Chapter 155 Confrontation

◎He assured me that he would take care of everything◎

Bang!

The bottom of the teacup hit the iron table with a piercing sound.

The string in Xiang Dong's head became tighter and tighter, and he became drowsy.

As if returning to his childhood, he hid in the corner, not daring to look up.

Xiang Dong raised his hands and tried hard to cover his ears.

However, my hands were handcuffed and my wrists were tied tightly together, so I could cover my left ear but not my right ear.

Xiang Dong heard Zhao Xiangwan asking: "Where did the five thousand yuan come from?"

[The factory's technical innovation award was worth two thousand yuan, and I gave it all to Cheng Xinru.]

[I secretly sold the watch my elder brother gave me for three thousand.]

[For the happiness of Linglan and I, this little money is nothing. 】

Xiang Dong unconsciously repeated Zhao Xiangwan's question: "Why did you kill Yanyan?"

【She refused to divorce.】

[I cannot initiate the divorce, I cannot bear the charge of being heartless and ungrateful, I cannot let the Qian family gossip about me and damage my reputation, and I cannot affect Linglan's career.]

【She can only die. 】

Hearing Xiang Dong's inner world, Zhao Xiangwan's anger accumulated in his chest.

“Pah—”

Without mercy, Zhao Xiangwan raised his hands and clapped, making a crisp sound of flesh hitting flesh.

This voice brought back Xiang Dong's darkest memories.

The father hit the mother and slapped her hard: "What's the use of you! You only know how to cook, wash clothes, and take care of children. You can't earn a penny and can't help at all. You are a useless woman!"

Whoever you fear as a child, you will become when you grow up.

His father's words were deeply buried in Xiang Dong's heart, and gradually fermented.

——When looking for a wife, you have to find a woman who can help you in your career.

——A woman who only knows how to do housework is useless.

Xiang Dong could no longer control his fear. His face turned pale, his hands were raised to the top of his head, his legs were drawn inward, and he curled up together. He shouted in a trembling voice: "No, don't hit me anymore. I'll say it, I'll say it..."

Zhao Xiangwan withdrew his hand, and his voice became slow and gentle: "Tell me, why did you want to kill Qian Yanyan?"

The world finally became quiet. Xiang Dong was in an extremely relaxed state and began to mutter to himself.

"Linglan loves me and has remained a virgin for more than 20 years. Only when I am with her do I feel true peace and happiness. I want to divorce and marry Linglan to start a better life."

"I tentatively mentioned divorce, but Qian Yanyan was furious when she heard it. She went crazy and scolded me for having no conscience. She threatened me that unless she died, she would make a big mess. I didn't dare to say anything more."

"Cheng Xinru loves me without limits. She will do whatever I ask her to do. I gave her 5,000 yuan and hinted to her that only death can separate me from Qian Yanyan. I know that she has a brother who likes gambling and often asks her for money. This brother is a pig killer in the countryside and has a lot of strength. People who have killed pigs have a lot of evil spirits and are not afraid of killing people. Driven by profit, there is nothing that a gambler can't do."

"Sure enough, Cheng Xinru took the money and found her brother, and they planned to take action. I told her that Qian Yanyan went out to play mahjong every night and would not return home until around 9:30. Cheng Xinru understood, and her brother really succeeded in one strike."

"The plan was originally flawless, but there was a variable like Min Chenghe!"

"Such an ugly man, like a ghost, follows Yanyan every day. If he really likes Yanyan, why didn't he fight with me before marriage? Why must he haunt me after Yanyan and I got married? Yanyan and I have been married for more than ten years, and now he suddenly comes out to show his affection to me. He is really a psychopath."

Every word he said left every police officer present dumbfounded.

Three views collapsed.

The police officer in charge of taking the statement couldn't help but snorted and cursed quietly: "What the hell!"

Xiang Dong, however, was unaware of this. He seemed to have become a completely different person. He was terribly excited and talked incessantly.

"He even wants to poke me with a pick. What a bullshit! Min Chenghe is so ugly, which woman would like him? And he dares to spit on me? Pah!"

"If he had the guts, he would go and pester Qian Yanyan, just like Cheng Xinru pestered me, making it impossible for me to resist. All he does all day is work. God gave him a mouth, but it's as if he didn't have one. He's tongue-tied. He even follows Qian Yanyan when she plays mahjong. I absolutely don't believe that they don't have legs!"

It was as if a ferocious beast was awakened in his heart. At this moment, Xiang Dong was talking dirty and had lost his usual gentle manner.

Zhao Xiangwan interrupted his curse on Min Chenghe: "Xiang Dong, Cheng Xinru ordered someone to kill Qian Yanyan. It was your instigation, right?"

Xiang Dong was stunned: "Instigation?"

【What is considered as instigation? 】

【That was a hint.】

Zhao Xiangwan clapped his right hand, making a crisp "Pa!"

Xiang Dong's mind went blank for a moment.

"Yes, instigation. Using persuasion, inducement, instruction, instigation, bribery, threats and other methods, one can instill one's own intentions into a person who originally had no intentions, causing him to carry out the behavior according to the intentions of the instigator."

The word "crime" was omitted from Zhao Xiangwan's words. With the sudden sound of the blow, Xiang Dong did not become alert, but nodded subconsciously: "If instigation includes instigation and instruction, then what I am doing is also considered..."

Zhao Xiangwan smiled: "Very good."

He personally admitted to instigating the crime.

But that's not enough.

As long as Xiang Dong wakes up, he can still change his confession, but there must be solid evidence.

Without waiting for Xiang Dong to react, Zhao Xiangwan bent down and got closer to Xiang Dong: "How much do you earn every month?"

"The salary plus allowances, and some other subsidies, is about one thousand."

“How much can be saved?”

"Hand over 500 yuan, and the rest is just enough for your own expenses."

After Xiang Dong cheated on her, Qian Yanyan took back his financial power and asked him to hand over 500 yuan every month, leaving 500 yuan for expenses. Xiang Dong basically didn't spend any money on food, clothing, housing and transportation. It should be enough for him to live a rich and comfortable life with 500 yuan, but he had to support his mistress and show off in front of his first love, so he was actually stretched to the limit.

Zhao Xiangwan pressed on: "Where did you get the 5,000 yuan you gave Cheng Xinru?"

Xiang Dong felt the pressure.

Zhao Xiangwan raised his right hand and clapped his left palm heavily.

“Bang!”

Xiang Dong's shoulders trembled and he shrank his neck: "Two thousand is the bonus I just received, and the other three thousand is from selling a watch."

Zhao Xiangwan sneered and said, "Why are you willing to invest so much money?"

The distance between the two was very close, breaking the intimate distance between people, and Xiang Donghun felt uncomfortable. Zhao Xiangwan's eyes were like lightning, making Xiang Dong's scalp tingle. He felt like a prey caught in a trap, and looked up at the sky blankly.

There, there are a pair of hunter's eyes.

Xiang Dong felt a tight suffocation and just wanted to end the conversation quickly: "Cheng Xinru needs to pay to find someone to do it."

Zhao Xiangwan said "Oh" meaningfully.

Xiang Dong opened his eyes wide and met Zhao Xiangwan's gaze. In her amber eyes, he saw himself standing upside down, shrunken, and humble.

In an instant, Xiang Dong regained consciousness and broke out in a cold sweat.

Xiang Dong was about to open his mouth to defend himself when Zhao Xiangwan suddenly straightened up, turned to Huo Zhuo and said, "Okay, you can answer the remaining questions."

Zhao Xiangwan walked out of the interrogation room, followed by Zhu Feipeng, Zhu Kang and Ji Zhao.

Huo Zhuo explained a few things and then came out to ask Zhao Xiangwan: "Didn't you ask very well? Why did you suddenly stop asking?"

Standing in the corridor, Zhao Xiangwan smiled slightly and pointed to his ear: "Xiang Dong is afraid of noise, did you see that?"

Huo Zhuo suddenly realized: "Yes, I mean why you keep slapping the table!"

Zhao Xiangwan said: "Captain Huo, we have the confession, and money is the key. Go to the Finance Office of the Transmission Machinery Factory to check when Xiang Dong's 2,000 yuan bonus will be paid out, and also..."

Huo Zhuo responded quickly: "Don't worry, I will track down the source of the other 3,000 yuan."

Zhao Xiangwan nodded and looked at his watch: "Captain Huo, please make arrangements. I need to meet Ai Linglan. Oh, yes, let Cheng Xinru meet Ai Linglan together."

Huo Zhuo's eyes lit up when he heard this. Xiang Dong's lover and his first love must have been a whirlwind of excitement. How could he be missing from such an exciting scene?

Huo Zhuo said, "Wait a moment, I'll make the arrangements."

Having said that, Huo Zhuo walked into the interrogation room with great interest and ended the interrogation of Xiang Dong.

Xiang Dong signed the transcript, saying that everything was induced by Zhao Xiangwan, but that was not his intention. Huo Zhuo raised his eyelids, glanced at him coldly, and slammed the table heavily: "What did Officer Zhao induce you to do? You admitted it yourself."

Huo Zhuo's slap made Xiang Dong's eyebrows jump. He didn't say anything else and signed obediently.

On the other side, Ai Linglan was sitting in the call room.

She did not arrest anyone, but instead reported the case to the city police station.

When she was told that she was summoned because of the murder of Qian Yanyan, Ai Linglan looked disdainful and raised her chin proudly: "I don't know any Qian Yanyan. I hope you have a reasonable explanation. I'm very busy at work. Please don't waste my time."

The public security officers didn't care about the leader of the Provincial Investment Promotion Bureau. With the summons warrant in hand, they successfully took her to the summons room.

Ellinglan waited for two full hours, growing angrier and angrier.

However, the Public Security Bureau is not a hotel, and the service attitude is good. The police here all had stern faces and serious attitudes. They didn't know anything when asked, and just told her to wait.

After waiting for a long time, someone came and took her to an interrogation room. Seeing the eight big words on the wall: "Leniency to those who confess, severity to those who resist", Ai Linglan was a little nervous: "What do you mean? I am not a suspect, you have no right to interrogate me!"

In the interrogation room, there were two iron chairs placed in an empty space.

An iron table with a clean surface, containing only a pile of documents, a notebook and two pens.

Ai Linglan followed the instructions of the public security police and picked a chair and sat down.

這裏的一切都那麽陌生、冰冷，讓她如坐針氈。

門開了，霍灼、趙向晚等人魚貫而入，端坐桌邊。

霍灼的态度很客氣：“艾鈴蘭同志，你別急，還有一個嫌疑人沒來。”

艾鈴蘭聽到這個“還”字，頓時皺起了眉毛：“什麽意思？難道我是嫌疑人嗎？錢豔豔被殺，和我有什麽關系！”

霍灼淡定回應：“別急，等一下你就知道了。”

兩分鐘之後，在兩名女警的帶領之下，程欣如戴着手铐走進來，頭發披散，面色頹然。

此時此刻，程欣如已經知道自己罪不可恕，小命難保。

讓二哥殺人的時候，程欣如沒有害怕；

聽說錢豔豔被害，程欣如只有歡喜。

在警察找上門之前，程欣如每天都在幻想，等事情平靜下來，她就能和項東光明正大地在一起，幸福牽手。

可是現在，一切都完了。

關在看守所裏，程欣如後悔不疊。

後悔不該在項東慫恿之下動了殺人念頭，後悔因為一己之利拖二哥下水，後悔不該存着僥幸心理以為警察不會發現……

世間難買後悔藥，程欣如感覺一顆心似有火燒。

她現在腦子裏只有一個念頭：哪怕是死，也要把項東拖下水，和他做一對同命鴛鴦。

神情木然地走到椅子前，程欣如準備坐下，餘光發現一道身影。她轉過頭，正與艾鈴蘭目光相對。

程欣如瞳孔一縮，整個人呆立當場。

“艾鈴蘭！”

艾鈴蘭聽到程欣如喊出自己名字，擡眼看去，卻發現是張陌生面孔。她冷冷地看着程欣如，态度傲然：“你是誰？”

【這就是警察說的，另一個嫌疑人？】

【她為什麽認得我？】

【這種地方，被個嫌疑犯直呼名字，真丢臉！】

霍灼往後坐了坐，饒有興味地看着眼前這兩個項東的新歡舊愛，在審訊室裏互相介紹。

程欣如被艾鈴蘭的眼神刺痛，胸脯一挺，铐着的雙手往下一放：“我是程欣如，項東的……”她猶豫了一下，目光有些游離。

艾鈴蘭腦子裏警鈴大作，眼睛一眯，上下打量着程欣如，從鼻子裏發出一聲冷哼：“什麽？”

【難怪把我叫到警局來。】

【哪裏來這麽個嫌疑人，竟然認得項東，真是晦氣！】

【不對啊，項東的人，為什麽牽扯到了我？我和項東的關系，沒有人知道。】

程欣如現在連性命都保不住，哪裏顧得上臉面，猶豫片刻，豁出去了：“我是項東的情人，交往了五年。”

艾鈴蘭原本坐在椅中，被程欣如的話驚得站了起來：“什麽？！”

這一回，輪到程欣如冷笑：“我聽說你是項東的初戀，是不是？你這麽大年紀了，還纏着項東不放，真不要臉！”

艾鈴蘭哪裏受過這樣的委屈，氣得俏臉通紅，嘴唇哆嗦：“你說什麽呢？！我和項東只是上下級關系。”

程欣如斜着眼睛看着艾鈴蘭，眼裏滿是不屑：“你這種女人我見得多了。仗着有幾個臭錢，就看不起這個，看不上那個。外表看着清高，其實就是個蕩.婦，看到像樣一點的男人就往他身上撲，賤！”

艾鈴蘭被氣得眼前發黑，她鬥嘴鬥不過程欣如，轉過頭看向霍灼：“霍隊，你這是什麽意思？把我帶到這裏讓人污辱嗎？”

霍灼站起身，沉聲道：“程欣如，老實坐下！”

警官發話，程欣如老實了許多，乖乖坐下。

艾鈴蘭哼了一聲，也悻悻然坐了下來，轉過臉去，不想面對坐在桌後的警察。一帶排的橄榄綠制服，耀花了她的眼，一時之間沒有留意到趙向晚的存在。

霍灼眼見得兩個女人都安靜下來，這才轉頭看着趙向晚：“趙警官，開始吧。”

艾鈴蘭這才注意到趙向晚，想到她在酒店對自己說過的話，艾鈴蘭眸光一暗：“趙警官？你不是星市公安局的人嗎？為什麽會坐在這裏？”

霍灼道：“趙警官是我們珠市警方請來的刑偵專家。”

艾鈴蘭認真地盯着趙向晚，腦中浮現出她們第一次見面的場景。

艾鈴蘭記得自己曾經質疑過趙向晚的身份：如果不是因為許局長給我打過電話，你根本沒有資格坐在這裏審問我。

當時趙向晚是怎麽回答的？

趙向晚當時回了一句讓她捉摸不透的話：艾處，這不是審問。

現在，處在這冰冷無情得讓人喘不上氣的審訊室裏，看着一身制服、面容端凝的趙向晚，艾鈴蘭忽然理解了趙向晚臨走之前丢下的話。

——此刻，無數雙眼睛盯着，警察們嚴陣以待，而自己，則瑟瑟發抖，茫然不知所措。這，才是真正的審問！

趙向晚沒有問艾鈴蘭，而是直接看向程欣如：“程欣如，你說過，是項東唆使你找人殺害錢豔豔，是不是？”

程欣如早就破罐子破摔，老老實實點頭：“是！就是項東讓我幹的。他在年前給了我五千塊錢，說錢豔豔死也不肯離婚，只有死亡才能讓他擺脫錢豔豔的控制。為了我們倆能夠做長久的夫妻，只有除掉錢豔豔。”

艾鈴蘭第一次知道程欣如的存在，轉過頭死死地盯着程欣如的側臉，胸脯上下起伏，嘴唇緊咬。

【她是項東的情人？】

【他們交往了五年？】

【年前項東給了她五千塊？呵呵，真可笑！】

聽到艾鈴蘭內心的嫉恨之語，趙向晚加快了對程欣如的審訊：“項東已經承認，給你的五千塊錢裏，兩千是他的獎金，另外三千是他變賣手表換來的。”

程欣如一聽，咧嘴大笑：“哈哈！哈哈……對吧？我說了，一切都是項東指使。要不是為了和他結婚過日子，我為什麽要铤而走險？我愛他，他愛我，我做的這一切，都是為了和他在一起。”

程欣如得意洋洋地看了艾鈴蘭一眼：“我和項東五年前就在一起了，你算個什麽東西！”

此時此刻，艾鈴蘭覺得自己是個笑話。

初戀難忘，難忘初戀。

十七、八歲，年少鐘情，兩個飽受磨難的靈魂相互靠近，一天的勞動結束，全身酸痛，最幸福的時光就是肩并着肩坐在稻草垛上，沐浴在夕陽之下，暢想着未來。

原本以為，借着高考恢複，兩人能夠一起考上大學，從此幸福地牽手相伴，沒想到第一年要政審，艾鈴蘭因為有海外關系而被刷了下來。

小情人一個去了大學，另一個留在鄉下，分別時艾鈴蘭拆了自己的毛背心，織了條圍巾送給項東，希望永遠溫暖着他。

艾鈴蘭第二年高考失利，項東的信越來越少，1979年艾鈴蘭的親人找到她，幫她返城，兩個人失去聯系。

再後來，國門打開，改革春風吹遍大江南北，艾鈴蘭的舅舅将她帶去港城，在那裏讀大學、讀研。

艾鈴蘭有過短暫婚史，但并不融洽。

她忘記不了年少時的戀愛，一直想要找到項東，問問他，是否還記得當年稻草垛下的誓言？

去年九月，當艾鈴蘭帶着舅舅來到珠市傳動機械廠考察，與項東相遇，只一眼便勾起天雷地火。

年少時的愛人，依然英俊潇灑、風度翩翩。他的內心依然有她的身影，他永遠忘記不了當年的情誼。

就這樣，借着汽車産業園的建設，艾鈴蘭每個月都會來兩趟珠市，與項東私會。

在項東嘴裏，他有一段不幸的婚姻，妻子工人出身，毫無素質，對他呼來喝去，控制欲極強。

艾鈴蘭同情他、安撫他，并承諾如果他離了婚，她會幫忙調他去省城，從此永遠擺脫錢家人的鉗制。

可是，看着眼前程欣如那充滿嘲諷、宣示主權的笑容，艾鈴蘭內心一陣刺痛。這個時候她才清醒過來，原來項東一直在欺騙她。

項東一邊和自己溫言軟語，另一邊卻和程欣如你侬我侬。

他說要擺脫妻子的控制，那都是騙人的！

艾鈴蘭不屑與程欣如争吵，冷冷地回了一句：“你和項東合謀殺妻，和我有什麽關系？”

趙向晚盯着艾鈴蘭：“艾鈴蘭，項東殺妻，你可有證據？”

艾鈴蘭擡眼與趙向晚目光相對，一剎那間無數個念頭在腦中閃過。

艾鈴蘭并不是無知少女，她懂得權衡利弊。

之所以與項東來往，一方面是初戀難忘，戀愛美化了項東。另一方面也是到了艾鈴蘭這個年齡，難得再找到一個合意的男人。

找個年輕的吧，怕不定性，怕對方沖的是她的背景與錢財；

找個年長的吧，艾鈴蘭又看不上那松馳的肌肉、蒼老的面容。

蹉跎到快四十歲了，突遇初戀，項東容貌、身材上佳，高級工程師，有學歷、有技術，帶得出去、拿得出手，能夠為自己的仕途添磚加瓦。

至于項東的婚姻，艾鈴蘭根本放在眼裏。

在她看來，好男人，就應該搶！

真正的好男人，哪個女人舍得放手？只有争搶，才能獲得幸福。

項東向她保證過，一定會處理好自己的婚姻。

Ai Linglan made two requests.

First, don’t have children.

Second, no future troubles can be left behind.

Xiang Dong once wrote her a letter, clearly assuring her that he would take care of everything, that Qian Yanyan would not cause any trouble, and that Ai Linglan's future would not be affected.

However, Ai Linglan absolutely could not accept that Xiang Dong discussed divorce and marriage with her on the one hand, but on the other hand, he discussed killing his wife with Cheng Xinru!

Ai Linglan may be immoral, but she will never commit a crime!

Thinking of this, Ai Linglan made up her mind, took a deep breath, looked at Zhao Xiangwan, and said word by word: "Xiang Dong and I did have a private affair, but it was limited to this. If you don't believe me, I still have the letters he wrote to me."

Zhao Xiangwan raised his lips and asked, "What's in the letter?"

Ai Linglan's voice was extremely cold: "He promised me that he would take good care of Qian Yanyan."