"Captain Wang, are we going to investigate Han Lin's rental records now?" Liang Zichen asked Wang Shen.
Wang Shen glanced at his watch, nodded, and said, "I'll inform the bureau and have the person in charge investigate. It's getting late, let's go home and rest. Anyway, investigating these things isn't urgent. Tomorrow we'll go to the orphanage to find out more about the situation."
After listening, Liang Zichen nodded.
Another day quickly came to an end, and Wang Shen's mind was in turmoil. He felt guilty for his cleverness in the Han Lin incident, and at the same time, he felt a sense of powerlessness he had never experienced before.
However, after a whole night of rest and adjustment, Wang Shen's mindset calmed down. When Wang Shen arrived at the police station, Liang Zichen was already waiting outside his office.
"Why are young people so enthusiastic?" Wang Shen asked with a smile when he saw Liang Zichen.
Liang Zichen, with a smile on his face, replied, "I can't wait to know who killed Han Lin, and I also want to know what the connection is between Han Lin's and Han Mo's cases."
After returning to his office and putting down his bag, Wang Shen drove to the orphanage.
"Captain Wang, is this orphanage still in operation?"
“I checked the orphanage online last night, and it's still visible on the map, so it should still be there. We'll see when we get there.” After answering Liang Zichen’s question, Wang Shen stepped on the gas.
The orphanage was located in a rather remote area, in the center of a suburban town. Wang Shen drove up to the orphanage and stopped. He got out of the car and looked at the signboard, most of the paint peeling off. The signboard was made of wood with white background and black lettering, and perhaps because of its age, the wood was cracked in many places. However, the words "Orphanage Care" could still be faintly seen on the signboard.
Wang Shen paused for a moment at the entrance of the orphanage, then walked towards the guardhouse. He glanced at the window of the guardhouse; it was empty.
"Is anyone home?" Wang Shen called out through the iron gate, but received no response for a long time.
"Captain Wang, look." At this moment, Liang Zichen called out to Wang Shen and pointed to the lock on the iron gate.
Following Liang Zichen's suggestion, Wang Shen's gaze fell on the lock on the iron gate. The lock was on, but the gate itself wasn't secure. Wang Shen gave the gate a hard push, and with a not-so-loud creak, it opened. Wang Shen and Liang Zichen exchanged a glance and entered the orphanage.
Directly opposite the orphanage gate on either side are two low-rise buildings, somewhat resembling primary school buildings from decades ago. The exterior walls are not tiled, so the red bricks are still visible. Some of the cement between the bricks has peeled off, revealing small gaps.
In the open space between the two buildings stood a huge pine tree. The shade beneath the pine was a perfect playground for children in the summer. Wang Shen and Liang Zichen looked around the open space and called out again, but still no one answered.
Wang Shen hesitated for a moment in the open space, then walked in. Wang Shen and Liang Zichen walked around the two buildings in front of the gate and went inside. On one side of the two buildings stood a small house. Next to the small house was a well. At this moment, Wang Shen noticed a woman standing beside the well. Judging from her back, the woman looked to be around sixty years old, hunched over, drawing water.
Wang Shen and Liang Zichen walked towards the woman's location. As they walked, Wang Shen called out, "Hello, big sister."
Strangely, the woman didn't stop what she was doing and continued fetching water. Because of her odd behavior, Wang Shen paused for a moment, then continued walking towards her. When Wang Shen reached her side, the woman still didn't turn around, but instead struggled to lift the bucket.
Seeing this, Wang Shen took two steps forward and helped the woman pull the bucket up from the well. Only then did the woman notice Wang Shen and Liang Zichen. After Wang Shen safely placed the bucket on the ground, the woman thanked him.
"Ma'am, are you an employee of this orphanage?" Wang Shen asked the woman in front of him.
"What did you say?" The woman covered her ear with her hand and pointed it toward Wang Shen, asking the question.
Seeing the woman's appearance, Wang Shen finally understood why she hadn't noticed him. This woman must have a hearing impairment. Wang Shen raised his voice and said, "Ma'am, are you an employee of this orphanage?"
This time, the woman finally understood Wang Shen's words and nodded. But after a while, the woman seemed to realize something was wrong, shook her head, and said loudly, "It's not like that anymore, the orphanage no longer exists."
Upon hearing the woman's words, Wang Shen's face showed surprise, and he asked, "Big sister, what do you mean by the orphanage no longer existing? Can you explain it more clearly?"
“People’s lives are better now, so there aren’t many orphans these days. So there’s no need for this orphanage to exist.” The woman spoke loudly, almost as if she were shouting.
"Then, ma'am, were you an employee of this orphanage before?" Wang Shen asked, raising his voice as well.
"Yes, I've spent my whole life here." The woman answered Wang Shen's question as she carried the bucket toward the low house.
Wang Shen took the bucket of water from the woman's hand and asked her with a smile, "Then, ma'am, can I ask you about a few people?"
The woman stopped, glanced at Wang Shen, then smiled like a loving mother and replied loudly, "Alright! Ask away."
"Did Han Lin and Zhao Zimo stay in this orphanage before?" Wang Shen went straight to the point and asked about Han Lin and Zhao Zimo's situation.
Upon hearing the two names, the woman's eyes lit up, and she immediately nodded, replying, "Of course I know them! They're very successful." A smile appeared on her lips as she finished speaking.
Wang Shen placed the bucket in the spot the woman had requested, then straightened up, smiled at her, and said, "Can you tell me about what happened between the two of them?"
The woman walked to the bucket, moved it slightly, and then smiled and nodded at Wang Shen. "Sure, let's go outside and sit down to talk." The woman pointed outside, and Wang Shen and Liang Zichen followed her as she moved three chairs to the shade of a large tree.
The woman sat down in the chair, then sighed softly and slowly began, "These two children have truly had a terrible life." Her eyes welled up slightly, and she glanced up at the canopy of trees overhead. "The story begins when they first arrived here..."
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