Chapter 23: Please
◎I came here to apologize◎
Zhao Qingyun had a hard time.
From being suddenly invited to the Public Security Bureau by the police, to the hotel waiter identifying him, to the issuance of an arrest warrant, Zhao Qingyun felt as if he was falling into a fog, trapped in a huge net and unable to escape.
At first, when the police asked him whether he knew Weng Pingfang and what his relationship with her was, he denied having an improper relationship with Weng Pingfang, insisting that it was just because the Left Bank Café was near the provincial party committee compound, so he would go there from time to time and chat with Weng Pingfang occasionally, and his relationship with her was just that of an ordinary customer and waiter.
Even though the waiters at Tianranju Hotel collectively identified him as the man who dated Weng Pingfang every time, Zhao Qingyun still denied it, saying that they had identified the wrong person, and instead accused the police of intentionally misleading and smearing his innocence.
Until Xu Songling took a photo of the scene in front of him and shouted: "There is male semen in the body of the deceased. The Provincial Department's Criminal Technology Center has the most advanced DNA fingerprint testing equipment. It only takes three days to get the matching results. Do you admit it now, or wait for the results in three days?"
The interrogation room was cold and solemn. The eight large characters on the wall, "Leniency to those who confess, severity to those who resist," carried a strong sense of oppression. Zhao Qingyun looked down at the photo of Weng Pingfang, whose face was blue and lifeless. Regret and pain made him hold his forehead with both hands and lower his head, which had been held high.
"Yes, it's me. I am Weng Pingfang's lover."
After saying this, he suddenly put down his hand, raised his head and said in a loud voice: "I didn't kill her! I didn't kill anyone! After I met her, I took a shower and left the hotel. She was fine at that time. If you don't believe me, you can ask the taxi driver with license plate number Xiang A544. I took his car and paid a deposit of 20 yuan to ask him to pick me up on time at 11 o'clock."
Zhao Qingyun was very cautious. He had been dating Weng Pingfang for such a long time that even his bedmate Wei Meihua didn't notice anything. Renting or buying a house would leave traces, so Zhao Qingyun thought a hotel was the best choice. They only met occasionally, and it wouldn't cost much.
When he went to the hotel to meet his lover, he never used the car provided by his company.
Generally, you should find a taxi temporarily to avoid being targeted.
The body was found at 9am on January 12, and according to forensic analysis, Weng Pingfang died between 10pm and 12pm on January 11. Zhao Qingyun said he left around 11pm, but although there was a driver's testimony, it could not serve as an effective alibi.
If no new clues emerge, Zhao Qingyun will be the biggest suspect in the murder case.
Zhao Qingyun knew that the situation was not good, and his mood fell to the bottom.
When Wei Meihua saw Zhao Qingyun, although he was dressed neatly, his spirit seemed to have been completely drained away. His beautiful eyes were surrounded by dense wrinkles, and he looked ten years older in an instant.
Wei Meihua held her handbag tightly with both hands, and her knuckles began to turn white, but she still did not let go.
The two looked at each other, Zhao Qingyun looked away and remained silent.
Wei Meihua bit her lips tightly until she could taste blood in her mouth. Then she let go and asked in a hoarse voice, "Why?"
Zhao Qingyun's eyes had been unconsciously lingering on Wei Meihua's handbag. When he heard Wei Meihua's question, he closed his eyes and replied after a long while: "I'm sorry."
Wei Meihua's voice was filled with suppressed anger: "I'm sorry? What's the point of saying sorry! We have been married for so many years, and you have been able to stand at this height now. Don't you know how much my family has helped you? I gave birth to your children and took care of the housework for you, and in return you say sorry?!"
Zhao Qingyun raised his head suddenly, and his tone became stiff because of his irritability: "I don't deny that you have contributed a lot to this family, but, don't tell me that I have contributed nothing? We are a family, and only when I am well, can we all be well. Now I have been inexplicably involved in a murder lawsuit, and you still want to blame me at this time, is there any meaning?"
Wei Meihua heard that he was still so strong, and she couldn't help but get: "Don't blame you, do you want me to reflect on myself? I didn't fulfill my responsibilities as a wife, so I let you go out and find a wild woman! You really have no taste for the wife of a waiter from the countryside, an ordinary salesperson in our angry construction machinery factory."
Zhao Qingyun saw that his wife didn't grasp the main point, and was always brooding over his cheating, not caring about the murder case at all. He couldn't help but feel anxious - does this woman have any brains? Human life is at stake, and now his life is almost in danger, and she is still talking about finding a wild woman and having bad taste!
Zhao Qingyun took a deep breath, rubbed his eyebrows with his hand, and tried to soften his voice.
"This is indeed my fault. It has nothing to do with you. You are a good mother and a good wife, and you have fulfilled all your family responsibilities. I was on the wrong track and was seduced by that woman. I am very sorry. Now I am involved in this murder case. I don't know who is behind this and wants to put me in an unjust situation."
Wei Meihua finally regained her senses. Oh, yes, the most she could do with her work style was to be demoted and criticized by her unit, but if someone killed someone, she would have to pay for the crime. Once the crime was proven, the whole family would suffer. The most important thing now was not to let Zhao Qingyun be charged with murder.
"This matter is a bit serious, because my work style may affect my career. I have called my father and asked him to communicate with the provincial party committee leaders to see if they can only give me an internal party punishment and try to keep my current position."
Wei Meihua sneered, "You are dreaming. You were taken away by the police directly from the provincial party committee. The influence of your unit is very bad. I don't know how many people are gossiping behind your back. Ruan Wenlun has been eyeing the position of secretary-general for so long. This time he wants to step on you when he sees you in trouble. Now he is moving around everywhere. Do you still want to keep your current position? You are lucky not to be fired!"
Zhao Qingyun sighed: "Forget it, the most important thing now is to clear the charge of murder. I don't know who planned it, to kill someone and then frame me. I can't get out now, and I can't investigate. Can you help me?"
Knowing that her husband had cheated on her, Wei Meihua was filled with hatred and wanted to beat and scold him. However, in the interrogation room, she saw that he now had white hair on his temples, his eyes were dull, and his words were full of pleading. For some reason, she softened her heart.
"You really didn't kill him?"
"Of course! We have known each other for such a long time, don't you know me? If I want to get rid of this woman, I have a hundred ways to do it, why should I kill someone myself?"
Wei Meihua remained silent. Zhao Qingyun was a cautious person who would go to a hotel dozens of kilometers away to meet a lover and never stay overnight. He was very careful about his reputation and it was impossible for him to be so reckless and impulsive.
"Then... who do you think harmed you?"
"It was either Weng Pingfang's lover or my political enemy. Wei Guoqing might have done this to vent his hatred for having his wife stolen. He killed his cheating wife to vent his hatred and threw the dirty water on me, making me a scapegoat, killing two birds with one stone. It could also be Ruan Wenlun. I don't know how he found out that I had a lover and deliberately set a trap for me."
"Wei Guoqing? Impossible. He is a salesperson at our construction machinery factory, an honest man. He is diligent in his business, but he can't even say a complete auspicious phrase when toasting at the dinner table. If he didn't have a good alcohol tolerance, I'm afraid he wouldn't be able to get many orders. I met him several times at the company. He always smiled and was friendly to everyone. He never argued with anyone."
"It's either him or Ruan Wenlun. This bastard is a smiling tiger. He is warm and considerate to me in front of me, but secretly he wants to trample me to death. He found out that I have a lover, but he didn't report it. Instead, he took the opportunity to kill people and frame them. He wants to kill me directly!"
Wei Meihua was overwhelmed when she heard this.
When it comes to playing mahjong, buying bags, and buying clothes, she has a lot of ideas. How to split the cards, how to eat the cards, how to win the game, she is good at it. What color and style of bag to match with what kind of clothes, how to dress when shopping, how to be dignified and elegant when attending a meeting... She is very good at these and never gets tired of it.
But investigating a case? How could she understand that?
"Well, I'll talk to my dad and ask him to help me."
"I called your father. He's old and has been retired for so long, so I can only look for old connections and try to get a heads up from the provincial and municipal bureaus. But my case is now in charge of Xu Heimian, who is a very ruthless person and very difficult to deal with."
"What should I do? Should I check and ask on my own? How would I know what to ask?"
"Let Chen Yang go find Zhou Jingrong and ask the Xu family to help. Xu Qingxi is a cautious and steady kid. If he comes forward to contact them, maybe he can find out something."
When Wei Meihua heard the three words "Zhou Jingrong", she became furious.
Zhao Chenyang is engaged to Xu Qingxi, and is in a hot relationship with her future mother-in-law Zhou Jinrong, but Xu Qingxi is a little lukewarm towards her. What's the point of this damn girl just trying to please her mother-in-law? The key is to win the man's heart.
"Don't mention the Xu family! I called the Xu family before I came here, but no one answered. I don't know if it was intentional or unintentional. Chen Yang said that Xu Qingxi went to the south as soon as the winter vacation started, and I don't know what he was busy with. None of them can be trusted!"
Zhao Qingyun originally thought that he had enough power to arrange everything even in the Public Security Bureau, so that he could clear his name as soon as possible. But after talking to his wife, he found that when the tree fell, the monkeys scattered, and he couldn't even find anyone to save him after he got into trouble.
Despair enveloped Zhao Qingyun like a black mist, making it hard for him to breathe.
Seeing him in low spirits, Wei Meihua angrily continued, "No one can be trusted! Especially our good daughter."
Zhao Qingyun sighed: "Chen Yang is only a little smart, but she can't keep her cool. We can't rely on her for this matter."
Wei Meihua said, "I didn't say Chen Yang, I was talking about Zhao Xiangwan, that jinx! I just saw her in the office as an intern. She is in the same group as Officer Xu who arrested you. When she saw me, she pretended not to know me and looked like she was asking for money."
Zhao Xiangwan! Internship?
Zhao Qingyun seemed to see a ray of hope.
He leaned forward eagerly and grabbed Wei Meihua's hand. "Yes, find Zhao Xiangwan! I heard that she is Xu Songling's apprentice and has a good relationship with the serious crime team. Do you remember the group of people you met at the Four Seasons Hotel? They were all from the serious crime team, and Xu Songling was very protective of her. Let Zhao Xiangwan help investigate, and she will definitely be able to find the real culprit and clear my name."
Wei Meihua shook his hand away, and her cheek, which had been scratched by the pencil tip, felt a dull pain.
"Don't mention her! She is a heartless ungrateful person. Even if I never raised her for a day, I gave birth to her, and I am grateful to her. But look at her debtor look, as if we owe her millions, and she doesn't even have a good face. She must have known the truth a long time ago, but she didn't say anything when we met, and treated us like air. I don't want a daughter like this!"
Zhao Qingyun's heartbeat suddenly accelerated. He no longer cared about his self-esteem and face. He lowered his voice and said to Wei Meihua: "Meihua, it's true that we gave birth to her, but it's also true that we abandoned her before she was one month old. It's normal for her to have complaints about us. Complaints are a good thing. It means that she still has expectations of us, right? If you treat her better, speak softer, and treat her sincerely, she will naturally be close to us, right?"
Wei Meihua seemed to be thinking about something.
Zhao Qingyun struck while the iron was hot: "Look, now we need her help, and she has the ability, so of course we have to lower ourselves and make friends with her. When you and I visited leaders before, which time did we not compromise, cater to, and please? Just treat her as a superior with whom we need to have a good relationship, and everything will be simple, right?"
Wei Meihua turned her head away reluctantly: "I just offended her, and now I am asked to beg? After all, I am her biological mother! I can't open my mouth."
Zhao Qingyun said, "Meihua, please, for my sake... can you bear with it? Zhao Xiangwan is studying at the Public Security University, and she was able to enter the serious crime team as an intern in her freshman year. What does this prove? It proves that she has real talent and is a criminal investigation talent. Why should we ask someone we don't know when we already have someone we already have?"
Wei Meihua was still unwilling.
Zhao Qingyun was getting anxious, and he wanted to tear open Wei Meihua's head and stuff his own ideas into it.
"I'm very passive now. I obviously didn't kill the person, but I'm the only suspect. If the police are lazy and don't investigate seriously, I might spend the rest of my life in prison. If I go to jail, even if we get divorced, you won't be in any good situation, and Chengzu will be implicated. The only person who can help us investigate the case now is Zhao Xiangwan. You are her biological mother, so why can't you say it? Just say it directly. As long as she is willing to help, Xu Heimian will definitely spend more time investigating the case seriously."
Wei Meihua thought this made sense. She had indeed thought about divorce, but now everyone was on the same page and no one could escape. She was able to be the office director of the construction machinery factory and play mahjong leisurely, wasn't it because she had Zhao Qingyun's support? If he fell, she would probably never be able to live the good life she had now.
Thinking of this, Wei Meihua gritted her teeth and said, "Okay, I'll go and beg her!"
Some things are easier said than done.
Although Wei Meihua decided to ask Zhao Xiangwan to help investigate the case and clear Zhao Qingyun's charges, she felt a little embarrassed because she had just arrogantly scolded her for being heartless and now she had to humble herself and speak softly.
When Zhao Qingyun just started, Wei Meihua also accompanied him to give gifts and ask for favors. She could say nice things and flatter him. But later, as Zhao Qingyun rose step by step, people came to his house to give gifts. Wei Meihua heard nothing but flattering words in front of others and behind their backs. She almost forgot how to humble herself.
After much confusion, Wei Meihua kept wandering in the corridor outside the door of the Serious Crime Unit after coming out of the interrogation room.
Inside the house, Xu Songling and his team members were having a meeting.
"From the current perspective, Zhao Qingyun is the most likely suspect, but his motive is unclear. He only admitted that he had a long-term improper relationship with Weng Pingfang and stayed in the hotel with her for three hours on the evening of the 11th, but denied murder."
"Humph! You are avoiding the main point. I think he definitely killed her. As for the reason... Weng Pingfang was not satisfied with being his lover for two years and wanted to become his official wife, so they had a conflict and dispute. In order not to affect his own future, Zhao Qingyun decided to kill her to eliminate the trouble forever."
"Of course he won't admit to murder. Murder is a crime. At first he denied even being in a relationship. If it weren't for DNA testing technology, he would have said that the waiter collectively identified the wrong person. He is really stubborn!"
"Is it possible that Weng Pingfang has a new lover, or doesn't want to date him anymore, and is using their relationship to threaten him to achieve some purpose? Anyway...they have been having an affair for two years, so there will always be problems. Killing in passion is normal."
With the evidence before him, Zhao Qingyun wanted to get rid of suspicion unless he found out that someone else had entered room 2103 of Tianranju Hotel between 10 pm and 12 am on January 11.
However, after asking the hotel staff, most of them had already gone off work at this time, leaving only two people on night shift at the front desk, and none of them noticed anyone coming in or out.
The members of the serious crime team were discussing the case one after another, and Xu Songling interrupted everyone and made a suggestion.
"The DNA test results can only prove that Zhao Qingyun was the last person to have a relationship with the deceased. The hotel staff's words can only prove that Zhao Qingyun and the deceased had a long-term lover relationship, but whether Zhao Qingyun is the murderer still requires more evidence. We are divided into two groups. One group will look for the residents of the next room on the night of the crime, asking if they heard any unusual noises after 10 o'clock, and strive to find new evidence.
Another group visited Weng Pingfang's lover, parents-in-law, and friends to sort out her social relationships and her relationship with Zhao Qingyun, especially Weng Pingfang's lover. Although he had an alibi, he still had to be carefully checked. After all... he had sufficient motive to commit the crime.
Don't forget that the mission of the police is a responsibility. It is our duty to prevent, stop and investigate illegal criminal activities. Criminal investigation is about finding facts, laying out evidence, and solving cases. No criminal should be let off! "
Hearing this, Zhao Xiangwan raised his eyes and looked at Xu Songling, as if he had realized something.
Zhao Qingyun is her biological father, which has no impact on the investigation of the case.
If Zhao Qingyun is the murderer, then let the law punish him, but if he is not...the hidden murderer must be found out and his innocence restored.
“Squeak—”
The half-open door was pushed open and Wei Meihua poked her head in.
Zhu Feipeng immediately stood up and stopped her: "Sorry, we are in a meeting, please leave."
Wei Meihua forced a stiff smile and said, "Well, I'll look for Zhao Xiangwan."
Zhu Feipeng laughed sarcastically: "Why? You were not satisfied with the scolding just now, and you still want to continue?"
The office was filled with people in police uniforms, all in olive green. Wei Meihua was a little dazzled and couldn't find Zhao Xiangwan at once. She could only smile ingratiatingly at Zhu Feipeng, "Well, I came here to apologize."
Zhao Xiangwan turned around, and Wei Meihua's eyes lit up when she saw her apple-like face. She waved at her and said, "Zhao Xiangwan, come out for a moment. I want to talk to you."
[How can a mother be so servile as to look for her daughter? I am also miserable! Zhao Qingyun shamelessly kept a lover outside, and I had to clean up his mess. But now... for myself and for Chengzu, I can't let Zhao Qingyun go to jail, right? I can only beg her with a flattering face. Alas, if I had known this would happen, I would not have done it in the first place. If I had smiled more when I saw her, and recognized her quickly, maybe this child would not hate us so much now. It was obviously the child born from my belly, how could I recognize the wrong one? Alas...]
Hearing what Wei Meihua was thinking, Zhao Xiangwan stood up and walked to the door: "What's the matter?"
Standing face to face with her biological daughter again, Wei Meihua felt different from before.
Perhaps it was because she discovered that Zhao Chenyang was useless at a critical moment, or perhaps it was because she needed help from Zhao Xiangwan, Wei Meihua felt that her biological daughter in front of her had beautiful features and a resolute expression, although she was cold and indifferent, which suddenly gave her confidence after a day of panic.
"Well, your father...he is not a murderer."
Zhao Xiangwan said calmly: "My father is Zhao Erfu."
Wei Meihua was almost stabbed to death. She took a deep breath and tried to suppress her temper: "Okay, Zhao Qingyun. Zhao Qingyun is not a murderer. He would not do such a thing to ruin his future. He was framed. The person who framed him could be Pan Guoqing or Ruan Wenlun from the provincial party committee. Please help investigate and clear his name."
"Okay, I understand. You can go back now." Zhao Xiangwan understood her intention and stopped provoking her. Now that Wei Meihua is a relative of the suspect, her words may provide clues for the police.
Phan Quoc Khanh and Nguyen Van Lun, these two lines should be followed.
Seeing Zhao Xiangwan's calm attitude for the first time, Wei Meihua was somewhat flattered and surprised: "Xiangwan, your father... um, Qingyun said that you can join the serious crime team as an intern in your freshman year. You must be an excellent criminal investigation talent. We have done something wrong in the past, please be magnanimous and don't hold it against us. This time, we can only ask you for help."
Zhao Xiangwan curled the corners of his mouth slightly, his biological parents are really the most realistic people.
When you dislike her, you call her "Zhao Xiangwan", when you beg her, you call her "Xiangwan". When she is useless, you throw her aside, and when you find that she is useful, you come over and say soft words to her.
It is true that belated affection is worth less than grass.
Zhao Xiangwan said calmly: "The police will naturally get to the bottom of this case."
Perhaps because she was used to Zhao Xiangwan's cold face, when she heard her say that she would get to the bottom of the matter, Wei Meihua immediately breathed a sigh of relief and thanked her repeatedly: "Xiangwan, thank you, thank you."
This time, Wei Meihua's attitude was no longer arrogant, and her smile was no longer a "rectangular smile" that only reached the corners of her mouth. Instead, it was an even smile with the orbicularis oculi muscle involved, which pulled the wrinkles from her nose to the corners of her mouth and the smile lines around her eyes. It was a sincere smile.
[Luckily I have a daughter to help me, otherwise I really don't know who to ask for help. ]
At the same time, the voice in his mind echoed, making Zhao Xiangwan lower his eyes and no longer look at the smile on Wei Meihua's face.
At this moment, thinking about the arrival of their daughter Zhao Xiangwan, their biological parents felt so realistic.
Zhao Xiangwan walked back to his seat and said to Xu Songling, "Captain Xu, I want to meet Zhao Qingyun."
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