Chapter 49 The Way is One Foot Higher
Zheng Xiankai agreed without hesitation. He had someone bring over the black leather suitcase, opened it for inspection, and then nodded, saying, "Second brother, unload the goods."
The woman referred to as the second oldest, named Zhang Yiming, said to her assistant while wearing surgical gloves, "Don't let her eat it. Cook more for her when we get downstairs."
A middle-aged man and woman waited anxiously outside the operating room; through a waterproof plastic sheet, they could see blood splattered on it.
At first, you could still hear the painful screams of the mentally disabled pregnant woman, but later the sounds grew weaker and weaker until the baby's voice came out, and then there was no more movement from her.
The twins she gave birth to, a boy and a girl, ceased to have any connection with her the moment they emerged from her womb.
The middle-aged couple went from initial anticipation to panic, but when they saw Zheng Xiankai emerge with the twins, they cast aside all guilt and embraced the children as if they were precious treasures.
“Next time we’ll recommend our friends to come too,” the middle-aged husband said excitedly. “They have high standards; they should choose female college students. I’ve heard that good genes result in better intelligence.”
Zheng Xiankai laughed and said, "You saw those women too. We checked them all to make sure they wouldn't affect the intelligence of our offspring before recommending them to you. If your friend wants someone with a high IQ, I have some good stuff too, it just depends on whether he's sincere in his pursuit."
The female corpse, hastily sewn together as if it were medical waste, was scheduled to be transported away that day. By a twist of fate, it was discovered hidden deep within a water dungeon.
......
......
"—Old Shen?"
Gu Yanzheng's voice came from beside her. He thought Shen Zhenzhu was tired, and his eyes were fixed on the Giant View: "Come over and make room for the forensic doctor. You've worked hard these past two days. Go back and rest. I'll try to get some information out of Zheng Xiankai first. He's too cunning. If we can't get anything out of him during the golden time of arrest, he'll easily find loopholes later."
Old Ding messed up, and Gu Yanzheng couldn't trust anyone else, so this was the only arrangement he could make.
Shen Zhenzhu lowered her eyes to hide her turbulent emotions, and said to Gu Yanzheng, "Brother Zheng, I want to stay here and look for He Liana. I'm worried that something might happen to her if we stay too long."
Gu Yanzheng noticed the tremor in her voice and felt the temperature drop around them as he said, "To avoid missing anything, there will be search personnel here. You're not feeling well right now—"
Shen Zhenzhu added, "I'm really fine. I want to handle this case cleanly and neatly. The investigators aren't the same as the law enforcement officers who follow the case from beginning to end, so maybe I'll make some other discoveries."
Since things have come to this point, Gu Yanzheng also intended to cultivate her ability to handle cases independently. He asked someone to get her a uniform jacket to put on: "I need to interrogate Zheng Xiankai as soon as possible. You leave Lu Ye by your side. Don't act impulsively. Protect yourself first."
"Yes!" Shen Zhenzhu said with wide eyes, "Please rest assured, leader, I will definitely complete the task."
Gu Yanzheng nodded and took the lead in walking towards the convoy, sniffing his collar as he went.
Shen Zhenzhu watched the direction he left in, where there was a familiar Cherokee.
"It's Brother Zheng's car! We've found it!"
“We can’t even drive it. Our boss is a germaphobe and doesn’t want to drive a car that’s been touched.” Lu Ye had appeared at some point, with two abrasions on his face and a bulging bulletproof vest on his body.
Chen Zhenzhu let out an "Ah," her eyes falling again.
"The boss told me to come with you, so we still need to find He Liana, right?" Lu Ye took out a police flashlight, turned it on but it didn't light up, then he patted the back cover and the flashlight lit up.
"Yes." Shen Zhenzhu needed to find He Liana on one hand, and on the other hand, she needed to find the disabled women who had been hidden. Now she could only use He Liana as an excuse to search around the factory area.
If she doesn't find anything today, she will confess to Gu Yanzheng that there are still disabled women being persecuted. She doesn't care what Gu Yanzheng thinks of her, and she is willing to bear whatever she may face. She has already decided to rescue them at all costs!
“Let’s go. We just finished searching Zone One. Let’s check Zone Two.” Lu Ye checked the search results on the walkie-talkie and said to Shen Zhenzhu, “Have you heard? He Liana’s identity is not simple.”
"I heard it from Brother Zheng." Chen Zhenzhu looked around as she walked, using the light of her flashlight. So many disabled women, their conditions must not be too bad for childbirth; at least they must have fresh air and a certain amount of space to move around.
Shen Zhenzhu and Lu Ye continued their search within the black brick factory area, while the convoy returned to the Anfeng City Criminal Investigation Brigade.
The Criminal Investigation Division's office building was lit up all night. They registered victims, contacted their families, and for those without families, contacted the local household registration office. If they couldn't find a household registration office, they checked for missing persons. When someone couldn't clearly state their hometown, they determined it by their accent and contacted the local police station...
The 125 disabled victims kept the officers extremely busy and overwhelmed.
The Anfeng Criminal Investigation Team has ten interrogation rooms, all of which are full. Those without interrogation rooms are interrogated in vacant offices to try and get confessions as quickly as possible.
Zheng Xiankai remained silent in the interrogation room, waiting for his lawyer to arrive before speaking.
As it turned out, the lawyer did arrive, accompanied by a large group of the victims' families, who shouted at the police: "We agree to this job, we are willing to pay our wages and medical expenses, and we agree to settle this privately."
Zheng Xiankai laughed in the interrogation room, looked at Gu Yanzheng and said, "See? I told you I would give them money."
Zhou Chuanxi said from the side, "We suspect you are involved in multiple criminal cases. Even if we settle this privately, you will still have to undergo our investigation and interrogation."
Gu Yanzheng left the interrogation room and looked at the meeting room filled with the victims' families. At the request of another lawyer, he signed a waiver of liability.
"For that little bit of dirty money, you'd even risk the lives of your own family?" Wu Zhongguo was a sentimental man who always put his family first. He couldn't believe that there were such money-grubbing people in the world.
Wu Zhongguo, as if his passion had been wasted, threw the photos of the injuries he had taken in front of them: "Look at the state you've been in! Aren't you going to pursue this?"
In the next meeting room, a dozen victims, whose families had claimed them, huddled together. They resembled panicked children, filled with fear and dread. Even with water and food right in front of them, they dared not reach out to take them.
No matter what questions the police officers asked them, they remained silent as if they had agreed to, and it was impossible to get any testimony out of them.
The case reached a stalemate, and Zheng Xiankai sat quietly in the interrogation room, his smile growing wider and wider.
He had already made all the arrangements. When the detention period ended, he packed up his valuables and moved to a remote and impoverished place, so that he would never be caught again.
He closed his eyes, and the image of reporter Zhu's graceful figure and stubborn, arrogant gaze appeared before him, especially the way she looked at him like trash, which stung his nerves and made him feel numb from head to toe.
Wait for me.
Zheng Xiankai's lips twitched, and he silently uttered those words.
"I'm so tired, it's been a whole night and he's still not back?" Gu Yanzheng sat in his office, his eyes bloodshot. He had taken three showers and was confident he could face Section Chief Shen's keen sense of smell.
"I heard that the lawyers here are demanding the release of the person, so I was going to come back but then I turned around and went back to look for clues."
Zhou Chuanxi yawned, his mouth dry and his face pale, no longer able to muster any anger: "Those family members are still making a scene outside, demanding Zheng Xiankai's release. The third and fourth brothers are also taking the blame upon themselves. Do they want him to leave the criminal investigation team unscathed?"
"Detain him! He must be detained!" Team Leader Ding looked like a little devil who had crawled out of a pile of bruises; his eyes were bruised, his cheeks were bruised, and the veins on his temples were bulging.
"Hey, Lao Ding, are you alright?" Gu Yanzheng stood up pretending to be serious, showing no awareness of using someone else's place and manpower to carry out the case: "You're lucky. You fell asleep as soon as you went in and woke up as soon as the people were arrested. I'm not as good as you, and my Lao Shen is even worse. He's a hard worker and hasn't come back yet."
"What? Should I go and take her back now?" Captain Ding said angrily, sitting in his chair. "I'm still weak all over. Don't make fun of me. The doctor said that the injection I received was enough to paralyze an elephant."
Gu Yanzheng laughed and said, "Oh, I thought it was just a tranquilizer, I didn't expect it to be so powerful. Well, you've gone to a lot of trouble."
Team Leader Ding was physically and mentally exhausted. When his subordinates saw their captain return, they were all looking at him expectantly, their faces no better than his, after being ordered around by Gu Yanzheng all night.
"Oh no! Several reporters are downstairs demanding to interview members of the special task force, questioning why we detained outstanding taxpayers, whether we were deliberately targeting private entrepreneurs, and some are even asking who is protecting us!"
"Protect my ass!" Captain Ding suddenly stood up, felt dizzy, and sat down again: "Get them all out of here! Tell them that if they dare to publish anything in the newspaper, I will pursue them to the end!"
Gu Yanzheng, his face grim, walked to the window and looked down at the families causing trouble below. Zheng Xiankai had their minds completely under control; as long as their burdens weren't dead, what was wrong with having the opportunity to make a large sum of money?
In recent years, more and more people have been laid off, and even the iron rice bowl is turning into a plastic one. It's like winning the lottery, not only finding missing relatives but also getting money. Why not take advantage of it?
"I seriously suspect that some of these people were deliberately sent to work in illegal brick factories by their families!" Wu Zhongguo was furious. "When the detention period is up, are we really going to just let them go like this?"
He was met with a silent response. Wu Zhongguo was so angry that he reached for a cigarette, but ended up throwing the empty pack on the table.
Ring ring,
Ring ring—
The office phone rang, and Gu Yanzheng strode over to answer it: "Old Shen?"
Shen Zhenzhu's sweet voice rang out, panting heavily, still breathless from beating someone up with Lu Ye: "Report! Red Brick Factory requests backup, and also needs an ambulance!"
"Approved!" Gu Yanzheng turned to Ding and told him to make the arrangements, then spoke into the microphone, "How are you? Are you injured? Where's A-Ye?"
"We're all alright!" Shen Zhenzhu said loudly, in high spirits, "We found He Liana, she's still alive! She was being held in a secret room in Zheng Xiankai's office! I discovered that Zheng Xiankai's hunting rifle hadn't been confiscated yet, and by sheer luck, the secret passage opened!"
"I'm coming right away!" Gu Yanzheng subconsciously thought Helena needed an ambulance. After hanging up the phone, he strode out: "Back to the Red Brick Factory to pick her up!"
At a single command, the entire office sprang into action.
Wu Zhongguo secretly cheered: "He Liana has been locked up by him for so long, she must know something!"
***
Shen Zhenzhu wrapped the shivering He Liana in her uniform and stood at the factory gate. In front of them were about twenty bewildered women. Fortunately, their bellies were flat, and the situation was not as bad as Shen Zhenzhu had imagined.
Unlike their naivety, He Liana had bright eyes. She leaned against Shen Zhenzhu's chest, smelling the righteous scent on Shen Zhenzhu's body, and gently closed her eyes to rest peacefully.
Through her clairvoyance, Shen Zhenzhu discovered that there were roosters crowing in the place where the women were being held. She endured until dawn and heard a rooster crowing behind a kiln.
Following the clues, she discovered the women hiding inside, and unexpectedly found the group of businessmen "doing business." Now she understood that these people were engaged in such shady dealings, no wonder she saw them acting suspiciously yesterday evening.
"The people who were arrested said they had a party near the office building last night. Do you know what a party is?"
Lu Ye noticed that Shen Zhenzhu was looking at him with disgust, and continued, "You know, these people can't have children themselves, so they actually thought of throwing a party to choose surrogate mothers, putting perfectly healthy people up for sale! If we had found out any later, I can't imagine what the consequences would have been for these women. Sigh... Luckily, they have food and drink, so they're not too bad off, better off than the people who do the work."
When Shen Zhenzhu saw the images in the Heavenly Eye's retrospective, she realized that the truth was far more terrifying than Lu Ye had imagined.
They didn't treat them well at all; they just treated them as commodities, a level above mules. They fed them well, gave them the self-deceiving title of "Goddess of Fertility," and disposed of them at will.
"The woman who stabbed Captain Ding was called 'Second Sister.' She was responsible for performing live cesarean sections on pregnant women to remove the babies," Shen Zhenzhu said calmly. "Do you think that's alright?"
"What? Live dissection?! I had no idea they were such beasts!" Lu Ye's scalp tingled, and he scratched himself hard, saying, "Who told you that? Is it true?"
Shen Zhenzhu said, "I've seen their bellies. Only one of them has a C-section scar; the rest have fresh bellies. Do you know what that means?"
Lu Ye said incredulously, "You don't mean pregnant women are disposable, do you?!"
"Or to look on the bright side, they've only just started this business." Shen Zhenzhu noticed He Liana move in her arms, and she lowered her head to whisper, "He Liana? How are you feeling?"
After a long pause, He Liana was finally able to speak. Her first words were: "The camera is still inside... I took a lot of photos, some of which showed the buying and selling of pregnant women, and others of the killing of mules. These can all be used as evidence in court."
"Really?! I'm going!" Upon hearing this, Lu Ye turned and ran towards the office.
Shen Zhenzhu asked curiously, "Zheng Xiankai actually gave you the opportunity to take a picture?"
He Liana shook her head and said, "It wasn't him who gave it to me. All he gave me was that tiny window, no bigger than a palm." As she spoke, she took Chen Zhenzhu's hand and touched her hair. "You see, I hid the film in my hair just in case. I never thought it would actually come in handy. He always thought I was just killing time by taking pictures, but I actually took all the pictures I needed to. He's arrogant and short-sighted, thinking he's in control of everything. He's just an idiot."
“That’s right, he’s an idiot.” Shen Zhenzhu handed He Liana some water and gently patted her back to comfort her. “Have some water, Sister He, you’re safe now. Your husband is waiting for you to come back safely.”
He Liana's eyes softened when she heard that Song Qibang was waiting for her. She sat up and looked at the clear blue sky: "I thought I would never get out of here in this lifetime."
Shen Zhenzhu looked at her and said softly, "You are very brave, thank you."
Gu Yanzheng drove Team Ding's Santana to the factory gate, and Song Qibang got out of the car behind him.
He staggered to Shen Zhenzhu and hugged He Liana tightly, sobbing uncontrollably.
He Liana smiled gently, her face pale with illness, and stroked his back to comfort him: "It's alright, I'm safe now. Zheng Xiankai said he likes me, and I sometimes coax him, but he hasn't done anything out of line with me."
He Liana, as a reporter, had a keen eye and had managed to protect herself by understanding Zheng Xiankai's temperament during this period. However, she later guessed that Zheng Xiankai's patience was running out and thought she would be hiding behind the wall forever. Who knew that a ray of light would crack through the wall, and a soft yet firm hand would reach out from the light, take her hand, and save her.
Song Qibang cried for a long time before finally looking up at Shen Zhenzhu. He didn't want his wife to see him kneeling and begging in front of her. He wanted to shake hands with Shen Zhenzhu, but Gu Yanzheng grabbed his hand first.
Shen Zhenzhu quietly hid her wrist, which she had twisted from beating someone, and smiled with pursed lips.
Gu Yanzheng preemptively shook Song Qibang's arm and said, "Comrade Song, congratulations on finding Comrade He Liana. And Comrade He Liana, you bravely stormed the illegal brick factory and obtained evidence of their illegal and criminal activities. As a police officer, I am truly grateful for your dedication."
He Liana smiled and said slowly, "I'm sorry to trouble you all. There's a hillside over there, and there should be a few more buried there. I took pictures of them all, and Zheng Xiankai was there too."
Now it was Gu Yanzheng's turn to kowtow to her, and he turned and headed toward the hillside she pointed to.
Shen Zhenzhu stood up and said quickly, "Comrade He Liana, how did you know?"
He Liana patted her camera and said, "Zheng Xiankai thought I couldn't get out, so he opened a small window for me in the secret room. Not only can I see the hillside where people are buried, but I also captured your heroic figure as you leaped off the building and pounced on Lao San."
"Really? So you were there back then!"
“I had a feeling that you would definitely find me and bring me out.”
"Fortunately, I didn't disappoint you." Shen Zhenzhu smiled obediently, looking shyly at He Liana. She was really embarrassed to be praised by such an intelligent and decisive older sister.
When Shen Zhenzhu saw medical staff approaching, she called a police officer to accompany He Liana and Song Qibang. She then instructed Lu Ye, "Brother Ye, please protect Sister He. I'll come and meet up with you after I'm done here."
He Liana watched as Chen Zhenzhu ran quickly toward Gu Yanzheng, gesturing towards the hillside. With Song Qibang's help, she stood up and said with a smile, "What an amazing little girl."
Lu Ye teased her from behind: "Don't be fooled by her innocent act; she's a ruthless fighter when it comes to beating people up."
“I saw it with my own eyes.” Helena laughed from the bottom of her heart: “That’s even better, the girls’ fists should be forged from steel.”
Shen Zhenzhu rushed to the scene of the body excavation, where almost all the forensic doctors from Anfeng City Bureau were present. They were constantly taking photos, conducting trace examinations, and marking the bodies. Standing not far away, looking at the corpses displayed under the flashing lights, Shen Zhenzhu felt a pang of indescribable sorrow in her heart.
“Their biggest wish should be to be found by us.” Gu Yanzheng sensed Chen Zhenzhu’s low spirits and ruffled her hair with his large hand. “You did a great job. Your growth in these two cases has exceeded my expectations. I used to mentor you as a newcomer, but now I’m very happy that we are partners standing side by side.”
Gu Yanzheng's words warmed Shen Zhenzhu's heart. She turned her head and was about to speak when she paused, looked at the arm's length distance between the two, and whispered, "Brother Zheng, you don't smell anymore, you can stand a little closer."
Gu Yanzheng silently took a step closer and whispered, "You have no idea how many times I washed myself and even took two deworming pills."
Shen Zhenzhu looked at one of the corpses from afar and felt it looked familiar: "Why does it look a bit like Zhang Yiming?"
Gu Yanzheng carefully examined the photos and had someone take a picture: "Ask her later."
On the way back, Chen Zhenzhu stopped looking at the tragic Heavenly Eye retrospectives and focused her eyes on the person in front of her: "Go to the clinic to get some medicine. I see that the burns on your back are inflamed."
Gu Yanzheng wanted to say there was no rush and no time to waste, but seeing Shen Zhenzhu's determined gaze fixed on him, he swallowed his words and said, "I'll go now, and I'll get your wrist checked too."
Chen Zhenzhu sat in the Santana, which was shorter than the Cherokee, and reluctantly fastened her seatbelt, saying, "Are you not going to drive your car anymore?"
Gu Yanzheng glanced at her in surprise, then thought for a moment and said, "Let's fix it and see."
Chen Zhenzhu immediately perked up: "Really?"
It turns out that Shen Zhenzhu likes Cherokee.
Gu Yanzheng said knowingly, "Why would I lie to you? But that car is a bit old, so it's a good opportunity to modify it."
Chen Zhenzhu nodded, "Mmm-hmm," as long as the Cherokee could come back. A car is like a person; if it's not feeling well, it needs to be treated and checked out. It's good that it's coming back.
The two went to the clinic for a simple check-up and bandaging. When they returned to the criminal investigation team building, they saw Captain Ding walking towards them in the corridor.
He said excitedly, "Old Gu, I can really help! I heard that the second sister rarely comes to the factory; she's always out doing business. Her brother is also disabled, and Zheng Xiankai said a few years ago he'd help send him away for treatment, but then he disappeared. If we can find her brother, maybe we can help her—"
Gu Yanzheng waved his hand and said, "Found it."
Team Leader Ding was taken aback, and after a few seconds said, "You even found Zhang Yiming's younger brother?!"
Gu Yanzheng nodded solemnly, put his arm around Captain Ding's shoulder and turned him to the other side, saying sarcastically as they walked, "No wonder your Anfeng City Bureau can't beat our Liancheng City Bureau in the annual competition, your efficiency is just... I'm just a straightforward person, I'm not personal, don't take it to heart."
Shen Zhenzhu secretly chuckled behind them. They hadn't yet confirmed that the corpse was Zhang Yiming's younger brother, but now they did.
Zhang Yiming glared at Wu Zhongguo and Zhou Chuanxi in the interrogation room: "Zheng Xiankai is just the owner of a brick factory. At most, he'll pay the workers a few months late. What does that have to do with what I do?"
Wu Zhongguo pointed to the photo and said, "Is the glove inside the corpse yours? Are the fingerprints on it yours?"
The giant's corpse found in the water dungeon nearly exploded. After several forensic examinations, a medical glove was successfully retrieved from inside, leading to the identification of the suspect, Zhang Yiming.
“I admit it’s mine, but what does it have to do with Zheng Xiankai?” Zhang Yiming’s eyes were bloodshot from the lamplight, but he still spouted sophistry: “I killed her because I had a grudge against her, and it has nothing to do with anyone else.”
The interrogation room door was opened by Shen Zhenzhu. She stood in the doorway and said to the police officer next to Wu Zhongguo, "It's my turn."
Wu Zhongguo immediately perked up, knowing that Shen Zhenzhu's return would surely bring clues.
Sure enough, the first thing Shen Zhenzhu told Zhang Yiming when she came in was, "They've been found. There are 15 of them, right?"
The relaxed smile on Zhang Yiming's lips gradually disappeared, and he asked with a gloomy look in his eyes, "What are you talking about?"
Shen Zhenzhu leaned back in her chair, took a sip of water, and deliberately wore down Zhang Yiming's patience, putting psychological pressure on her.
Zhang Yiming's hands, handcuffed to the armrest, kept tapping. After waiting and waiting, he couldn't help but ask, "What 15 people? I don't know."
Shen Zhenzhu knew that if she didn't think things through during the back-and-forth questioning, she would easily give her an opportunity to cover up her lies. She had to provide irrefutable evidence and a fatal blow before she would cooperate honestly.
In the gaps between Zhang Yiming's constant tapping on the armrest, Chen Zhenzhu watched her coldly, a faint smile playing on her lips.
This condescending behavior infuriated Zhang Yiming, who gritted her teeth and said, "I'm asking you, what 15 people?!"
Wu Zhongguo watched from the side and sneered, "If you don't know, why are you asking?"
Shen Zhenzhu also glanced at her, watching to see how she would cover up her lie.
Zhang Yiming's back teeth were grinding together, and he kept trying to figure out what the police already knew and whether they had found any other evidence.
To her surprise, Shen Zhenzhu started chatting with her: "I have a younger sister, and we are very close. We grew up together and life was tough. I often think that as long as I can give her a better life, I'm willing to work hard. I believe every older sister feels the same way, don't you think?"
Zhang Yiming stopped tapping his fingers on the armrest and said coldly, "You can say what you're thinking."
Shen Zhenzhu stood up, holding a fountain pen, and walked to Zhang Yiming's side, looking down at her. She then began to draw something in the air in front of Zhang Yiming.
Wu Zhongguo was completely baffled. At first, Zhang Yiming didn't understand either, but then panicked and she shouted, "How did you know?"
Shen Zhenzhu imitated her actions of dissecting a pregnant woman, cutting open her belly, taking out the baby, tearing off the umbilical cord, and handing the two babies to Zheng Xiankai one by one. Then she took off her gloves and threw them into the pregnant woman's empty belly...
Shen Zhenzhu said in a low voice, "You're so protective of Zheng Xiankai, do you think he'll treat your brother well after you die? You're so loyal, but he's already confessed everything you did next door, saying you were the mastermind behind the surrogacy organization. Otherwise, how do you think I knew?"
Zhang Yiming was panting heavily. She wanted to deny Shen Zhenzhu's words, but at that time, only Zheng Xiankai and she were in the operating room, and no one else knew about it!
“He…we…” Zhang Yiming’s brain was lacking oxygen, and even his quick wit was useless.
Shen Zhenzhu returned to the table, pulled out a photo, and handed it to Zhang Yiming: "Look at what he did to your precious little brother. His whole body is covered in abusive and suffocating purplish spots, and there are seven marks on his neck from being pulled and strangled. We found multiple fractures, ascites, and undigested grass roots in his stomach. Did he tell you he would take good care of your brother for you? How about that? This is the boss you protect, your good, big, brother."
The photo cleaved through Zhang Yiming's already fragile psychological defenses like a sharp axe. She stared at the photo for seven or eight seconds, then suddenly trembled all over, raised her head, and screamed: "Ahhh—ahhh—Zheng Xiankai! I'm going to kill you! I'm going to kill you, I'm going to kill you!"
Wu Zhongguo tried to get up and restrain her, but Shen Zhenzhu shook her head: "Uncle Wu, let her shout. We'll interrogate her after she's done shouting."
Zhang Yiming broke down emotionally, screaming and yelling before tears finally streamed down her face. She repeatedly stroked her brother's photo with her fingertips, sobbing uncontrollably, "He said he'd send you abroad for treatment, that when you came back you could marry and have children like a normal person... He actually put you under my nose and abused you! I didn't even know... I even murdered and dissected people for him, making money for him!!"
Enraged, Zhang Yiming spat out a mouthful of black blood: "How cruel you are...you, you...I'm going to kill you."
Shen Zhenzhu watched her coldly from the side. When she calmed down, she asked indifferently, "Your brother is a human being, but those who were dissected alive by you and enslaved to death are not human beings? It's pitiful that fate was unfair to them, and it's pitiful that they couldn't even cry out until they died!"
"Brother Zheng, Zhang Yiming has confessed." Chen Zhenzhu knocked on the interrogation room where Gu Yanzheng was located and placed the still-fresh testimony in front of Zheng Xiankai.
Zheng Xiankai raised his swollen eyes and glanced at Chen Zhenzhu, looking her over from head to toe. He said calmly, "You're even more beautiful now."
With her arms crossed in front of her chest, Chen Zhenzhu said, "You're still so confident?"
Zheng Xiankai was sweating profusely from the heat of the lamp, looking like a greasy pig. He maintained what he considered his dignity and pride: "I haven't broken the law. At most, I'll be paid late. My lawyer will compensate them with interest. You know I have enough money to make me a superior person. Confidence is a quality that only a perfect person like me possesses."
Gu Yanzheng slowly flipped through the testimonies and said to Shen Zhenzhu, "Call He Liana in."
Shen Zhenzhu responded and walked to the door to invite He Liana out.
He Liana spent some time washing and dressing up, and appeared at the door at the same time as Song Qibang. The two kissed affectionately on the cheek before letting go of each other and walking into the interrogation room, standing next to Gu Yanzheng.
"It's fine if you don't accept my advances, but why are you being all lovey-dovey with other men in front of me? Haven't I treated you well enough?" Zheng Xiankai, who calls himself "perfect," couldn't accept the woman he couldn't have being embraced by another man. He said fiercely, "Why are you doing this to me?"
He Liana, in her high heels, circled around Zheng Xiankai, who seemed quite pleased with himself, like a proud white swan.
Standing opposite him, he pulled a silk scarf from his pocket and covered his mouth and nose, scoffing, "Has anyone ever told you that you reek of a pigsty?"
"What?" Zheng Xiankai didn't react for a moment. How could the intellectual woman he admired, the woman who could be his confidante, suddenly say such a thing?
He suddenly burst into laughter and said, "Someone must have taught you to say that, right? I may be fatter than average, but I'm not as fat as you describe—"
"You're a fat pig. Talking to you is like talking to a sewer. You stink and make me sick."
Where was He Liana's pitiful and virtuous demeanor from the secret room? She interrupted him, bringing the veteran reporter's sharp tongue to life: "Do you know that every time you go down into the cave, they say they're sending in roast pigs? Do you know why no woman wants to be with you? Do you feel good about yourself when you take off your clothes and look in the mirror at your rolls of fat?"
"You don't need to provoke me on purpose, I don't care at all." Zheng Xiankai's stomach was swollen with anger. It had been a long time since anyone had dared to say such a thing to him. All those who had insulted him back then were no longer in this world.
He Liana seemed to have thought of something very funny, and turned to everyone and said, "Old Wu once told me that the longest he ever lasted in bed was 5.88 seconds."
Everyone fell silent. People in the corridor crowded at the doorway, looking at Zheng Xiankai with an indescribable expression.
Zheng Xiankai's blood pressure soared, and the hairs on his body stood on end in anger: "What are you looking at? Get lost!!"
Shen Zhenzhu lowered her head, pursed her lips, and smiled without saying a word. Gu Yanzheng glanced at Zheng Xiankai, his lips curving upwards as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world.
Even though Gu Yanzheng remained silent, Zheng Xiankai's hidden inferiority complex surfaced when he saw Gu Yanzheng's physique brimming with masculine charm and handsome face. And now, with such blatant ridicule...
"If you insult me again, I will have my lawyer sue you!" Zheng Xiankai said, his face flushed and his voice deep and threatening.
Gu Yanzheng shook his head helplessly and looked at him with pity, saying, "Boss Zheng, could you spend more time at the gym and watch less Hong Kong dramas? How can you be threatened for stating the facts? I heard you only have a third-grade education. After all these years of struggling in society, you should have some brains to distinguish between TV dramas and reality. Don't be so blindly arrogant."
Chen Zhenzhu couldn't help but chime in: "That's right, you're not Brother Zheng, so what are you so proud of? There are so many men's health ads out there, why don't you go and check them out? What's with all your confidence?"
Gu Yanzheng glanced at her and gave a short laugh.
He Liana knew that she had come to provoke Zheng Xiankai's rationality, so that the police officers could break through his psychological defenses layer by layer.
She can also slip in some personal attacks and insults along the way, so why wouldn't she do it?
Shen Zhenzhu stood behind He Liana and followed her instructions to close the door so that Song Qibang wouldn't hear and would be traumatized.
He Liana gave Zheng Xiankai a thorough dressing-down, repeating what she had overheard others saying, which made Zheng Xiankai pant heavily and his swollen eyes widen.
The two women he favored, one of them used his sore spots to kick him while the other chuckled and mocked him from behind.
Zheng Xiankai felt like killing them; his initial composure turned into anger and rage.
When a person gets angry, they create vulnerabilities.
Amidst his heavy breathing, Gu Yanzheng tossed out Zhang Yiming's testimony, saying dismissively, "We didn't record what Comrade He said just now. We made an exception for you and let you see Comrade He. Now that you've seen him, let's get back to the main topic."
"Tell her to get out! I must have been blind!" Zheng Xiankai shouted angrily, shaking the chair so loudly it rattled.
Shen Zhenzhu saw He Liana to the door, shook her hand, and exclaimed, "Sister He, you really said everything I was thinking!"
These words almost made Zheng Xiankai faint with anger.
According to their original plan, Zhang Yiming would never betray him. However, when he saw Zhang Yiming's name and fingerprint on all the confessions and the places where he had signed and sealed them, he couldn't help but say, "Impossible, she couldn't have betrayed me!"
Gu Yanzheng said, "If you don't want people to know, don't do it in the first place. We've already shown her the photos of her brother's murder. Do you think she'll still protect you?"
"You guys are really something, digging this up like this." Zheng Xiankai paused for a few seconds, then said through gritted teeth, "I don't admit it. They died in the line of duty. I'll pay more compensation!"
Gu Yanzheng laughed and said, "It's fine if you don't admit it. The families of the victims who decided to settle out of court have already been to the exhumation site. No matter how much they love money, seeing what their loved ones' future will be like, they all begged the police to uphold justice for them. Boss Zheng, your money magic won't work anymore."
Shen Zhenzhu really wanted to applaud Gu Yanzheng; this move was absolutely brilliant.
Showing the excavated corpses, a scene resembling purgatory, to the families would make even her, let alone an ordinary person, feel uncomfortable, let alone an ordinary person.
Suddenly, Zheng Xiankai seemed to be out of breath, panting rapidly as he said, "Impossible! They couldn't possibly not want the money!"
"Do you think everyone is like you?" Gu Yanzheng said, "You know what you've done. You're not human, but they are."
Zheng Xiankai shouted, "I'm willing to pay more! I'll cover the losses of those who died, I'll compensate them all!"
At this moment, Zhou Chuanxi knocked on the door and came in, waving a letter in the air: "The family members have written a joint letter demanding that the murderer be severely punished."
Zheng Xiankai leaned back heavily, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling: "Money, we don't want the money anymore... They've gone mad."
"Whether you confess or not is not really important anymore, we have witnesses and evidence. But we still need your attitude." Gu Yanzheng pointed behind Zheng Xiankai and said, "'Confess and you will be treated leniently, resist and you will be punished severely.' You are a smart man, choose for yourself."
Jung Hyun-kai closed his eyes and took a deep breath. After a few minutes, he murmured, "I...I won't confess..."
Gu Yanzheng nodded, took out the last crucial piece of evidence from the file folder, and threw it in front of Zheng Xiankai: "This is the crime scene filmed by He Liana, and all of you are on it! You were the one who was in charge of burying people first, right? You were also the one who received and bought pregnant women, right? And you were the one who stabbed someone to death, right?"
Zheng Xiankai sat up abruptly, unable to believe the photos he saw: "How could this be? I clearly didn't give her any film! How could an empty camera take pictures?!"
Gu Yanzheng said, "Don't underestimate any woman. Zheng Xiankai, are you going to confess now or not?"
Suddenly, Zheng Xiankai's teeth chattered, his whole body trembled uncontrollably, and he could barely speak: "If I...I confess...if I confess, will they not kill me?"
"It depends on your performance." Gu Yanzheng said mysteriously, "I still have evidence to show, so you'd better tell me everything honestly."
"I'll talk...I'll talk!" Zheng Xiankai began to speak fluently, spitting out saliva and tears streaming down his face.
Crocodile tears.
Seeing Zheng Xiankai's terrified and pathetic state, Shen Zhenzhu knew that his testimony would only take him one more step closer to the afterlife.
......
Lu Ye came out of the interrogation room where Lao Wu was, threw the confession on the office desk and said happily, "I've confessed. How's it going on your end?"
Shen Zhenzhu happily drank coffee with He Liana, stylishly raising her little finger and saying, "Zheng Xiankai has confessed. Zhang Yiming is willing to testify in court and identify all of Zheng Xiankai's crimes."
"Excellent!" Lu Ye gave Shen Zhenzhu a thumbs up, then looked at Zhou Chuanxi and asked, "How's the handling of the family situation?"
Zhou Chuanxi said with a smile, "They can get some civil compensation, but anything more depends on the procuratorate and the court."
Shen Zhenzhu said in surprise, "Didn't they write a joint letter demanding severe punishment for the murderer and asking for no money?"
“The letter is fake,” Zhou Chuanxi said. “I didn’t take them there at all! Have you gone mad while handling the case? You’re letting them go to such an important scene? I’ll talk to the family again later. They should still get what they deserve, and no one will support them for what they shouldn’t.”
Chen Zhenzhu stared, her mouth agape, suddenly realizing, "Zheng-ge tricked Zheng Xiankai?... The devil is one foot tall, but the righteous are ten feet tall!"
He Liana was about to go back to rest when she heard this and couldn't help but laugh: "I finally understand why Captain Gu wanted me to scold Zheng Xiankai to death. So that's the trick."
Shen Zhenzhu stood up to see her off, and sighed, "I just realized that it's possible to break the rules like this."
He Liana stood in the corridor, already exhausted. She opened her arms and hugged Shen Zhenzhu: "Your case handling was truly amazing. I'll do a special feature on illegal brick factories and underground surrogacy later. Remember to accept my interview!"
"Yes, I will. I might not give face to others, but I will definitely give face to Sister He. You have helped us a lot." Shen Zhenzhu said with a smile, "Contact me anytime if you need anything. Take a good rest."
He Liana nestled in Song Qibang's arms, happily bidding farewell to Chen Zhenzhu: "See you later."
Song Qibang turned and glanced at Shen Zhenzhu, all his gratitude evident in that single look. Shen Zhenzhu had been worried that he would kneel down without a word, but thankfully he didn't.
The two helped each other out of the office building, and after getting into the car, they turned back to wave to Chen Zhenzhu.
Shen Zhenzhu waved vigorously at the window, watching them leave.
As I returned to my office from the corridor, I heard Captain Ding rushing in from outside: "Great news! None of the 15 women we found were pregnant! That's wonderful, that's wonderful!"
Shen Zhenzhu said joyfully, "What wonderful news!" Otherwise, she would have been worried about what would happen to the baby in their womb. Now, all is well, there's no need to worry anymore!
Team Leader Ding asked Chen Zhenzhu, "What did Zhang Yiming say? How many times have they done that kind of thing?"
“I thought she was lying to me,” Shen Zhenzhu said. “She said she’d only done it twice recently, but it turns out it was true. The first time, they found a doctor at a hospital to deliver the baby, so the woman was still alive, among the 15. The second time, the doctor didn’t dare continue, so Zhang Yiming went ahead anyway—that’s where we discovered the gigantism…”
Lu Ye patted Chen Zhenzhu on the shoulder and said, "If we hadn't discovered it in time, who knows how many people would have died at last night's party, and how many unwanted children would have been born. Since things can't be undone, let's look forward."
"This doesn't sound like something you would say." Zhou Chuanxi was also exhausted beyond recognition. The buzzing of his family members around him made his brain feel like it was going to splatter.
Lu Ye said, "When I first joined the criminal investigation team, I felt sad every time I saw the victims and their families while handling cases. My boss comforted me. We police officers have to face these things. As long as we solve enough cases and crack down hard enough, we will naturally deter criminals. Instead of being sad, we should strike hard."
"Okay!" Chen Zhenzhu clapped her hands vigorously, but unfortunately hurt her wrist.
陆野“啧啧”两声说：“你看你一身技术全毁在细皮嫩肉上了。每次揍人自己还受伤怎么得了。”
Zhou Chuanxi muttered to himself, "They just don't have your thick skin."
Lu Ye didn't realize he was being teased, and instead teased Shen Zhenzhu, saying, "Do you want me to tell you the secret to mastering Iron Palm so you'll never get hurt again?"
"Iron Palm?!" Shen Zhenzhu was attracted by him and leaned out to ask, "Tell me quickly."
Lu Ye said, "Before I came, no one claimed the big pot of roasted chestnuts that the Ma police station next door had confiscated. I saw you went back. When there are cases, you solve them. When there aren't any cases, you can just roast chestnuts with us in the office, hahaha."
Chen Zhenzhu was so angry that she was about to slap him, but just as she raised her hand, she said, "Oh no."
Lu Ye shrugged and said, "What's wrong? Don't scare me."
Chen Zhenzhu looked around and asked, "Where is Zhao Qiqi?"
Lu Ye: "Hey, right, where is everyone?"
"What do you mean, 'right'! We forgot about Zhao Qiqi at the brick factory!" Wu Zhongguo slapped his forehead. "It's already dark outside, let's hurry up and go get her!"
-----------------------
Author's Note: Zhao Qiqi held back her tears: It's better for your family of five to live a good life than anything else.
***
See you tomorrow, there's a red envelope! [Exaggerated praise][Exaggerated praise]
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