Chapter 82 A single oversight reveals the true nature of the scheme.
Municipal Public Security Bureau Criminal Investigation Team.
"Captain Park has agreed to reinvestigate, and we need to gather more evidence as soon as possible and submit it within 48 hours." Gu Yanzheng rarely saw Shen Zhenzhu's aggressive face, and he softened his voice, saying, "Why are you so angry?"
Shen Zhenzhu was still grinding her teeth: "He still wants to make a move on Uncle Wu."
Gu Yanzheng filled a plate with crispy rice crusts for her to prevent Chen Zhenzhu from grinding her teeth, and pushed it next to her, saying, "Have you started?"
"not yet."
"Don't get too angry yet. Remember what I told you before?"
"Remember to stay calm."
Seeing that she was still obediently talking to him despite her anger, Gu Yanzheng smiled and said, "You have a keen eye, and Lao Wu is no less so. This kid disregards the law and human ethics; he's a one-in-a-million scoundrel. I'm handing this case over to you and Lao Wu to handle, so you can vent your anger."
As they were talking, Cam River's voice came from the doorway.
"Captain Gu! This is next week's breakfast menu. Thank you, Team Four. Thank you, Captain Gu."
Chen Zhenzhu asked her old classmate, puzzled, "What do you mean?"
Kang He raised his chin and said, "Compensation for emotional distress." Seeing Shen Zhenzhu's agitated state and her grinding teeth, he quickly slipped away: "Ask your Captain Gu."
"If we interfere with cases that Team Three has closed, it would be tantamount to slapping Team Three in the face. Team Leader Park doesn't care, but we need to appease the people below. I promised to give Sixth Sister breakfast for a month, and you have no idea how happy they are. I bet they've been thinking about what to eat next week all afternoon."
“That’s true, it’s like slapping ourselves in the face.” Chen Zhenzhu rallied her spirits, stood up and said, “48 hours is enough, Uncle Wu should be back soon, I’ll go with him to the insurance company to check.”
Gu Yanzheng also stood up and said, "Okay, I'll apply to Director Liu—"
Zhao Qiqi suddenly came in from outside the door, pointed outside and said, "Guo Daye and Park Heung-sung are arguing."
Gu Yanzheng and Park Heung-sung had been rivals for many years, but they rarely argued face-to-face. Guo Daye had actually managed to break Park Heung-sung's composure. He said with great interest, "Old Shen, you go ahead with your work, I'll go take a look."
Chen Zhenzhu rubbed her hands together, somewhat wanting to go.
Zhao Qiqi enthusiastically said, "Sister Pearl is going to take a look too, she said it's about the arson case."
“Wow, then I should go.” Shen Zhenzhu said, following Gu Yanzheng to the third team’s office.
The offices of Team Three are similar to those of Team Four, except that the space in the corridor is a bit smaller, and the environment is not as elegant and clean as that of Team Four, which is full of men.
Park Heung-sung's desk was at the top, facing the other officers' desks. At that moment, Guo Daye stood in front of the desk, earnestly saying, "How can the Major Crimes Units cross-report cases? Two branches, you help me investigate, I help you investigate—what about the confidentiality of the cases? What about the privacy of the suspects and victims?"
Tsk tsk, no wonder they want compensation for emotional distress.
Guo Daye's way of lecturing, spitting as he speaks, is just like an old monk chanting scriptures.
Park Heung-sung argued with him for a few words, but couldn't stand Guo Daye's repetitive remarks. He saw Gu Yanzheng and Shen Zhenzhu watching the commotion. The two of them, one tall and one short, were peeking out from the door frame, looking utterly despicable.
As soon as Chen Zhenzhu was glanced at by Captain Park, she turned and ran away.
Park Heung-sung was extremely annoyed and pointed at them, saying, "Political Commissar Guo, this isn't something I did alone. You can also ask them for their opinions."
"Captain Gu, Deputy Captain Shen! Hold on!" Guo Daye shouted before they could run away, startling Park Heung-sung, who closed his eyes behind him.
Shen Zhenzhu stood behind Gu Yanzheng, pursing her lips, hoping her "Brother Zheng" would protect her. Clearly, her "Brother Zheng" had her back.
Guo Daye wanted to have a long talk with Gu Yanzheng again, but Gu Yanzheng waved his hand and said, "Director Liu approved it. If there are any problems, go to Director Liu."
After saying that, he bumped into Chen Zhenzhu, who quickly turned around, and the two of them followed each other with small steps and big strides, leaving the Third Team Office.
Add eggs; make sure to add eggs to the third team's breakfast tomorrow.
Guo Daye was cut off before he could even speak, turning to Park Heung-sung: "I'm just trying to standardize the case-handling process, isn't that right?"
Park Heung-beong appeared very busy. He bent down to pull out his pen to sign documents, pointed to the door and said, "Director Liu is here. Go directly there."
Guo Daye's face was sullen, and the flesh on his cheeks drooped down, making his face look even more square.
Director Liu was still reading the documents on spiritual civilization issued by the provincial department, which required law enforcement officers to handle cases in a civilized, scientific, and harmless manner, etc.
"Bullshit! It's leaking again." Director Liu flicked his old fountain pen, and seeing Guo Daye at the door, he said with a smile, "Come, come, I have some documents for you to look at."
Guo Daye knew something was wrong when he saw his expression. Like father, like son; this man deserves the most credit for the current state of affairs.
"The case from Team Three was handed over to Team Four just like that, even though it's about to be transferred to the procuratorate. The procedures of the public security, procuratorate, and courts cannot be disrupted—"
“Oh dear! Xiao Shen must have made a new discovery!” Director Liu interrupted him, seemingly unaware of Guo Daye’s purpose in coming. He shook his chubby hand and said, “The case she’s getting involved in must be extraordinary. Hand me that inkpad over there, and I’ll process the transfer paperwork for her.”
"..." Guo Daye was stunned. He handed over the inkpad and said in a muffled voice, "Is this reasonable?"
"The Major Crimes Unit of the Municipal Public Security Bureau prioritizes solving cases above all else." Director Liu looked up in surprise: "Solving cases? Isn't that reasonable?"
This is quite a serious accusation. Guo Daye closed his eyes and said, "...It makes sense."
Director Liu smiled with satisfaction. He seemed like an easy-going senior colleague, and said in a very friendly manner, "Ultimately, we're all here to provide logistical support for them. Sometimes we need to be on high alert, and sometimes we need to relax. In short, we can't hold back the investigators. It's alright, no one's going to say anything to you. You've just transferred from out of town, so you don't understand our work habits yet. You'll get used to it."
Everything that needed to be said had been said, and yet no one else said anything.
Guo Daye remained silent for a long time before finally managing to say, "Director Liu, I'm not holding them back; I'm just doing my job."
"Hmm, you're doing very well then." Director Liu said with a smile, "The position of political commissar has been vacant for two years, so it's understandable that everyone is not used to it for a while. We'll work on it more. As long as our intentions are good, those bastards will understand."
"Okay, I understand." Guo Daye paused for a moment and said, "I know this might cause resentment. If there's anything wrong, you can criticize me directly. As long as it's correct, I'll accept the criticism. As long as it benefits criminal investigation work, I'm willing to improve my working methods."
"That's right," Director Liu said with satisfaction. "Now hand me the inkpad."
******
Wu Zhongguo returned to the criminal investigation team and saw Shen Zhenzhu downstairs holding the keys to a small motorcycle.
"I went to the address and asked the insurance company; a salesman surnamed Qian was waiting at the company." Wu Zhongguo sat in the back of the truck and asked Section Chief Shen, "Could you ride faster?"
"Alright, let me give you a taste of speed and passion." Chen Zhenzhu nimbly mounted the motorcycle, put on her helmet, twisted the throttle, and said, "Hold on tight."
This "Fast and Furious" is actually quite fast, at least faster than a water truck.
The first thing Wu Zhongguo did after getting out of the car was to rub his face, which was numb from the wind.
The China Life Insurance Company is located in a newly built building in the city center. The building is quite impressive, with elevators for both floors. Inside, whether it's the security guards or the sales staff, everyone is dressed smartly and cleanly, appearing to be highly qualified individuals.
They went up to the 11th floor and found the salesman, Mr. Qian. He happened to have a customer inquiring about insurance, so he asked Shen Zhenzhu and Wu Zhongguo to wait in another meeting room for a while.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, gentlemen." Qian, the salesman, was prepared. He laid out the insurance policy for Fang Chengkai's family, which the company had kept, in the middle of the square table and held his breath, waiting for Chen Zhenzhu and Wu Zhongguo to speak first.
As an insurance agent, I have to make the most of every minute to contact customers, and I really don't want to face any trouble.
"Do you remember when Fang Chengkai's uncle, Ye Shengwen, bought insurance?" Wu Zhongguo asked the main question. Shen Zhenzhu leaned back in her chair with her arms crossed, staring at the salesperson and observing his micro-expressions.
"I remember, that day I sold two large insurance policies in one go and became the top salesperson of the month." The salesperson, Qian Zheng, looked at them suspiciously and said, "Is there a problem? Was it arson?"
Wu Zhongguo said, "There may be other issues involved. I hope you can cooperate and describe the situation on the day you sold the insurance."
Qian Zheng stroked his chin and said, "I invited Ye Shengwen to the company for an insurance exchange meeting over the phone. Those who come will receive a small gift."
Shen Zhenzhu suddenly said, "How do you have Ye Shengwen's phone number? Did he buy it before?"
Qian Zheng looked at her and felt she looked familiar. After thinking for a moment, he said, "His family consulted about insurance before, otherwise I wouldn't have Ye Shengwen's contact information. Some of our customers are relatives and friends, some are introduced by old customers, and sometimes they go out to canvass for people. Actually, not many people call to inquire on their own initiative. I remember it very clearly."
Wu Zhongguo asked, "Who called you to inquire? Was it him personally?"
Qian Zheng frowned and recalled, "No, the voice was much younger. It was Fang Chengkai who asked the question."
Wu Zhongguo glanced at Shen Zhenzhu, wrote a few words in his notebook, and then looked up and asked, "What questions did he ask you?"
Shen Zhenzhu told Wu Zhongguo what Fang Chengkai had searched in the computer room. The colleagues from the investigation department had already gone there to work with Lu Ye and Zhou Chuanxi to preserve the evidence and continue searching for clues.
Wu Zhongguo felt both angry and saddened, and at that moment he desperately wanted to know exactly how long ago Fang Chengkai had laid this dangerous trap.
"He asked very detailed questions, as if he had been prepared. He asked about specific details such as the claim amount and time, how to make a claim, whether the claim can be inherited, and also about insurance discounts and the maximum claim amount for a couple. I was wondering at the time how a child like him knew these things. Adults who usually come to buy insurance might not ask as many questions as he did, but I told him everything according to the company's regulations."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Did you tell him that there is no compensation if it is intentional homicide resulting in death?"
"How could I have imagined this? Our insurance only covers accidental death, and it already stated it was an accident." Qian Zheng's expression froze, and he swallowed hard. "Did he already know his uncle was going to kill someone?"
Wu Zhongguo asked, "What happened on the day Ye Shengwen bought the insurance?"
Seeing that the criminal police officer wouldn't tell him, Qian Zheng didn't press the matter, to avoid getting himself into trouble.
He recalled for a moment, speaking in great detail about the day he came to buy the insurance. He added, "That kid was quite insurance-conscious. Ye Shengwen initially thought the premium was too high, but it was he who strongly persuaded me to buy it. I remember he even said that he had saved up the money by collecting bottles and wanted to give it to his parents as a gift. Moreover, the beneficiary was Ye Shengwen. Ye Shengwen wasn't very educated, but after thinking it over, he agreed."
But if you ask me, Ye Shengwen probably already had the intention to kill at that time. He was a convict who had just been released from prison, he had nothing, and he was discriminated against. It's quite possible that he would risk committing a heist. Wasn't he imprisoned for robbery in the past?
"So that means you didn't explain to them when you sold the insurance that intentional homicide wouldn't be covered, right?" Shen Zhenzhu said. "I remember you were arguing with other customers at the fire scene, saying that such cases wouldn't be compensated. I want to ask you, did you deliberately ignore it, or did you really forget?"
"I... I genuinely forgot! Who would deliberately sell insurance to someone so they'd commit murder for insurance money?! If the company finds out, all my work these past few years will have been for nothing!" Qian Zheng glanced towards the door, worried that such rumors would spread. What are insurance companies afraid of? Losing money!
Wu Zhongguo asked, "Did you tell him how much the insurance compensation would be?"
Qian Zheng said confidently, "Two hundred thousand. The maximum compensation for each person is one hundred thousand, so for two people it's two hundred thousand. This is our company's highest-compensation 'Life and Health Accident Insurance.' Apart from the slightly higher premium, it has no other problems. It basically covers all possible accidents on the market, and the exclusion clauses are fewer than other similar products."
His actions proved he wasn't lying; Ye Shengwen was Xiao Kai's scapegoat. Shen Zhenzhu nodded to Wu Zhongguo.
Shen Zhenzhu and Wu Zhongguo worked together very well. Basically, Wu Zhongguo's questions covered all her concerns, and he would also set traps for the people answering the questions from time to time, repeatedly comparing the authenticity of their testimonies.
Having finished asking her questions, Chen Zhenzhu got up to leave, but Qian Zheng called out to them, "Comrades, you often travel across mountains and rivers to protect public order. Would you like to buy some accident insurance? How about I give you half of the commission back?"
Chen Zhenzhu said, "Thank you, we'll talk about it another time."
Qian Zheng took out two business cards and politely handed them over, saying, "My name is Qian Zheng, and I would very much like to become your insurance consultant. You can contact me anytime; I'm available 24/7."
As they left the insurance company, Chen Zhenzhu rode her scooter and said, "No wonder when the fire brigade found out it was arson, Xiao Kai said, 'So fast.' He underestimated the firefighters' abilities."
"If he can buy this kind of insurance, Fang Chengkai's parents will die next time if they don't die this time." Wu Zhongguo's heart was riddled with holes by Xiao Kai. The thought of him coming home from school and living with his family made the back of his head go numb.
A criminal investigator is always afraid of implicating his family, but unfortunately, he's fallen into the trap of a wolves.
Shen Zhenzhu's pager went off. She looked down at it and said with delight, "Zheng-ge has finalized the autopsy application. Let's go to the morgue."
“If you had been any later, the body would have been cremated.” The funeral home staff member assigned to the Liancheng City Criminal Investigation Team was a woman in her thirties named Jin Qiu. She had shoulder-length curly hair, and her eye, hair, and skin were all lighter than normal. She was half a head taller than Chen Zhenzhu and had a cool and aloof demeanor.
She flipped through the inspection documents and said, "Hasn't the 'Corpse Disposal Notice' already been issued? Some families have already taken the bodies back for burial this morning."
Shen Zhenzhu often examined corpses in the forensic department. This was her first time visiting this funeral home. As she walked side by side with Wu Zhongguo down the long, cold corridor, she heard Jin Qiu say that and hurriedly asked, "Are the two corpses from Fang Chengkai's family still there?"
After reading the application, Jin Qiu realized that a second autopsy might be required, so she carefully explained: "The two bodies are still inside. The criminal investigation has been completed. Fang Chengkai has no dispute about the cause of his parents' death and has authorized us to work overtime tonight to cremate the bodies. Our crematorium staff has an emergency and we can't find anyone, so we'll reschedule for tomorrow morning."
Chen Zhenzhu breathed a sigh of relief; it would have been terrible if she had been just one step later.
“Hey, he should have been there as a family member. Didn’t you notify him?” Jin Qiu said.
Wu Zhongguo said, "He needs to recuse himself."
Upon hearing this, Jinqiu stopped asking questions. Having dealt with the criminal investigation team for many years, she knew what she should and shouldn't ask.
"The bodies of the arson victims are all here. Except for the body of a young pregnant woman who was claimed by her family, the other four are still here." Jin Qiu unlocked the morgue door and pulled the metal door open with both hands: "Okay, you can see now. I'll wait outside."
"Thank you, Sister Jin," Chen Zhenzhu said politely.
Jin Qiu gave her a closer look. She was quite different from the eloquent and capable Section Chief Shen on TV. She had beautiful eyebrows and eyes, a gentle personality, and looked younger and more refined.
"There are two more bodies in the morgue of the Second Hospital." Wu Zhongguo put on gloves, followed the markings to Fang Chengkai's father, opened the drawer and said, "Those two were too badly injured. One died on the operating table and the other died in his hospital bed."
Shen Zhenzhu glanced at Fang's father's corpse, which could no longer be described as human; it was more like a human-shaped charcoal stick.
She did not witness the scene before Fang's father died.
Was he in a state of unconsciousness when he died?
The reason Shen Zhenzhu came to examine the bodies was because she saw in Xiao Kai's computer search history that he had searched for sedatives and anesthetics, which led her to speculate that their manner of death might be different.
In order to successfully burn his parents to death and shift the blame to Ye Shengwen, Xiao Kai wouldn't have just started a fire. Given his meticulous thinking, he must have made thorough preparations as well.
Shen Zhenzhu silently pulled open the drawer of Fang Chengkai's mother, Xiao Hongyan, and a curled-up female corpse with most of its skin tissue carbonized appeared before her eyes.
"Oh dear, what a tragedy," Wu Zhongguo sighed. "Some children come to repay a debt of gratitude, while others come to collect a debt."
Shen Zhenzhu thought she wouldn't see Xiao Hongyan's Heavenly Eye Recall, but as she reached for the drawer and bent down to examine it closely, a Heavenly Eye Recall slowly appeared before her eyes—
The one-bedroom apartment was occupied by the family of three and Ye Shengwen, so half of the living room and balcony were partitioned to create a room for Ye Shengwen and Fang Chengkai. The uncle and nephew slept in bunk beds in the small room, which was cold in winter and hot in summer.
Because the space was too cramped and he didn't want to disturb Fang Chengkai's studies, Ye Shengwen would spend his free time reading newspapers and listening to the radio in the living room, hoping to find a job opportunity that would take in reformatory personnel.
Today I had an interview, but the interviewer knew that Ye Shengwen had a criminal record. No matter how much Ye Shengwen pleaded, they wouldn't give him a trial period and had the security guards kick him out.
Ye Shengwen returned home sighing. Unexpectedly, his usually frugal older sister had prepared several hot pot dishes for him and even bought two jin of strong liquor.
“Your nephew saved up some bottles at school and sold them. Knowing you might be feeling down, he asked me to improve your meals.” Xiao Hongyan was a frugal person to the point of being stingy, yet she indulged her younger brother’s smoking and drinking habits to the best of her ability, which even puzzled Fang Chengkai.
Ye Shengwen looked at Fang Chengkai gratefully, pulled him to sit on the wooden sofa, picked up a peanut and fed it to him, then affectionately patted Fang Chengkai's head and said, "Once your uncle finds a job, you should focus on your studies and stop collecting bottles. Everyone at school is focused on studying, and if you collect bottles, your teachers and classmates will have a bad impression of you."
"What's wrong with that? The bottle is money, and who wouldn't want money?" Xiao Hongyan's voice was shrill and sarcastic when she mentioned money: "If you don't pick up free money, you're just bluffing. Don't you know how expensive it is to raise a child? A half-grown boy can eat his father out of house and home. Who doesn't want to have more money?"
Ye Shengwen couldn't stand his older sister's constant talk about money, so he made an excuse to go buy alcohol for hot pot, put on his shoes, and went downstairs.
Xiao Hongyan shouted, "Buy more alcohol! The wholesale price is cheap! We can eat the leftover hot pot for a week!"
Ye Shengwen brushed past his brother-in-law and greeted him, saying, "Did you get the medicine?"
The couple had been having headaches lately, perhaps from eating expired food or getting a bacterial infection from the garbage. Their home medications weren't working, so they spent money to get some from a private clinic: "Ugh, a few pills cost over a dollar. My head feels like it's going to explode. You take these first, I'm going to take a nap."
Ye Shengwen nodded and quickly went downstairs.
When he returned, he greeted his downstairs neighbor and chatted with them, telling them that Xiao Kai had treated him to hot pot that day.
The other party avoided the convict like the plague, giving a perfunctory reply before quickly closing the door.
Ye Shengwen went to two or three grocery stores and bought a barrel of cheap industrial alcohol. When he got home, he found that his older sister and brother-in-law were already resting in the bedroom.
"They both had headaches, but they felt better after taking the medicine and are going to take a nap." Fang Chengkai carried a bowl of large cabbage leaves to the coffee table and then added boiling water to the pot with a thermos. "My mom told us to eat first, because I still have to write an essay after I finish eating."
When the topic of studying came up, Ye Shengwen immediately said, "Then I'll drink less and won't bother you."
"It's okay, Uncle. I know you're under a lot of pressure. Have a drink, and I'll light the stove for you." Fang Chengkai acted very sensibly, lighting the alcohol stove and putting the cabbage and other sliced potatoes and vermicelli into the pot. He said slyly, "Uncle, can I have a taste of the liquor too?"
Ye Shengwen glanced towards the bedroom. He wouldn't refuse his nephew's suggestion, as he still hoped his nephew would take care of him in his old age and see him off in death. He would try his best to fulfill his nephew's requests: "Okay, but you can only drink a little."
Ye Shengwen had a setback in his job search today. He originally only planned to have a drink with Fang Chengkai to settle things, but Fang Chengkai kept toasting him and treated him with the same respect and deference as his own son. Every word he said touched Ye Shengwen's heart, and before he knew it, Ye Shengwen had drunk a few too many drinks.
Fang Chengkai helped him lie down on the sofa and said softly, "Uncle, go to sleep. I'll take care of everything."
......
The intense heat burned his skin, and Ye Shengwen rolled off the wooden sofa with a splitting headache.
He struggled to open his eyes and saw flames everywhere and Fang Chengkai frantically trying to hide a lighter: "Uncle, you, how did you wake up?!"
"What have you done?! What are we going to do? It's too late to put out the fire! We have to find someone to put out the fire!" Ye Shengwen saw the overturned alcohol bottle, half a barrel of which had spilled onto the living room floor. It quickly caught fire along with the furniture and cardboard trash, and the raging flames shot into the bedroom and out the doorway, as if some force was siphoning the flames and causing them to expand outwards.
Fang Chengkai took off the wet towel from his body and handed it to Ye Shengwen. He then knelt down in front of Ye Shengwen with a thud and said, "I... I just wanted to sneak a taste of cigarettes. I didn't expect the lighter to slip on the alcohol container. You didn't put the lid on, and the alcohol was ignited right away."
"Nonsense! This thing is so dangerous, how could I not have put the lid on!" Ye Shengwen knew this was not the time to argue, and was about to go to the bedroom to call Xiao Hongyan and his brother-in-law when Fang Chengkai suddenly grabbed his legs.
Fang Chengkai knelt on the ground, crawled two steps, looked up with tears in his eyes, and said, "Uncle, please don't say that I did it. I'm still young. For the sake of my mother being your sister, please don't say that I caused the fire, okay?"
Ye Shengwen tried to break free from his arm, but for some reason, he couldn't muster any strength. He stumbled against the wall, feeling dizzy and disoriented.
Ye Shengwen barely opened his eyes and saw Fang Chengkai still kneeling before him, desperately begging to keep the truth hidden. Thinking of Fang Chengkai's age and his future, Ye Shengwen gritted his teeth and said, "I know. Just say I did it. Now is not the time to talk about this—"
"Uncle, yes, I'll help you downstairs now, let's run!" A hint of smugness appeared on Fang Chengkai's lips, but it vanished in an instant. He took Ye Shengwen's arm and tried to go downstairs.
Shouts came from outside the door. Ye Shengwen pulled his arm back, pointed to the burning bedroom by the door, and said, "Hurry up and call your...cough cough cough...call your parents out...cough cough cough..."
The fire was raging, and we should have been rushing to rescue them. But something was wrong with the child; he seemed sluggish and terrified: "It's burning so big, they might not be able to get out."
"If I can't get out, I'll rush in to save them...cough cough cough...they are your parents, I'll risk my life to save them." Ye Shengwen staggered forward.
After Ye Shengwen emphasized it three or four times, Fang Chengkai finally realized what was happening and hurriedly put on a wet towel: "I'll go call them, you go call the neighbors!"
Ye Shengwen covered his mouth and nose, saw the thick smoke billowing out, nodded and said, "Okay, be careful. I'll be right back!"
Fang Chengkai ran towards the bedroom without looking back. Ye Shengwen was slightly relieved and prepared to leave. He turned around and found the brass lighter that Fang Chengkai had dropped under the coffee table.
The fingerprints of the person who lit the fire were clearly imprinted on the brass lighter. In order to help Fang Chengkai destroy the evidence, he kicked the brass lighter into the corner of the balcony!
Fang Chengkai didn't notice his actions because he saw his mother, who had stood up in the bedroom, staggering towards the door.
He suddenly remembered reading in a medicine book that people who drink heavily for years can develop a resistance to the sedative and anesthetic components in alcohol.
Xiao Hongyan would often have a couple of drinks with Ye Shengwen. Over time, his body developed a resistance to the drugs. His father had already been drugged and passed out, but Xiao Hongyan woke up ahead of time, just like Ye Shengwen!
She was not fully awake, and her limbs were weak and unsteady as she walked.
The room temperature made Fang Chengkai feel as if he were in a steamer. He was sweating profusely as he watched Xiao Hongyan banging on the door, trying to get out.
"Open the door! Help!! Cough cough cough—Open the door, open the door! Shengwen, Xiaokai! Open the door!"
Xiao Hongyan's shouts grew louder and louder, and Fang Chengkai worried that she would run out, which would ruin the whole plan.
Footsteps and cries for help echoed down the corridor. Without hesitation, Fang Kai pulled off the wet towel from his back, opened the locked door from the outside, and pounced on his mother, covering her mouth and nose tightly!
Xiao Hongyan initially thought Fang Chengkai had come to rescue her. Before the joy on her face had faded, she was knocked backward to the ground, and the hot, damp towel didn't even give her a moment to catch her breath.
"Ugh... Ah! Ugh—" She struggled and screamed with all her might, but her movements became weaker and weaker until she lay in the sea of fire and could no longer get up.
Fang Chengkai stood up shakily and saw their double bed begin to burn. His father struggled to his feet in the flames, then fell heavily back onto the bed...
Fang Chengkai draped the towel back over himself, squatted down, and checked Xiao Hongyan's breath. Then he threw the styrofoam and cardboard from the toilet into the bedroom and ran to the living room to search for more.
"Where is it?" Fang Chengkai was shocked. Despite the pain of the thick smoke and the burning heat, he couldn't find the lighter to light it!
His fingerprints are on it!!
Fang Chengkai broke out in a cold sweat in the sea of fire, instantly realizing that Ye Shengwen had tampered with the copper lighter.
If Ye Shengwen hadn't woken up early, he would have put Ye Shengwen's fingerprints on the lighter, which would have been the safest course of action.
Fang Chengkai stood dumbfounded in the sea of fire. He heard the sound of fire trucks outside, and his neighbor, Aunt Li, shouted from the corridor, "Run!"
Fang Chengkai prioritized his own life, and with a sliver of hope, he ran out of the house without looking back.
The Tianyan telescope's retrospective journey ends here.
Shen Zhenzhu had heard Xiao Chuan tell her about Fang Chengkai's subsequent actions, such as tricking Xiao Chuan upstairs and blocking Sun Feifei's door.
Shen Zhenzhu didn't think she was seeing a fifteen-year-old child; she felt more like a vengeful ghost demanding repayment of a debt.
Wu Zhongguo said from the side, "The death was too tragic. Even in this state, you can't tell anything."
Shen Zhenzhu tried to calm herself down. She pulled Wu Zhongguo down slightly and pointed to Xiao Hongyan's nasal cavity, saying, "I found that this place is clean. Do you know what that means?"
Wu Zhongguo slapped his forehead, overjoyed: "She was dead before she was burned! Murder! Get Qin An here immediately for an autopsy!"
Shen Zhenzhu took out her mobile phone and dialed Qin An's number.
Qin An was very cooperative with Shen Zhenzhu's work and agreed without hesitation to bring Lu Xiaobao over for an autopsy.
After hanging up the phone, Chen Zhenzhu asked calmly, "Did Captain Park say that there was a lack of crucial evidence?"
Wu Zhongguo said, "No key physical evidence was found, but he identified Ye Shengwen as the suspect based on the scope of the ignition point, witness testimonies, and the criminal motive. Ye Shengwen also confessed to the crime, so he could be convicted without key evidence. However, we value evidence, and one key piece of evidence can negate all of the above."
Chen Zhenzhu put away her notebook and said, "Have Zhao Qiqi come and keep you company. I have to go to the scene."
Wu Zhongguo asked in surprise, "What are you going to the site for?"
Shen Zhenzhu scoffed, "I'm going to catch a ghost."
-----------------------
Author's note: Pearl, hands on hips, chest out, head held high: These little devils are troublesome, but I am Zhong Kui!
***
See you tomorrow, there's a red envelope! [Okay]
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