...
Li Xiaomeng held the small metal bottle cap in her hand, standing at the door of Class 2, Grade 3, hesitating whether to go in.
The pungent smell on the bottle cap reminded her of the acrid smell when her grandfather sprayed pesticides on the vegetable garden last year.
"Xiao Meng, why aren't you coming in?"
The voice of the homeroom teacher, Ms. Lin, came from the classroom.
Li Xiaomeng looked up and saw Teacher Lin standing next to the podium organizing lesson plans.
Teacher Lin's real name is Lin Xue. She is the youngest teacher in the entire school and has just graduated from the provincial normal university.
She wore black-rimmed glasses, had her hair in a simple ponytail, and had two small dimples when she smiled.
"Teacher Lin..."
Li Xiaomeng jogged into the classroom and handed over the bottle cap.
"I found this in the cafeteria, and Uncle Wang looked very scared..."
Lin Xue took the bottle cap and immediately frowned.
She majored in chemistry in college, so she was very familiar with this smell.
"Parphosphine?"
She muttered to herself, her face turning deathly pale instantly.
This organophosphate pesticide is extremely toxic; 0.1 gram is enough to be fatal.
"Xiaomeng, where did you find this?"
Lin Xue squatted down, placed her hands on the girl's shoulders, and tried to keep her voice steady.
"In the cafeteria kitchen, Uncle Wang knocked over a small bottle, spilling powder all over the floor..."
Li Xiaomeng blinked her big eyes.
"Teacher Lin, what is this?"
Lin Xue didn't answer directly. Instead, she carefully wrapped the bottle cap in a tissue and then spoke to the whole class.
"Class, there's an emergency. Please remain quiet in the classroom and do not move around."
The children in the classroom looked at each other, but all sat obediently.
Lin Xue quickly walked out of the classroom and went straight to the school clinic.
School doctor Dr. Zhang was organizing the medicine cabinet when he saw Lin Xue rush in, carrying something wrapped in a tissue.
"Dr. Zhang, could you please take a look at this?"
Lin Xue handed over the bottle cap.
"I suspect it's highly toxic pesticide."
Dr. Zhang took the bottle cap, brought it close to his nose, and his expression immediately changed.
"This taste...it really does resemble parathion!"
He quickly put on gloves and took out a small test kit.
"Further confirmation is needed."
The reagent dripped onto the residue on the bottle cap turned dark red after a few seconds.
Dr. Zhang's hands trembled slightly.
"A positive reaction confirms it's indeed parathion."
Lin Xue gasped.
"This was found by my student in the cafeteria. What if it were accidentally fed to the entire school..."
"We must call the police immediately!"
Dr. Zhang didn't have so many concerns; if a large-scale poisoning incident occurred at the school where he worked, he would also bear responsibility.
Ten minutes later, the piercing sound of police sirens echoed throughout the campus.
Two police cars and an ambulance were parked at the entrance of the cafeteria, and uniformed police officers quickly set up a cordon.
In the cafeteria, Wang Daikui was slumped in a corner, his face ashen.
The poison given by Principal Liu broke, leaving Wang Daikui with no choice but to add the laxative his son had prepared to the food.
To everyone's surprise, the police stormed in right after we finished.
Two policemen were standing in front of him, one of whom was taking notes.
"Director Wang, could you please explain what's going on with this bottle cap?"
Criminal police captain Zhao Gang held up the evidence bag, which contained the bottle cap that Li Xiaomeng had found.
Wang Daikui's lips trembled, but he couldn't utter a single word.
His gaze wandered around before finally settling on the back door of the cafeteria.
Su Jianguo, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, was standing there.
Su Jianguo was watching the sports meet on the side of the playground when he heard the police siren and rushed over.
At this moment, he frowned, looking at the chaotic scene in the cafeteria, completely bewildered as to what had happened.
"Director Wang, if you confess now, you can still try to get leniency."
Zhao Gang's voice was stern but patient.
“We’ve already tested it, and there are highly toxic pesticide residues on this bottle cap. Are you planning to put this poison in the students’ lunches?”
Wang Daikui suddenly broke down, kneeling on the ground and wailing.
"It wasn't me! Principal Liu forced me! He gave me five thousand yuan, saying that as long as the children felt unwell after eating it, it would be fine... I didn't know it was poison!"
An uproar erupted in the cafeteria.
The teachers present all looked shocked, and several female teachers even covered their mouths.
Zhao Gang gestured for his men to record Wang Daikui's confession, then turned to look at Su Jianguo.
"Excuse me, sir, who are you?"
"I'm Su Jianguo, the owner of Su's Vegetable Shop. I just delivered fresh vegetables to the school this morning."
Su Jianguo stepped forward, his expression solemn.
"Officer, what exactly is going on?"
Zhao Gang sized up the middle-aged man in front of him, who was simply dressed but had an extraordinary air about him.
"Mr. Su, someone reported that someone may have poisoned the cafeteria, targeting students' lunches today. According to Director Wang, Principal Liu instructed him to do so."
Su Jianguo's face instantly turned ashen.
"Poisoning? With the vegetables I delivered?"
"It is not yet clear what kind of food the poison is intended to be added to."
Zhao Gang said cautiously.
"We need to test all the ingredients used in the cafeteria today."
"Please be sure to check carefully!"
Su Jianguo said firmly.
"I, Su Jianguo, conduct business with the utmost integrity and would never do anything immoral. I guarantee with my life that the vegetables I deliver are absolutely safe!"
Zhao Gang nodded.
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