Rebirth
"Zou Liang has been sent to the hospital. Five people were arrested this time. One of them, Yu Feiyue, is their leader."
Several police cars were parked at the entrance of the alley. The residents nearby opened their windows to watch the commotion.
Wearing gloves, Jiang Li searched the room they had been in and found a lot of medicines. As soon as he opened the wooden cabinet, the medicines fell out. He spread them out one by one. Some had labels and some did not. From the words on them, it seemed that there was dextromethorphan, amphetamine and even strong loquat juice, which were similar to what he had seen on the Internet before.
After putting all these into the bag, he went to open the cabinet on the left. When he opened it, it was filled with sex toys, with the most of them being condoms of one size. It seemed that Yu Feiyue had tricked the girl who had just fallen into the trap into having fun with him.
He ignored the cabinet and wanted to stand up, but found his legs were numb and he couldn't get up at once. When he tried to stand up again, he was pulled by someone. He lost his balance and fell half of his body on the person.
Chen An's hand slipped through his armpit, his chest supporting the fallen man. He grasped the powerful arm in front of him, and with a little pressure, he could feel the muscle veins under his shirt. Since recognizing certain emotions, his perception of this person seemed to have increased, and even a simple movement could change his heart rate.
"I'm sorry, I didn't see you, you were too tall." The police officer who was searching apologized to him.
"Are you okay?" Chen An said.
Jiang Li broke free from him and stood up, "It's okay."
Chen An thought he had low blood sugar because he hadn't eaten. "Are you hungry?"
Jiang Li shook his head, "I don't get hungry that easily."
"You haven't eaten all afternoon. It's seven o'clock in the evening. If you're not hungry, that's a problem." Chen An saw that he had been looking down, with a hint of dust on his face. Without thinking, he raised his hand and wiped it for him. "There's a restaurant outside. Want to eat?"
The place that had been touched seemed to still be warm. Jiang Li wiped it off himself awkwardly and looked outside. "They didn't eat it either."
"Cheng Xiaoxiang and the others ate on the way here."
Seeing that it would take a while, Chen An handed the finishing work to Cheng Xiaoxiang.
There were a few late-night snack shops still open outside the alley. The street was brighter because of the police car. The owner noticed that the two people came from the police car and immediately became alert. "What would you like to eat, officers?"
It was past dinner time and Jiang Li didn't have much of an appetite, so he just ordered some noodles. Chen An did the same. While waiting, Jiang Li lowered his head, not knowing what he was thinking.
A few minutes later they both spoke at the same time.
"Where are you going back to later?"
"I don't think Anna would kill Zheng Tong."
As soon as the words came out, both sides were stunned.
Jiang Li realized it later. He had only been following for a long time. This matter had nothing to do with him, but he was making a big deal out of it. Then he poured a glass of water with some embarrassment, and when he brought it to his mouth, he found that it was cold.
After drinking the cold water, he heard a chuckle from the other side.
"So you were silent all afternoon just thinking about this?"
Jiang Li raised his eyes, thought for a moment, and then admitted honestly, "Judging from Anna's behavior today, she still has something to explain, but I don't think she will kill Zheng Tong."
"Why?" Chen An was a little curious about his inference.
"I'm just thinking of a possibility." This inference had been on Jiang Li's mind all afternoon since he met Anna. "Just like online, when people talk about real and fake daughters, the first thing they think of is enmity. So is it possible that Anna has never thought of breaking out of her current situation?"
Chen An didn't expect him to think this way, and waited quietly for him to continue.
"According to Yu Xiaowei, Anna knew her background. Now that Zheng Tong is dead, why doesn't she return to her parents immediately? Right now, when they need her the most, why hasn't she taken any action?" Jiang Li sighed. "We've seen her rental apartment. It's very shabby, with leftovers and messy old clothes piled up in a rag closet. But on her desk, she has Go boards and poetry collections neatly arranged. These are just things to calm her down when she loses control."
"A person who desires to control himself would not want to lose control and do something drastic, such as killing someone."
Jiang Li spoke seriously. The two looked at each other for a long time, and Chen An did not pour cold water on him. "This angle is good, but there is no supporting evidence. If there are new discoveries later, it may confirm your idea."
Jiang Liming understood what he meant, but did not insist on explaining it, just waiting for the surface to come out.
"But I'm a little curious, why do you think so?"
Jiang Li moved his lips, tossing around a name but failing to find the right one. He gave up and said swiftly, "The name Anna wasn't used before she was eighteen. If we assume she was abducted, she definitely had a tough time during those eighteen years. After she became an adult, she came to a strange big city alone and lived in a university town just to get more education. It seems bright, right? But she happened to be involved with the OD Club. Don't you think she's suffering? How would a scarred person feel when she meets her bright and dazzling other self? Jealousy? Angry? I don't think it's anything. It's inferiority."
"From a certain perspective, the broken Anna is no longer worthy of the glorious title of Zheng's daughter. Only Zheng Tong, who is confident, cheerful, and proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, is worthy of it."
Jiang Li kept his eyes downcast. "A past without any glory is not worthy of the halo of bright scenery in the eyes of others."
Chen An felt that he was not talking about Anna, but about himself. He knocked on the table, and Jiang Li's eyes fell on him.
"Jiang Li, people can't deny the past, but they can change the future. People have no choice about their birth and early experiences, but that doesn't mean they are deprived of the right to have beautiful things. There's no such thing as deserving or undeserving. If you get it, it's yours."
On the quiet street, he stared at the person who said such words without blinking. No one had ever said these words to him. People who knew him were only afraid of him and wary of him. Until now, the only person who was sure of him was the policeman in front of him.
Jiang Li's sight was blocked by the boss. Two bowls of steaming noodles were brought up. Chen An said nothing more. He picked up the chili peppers beside him and added them vigorously. He recalled the scene of the first time they ate hot pot. He was comforted both last time and this time. This further confirmed that he felt that Chen An was a strange person.
As he lowered his head to eat his noodles, Chen An heard him ask, "Hey, are you valuable to everyone?"
Chen An was stunned when he heard this and looked up at him. "What the hell?"
Jiang Li stirred the noodles in his bowl, not knowing what he was feeling awkward about. "As for those ideological education speeches of yours, actually... I've heard a lot of them. Our teacher always gave us chicken soup."
Chen An ate the noodles and said vaguely, "Then what difference does what I said to them make?"
"The difference..." Jiang Li thought for a moment, "I don't want to hear what they say."
After a while, Chen An answered the previous question, "No."
"ah?"
Chen An looked him in the eye and said seriously, "I'm not valuable to everyone."
Then he added: "You are the first."
Am I the first one?
Jiang Li's mind was occupied by this sentence. Even after he finished eating the noodles, there was still a subtle smile on his face, and he seemed to be in a good mood.
On the short walk back, Chen An asked him where he wanted to rest.
Jiang Li thought for a while and asked, "Are you going back tonight?"
Chen An looked at his watch. It was half past eight. "Go back."
"Give me the key then." He asked for it.
Chen An took out the key from his pocket and placed it in his hand. "Wear my clothes first. They are in the closet. You can take whatever you want. I will accompany you to the countryside to get your luggage tomorrow."
"No, I can go back by myself." Jiang Li held the still warm key. "I don't have much stuff, just a suitcase and a small basket for melon seeds. I can go back by myself."
Chen An moved his lips, wanting to say something but stopping himself.
Jiang Li smiled and said, "Why, are you afraid that I'll run away?"
"Don't worry, I will definitely come back tomorrow. If I don't come back, where will I live? Right?" After saying that, she patted his shoulder.
Chen An sent the person back downstairs and then drove back to the Municipal Bureau. At nine o'clock in the evening, everyone was there. Cheng Xiaoxiang was interrogating Yu Feiyue in the interrogation room. Chen An entered the compartment and heard Yu Feiyue's anxious voice of defense in the headphones.
"Officer, I really didn't do anything. I don't know what you're talking about!"
Yu Feiyue's weak explanation left Cheng Xiaoxiang speechless. He hated beating around the bush with suspects. These people were full of mistakes and omissions in their excuses, yet they still thought they were disguising themselves well.
"A large amount of psychotropic drugs were found in the house you stayed in. These drugs must be quite difficult to buy." Cheng Xiaoxiang showed him the photos of the drugs found in the house. "Dextromethorphan is now a prescription drug."
Yu Feiyue slammed his handcuffed hands on the table unhappily, "This medicine is for coughs! Is it okay for me to buy it?"
Cheng Xiaoxiang raised his eyelids and emphasized, "It's okay for you to buy it, but it's a problem if you buy it and then sell it to a minor."
"No, what evidence do you have to prove that I sold it to them? What if they just have a cough? I just think this medicine is useful and effective, so I'm just helping others by sharing it with them, isn't that okay?" Yu Feiyue laughed as he spoke. "Officers, how can you assume that about me?"
This person is clearly trying to cheat.
Yu Feiyue seemed to have won back a victory, and he smiled proudly. Cheng Xiaoxiang took a deep breath and said, "Yu Feiyue, you don't think we haven't found anything, do you?"
"This is a screenshot of the 'Somnus' club forum. Our technicians also found a group chat with the same name 'Somnusclub' on your social account. You should know more about the content of the chat in the group than we do."
Several chat records were pushed in front of him. The pictures were so bloody that they could not be posted without being censored. However, such pictures were widely circulated in the group. The group chats were refreshed on time at midnight, mainly to share today's OD experiences. Some people became more and more excited as they talked. There were many teenagers who jumped off buildings, cut their wrists, and ran to the streets to deliberately cause car accidents. Bai Shuo checked and found that several victims of suicide cases in Qu'an City this year were members of the club.
"Do you know what you're doing?" Cheng Xiaoxiang stood in front of him. "Selling illegal drugs to minors is punishable by law. And there are so many minors who have committed suicide here. To put it bluntly, you're abetting suicide."
Yu Feiyue's face froze. "You, you're talking nonsense. What's with inciting suicide? There's no legal basis for that! I've seen it. Don't bully me because I don't know the law."
Cheng Xiaoxiang smiled at him with a hint of pity. "Yes, our country's criminal law does not have a separate provision for incitement to suicide, but judicial practice generally considers it a form of intentional homicide." He bent down, his emotionless smile widening before his eyes. "Do you think you can get away?"
It was a hot day, and a drop of sweat dripped from Yu Feiyue's forehead and just got into his eyes, making his eyes hurt from the salty sweat.
But before his sentencing was over, Cheng Xiaoxiang continued, "What's more, you're also suspected of gang-raping, and the targets of the rape were minors. Article 301 of the Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China stipulates that anyone who induces minors to participate in gang-raping activities shall be subject to a heavier punishment."
"Yu Feiyue, you're going to spend the rest of your life in prison."
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