, I learned more than I did in four years of university." Xiao Bai chuckled, glancing at Xiao Hongjun in the crowd before casually looking away, seemingly oblivious to Xiao Hongjun's annoyed and envious expression.
Xiao Hongjun was carrying a lunchbox to be washed in her nylon bag when someone urged her to hurry up and she grabbed the empty thermos and headed to the hot water room.
She had been doing odd jobs for two weeks and still had no idea how far the case of Case No. 5 had progressed.
If only we hadn't gotten to Case No. 5 back then.
The thought flashed through Xiao Hongjun's mind quickly.
Shen Zhenzhu did not see Xiao Hongjun. She went to the small conference room of Case No. 1 and saw Gu Yanzheng who had come over first and was helping to organize the list of missing persons.
"I'll give you an hour to rest. Come back and interrogate Hao Chunzhi," Gu Yanzheng said. "I'll switch roles with Li Mancang."
Li Mancang and Hao Chunzhi have already confessed to the murder at the scene. Further interrogation at this point will only clarify the details of the murder process and identify any lies or concealments.
The sheer scale of Case No. 1 exceeded everyone's expectations, and it was one of the largest cases since the founding of the People's Republic of China. With the case progressing to this point, Gu Yanzheng's assistance in the interrogation had no impact on the final outcome of the case; it only saved Shen Zhenzhu time and mental energy.
"Yes." Shen Zhenzhu had a brief moment to catch her breath. Even though Gu Yanzheng's arrival wasn't involved in solving the case, it was still a source of psychological support for her. Her shoulders slumped down as she asked, "Brother Zheng, I'm going to take a shower. See you later."
Gu Yanzheng glanced at Xiaobai, who, with her keen sense of propriety, said, "Sister Pearl, wait for me, I'm going too."
Gu Yanzheng was relieved.
Shen Zhenzhu and Xiaobai walked towards the guesthouse together. On the way, they encountered two buses parked at the entrance of the "Grand Martial Arts Competition" venue.
When the bus doors opened, an unexpected group of people stepped out. Led by Liu Jinzhong, they included village committee officials and villagers who had participated in the sit-in protest.
“Sister Pearl, these people are spreading rumors and slandering your reputation everywhere. Director Zhou has instructed us to invite them from the provincial government to ‘visit’ the remains of the 58 victims. After they’ve seen them here, they’ll be sent back to Tuanjie Village to see the three large mass graves.”
Xiao Bai said indignantly, "Yes, they should see what's happening right under their noses!"
Shen Zhenzhu didn't recognize the female police officer who spoke, but she still politely pursed her lips and replied, "Thank you, I understand."
Back at the nearby guesthouse, Xiaobai turned on the TV in the living room and played a beautiful and popular music program, while Chen Zhenzhu washed her tired body with warm water in the bathroom, a smug look on her face that no one else could see.
Pearl, oh pearl, you really do shine, hehe.
I've known you're amazing since you were little; you're the hope of Tiesi New Village!
When Chen Zhenzhu emerged, wrapped in a bath towel and steaming hot, her skin glowing with a rosy hue, even Xiaobai, who was intently cutting a small cake on the coffee table, wanted to reach out and pinch her cheeks.
"Hey, what's this cream cake?" Chen Zhenzhu wrapped her hair in a towel and came to the coffee table. Looking at the cake decorated with strawberries, cherries, and cream flowers, she exclaimed in surprise, "It smells so sweet! Did your classmate give it to you again?"
Xiao Bai proudly said, "My classmate can't get this. This cake is from a fancy hotel, and my dad specially asked someone to queue up for it. I only get to eat it on my birthday. He knows I helped you solve the case, so he had it delivered to encourage us! Look, half for you and half for me, it's perfect for us to enjoy here!"
"No wonder it's so exquisite and smells so good... Isn't this too expensive?" Thinking of Xiaobai's father who was working away from home, Chen Zhenzhu really didn't want to waste her hard-earned money.
But when Xiaobai brought the cut cake to Chen Zhenzhu, Chen Zhenzhu turned into a glutton again, thinking: The cake can't be left uncut, and it's already been cut, so it can't be wasted.
So, I convinced myself to cut off a small corner of it, and licked it with the tip of my tongue: "Wow, so delicious~"
"Of course, it's in high demand! I'll only give it to you, I won't give it to anyone else." Xiaobai took a big bite, closed her eyes contentedly, and said, "This is the taste! I can taste the cream from their hotel right away!"
"It's so delicious! I'll definitely buy some to take home and let everyone try it when I get home."
Like cats caught stealing fish, the two of them sniffed each other after finishing their cream cakes to see if they had been caught stealing fish. Before leaving, they looked at each other and laughed, their fatigue gone.
With some time to spare, Chen Zhenzhu and Xiaobai each lay down on a sofa. She asked Xiaobai, "Your dad often goes out to work, so what does your mom do?"
Xiao Bai said, "My mother died early. She used to be a doctor at the county hospital. She was swept away while saving people in a flood and was never found again."
"Huh?" Shen Zhenzhu slowly sat up. Xiaobai waved her hand on the other end and said, "But my dad often feels indebted to me, so he's very good to me. I think my mom's spirit in heaven will be at ease. By the way, Zhenzhu, what does your mom do?"
Chen Zhenzhu lay sprawled on the sofa again and said, "My mother used to run a steamed bun stall—"
"Wow, this must be delicious. I love steamed buns."
"Yes, later we opened a small restaurant and became self-employed. We were busy and happy every day. The neighbors all loved my mom's cooking, and some even became apprentices. Our little restaurant was always packed."
After Chen Zhenzhu finished speaking, she heard Xiaobai laughing. She asked in confusion, "What are you laughing at?"
Xiao Bai honestly confessed: "Many people talk to me about how great their family is and how powerful their background is, which I find very funny. But after hearing what you said, I feel sincere and at ease. I feel honored to be a self-employed individual and earn clean money."
"How dare you brag to the children of migrant workers?" Shen Zhenzhu looked at Xiaobai with affection.
"Besides being glorious, it's also delicious," Shen Zhenzhu said. "My mom's cooking is famous. By the way, why don't you come visit us after the 'Grand Competition' is over? Come with us, and I'll take you to the train station platform. You'll be back in four hours. I'll also bring some of my mom's big vegetable buns for your dad."
"Big vegetable buns? My mom used to make them for me too, they were so delicious!" This time it was Xiaobai's turn to sit up and excitedly say, "It's the weekend, I can go over and stay for two days! I'm graduating and getting assigned to a job next month, I won't have time to play anymore."
"Then you should definitely go. If you like it, I'll pull some strings and get you extra so you can eat your fill."
"Yes, yes, give me more. I can eat four big steamed buns and a bowl of millet porridge in one go."
......
Back in the small meeting room, Shen Zhenzhu suddenly felt that the room had increased in size.
Lu Ye, whose eye bags dangle down to his chin, pointed to the sliding door and said, "It's convenient for the victims' families to come and communicate. The meeting rooms on both sides have also been approved for our use."
"I see, that's much more comfortable. Are any family members coming?" Shen Zhenzhu walked past Zhao Qiqi, who suddenly sniffed the air in front of him like a husky: "What's that smell? It's sweet."
The junior official, caught stealing food, was too afraid to admit it and looked at Xiaobai in alarm.
Xiao Bai puffed out her chest and said with a stern, round, baby-faced expression, "New product: King of Baby Noodles. You're asking about girls' stuff? Aren't you ashamed?"
"Oh, you've got some nerve with Sister Pearl backing you up, huh?" Lu Ye teased, but Xiao Bai ignored him. Feeling bored, he scratched his head and continued to call the victim's family.
Shen Zhenzhu secretly gave Xiaobai a thumbs up, but when she turned around, she met Gu Yanzheng in the small meeting room next door. She didn't know how long he had been staring at her, but his eyes were full of smiles.
Shen Zhenzhu pretended to be very busy, but she really was. She quickly picked up the missing persons information reported in the province in recent years and began to check it.
"It's about time, take it over and let them see for themselves." Gu Yanzheng glanced at his watch, got up, walked over to Chen Zhenzhu, put down a box of stylishly packaged milk chocolate, and said, "Drinking Milo all the time isn't good either, if you can't handle it, eat a piece of chocolate."
"Handmade?" Xiaobai leaned over to take a look and found that the sign on it said that the small cake was from the same big hotel. She just didn't know how Gu Yanzheng got it over so quickly.
Perhaps it was prepared in advance.
Xiao Bai, carrying a case file bag and holding her sister Pearl's large tea mug, followed closely behind Shen Zhenzhu, brushing past Xiao Hongjun who was returning with water, and entered Hao Chunzhi's interrogation room.
"I can't remember what they looked like, I killed too many." Hao Chunzhi leaned back in the interrogation chair, handcuffed and shackled, her eyes numb.
In front of her were photos of missing persons from across the province. Those matching the basic characteristics were extracted and asked Hao Chunzhi to identify them so that the victims' families could be found as soon as possible.
Chen Zhenzhu took a sip of tea. There was no need to rush at this moment. She asked calmly, "What was the name of the person who abducted you back then?"
A hint of surprise appeared in Hao Chunzhi's wooden eyes. She finally looked up at Chen Zhenzhu and asked, "Why are you asking him?"
Shen Zhenzhu looked at her and said, "Human trafficking is also a crime."
Hao Chunzhi suddenly laughed, the laughter growing louder and louder, tears streaming down her face: "I'm even more guilty than him now."
“No crime is too small to be punished; those who deserve to be caught will be caught sooner or later,” Shen Zhenzhu said. “Do you want more women to suffer the same fate as you?”
Hao Chunzhi stared at Chen Zhenzhu for a long time, then sighed and said, "You're not what I imagined. You're a good policeman. There's no need to look for the kidnapper who abducted me; he's right outside."
Shen Zhenzhu lowered her eyes and sighed.
Hao Chunzhi laughed again: "Fine, I'll do you a favor before I die, as a way of repaying what you just said. I've written the names of the people we killed on the almanac, and they're all laid out under the kang mat. You can have someone look them up. The dates on the almanac are also their death dates."
"Brother Ye, make a call to the scene."
"Okay." Lu Ye immediately stood up and went out to make the arrangements. This was much faster than checking the list one by one!
While waiting for Lu Ye to return, Shen Zhenzhu asked Hao Chunzhi, "What was your original name? Can you tell me about your experiences?"
Hao Chunzhi glanced at her and said, "Why are you still asking?"
Shen Zhenzhu pointed to another notebook and said, "It's for criminal psychology research."
"Then I'm still of some use to society." Hao Chunzhi said with a sneer, "I can say it, but I have a request: don't let my biological parents know about me."
"Didn't you ever think about going back?"
"I went back for a look, and she gave birth to another baby girl. Guess what her name is? Chai Yiwen... They miss the former Chai Mengwen, not Hao Chunzhi. I've killed too many people, so forget it."
“I understand.” Chen Zhenzhu opened her notebook and nodded. “Let’s begin.”
Hao Chunzhi fell silent for a long time as she recounted the past: "It feels like something from a past life. That year, after graduating from university, I was assigned to the city's radio and television station as an intern director. My boyfriend at the time said there was a place suitable for field research—"
Chai Mengwen and her boyfriend were traveling on a slow, green train for the first time. They stopped in a small county town to explore when a middle-aged woman suddenly collapsed. Chai Mengwen and her boyfriend helped her up and took her home.
After that day, she was separated from her beloved boyfriend forever. To save her from being defiled, her boyfriend was beaten to death on the spot by the middle-aged woman's husband.
"Because they are college students, they ask for high prices. Many families are unwilling to spend 500 yuan to buy one that has been used by someone else. Later, the price was lowered again and again, and Li Mancang's family took a liking to it. His mother is too good at bargaining and managed to get it down to 200 yuan."
At the time, all I wanted was revenge for my boyfriend, regardless of the consequences. I was "married" that very night after being sent to Li Mancang's house. I had the male kidnapper come to see me a few times, but Li Mancang discovered this and beat him to death on the spot.
Later I tried to run away, but his mother locked me up and wouldn't give me food or water. She also made Li Mancang rape me every day and beat me.
When I heard someone scream for help, I thought they were coming to rescue me, but it turned out they also wanted to sleep with me.
That's when I realized that men are all driven by their lower instincts. The way Li Mancang looked at me made me understand that he was actually interested in me. A man like him would never have met a woman like me in his life if I hadn't been trafficked there.
Li Mancang was jealous of everyone who had touched me, which is why he ignored the male kidnapper's explanation and accidentally killed him.
Those three hooligans beat up Li Mancang, kicked him in the groin, and they even tried to get me pregnant so that Li Mancang would be openly cuckolded.
Li Mancang couldn't beat them, so he made them sleep with him and took advantage of their sleep to beat them one by one.
I already knew then that Chai Mengwen would never be able to go home, but I hated the kidnapper, hated Li Mancang, and hated all the men who had ever touched me. So when Li Mancang found out he couldn't have children, I told him he could try IVF.
Where's the money? The wool comes from the sheep's back; what the men caused, they'll take from them.
My initial targets were men who had lustful thoughts about me. It was actually quite simple; one punch and they were dead. But as I killed more and more, I realized I hated all men in the world. I'd kill any man, no matter how small. You start to feel like killing people is no different from killing chickens or ducks; you become numb to it all.
After saying this, Chen Zhenzhu handed Hao Chunzhi a cup of warm water and fed it to her. After putting down the cup, she continued to ask, "Are you aware of Zhao Tianshan's embezzlement?"
Hao Chunzhi said, "I made him go. My father-in-law isn't a womanizer, but he's greedy for money. He said that if he got the money back, he wouldn't have to keep killing people. I thought that wouldn't do. I wanted Li Mancang to kill more men for me. So I told my mother-in-law to report my father-in-law. My mother-in-law was worried that her son would be arrested if things came to light, so she preferred to let her father-in-law take the blame in order to protect her son."
"Was the second impersonation done by Li Mancang after Zhao Tianshan's death?"
Hao Chunzhi laughed and said, "That coward said he would be fine if he went far away, but he still came back scared out of his wits. Because of this, we decided to only take the cash from the wallet and throw away all the other watches and rings, just in case we got caught by the police."
Shen Zhenzhu carefully observed her micro-expressions, paused her pen, and said, "You've killed so many people, and you're still so calm?"
Hao Chunzhi almost laughed until tears streamed down her face: "What else could I do? Everyone knows Li Mancang bought a wife, so I can't run away. The whole village is watching him. At first, I was in a lot of pain, but later I learned to enjoy it. I took advantage of Li Mancang's feelings for me, so I provoked him and made him witness me sleeping with another man. I know he loves me, but his love is a malignant tumor on my body. I am a bad woman, that's true, but he's a silent devil, keeping all his evil thoughts to himself. He's an absolutely wicked person; he's the root of my sin. I used to have nightmares every time I killed someone, but I stopped having those dreams later. Whatever, I've already suffered enough."
Shen Zhenzhu listened quietly as Hao Chunzhi finished speaking. Not a single tear fell from Hao Chunzhi's eyes; perhaps she had already cried all her tears long ago.
“Those people in the village must hate me to death. Let them curse me, the more viciously the better. Anyway, I’ve cursed them countless times.”
"Too many people have died, so Secretary Liu was dismissed on the spot and is under investigation. All 103 households in the village dare not stay, and the village is uninhabitable. The county government may disperse the population of Lijia Village and relocate them to other villages. The land of Lijia Village and Peach Blossom Mountain will be re-planned for other uses."
Upon hearing the outcome for the people of Lijia Village, Hao Chunzhi laughed heartily: "They love to form cliques and gangs, even for the smallest things. Now look what's happened! They'll be bullied as outsiders in other villages. Let them experience the frustration of being helpless and having no one to turn to."
When talking about sad things, Hao Chunzhi didn't shed tears, but the story of Lijia Village made her laugh until she cried.
After Shen Zhenzhu finished laughing, she stepped forward to wipe away her tears and asked her last question: "You and Li Mancang have been committing murders for years, always careful and cautious. Since you still wanted to kill, knowing that we were investigating, why did you still let Li Mancang send the bodies up the mountain?"
Hao Chunzhi let out a deep breath, leaned back in her chair, and murmured as she looked at the ceiling, "I don't know either. Don't ask anymore. I'm just too happy today."
"That's about enough." Chen Zhenzhu got up and opened the door. "Then let's stop here."
Two female police officers guarding Hao Chunzhi came in. Before leaving, Hao Chunzhi stared at Chen Zhenzhu for a moment.
What a young and innocent life.
The day I met you, I saw so many vibrant colors in you; that's the kind of scenery I should see.
......
Shen Zhenzhu came out of the interrogation room for some fresh air. Xiaobai followed behind her soullessly. It was the first time she had faced a heinous criminal. She was shocked by Shen Zhenzhu's cruel and numb words and couldn't recover for a long time, as if she had crashed.
Gu Yanzheng also came out of the interrogation room next door: "How did it go?"
Chen Zhenzhu nodded: "Successfully. How about your end?"
Gu Yanzheng waved the transcript in his hand: "Li Mancang not only confessed himself, but also explained in detail the imprisonment and rape of Chai Mengwen that year and the role his mother played in it."
Shen Zhenzhu exchanged Hao Chunzhi's statement with Li Mancang's statement, and the two buried their heads in the pages, carefully checking and reviewing them.
"Zhou Kemei was actually drugged and beaten to death. I thought the 'Divorce Pioneer' would die on Hao Chunzhi's bed like them." Shen Zhenzhu had asked Hao Chunzhi about the victims' deaths; Hao Chunzhi remembered some and didn't remember others. Her testimony could complement Li Mancang's.
"He went to the county town to buy supplies and gave Li Mancang a bottle of mineral water because he felt sorry for him. Li Mancang then set his sights on him, saying that there were cheaper raw materials in the village."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "I see. This purchasing manager is quite competent and not as bad as the rumors say."
Gu Yanzheng pointed to the name "Wu Fugang" and said, "This guy is quite interesting. He was having an affair with the female owner of a pork shop when Li Mancang, a garbage collector, saw it and introduced him to an even prettier woman. He believed him and went there that night, where he was beaten to death."
Shen Zhenzhu remembered Wu Fugang's charming eyes. It was pitiful that his wife and children were still selling food at the train station, while he was never idle.
After spending some time checking, Chen Zhenzhu signed her name and said with her dimples, "The testimonies are consistent. Li Mancang and Hao Chunzhi have confessed to their crimes. Brother Zheng, Case No. 1 can be closed."
Gu Yanzheng's appreciative gaze fell on Shen Zhenzhu: "You solved the case 9 days earlier than I did in 28 days last time. Shen Zhenzhu, you are excellent."
Being praised so frankly by her idol filled Shen Zhenzhu with joy.
He said, "Thank you for the compliment, Brother Zheng. Everyone has helped a lot."
She thought to herself: I have a "third eye" to see, mature experience in future criminal investigations to refer to, and I'm standing on your shoulders...
But I still have to admit, I might actually be a tiny, tiny bit better than you, hehe~
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Author's Note: Pearl (hands on hips): Hehe~ Confidence is what makes you shine!
***
See you tomorrow, there's a red envelope coming! [Let me see]
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