Chapter 42
"I haven't seen him in quite a while, and I didn't expect him to be the same, just as disgusting as before."
As Zhou Hong spoke, her facial muscles twitched uncontrollably, her pretty face briefly contorted. "He tried to force me. If I disagreed, he would beat me. I cried for help, but no one came to save me."
"I was so scared that I just grabbed a knife and swung it at him."
"Then...then he fell to the ground, bleeding profusely. I just stood there, looking into his eyes. It was such a relief..."
Her silent sigh disappeared in everyone's ears, and the air in the car became extremely thin because of this sudden confession.
After a long pause, Lin Jiafan spoke again: "Since Cui Da was assaulting you at the time of the incident, then your killing him in self-defense could very likely be considered legitimate or excessive self-defense. Why didn't you call the police and instead chose to dismember him?!"
"I hate him so much." Zhou Hong had regained her composure by now. "Scum like him deserves to be torn into pieces, doesn't he?"
"...Then why did you mix the body parts into the food in the ancestral hall's small kitchen? You should know that the food will be eaten by the villagers, and they seem to be very nice to you." Luo Jingyao was really curious and couldn't help asking.
After all, so many people just stood up and were willing to give false testimony for her, and during the police investigation, people like Fatty Wang had been praising Zhou Hong all the time.
"Be good to me?" Zhou Hong suddenly laughed for some reason, and her voice gradually became louder until she sounded like a madman.
Through her hanging hair, Luo Jingyao could vaguely see the tears in the corners of her eyes, which quickly flowed across her cheeks and fell on her shoulders, leaving a deep mark on the light-colored sweatshirt.
"Cui Da bullied me, regardless of time or place: at my house, in the greenhouse, in the cornfield, and in the ancestral hall. I cried so loudly, but no one came to my rescue, not even once."
"Yes, ultimately I am a coward, but what if even one person had reached out to me back then? Would I have mustered the courage to resist? Perhaps the outcome today wouldn't be like this."
"Tell me, do gods really exist in this world? Why did Cui Da do so many bad things to me in the ancestral hall, but the Fire Stove God turned a blind eye?"
“Good things never come to good people.”
"So whether it's God or man, they should all have a taste of what it's like to be a bad person. This is the retribution they deserve!" Zhou Hong's eyes were red, and he clenched his teeth tightly, roaring in a low voice: "Retribution!"
"Sister Luo, Officer Lin, do you know what the most ironic thing is?"
"It's like the bad guy died, and everyone started loving me, but why?"
Yes, why?
Luo Jingyao just felt that her breathing was not smooth. It seemed that seeking benefits and avoiding harm was a natural instinct of human beings.
When Cui Da was alive, the people in Bo'an Village were afraid of him, fearing that he would bring trouble upon themselves, so they chose to turn a blind eye to all the atrocities.
After Cui Da died, the villagers felt sorry for Zhou Hong again. They wanted to protect her because of guilt, and they also felt that Cui Da deserved it.
No one could respond to the woman's question. Everyone remained silent all the way, and the police car returned to the Jinshi Public Security Bureau smoothly.
After getting out of the car, Lin Jiafan signaled Pang Guangxian to send the person to the interrogation room on the sixth floor. Although Zhou Hong had already confessed everything in the car just now, some details still needed to be further improved. The necessary procedures had to be followed and the necessary signatures had to be signed.
Then he looked up at Luo Jingyao.
Luo Jingyao understood what the man meant almost immediately, and followed Pang Guang into the office building very consciously.
She is familiar with this process, and people involved in the case also need to make statements.
It was similar to the last time, with Pan Chang and a female police officer "gathering" with her in the interrogation room. By the way, the two of them also asked about her glorious deeds of racing with the big black dog. After hearing it, they were naturally amazed.
Soon, there was movement in the interrogation room next door. After finishing his work, Pan Chang took Luo Jingyao out and ran into Lin Jiafan and others.
"Captain Lin, how's it going? Can we officially close the case?" Pan Chang asked casually. "This case has had quite a bit of impact online. If it's almost done, I should be preparing to issue a notice."
"Let's wait a little longer. I don't think Zhou Hong's confession is detailed enough."
Victory was clearly just around the corner, but the wrinkles between Lin Jiafan's brows had never loosened since Zhou Hong admitted to the murder.
Pang Guang, standing next to him, clearly had a different opinion. "What's so incomplete about it? She had a strong motive for murder, and the circumstances surrounding the crime were clearly described. The subsequent disposal of the body also matched what Brother Guo had said."
"By the way, the laboratory department just received news that Zhou Hong's fingerprints match those found on the red basin in the ancestral hall's small kitchen. Her footprints are also among those six sets."
It sounds like a done deal.
Lin Jiafan shook his head and reached into his coat pocket, intending to pull out a cigarette. However, he paused when he saw two female comrades present. "The description of her struggle with Cui Da and how she accidentally killed Cui Da is a bit... too general."
"Maybe it's because of excessive panic and fear. It's easy for people to have blurred parts of their memories in that state." Pang Guang didn't think it was a big deal.
At this moment, there was a 'ding' sound at the end of the corridor, and the elevator door opened.
Guo Zhen walked down the elevator with a serious expression on his face. He quickly walked up to the group and handed the printed report to Lin Jiafan. "Captain Lin, this is the re-examination report on the victim's body."
"What is certain is that all the dismemberment of the body occurred after death. After returning, I analyzed the digestion of the food in the deceased's stomach and was able to accurately determine the time of death to be between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m. on the 30th."
"The most important thing is the cause of death."
"Has the left parietal bone been severely injured multiple times?" Lin Jiafan slowly read out the line of small words, his eyes flashing slightly.
Guo Zhen gave a reassuring 'hmm'. "I've completed the reconstruction of the victim's skull. It's correct. When Zhou Hong dismembered the body and removed the brain, she started from the shattered parietal bone, saving time and effort."
To be on the safe side, Lin Jiafan asked again, "Did the severe injury to the deceased's parietal bone occur during his lifetime?"
"The wound is responding to life. I think the person is still alive after the first few blows. But considering the force, the next few blows may not be the same."
"But Zhou Hong said that she picked up the machete while resisting and accidentally killed someone. If Cui Da had been hit on the head repeatedly at that time, he should not have had the strength to violate Zhou Hong, right?" Lin Jiafan analyzed calmly.
Upon hearing this, Pang Guang hurriedly lowered his head to check the transcript in his hand, and suddenly broke out in a cold sweat on his back: "Fuck, it's true! She already admitted to the murder, why would she lie?"
"Want to use self-defense to reduce the subsequent penalty?"
"Or maybe she wasn't the one who actually killed Cui Da, she just disposed of the body." Lin Jiafan's tone was light, but his words were shocking.
Hearing this, Luo Jingyao unconsciously looked towards the interrogation room not far away. Through the glass on the door, she could barely see half of Zhou Hong's body.
The woman seemed to be in a daze, her hands fixed on the interrogation chair rubbing against each other repeatedly.
"Then what should we do next? Why don't we go back and continue the interrogation? Maybe we can trick Zhou Hong into revealing her accomplices." After a long silence, Pang Guang suggested.
Lin Jiafan remained noncommittal: "You can try, but I don't think there's much hope."
Since Zhou Hong was willing to admit to such a serious crime as murder for another person, her psychological defenses should not be so easily broken.
"Okay, let's give it a try." Pang Guang's face was full of eagerness, and he seemed to enjoy the ability to battle wits and courage with the criminal suspect.
"Remember to bring your sister Pan with you." Lin Jiafan did not discourage his enthusiasm. However, the interrogation could not be completed by one person alone, so he turned around and left after assigning a partner to the young man.
Seeing this, Pang Guang subconsciously asked, "Captain Lin, what are you doing?"
"We'll go to Bo'an Village as soon as the sun rises. There's some finishing work to do, and we also have to inform the Cui couple that Zhou Hong has admitted that he was the murderer of Cui Da." He responded without turning his head.
This was said very skillfully, only mentioning Zhou Hong's confession and not the police's suspicion.
Luo Jingyao had reason to believe that this man's purpose of going to Bo'an Village tomorrow was definitely not as simple as he said.
She withdrew her gaze from the tall figure, and in the moment she lowered her eyes, she had some thoughts in her mind.
After politely saying goodbye to Pang Guang and others, Luo Jingyao also left the Jinshi Public Security Bureau.
The next morning.
Fatty Wang from Haixia Supermarket in Bo'an Village was sweeping the dust and garbage in front of the store with a broom as usual, but the next second he stopped what he was doing, straightened his back slightly, and looked at the person walking towards him with some surprise.
"Good morning, Boss Wang." Luo Jingyao walked to the front of the supermarket with a smile and greeted everyone enthusiastically.
Although no one in the village except Zhou Hong knew that the police's sudden visit yesterday was related to her, Fatty Wang still looked her up and down cautiously before speaking, "If I remember correctly, your last name is Luo, right? What do you want to talk to me about?"
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