Chapter 80 Shi Tong
◎A chance encounter at the train station◎
After leaving Yu Heng's house, Gu Zhiguang looked as wilted as an eggplant hit by frost.
[I thought I could find out what Jia Shendu was up to today, but I didn't expect to find any useful information. It's been so long, and people have long forgotten what he did. What a pity! The file management is not good, and I can't find anything! ]
Hearing his inner mumbling, Zhao Xiangwan also felt frustrated.
She has the ability to read minds and can confirm that Jia Shendu has killed someone, but where is the evidence? If there is no evidence to support it, her ability to read minds is useless. Just like when Jiang Yuchun was wrongly accused, he knew that he did not kill Dai Minli, but the evidence was conclusive. Even if he had a mouth, he could not explain it clearly, and in the end he could only die with hatred.
Gu Zhiguang glanced at the sun hanging above his head. It was scorching hot, as if it was going to wipe out all the darkness in the world.
He would turn around and say to himself: "A goose leaves traces when it passes by. As long as he has done it, we can always find clues. Gu Zhiguang, keep it up!"
Zhao Xiangwan couldn't help but smile: "Let's go! Go to Shi Qiyan's house."
The Provincial Architectural Design Institute does not occupy a large area. After entering the gate, the six-story building with a flat roof in front is the office building; the back is the family area, a total of six five-story brick-concrete buildings with sloping roofs. In the southeast corner is a landscape area with rockery, flowing water, and bonsai. The environment looks pretty good.
Shi Tong is the chief engineer of the Provincial Architectural Design Institute and a high-level talent introduced by the city leaders. Therefore, the house allocated to him has three bedrooms, two living rooms and one bathroom, with a total area of 100 square meters. Even now, it is considered to be a very good living condition.
Although Shi Tong had passed away for twelve years, the design institute leaders felt guilty towards Shi Tong's family because he jumped off the building while working, and they never let Lu Zhiying vacate the company housing. Over the years, Lu Zhiying never remarried, and raised Shi Qiyan in this house. Shi Qiyan inherited her father's career and majored in architecture, and was admitted to the graduate school of Hunan University. When her name was mentioned, everyone gave a thumbs up and praised her: kind and strong.
Many biological mothers may not be able to do this, but Lu Zhiying, a stepmother, did it.
The world is not big. The leaders of the Design Institute and the Sewing Machinery Factory soon learned about Shi Qiyan's suicide. The leaders of the Design Institute came to visit and the leaders of the Sewing Machinery Factory gave Lu Zhiying a week off, allowing them to rest at home.
After the 1990s, the importance of sewing machines, which were once considered one of the three major wedding items, declined and was replaced by household appliances such as televisions and refrigerators. As business became more and more developed, bought clothes in stores, and everyone sewing machines gradually withdrew from the historical stage. The sewing machine factory where Lu Zhiying worked suffered losses year after year, and Lu Zhiying was facing the risk of being laid off. Now that she has taken a break, she is estimated to be unemployed soon.
But even so, Lu Zhiying still has no regrets.
In her eyes, Shi Qiyan, whom she had raised since she was three years old, was her biological daughter and her lifelong support. If she lost her job, she could find another one, but if she lost her daughter, she would really lose her forever.
Just like her husband Shi Tong, after that leap, he turned into ash forever and ceased to exist. Even if she wanted to see him again, she could only see him in her dreams.
Lu Zhiying was very surprised by the arrival of Gu Zhiguang and Zhao Xiangwan.
She brought out slippers for the two to change into, and took out the iced soda from the refrigerator and handed each of them a bottle: "It's hot outside, right? You've worked hard. I've always wanted to thank you two for what happened with Qi Yan, but I can't leave for the moment. Stay for dinner later, and I'll cook fish for you."
Gu Zhiguang was a very outgoing person, so he made the decision for Zhao Xiangwan with a smile: "Okay, then we will bother Auntie."
Because of the hot weather, Zhao Xiangwan went out early to investigate. Seeing that it was almost eleven o'clock, he hesitated and said, "Okay, thank you."
Lu Zhiying was even happier when she heard this, and her originally sad face relaxed: "Okay, okay, you two have helped us so much, I really appreciate you staying for a meal... Thank you, thank you."
[If it weren't for Gu Zhiguang, Qi Yan would have jumped down long ago; if it weren't for Zhao Xiangwan, Qi Yan would never have given up the idea of suicide; if they hadn't spoken up for my Qi Yan, if so many people hadn't scolded that Jia guy, even I wouldn't want to live. There are still many good people in this world. ]
After hearing Lu Zhiying's voice, Zhao Xiangwan, who had been feeling a little frustrated because of the obstacles in solving the case, rekindled his fighting spirit. Yes, there are still many good people in this world. If we work together, we will definitely be able to catch the evildoers!
Shi Qiyan did not come out and remained in her room.
Lu Zhiying lowered her voice and said, "She didn't sleep well last night. I let her take a nap in the morning. If you have anything to ask her, I'll go call her."
Gu Zhiguang waved his hand quickly: "Don't worry, don't worry, let us talk to you first. If you need anything, you can ask us later when we have dinner."
Zhao Xiangwan looked at the furnishings and layout of the house.
You can tell that the decoration is quite old, and the furniture, vases and other items are also old items, but it does not give people a sense of old-fashionedness. Instead, it has a sense of simplicity, elegance and artistry.
Sitting on the dark brown solid wood sofa, Zhao Xiangwan once again took out his notebook and prepared to take notes.
Lu Zhiying glanced nervously at the notebook in her hand and swallowed.
[Is this a police interrogation? Have I done anything wrong? Do I need to write down every word I say? Do I need to give my fingerprints and signature?]
Zhao Xiangwan didn't expect Lu Zhiying to be so timid, so she quickly explained in a soft voice: "I'm not a police officer. I'm taking notes because I forgot something. Look." After that, she handed the open notebook to Lu Zhiying.
In neat and beautiful handwriting, there was some analysis of the case. Although Lu Zhiying could not understand it, Zhao Xiangwan's frank attitude made her feel at ease, so she smiled and said, "That's good, that's good."
Gu Zhiguang asked her, "Have you ever heard Mr. Shi mention the name Jia Shendu before?"
Lu Zhiying shook her head: "I haven't heard of it."
Gu Zhiguang continued to ask: "Really? Maybe they won't mention his name, but they will use a nickname, such as the one with the surname Jia, the loser in university, the one who betrayed his teacher and destroyed his ancestors, Zai Yu, rotten wood, feces, etc."
Zhao Xiangwan was listening at the side and found what Gu Zhiguang said interesting. Zai Yu was Confucius' most disappointing disciple, and was scolded by Confucius as "a rotten wood cannot be carved, and a wall of dung cannot be plastered." He did not expect that Gu Zhiguang could come up with so many insulting words.
Lu Zhiying hesitated for a long time and came up with a name: "Mr. Shi would get angry whenever he mentioned someone. His surname is Jia, but his name is Banlun. I remember in 1979, Mr. Shi once slammed the table at home and cursed, saying that Jia Banlun was not worthy of being a teacher, and was not worthy of mentioning Mr. Zhu's name, and he even had the nerve to come to him to work on a project together."
Jia Banlun? Who?
Gu Zhiguang suddenly exclaimed, "Ah!" and said excitedly, "That's him! Mr. Shi must be scolding Jia Shendu!"
Seeing that Zhao Xiangwan was still confused, Gu Zhiguang explained in detail: "In history, there was a man named Gong Banlun, who was the son of Gong Zizhen, the patriotic poet of the Qing Dynasty who wrote 'I urge the God to shake himself up and send down talents regardless of their background'. Gong Banlun sold out his country for glory. After the British and French forces invaded Beijing, 'they burned and looted the Old Summer Palace because of Gong Banlun's guidance. The British entered Beijing with their warships and burned the Old Summer Palace. Banlun actually went with them... and took back valuable gold and jade items.'"
Zhao Xiangwan couldn't help but admire him secretly when he heard him speak eloquently and quote poetry and allusions at will. But when he heard him talk about Gong Banlun inviting wolves into the house, leading the British and French forces to burn down the Old Summer Palace, and even working together with the invaders, he was immediately furious and cursed: "What a piece of shit!"
Gu Zhiguang agreed, "Right? Gong Banlun was a worthless person. After his death, the Gong family would not allow him to be buried in the ancestral tomb. So, the name Banlun is the most suitable name for Jia Shendu. A gentleman must be cautious when he is alone. How can he deserve such a good name? It is better to call him Jia Banlun."
Is this a curse word that only intellectuals use? It's a bit confusing. If it weren't for the rarity of the surname Jia and Gu Zhiguang's profound knowledge, no one would have been able to connect the dots.
Lu Zhiying admired intellectuals the most. When she heard Gu Zhiguang reciting poetry, her eyes lit up: "Oh, after all, college students are well-read, educated, and know everything."
Gu Zhiguang felt embarrassed and scratched his head. "Actually, I also heard about this from the teacher in class. The Old Summer Palace has an area of 200,000 square meters and more than 150 scenic spots. It is known as the Garden of Ten Thousand Gardens. It is a classic work of royal gardens, a combination of Chinese and Western styles, and can be called a model of garden architecture. The destruction of the Old Summer Palace was a source of great resentment to our teacher who taught us architectural history. Whenever it was mentioned in class, he wanted to beat his chest and stamp his feet, and scold Gong Banlun. So, Master Zhu Chengling knew this story, Shi Tong knew it, and I knew it too."
So that's how it is.
If Gu Zhiguang had not asked this question, after Shi Tong's death, no one would have thought that the Jia Banlun he was talking about was Jia Shendu.
Zhao Xiangwan asked Lu Zhiying: "Did Mr. Shi mention Jia Banlun before he jumped off the building?"
Lu Zhiying tried hard to recall.
"It seems to have been mentioned. Mr. Shih was not a talkative person. In Lebanon in 1980, the gymnasium he designed kept having problems. He was very busy during that time, constantly traveling, reporting, and attending meetings. He danced at noon on the 18th of Lebanon..."
The past is too painful to recall. Whenever Lu Zhiying mentions the scene of Shi Tong jumping off the building, she becomes depressed, her logic becomes confused, and her voice begins to tremble.
Zhao Xiangwan interrupted her grief in time: "Yes, that day was January 23, 1981. Before that, what did Mr. Shi say about Jia Banlun?"
Lu Zhiying said, "Yes, it should have been a few days before he jumped off the building. He sent two experts from Kyoto to the train. When he came back for lunch at noon, he mentioned Jia Banlun. I remember that his face was very ugly at the time. He didn't even eat a few bites of food. He said that Jia Banlun was unworthy of being a teacher and misled students. But because he often said such things, I heard it so many times, so I didn't ask any further questions."
Zhao Xiangwan frowned.
Lu Zhiying looked at her nervously: "Should I not have asked? Is this matter very important? Oh! I am so stupid. Mr. Shi's expression was obviously different that day. I should have asked more questions."
Zhao Xiangwan could see that Lu Zhiying was a person with no self-confidence and was used to judging people's faces. Such people usually had an unhappy childhood and a repressive family. Shi Tong was a modest gentleman, strict with himself and lenient to others. Perhaps after marrying Shi Tong, Lu Zhiying realized the happiness of being respected? In return for what she had done, Lu Zhiying would do her best to raise Shi Qiyan, treating her like her own daughter and cherishing her as if she were her own eye.
Zhao Xiangwan spoke slowly to avoid making her nervous. If Lu Zhiying got nervous, her mind would go blank and she wouldn't be able to remember anything.
"No hurry, it's not important. Think about it again, what day was it when Mr. Shi took the expert to the train station? Who was with him?"
Zhao Xiangwan's attitude made Lu Zhiying relax a little: "Let me think about it. Let me think about it. That day was Saturday. Mr. Shi drove there in a small car, and the driver Xiao Wang followed. There were two Kyoto experts. Oh, by the way, Mr. Shi also brought a camera. The experts said that our Xing City's train station is very unique and we should take pictures as a souvenir."
Saturday? January 17, 1981, that was the day Zhai Xinlian took the train home!
Gu Zhiguang's eyes glowed brightly: "Where is the driver Xiao Wang now?"
Zhao Xiangwan asked: "Where are the photos?"
Lu Zhiying stood up and said, "Photos? I'll go look for them. The driver, Xiao Wang, quit his job a long time ago and went into the sea business. I don't know where he went. After Mr. Shi left, I packed up all the photos he took and put them at the bottom of the bookcase according to time."
Gu Zhiguang's heart began to beat wildly. If there really was a photo, it would be extremely important evidence!
"Go, go, go, go and find the photo of the train station on January 17, 1981, the 12th day of the lunar month."
Lu Zhiying was startled by his excited and distorted voice. Her face turned pale and she didn't move for a long time.
Zhao Xiangwan said softly, "Aunt Lu, please help us look for the group photo taken at the train station that day. It doesn't matter if there is one or not, just take your time to look."
Lu Zhiying finally came to her senses: "Oh, oh, okay, you guys sit down for a while, I'll go find it, I'll go find it right away."
Lu Zhiying entered the room. Gu Zhiguang could no longer sit still. He stood up and circled around Zhao Xiangwan: "That's great, Xiangwan, that's great! This is really a case of the law being so tight that nothing can escape it. If there are photos of Jia Shendu and Zhai Xinlian at the train station, I wonder how he will try to make excuses!"
Zhao Xiangwan felt that he was too impatient: "What are you so excited about? Will the photo definitely include Jia Shendu? Maybe it was just a chance encounter, maybe there are only Mr. Shi and the two experts in the photo?"
Gu Zhiguang screamed “Ahhh” for a while and begged, “Xiang Wan, Xiao Wan, Wan Wan, Miss Zhao, can you please say a few nice words to me? Can you have a little dream? What if? What if there is? We have been running for so long, and all we get are some fragmented memories, which cannot be used as strong evidence at all. What if there really is a photo as evidence? That bastard will not be able to escape the punishment of the law!”
Zhao Xiangwan remained calm. No matter how crazy Gu Zhiguang was, he remained silent and just lowered his head to drink ice soda.
After a while, Lu Zhiying came out of the house, holding a white paper bag with a stack of photos in it. The white paper bag was printed with the words "Red Star Photo Studio" and the time the film was handed in and the time the photos could be picked up.
Gu Zhiguang quickly took the paper bag, his hands shaking a little: "The printing time is January 18, 1981, and the time to pick up the film roll is January 25, 1981. 25th?" He looked up at Lu Zhiying. Didn't Mr. Shi on the 23rd jump off the building?
Lu Zhiying nodded with tears in her eyes: "Yes, after Mr. passed away, I sorted out his belongings and found a receipt for taking photos in his drawer. To keep it as a souvenir, I later went to take the photos and kept them until now."
Gu Zhiguang quickly took the photo out of the paper bag and placed it on the coffee table.
Shi Tong is an architectural designer. He has an old film camera at home that he brought back from Country D. There are about twenty photos in this batch, mainly group photos of meetings and architectural units. Gu Zhiguang has sharp eyes and saw the beautiful spire of Xingshi Railway Station at a glance. He took out the photo and examined it carefully.
It was a group photo. The two men in the middle, who were in their forties and wearing thick winter clothes, should be the two experts that Shi Tong sent away. They stood there with serious expressions. Behind them was the waiting hall of Xingshi Railway Station and a crowded crowd.
Gu Zhiguang looked left and right, but found nothing. He was a little frustrated. He looked through the remaining photos, but still found nothing. The higher his expectations were, the greater his sense of disappointment was. Gu Zhiguang couldn't help but wail: "What's going on? What's going on? Nothing..."
Zhao Xiangwan took the photo and examined it for a long time before exclaiming, "Gu Zhiguang, look at this!"
Gu Zhiguang came over quickly: "Where, where?"
Zhao Xiangwan pointed at a passerby who was half blocked by the expert and said, "Look at this person, is he Jia Shendu?"
It was just a back view, very, very small, as small as a fingernail. A thin man, wearing a plaid coat, a dark scarf around his neck, and holding a blue-gray handbag. Gu Zhiguang stared at it for a long time: "Really? Is it him?"
Lu Zhiying took out a magnifying glass and said, "Here."
Gu Zhiguang took the magnifying glass with a tortoise-shell handle. The icy feeling made him stunned for a moment: "What is this?"
Lu Zhiying glanced at the magnifying glass, her eyes full of nostalgia: "It was Mr. Shi's old thing. He often looked at pictures and studied details, so he bought this magnifying glass in the antique market."
Gu Zhiguang took a magnifying glass and placed it on the photo with Zhao Xiangwan, examining it carefully.
"Short, kind of."
"He is dressed like a cultured person. I wonder if Jia Shendu has this woolen coat."
"It seems that many people had this kind of handbag in that era. It was a must-have for business trips."
"It's just a back view, it's hard to tell."
The two discussed for a long time, and finally Gu Zhiguang put down the magnifying glass with a bit of disappointment, and said to Lu Zhiying: "Oh, by the way, do you have the film?"
Lu Zhiying said: "Yes, it's in the paper bag."
After developing the film rolls, the photo studio usually puts the negatives in a bag. When Lu Zhiying sorted the photos, she cut out the negatives one by one and put them neatly in small bags, which made them look more tidy.
Gu Zhiguang took out the film negatives and searched them one by one against the light. Finally, he took out the group photo at the train station and said, "Can I borrow the photos and negatives?"
Lu Zhiying said nonchalantly, "If you think it's useful, take it." Mr. Shi was not in the photo, but Lu Zhiying didn't care.
Gu Zhiguang solemnly put away the photos and negatives, but he still felt a little disappointed. He thought he would find strong evidence, but he didn't expect... it was just a vague back figure that he couldn't identify at all.
Zhao Xiangwan: "It's okay, at least we have made some progress."
Gu Zhiguang perked up: "Yes, on the 17th, Mr. Shi Tong might have met Jia Shendu and Zhai Xinlian. Then what happened? Did Jia Shendu want to kill Mr. Shi out of guilt?"
After hearing this, Lu Zhiying was stunned: "Did he push Mr. Shi down?"
Her voice suddenly rose: "Why did he do this? Although my husband often scolds him at home, he has never done anything to harm anyone. At most, he sternly refused when he came to him and wanted to cooperate. Is he going to kill someone like this? Didn't you say that it was because Mr. Shi discovered that the leaders of the design institute were corrupt that he was harmed by them? These days, everyone I see outside looks like a bad person. How come it has become that Teacher Jia is the bad person now?"
Seeing that she didn't understand anything, Gu Zhiguang sighed and explained, "We came here today to find out the truth about Mr. Shi's death. Corruption is one possibility, but running into Jia Shendu at the train station is another possibility. Jia Shendu lied to the police. He said he took the train back to his hometown on the 15th, but he appeared at the train station on the 17th. This is related to a missing female student case."
Lu Zhiying's mind couldn't hold too many things, but she accurately caught the word "female student" and suddenly thought of something: "I remember that when Mr. Shi scolded Jia Banlun, he mentioned a female student, saying that the female student was very good, but Jia Banlun was not worthy of being her teacher, he was simply a beast."
Beast? After hearing this, Zhao Xiangwan had reason to suspect that Shi Tong did meet Zhai Xinlian on January 17, 1981, when she was leaving school and getting on the bus, and saw her and Jia Shendu together at the same time. It is very likely that the scene at that time was somewhat unbearable, which triggered Shi Tong's anger.
Jia Shendu must have had a conversation with Shi Tong, otherwise Shi Tong would not be so disgusted.
But what did they say at that time? Why was Shi Tong so sad that he couldn't sleep and kept saying that he was sorry for the country, the party, and Qin Chihe?
Or are these two different things that just happened to come together?
There was too much information and Zhao Xiangwan felt a headache.
Thinking of what Lu Zhiying said just now, "At most, when he came to me and asked for cooperation, I would sternly refuse," I asked, "Jia Banlun is looking for Mr. Shi Tong to cooperate? What kind of cooperation?"
Lu Zhiying looked confused: "I don't know. I don't understand these things."
Zhao Xiangwan asked again: "Didn't Mr. Shi suffer from long-term insomnia during the period before his death? Do you know the reason?"
Lu Zhiying shook her head: "Mr. Shi kept everything to himself and said nothing. When he was very angry, he would not eat and would sit in the study room mumbling to himself. Sometimes I would hear a little. What I said just now was said by Mr. Shi alone, not to me."
Zhao Xiangwan asked: "After Mr. Shi passed away, did the people who came to pay their respects say anything strange?"
In the campus poisoning case, Qiao Xiaohong acted strangely and hesitated to speak when she saw Qin Yueying's mother because of guilt.
If there was some hidden reason behind Shi Tong's suicide, people who knew about it might behave strangely when paying their respects due to guilt.
Lu Zhiying recalled carefully.
[What is strange? Secretary Jiang sent a condolence gift of 200 yuan. Is that strange? Others gave 10 or 20 yuan, but Secretary Jiang gave 200 yuan.]
[When Cai Qiyun saw me, her eyes were filled with tears. She grabbed my hand and wanted to say something, but she didn't. She just kept saying sorry, sorry. Is this weird? ]
Zhao Xiangwan said softly, "Just say whatever comes to your mind, don't worry. Even if it's just a little bit, it may provide useful clues to solve the case."
After she let go of her worries, Lu Zhiying began to talk about the people and things that she felt were not right. Lu Zhiying was sensitive and had a keen sense of other people's likes and dislikes, but she usually kept it in her heart and didn't dare to say it out. This time, Zhao Xiangwan was willing to listen, so she poured out all the beans.
Secretary Jiang used to come to our house often for tea, but he disappeared a week before Mr. Shih died. The gift money he gave was ten times what an ordinary person would give.
Cai Qiyun held her hand with a guilty look on her face;
When Wu Lijun was offering incense, he bowed once too much and looked a little flustered;
Dean Liu's wife looked disdainful when she saw her;
…
Gu Zhiguang's eyes widened when he heard this: He didn't expect that Lu Zhiying looked honest, but actually held a grudge very hard. Twelve years had passed, and she still remembered every detail clearly.
Zhao Xiangwan, however, showed no expression on his face. He took note of what Lu Zhiying said carefully, and nodded as if what she said was a wise saying. Lu Zhiying vented all her grievances in one breath, and then felt a little embarrassed: "Am I a little petty? I'm not like this usually."
But Zhao Xiangwan knew why. The honest person was not without dissatisfaction in her heart, but she just suppressed it quietly. Now that she had given her a legitimate reason to speak out, she would naturally speak freely.
After Lu Zhiying finished speaking, Zhao Xiangwan nodded seriously: "Thank you for providing useful clues, we will investigate further."
Having said this, Shi Qiyan came out of the house.
After resting for a few days, the dark shadows under her eyes gradually faded, and she looked much better. Her face was so beautiful that it seemed to glow.
Shi Qiyan wore a simple, pure white sleeveless long dress, looking gorgeous and noble. It was hard to imagine that such a beautiful and excellent girl would be driven to commit suicide by jumping off a building because of the verbal abuse from her instructor.
Seeing Gu Zhiguang and Zhao Xiangwan coming home, Shi Qiyan greeted them politely and sat quietly on the sofa: "Are you here to tell me the true cause of my father's death?"
Facing the invasively beautiful Shi Qiyan, Gu Zhiguang, who is known for his eloquence, was a little stumped and didn't dare to tell a lie: "I made up some nonsense to persuade you not to jump off the building. Don't blame me."
Shi Qiyan seemed to have expected this. She bowed slightly and did not pursue the matter further. Instead, she looked at Zhao Xiangwan and said solemnly, "Thank you."
[Thank you for telling me that everything the teacher said was wrong; thank you for telling me that I should not make my loved ones sad and my enemies happy; thank you for exposing the fact that the teacher didn't care about me at all in front of so many people.]
Shi Qiyan was a little aloof and only said three simple words, but Zhao Xiangwan had already heard what she said in her heart and smiled and said, "You're welcome."
The two girls smiled at each other, and the atmosphere in the room was very harmonious.
The information provided by Shi Qiyan was similar to that of Lu Zhiying. In addition, Shi Qiyan did not know the true relationship between Jia Shendu and his father. Instead, she admired Jia Shendu because he studied under Zhu Chengling. Therefore, she applied to be his graduate student and did her best to complete all the tasks assigned by him.
It’s a pity that no matter how hard Shi Qiyan tried, Jia Shendu would always find fault.
If she worked hard, he would say that it takes talent to study; if she was innovative, he would say that scientific research requires meticulousness and rigor. In a word, public praise isolated her from her classmates, and criticism behind her suppressed her confidence. Shi Qiyan had become cold and aloof because of her father's death, and now after studying as a graduate student under Jia Shendu, she became cautious.
Especially this summer, when she followed Jia Shendu to go out for inspection and project work, Jia Shendu became even more aggressive, which made Shi Qiyan's psychological pressure greater and greater, until the last sentence: You are not as good as your father, which directly caused Shi Qiyan to have a mental breakdown and decided to commit suicide.
Hearing this, Zhao Xiangwan said to Shi Qiyan: "We learned something about Jia Shendu at school today. In fact, Jia Shendu was nominally a disciple of Master Zhu Chengling, but in reality he was the first student to post a big-character poster about Master Zhu, which almost cost the Master his life."
Shi Qiyan heard this for the first time and stood up suddenly: "What?"
Zhao Xiangwan explained the relationship between Jia Shendu, Zhu Chengling and Shi Tong. Shi Qiyan's face turned pale and she uttered two words through her teeth: "Shameless!"
It's a pity that my father always referred to Jia Shendu as Jia Banlun. My father's fellow apprentices gradually lost contact with him after the passing of Master Zhu. In addition, Jia Shendu became famous in the industry, and that past event was forgotten. Otherwise... If Shi Qiyan had known that Jia Shendu was such a treacherous, cunning and vicious person, he would definitely not have studied for his master's degree.
Zhao Xiangwan didn't want to see Shi Qiyan blame herself: "Jia Shendu deliberately concealed the truth. Many people in the school don't know the true relationship between him and Zhu Chengling. You were deceived by him. This is his problem, not your fault."
Shi Qiyan pursed her lips and said, "I will contact the college leaders next semester and ask for a change of tutor."
Zhao Xiangwan nodded: "Very good."
However, Shi Qiyan may not need to apply. If the investigation of the serious crime team goes smoothly, it should be possible to invite Professor Jia to the city police station for a meeting at the end of August.
After lunch, Zhao Xiangwan and Gu Zhiguang, led by Lu Zhiying, visited some old employees of the design institute, who were also the ones that Lu Zhiying felt were not right back then.
During his repeated visits, Zhao Xiangwan sorted out the clues bit by bit and finally sorted out some useful clues.
First, Shi Tong went upstairs alone during lunch break and passed by Cai Qiyun and Wu Lijun who were working in the structural group on the fifth floor. The two were a little curious about why Shi Tong went upstairs in such a cold weather, but due to Shi Tong's aloofness, they just casually greeted him and did not ask. Afterwards, the two knew that Shi Tong had jumped from the building and felt very guilty.
Second, Shi Tong lived alone in an office. On the day he committed suicide, Secretary Jiang walked past his room and seemed to hear him talking on the phone, and his voice was loud and unhappy. He listened out of curiosity, but left because he had a stomachache and did not pay attention. Later, he thought that if he had gone in to pay attention, Shi Tong might not have committed suicide. It was because of this that Secretary Jiang gave him a gift of 200 yuan to express his apology.
As for other things that Lu Zhiying felt were not right, she was just overthinking. Just as Shi Qiyan had thought on the rooftop, the design institute was a clean government, so how could there be any talk of corruption?
Zhao Xiangwan asked Secretary Jiang: "Who was Shi Tong talking to? What did he say?"
Secretary Jiang sighed: "Alas! I only heard one sentence, 'We have different ideas and we have no business dealings. What's the point of meeting? No!' Then I went to the toilet."
Then I asked Cai Qiyun and Wu Lijun: "Did you meet any strangers when you went downstairs?"
It had been so long that they could not remember it at all and shook their heads with regret.
"Have you ever met a short, skinny man?"
They both shook their heads and said they were in a hurry to go downstairs and didn't pay attention.
The cafeteria is on the first floor of the design institute. After work at 12:00 a.m., everyone goes downstairs.
Cai Qiyun and Wu Lijun were busy drawing at the time and did not go downstairs until half past twelve, so they met Shi Tong, who was walking upstairs from his office on the second floor.
At half past twelve, Shi Tong was heading to the top floor.
At 12:45, Shi Tong jumped off the building.
This time is when everyone has lunch break.
The people in the design institute are all intellectuals, and everyone involved in architecture, structure, HVAC, plumbing, and electricity... gathers here.
This was the first time they had encountered such a thing, and everyone was panicked. They were busy calling the police, doctors, and leaders, all hoping to save Shi Tong.
No one doubted that someone would push Shi Tong down the stairs.
Although the police came and checked upstairs later, they did not raise any objections. Considering that Shi Tong was indeed under great mental stress and suffered from long-term insomnia during this period, they concluded that depression led to suicide.
Shi Tong is just an engineer who draws architectural blueprints. He has no conflict of interest with anyone. Who would want to harm him?
Did you encounter any strangers entering the design institute building that day?
——If you asked this question on January 23, 1981, you might be able to find someone who knows the truth. But now it is August 1992. Who will remember what happened twelve years ago?
In the evening, Zhao Xiangwan returned to the serious crime team's office after a day of visiting.
Very tired.
Covered in the glow of the sunset, sweating all over from the heat.
I'm still hungry. Although I had a full lunch, I'm already starving after visiting people all day and asking countless questions.
As soon as I entered the office, the fan was blowing slowly and there was no sound at all.
Zhao Xiangwan was a little unaccustomed to such silence, and looked around. Where was the person?
Ji Zhao poked his head out from behind the filing cabinet where green leaves were hanging.
【Are you back? 】
The glowing white face, the messy bangs, and the eyes that did not conceal their joy were like a beautiful landscape in the noisy world. Zhao Xiangwan's mood immediately improved.
"I'm back."
Zhao Xiangwan had a smile on his face.
Are you hungry?
Zhao Xiangwan nodded and asked, "Where are He Mingyu and Zhu Feipeng? Haven't they come back yet?"
【no.】
Ji Zhao is now paying significantly more attention to the people around him, otherwise Zhao Xiangwan would not dare to leave him alone in the office.
The two of them were preparing to go to the cafeteria for lunch, shoulder to shoulder. Just as they reached the door, Ji Zhao's fingers began to stir as he looked at Zhao Xiangwan's sweat-soaked hair on her forehead.
【Your hair is sweating. 】
Zhao Xiangwan couldn't help laughing and leaned closer to him.
The little skylark chirped joyfully and flew away.
Ji Zhao quickly raised his right hand, extended his index and middle fingers forward, gently touched Zhao Xiangwan's forehead, and helped her tuck the wet hair behind her ears.
His movements were very gentle, as if Zhao Xiangwan was a piece of fine and fragile porcelain.
I don't know why, but a beautiful flower suddenly blossomed in Zhao Xiangwan's heart.
As the gentle breeze blew, the petals bloomed, unfolding one by one, revealing the golden stamens, nodding gently in the wind.
Ji Zhao's fingers rested on Zhao Xiangwan's temples, and the scene in his inner world suddenly stopped.
A second later, brilliant fireworks bloomed in the sky.
Countless colorful flowers bloomed on the grass.
Gorgeous and colorful.
The extreme beauty made Zhao Xiangwan hold her breath and not want to blink. It was clearly a picture in her mind, but she subconsciously took it as reality.
The two looked at each other, strong emotions flashing in their eyes.
Ji Zhao's fingers slid down gradually, and just as they touched Zhao Xiangwan's lips, there were heavy footsteps at the door, and Zhu Feipeng's voice: "Hey——"
Zhao Xiangwan took half a step back, and Ji Zhao's fingers hung in the air.
Ji Zhao let out a sigh of annoyance.
Zhao Xiangwan smiled and turned to Zhu Feipeng, "What are you doing?"
Zhu Feipeng and He Mingyu were sweating all over, holding a stack of old files, and smiling maliciously: "Hey, this is an office, you two want to be intimate, go back to the dormitory!"
Zhao Xiangwan took the file from He Mingyu without explaining: "How is it? Did you find any information?" The disappearance of Zhai Xinlian happened in 1981 and the murder of Dai Minli happened in 1975, which is many years ago. Judging from what these two people are holding, they should have gained something.
Zhu Feipeng smiled proudly: "Let me tell you, I found someone who helped me find the materials. Guess who it is? If you can guess it, I'll treat you to dinner."
[I never thought that Zhou Rulan was such a master at file management. I actually found something from the pile of old papers when I asked her for help.]
Zhao Xiangwan glanced at him: "Zhou Rulan."
Zhu Feipeng opened his mouth wide: "Hey, can micro-expression behavior be used to guess people's names? I really don't accept it!"
Zhao Xiangwan smiled: "I think the only person we all know who understands file management is Zhou Rulan, right?"
Zhu Feipeng placed the file on the desk and raised his chin towards her: "Come on, I'll treat you to a meal in the cafeteria."
The four of them chatted and laughed while they went to the cafeteria to eat, then went back to the office to work.
Team leader Gao Guangqiang and Zhu Kang, Huang Yuande, and Ai Hui all went to other places, so Zhu Feipeng naturally became the "temporary team leader".
Zhu Feipeng took out the files and shared today's gains with everyone.
"Let's talk about Dai Minli first. The criminal records from that time have long been lost, but some information from that time was found in the records of major cases reported in 1975. It was recorded that her body was found in a small woods, with traces of sex, semen in her body, strangulation marks on her neck, and she died of suffocation..."
After he finished speaking, Zhao Xiangwan asked, "Brother Zhu, I also investigated the basic situation of these two people today. I will ask you directly if you have any questions, and then you can check if there are corresponding answers in the files."
"First, what is Jia Shendu's alibi? Are there any witnesses?"
"Students testified that Jia Shendu was in the drawing room giving instructions on design between 7:00 and 9:30."
"Didn't you leave in the middle?"
"There's nothing written here, just two simple lines and three signatures."
"Then we cannot rule out the possibility that Jia Shendu left at the time, but the students just didn't pay attention, right?"
“That’s true.”
"Second, in Jiang Yuchun's confession, did he mention what time Dai Minli left?"
"Dai Minli arrived at his dormitory around 7 o'clock and left around 8:30."
"The red scarf belongs to Dai Minli? Why didn't she wear it when the weather was so cold?"
"The two of them were so bored that they forgot the time. Dai Minli was afraid that Jia Shendu would find out, so she left in a hurry and forgot to follow him."
"Can Jiang Yuchun prove that he was alone at home when Dai Minli left?"
"There is no way to prove it. He lived in a single dormitory and was having an affair. He didn't dare let anyone see it."
"Third, are there any witnesses who would like to raise objections?"
"No, all the confessions agree that Jiang Yuchun was the murderer."
At this point, Zhu Feipeng shook his head and sighed: "If it were now, with the DNA testing technology, Jiang Yuchun would be even more speechless. Dai Minli still had his semen in her body, and she was holding a piece of his clothes in her hand. If he didn't kill her, then who did it?"
He Mingyu also sighed: "Alas! Jiang Yuchun was still crying out for injustice until his death."
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