Actually, after learning that Cao Xue had gone to Thailand, I should have made that connection. It's very likely that Cao Xue spared Ye Zhi's life. I don't know what prompted him to have such a thought, but as the truth gradually comes to light, looking at everything, only he still has that sliver of humanity left... I've drunk with him before, and he's not a scheming man at all. This kind of lack of scheming can't be faked or acted out...
My heart was filled with mixed feelings. After a long while, I finally spoke to Wang Xiaoling, who had been waiting for an answer, and said, "It must be that Cao Xue left her a way out... Ye Zhi told me that after she was pushed into the sea, someone put a life jacket on her. Otherwise, given the wind and waves at the time, even the best swimmer would not have had any hope of survival."
"Why did Cao Xue do this?... From their perspective, this could have endless consequences. If Ye Zhi hadn't survived the shipwreck, they could say they had done a flawless job. By giving Ye Zhi a way out, he cut off his own escape route... This is what I can't understand. Given Cao Jinbo's character, it's impossible for him to be careless in such a matter... Can you explain it to me?"
After a long silence, I replied to Wang Xiaoling, "Cao Jinbo misjudged Cao Xue. He thought Cao Xue had grown up with him since childhood and both respected and feared him, so he would obey him. But Cao Xue is a very loyal person at heart... He probably thinks Ye Zhi is my girlfriend, or maybe it's because of Nicole, his current girlfriend. Ye Zhi is very important to Nicole, and since he is so devoted to her, he probably wouldn't want to push things too far... Of course, these assumptions are all based on the premise that Cao Xue showed mercy; if it were someone else, these assumptions would be meaningless."
"That makes some sense..."
I glanced at Wang Xiaoling, and then we both fell silent. I needed time to calm myself down; Wang Xiaoling also needed time to unravel the whole case, because many things that defied logic had happened that she couldn't quite understand.
Yes, of course she wouldn't know how deeply Cao Xue loved Nicole; Cao Xue has always done evil and is insecure at heart. If he hadn't met me and Nicole, he wouldn't be living a normal life now, and even more respectably than a normal person. He should be grateful... So, I'd rather he gave Ye Zhi a way out, so that one day, when facing legal punishment, he would also leave himself a way out.
...
After a moment of silence, Wang Xiaoling spoke to me earnestly, "Michael, I've told you everything about the current situation. According to our rules, I shouldn't be approaching you this way, but I trust my judgment. I firmly believe you're a man with a strong sense of justice… So, I hope you can help me. Personally, I hope Cao Jinbo can be brought to justice. I want to..."
"They deserve to die for their father and grandmother... They will not rest in peace until Cao Jinbo is brought to justice!"
I looked up and met Wang Xiaoling's gaze. In my memory, this woman, who was more resilient than any man, already had tears welling up in her eyes and then she shed tears.
I quickly pulled out a tissue and handed it to her. While wiping her tears, she said apologetically, "I'm sorry, I lost my composure."
"It's okay, I can listen to your story."
After a long pause to compose herself, Wang Xiaoling replied in a low voice, “I was born into a police family. My father was a narcotics officer… He was drowned in the Mekong River by drug traffickers while on duty in Thailand… The murderers were Cao Jinbo and drug traffickers in Thailand. They staged an accidental drowning… Because the incident occurred outside of China, and the security situation in Thailand was extremely poor at that time, we lacked conclusive evidence, so the murderers have not been brought to justice to this day… Less than a year after my father’s death, my mother also passed away from illness, leaving only my grandmother and me at home… It was Cao Jinbo who ruined my family… My grandmother was waiting for my father to return until the day she died… No one dared to tell her the truth, for fear that she would lose the will to live… But I am someone who knows the truth, and I must bear this pain; I am also a people’s police officer… I not only want to give my father justice, but also to give the people an explanation… These are not official words, but my lifelong wish!”
I listened to Wang Xiaoling finish speaking, and then the image of the old woman appeared in my mind. She was dragging a sack, walking against the cold wind on the streets of the ancient city with trash cans... Her hair was completely white, and the frost of time was etched on her face... She would always look into the distance when she got tired of picking things up... I didn't know before, but now I finally understand what she was waiting for.
This wait turned out to be a lifetime.
Perhaps she herself understood... that not saying it was to leave a little something to look forward to in the end.
In her final moments, she must have felt incredibly lonely and desperate!
My eyes welled up with tears, and I remembered the scene of her offering to trade sausages for the bottle with me.
Cao Jinbo truly deserves to die!
...
I lit another cigarette and smoked it silently for a long time before saying to Wang Xiaoling, "What kind of help do you want me to do?"
"My personal judgment is that, given the nation's determination to crack down on organized crime, Cao Jinbo must have felt a sense of crisis... That's why he rushed to hold this wedding for his son... He probably anticipated that he would be investigated by the police, and even imprisoned... He would definitely hand over this evidence to someone he trusts implicitly..."
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