twenty three
As his father said, Li Zitong did not encounter any trouble at the police station and soon returned to school as normal.
During the break, I rushed to the door of Class 1. Gao Yang was nowhere to be seen. Li Zitong was sitting in the third row, near the aisle, buried in a book. His hair had barely returned to its earlobes, but it still looked utterly out of place.
I knocked on the window and she looked up in surprise, squinting her eyes.
"I have something to ask you."
Without asking any more questions, she stood up and walked out of the classroom.
The classroom erupted in excitement, everyone staring at us with intense interest. The girls nudged each other with their elbows and whispered among themselves. Only then did I realize how reckless my actions had been—after all that had happened, Li Zitong was at the center of the storm, and everyone was curious about what mysteries she held. Forcibly calling her out seemed to fully address the students' suspicions and expectations.
But I really want to know the truth.
After repeated persuasion, I finally pried out the version of the facts currently understood by the police from my impatient father, which was the version that Li Zitong reported to the police station and confessed.
She frankly confessed to the police that she was an adopted orphan. This fact surprised the investigators in charge of the case. However, a visit to Li Xueqiang's hometown confirmed her story. Although Li Xueqiang had kept the adoption and the change of household registration very secret, he could not hide it from his relatives. Many people secretly spread rumors and ridiculed the Li couple. Moreover, no matter how hard they tried to cover up, they could not explain why the Li family had a seven-year-old daughter out of nowhere.
The investigation also yielded an unexpected discovery—a hidden side to Li Xueqiang's character. Back home, Li Xueqiang had been working as a salesperson at the largest local department store, replacing his mother, who had passed away prematurely due to illness. The work was easy and the income was decent. More importantly, he had advance access to incoming goods, giving him a degree of control over the supply. In an era of scarce resources, this position was a priceless asset. If a daughter needed fashionable fabric for her wedding, or if a family needed a Panda TV, they would turn to him through their connections. This not only provided Li Xueqiang with a stable income but also gave him a highly respected position at the top of his network.
But after his family made a desperate move to Chengguan City, his good fortunes faded. Without connections, he could only find work working underground in the coal mine. Trapped in the pitch-black darkness of the mine tunnels, hundreds of meters underground, his life was in constant danger. Yet, his wages remained largely the same. This stark difference drastically altered his personality, and he quickly blended in with the other workers at the coal mine, adopting smoking, drinking, playing mahjong, and even inflicting violence on his wife and daughter. This seemed perfectly normal to the people at the coal mine. This work, bordering on death, made him worry about returning safely every day. A fellow drinker yesterday could be a cold, dead body today. Facing such mental stress, maintaining a positive attitude was a rare occurrence.
This indirectly confirmed some of Li Zitong's accounts. She said her parents appeared to be a model couple with a healthy relationship. In reality, due to Li Xueqiang's gambling addiction, the family's finances had long been stretched thin. Xu Lan, a naturally gentle woman, understood her husband's hardships and suffering, but rarely offered any comment. She quietly ran the music store, striving to earn as much money as possible. But Li Zitong often observed her mother inexplicably lost in thought, speaking incoherently, and sometimes even talking to the air.
After Xu Lan's death, Li Xueqiang's psychological problems worsened. Normally, he was irritated, blaming his wife's death on a demonic spirit. But when drunk, he spoke his mind, tearfully declaring his wife's suicide because he was useless and overwhelmed by the burden. With Xu Lan gone, the responsibility of caring for her drunken father fell to Li Zitong. It was no easy task. Because of her adopted daughter's status, she was subjected to verbal abuse at best, and physical abuse at worst. Li Xueqiang seemed to attribute his misfortunes to his adoption of her.
A week later, Li Zitong finally couldn't stand it anymore, thinking that she would eventually die at the hands of her adoptive father. So she secretly took the money from her passbook and ran away from home. Until I discovered where she had gone and went to look for her.
Combining her testimony with the actual investigation, the police concluded that Li Zitong's behavior was not suspicious. In fact, they did not treat her as a criminal suspect from the beginning. When they discovered that she had run away from home, they did not mobilize a large number of police forces to search for her, but instead treated it as a normal case of a missing minor.
Li Zitong has relatively complete alibis for the two murders that have occurred so far.
The night Xu Lan disappeared, Li Zitong cooked noodles at home to feed herself and her brother. (Since the video store often stayed open late, and Li Xueqiang stayed out all night playing mahjong, this was common for the siblings.) During dinner, the radio broadcast local news: To celebrate the new century, a fireworks display would be held in People's Park on New Year's Eve. Interested citizens were encouraged to go and watch.
Li Tianci was clamoring to watch the fireworks, so Li Zitong, who had been studying at home, had no choice but to take him along. The crowds of spectators were much larger than expected, and the roads around People's Park were completely blocked. Traffic police had to be called in to clear the traffic. By the time they finally got home, it was already ten o'clock.
Her parents still hadn't returned home. They washed up and went to bed. The next morning at five o'clock, Li Zitong woke up to make breakfast and realized her mother hadn't returned yet. She became anxious. She first went to the music store, but couldn't find her. She then went to the mahjong parlors, but she wasn't familiar with the locations of Li Xueqiang's regulars, and she was unsuccessful at several. She encountered many people along the way who could provide evidence of her whereabouts.
Judging from her behavior, she didn't appear suspicious on the night of the incident. She also didn't have the time to travel back and forth between Chengguan and Wudu. As a precaution, the task force also conducted a background check at the school. They learned that Li Zitong had always been an excellent student, and her behavior around New Year's Day was normal. They also reviewed her New Year's Day holiday homework, revealing neat handwriting and near-perfect accuracy. She even neatly solved a difficult math homework problem that most of the class hadn't figured out.
On the night that Li Xueqiang passed away, Li Zitong spent the night in the cubicle of the noodle shop where he worked, as the elderly couple who owned the noodle shop could testify.
After listening to my father's explanation, I almost began to believe that Li Xueqiang and his wife died of suicide, if Li Zitong had not personally admitted that he was the murderer.
After we came out of the classroom, we tacitly walked away for a long distance, all the way to the edge of the playground, and only started talking when there was no one else around.
Her face was hesitant and confused. "Why are you looking for me at school? It's too conspicuous."
"There are some things I want to clarify no matter what."
She looked up at me, as if feeling guilty. "It was my fault for leaving you that night. You were so emotional, and I was worried I wouldn't be able to explain myself, so I just left without saying goodbye. Can you forgive me?"
"I'm not asking about that... I already know everything you said at the police station. It doesn't seem to match the version I heard that night."
"I remember your father was generally reluctant to reveal the results of his investigation into a case to you."
"This time is different, I am the person involved."
There was silence for a moment.
"I lied that night," she finally said. "I was so depressed at the time, I gave up on myself. I thought my father's death was related to my running away from home. If I had stayed home, his emotions would have been more stable. So I said those angry words, saying that I was responsible for his death. I'm very sorry for causing you to misunderstand me."
I stared into her eyes, and the depths of her pupils, like the clear reflection of a well, reflected a very real sense of guilt. But because of this, I knew she was lying.
"Do you think I'll believe that?"
She turned her head and looked at the ground. "I'm telling the truth."
"Really? When you said you'd confess everything and turn yourself in, you weren't telling the truth? Please, tell me the truth."
She was still looking at the ground, biting her lip tightly.
"I don't know what you mean by 'the truth'. I've said everything I need to say."
I couldn't help but take a step forward. "You know I'm always on your side."
She turned to face the wall, covering her face with her hands. There was a whimpering sound, like crying.
I was naturally shocked and tried to comfort her softly, saying that I had no intention of forcing her, but it was of no use; her shoulders kept shaking.
The guys who were hiding in the corridor watching the excitement were also surprised to find this. They came closer in groups of three or four and soon built a human wall around us.
Amid the chattering of the crowd, I was completely at a loss. I wanted to explain but didn't know where to start. I could only keep whispering to Li Zitong to stop crying, even though I knew she might not be really crying.
Someone emerged from the crowd. It was Gao Yang. I breathed a sigh of relief. Just as I was about to ask him to lighten the mood, he impassively punched me, hitting me squarely on the left cheekbone with considerable force. My vision distorted, and I stumbled back. He reached for my collar, but I pushed his elbow away and engaged him in a struggle.
A girl in the crowd screamed, attracting the inspection of the Dean of Studies. He grabbed Gao Yang and me by the hand and ordered us to go to his office to deal with the problem, ignoring Li Zitong who didn't even turn around.
Gao Yang and I listened to a lengthy lecture in the dean's office. He said we'd be punished soon. But then a young woman walked in and whispered something in the dean's ear. His expression changed, and he dismissively let us go. "I've memorized your names, both of you. If you cause trouble again, I won't let you off. But now, get back to class."
When we came out of the office, the bell had already rung and the corridor was empty. We were still in shock and couldn't help but discuss what had just happened.
"The woman who just came in is our class teacher. She probably told the dean the reason for our fight, so she let us out so easily." Gao Yang analyzed.
"I see." Li Zitong's family affairs are now a hot topic in the city. The school can't avoid such heat, so they want to handle it as calmly as possible.
After saying these two sentences, we both remembered the fight just now and the atmosphere became awkward.
"You shouldn't have gone to see Li Zitong." Gao Yang broke the silence first, his tone rather accusing. "Everyone knows she's in the middle of a storm, and she's under a lot of pressure."
"I just want to know the truth."
"'The truth'? Just hearing that word makes me furious. Do you know how many people in class have been pestering her with questions under the guise of 'discussing the case' for the past week? There were even gangs of delinquents waiting to find her at the school gate. Thanks to the teachers stepping in to stop this kind of behavior, things have improved over the past two days. And you're pulling the same tactic?"
"This...is not from the same class. I haven't heard of these things."
"So you know now, right?" His tone was still filled with anger.
"I'm not like those people who seek out gossip out of boredom. I'm really thinking about her!" I also became angry.
"So what? Everyone has things they don't want to say. Besides, her life story is so... complicated, there must be things she doesn't want to say, right?"
"Wait, you mentioned her background...how did you know that?"
"Come on, this city is so small, and the police are investigating so loudly, even coming to the school. The news has spread a long time ago. I'm afraid most of the students in the school know she's adopted by now."
"How could it be..." I was stunned.
"It's so pitiful. Her life was so unfortunate, and now she doesn't even have a single relative left... I was wrong just now, but if someone comes asking questions again, I'm afraid I'll still be unable to resist, even if it's you."
After saying that, he took a heavy step and walked towards his classroom without looking back.
I still had to attend the afternoon classes. Many of my classmates tried to sneak a peek at my expression, but I glared back and they all listened to the class obediently.
I was still filled with indignation. Not to mention Gao Yang, that brainless, opinionless, valueless idiot who prioritized love over friendship. Li Zitong must be hiding something from me. And just like always, he thought he could silence me by playing pitiful.
But after two classes, I finally calmed down and realized I'd been too impulsive. Li Zitong's story didn't make sense. Perhaps I'd over-indulged and misunderstood the contents of the attic tape. After all, I'd only seen it once, and that was many years ago. According to my father's experience in criminal investigation, it's perfectly normal for a witness's memory to be skewed by emotional bias, and this must be carefully discerned. In other words, ignoring personal feelings, Li Xueqiang could simply be a secondhand dealer illegally importing banned films from overseas.
And even if Li Zitong was lying, so what? Maybe she was just lying to protect herself. But hadn't I already decided to stand by her side? Even if it meant escaping with her, I wouldn't hesitate. If she could hide from everyone and live in peace, why would I have to expose the truth?
Ultimately, it was my overly strong sense of self that was at work. I thought Li Zitong and I were friends, and she shouldn't have lied in the slightest, which led to this embarrassing farce.
I sincerely hoped that this would be the end of it. However, my homeroom teacher, upon hearing the news, kept me in his office after school and called my family. My mother had gone back to Shanghai, and it was my father who came to share my lesson. He remained silent, staring at my homeroom teacher with the gaze of a criminal investigator investigating a case. He quickly lost his voice.
By the time I left the teacher's office, school was over. My father had driven me home, intending to take me straight home, but his pager got a message midway, so he turned back to the police station. He told me to wait in the empty office I'd been in the last time, saying he'd take me to a nearby restaurant for dinner once he finished his work.
I was surprised by his nonchalant attitude. I'd assumed he was simmering down, planning to unleash his anger when no one else was around. Now it seemed he had no such plans. Then I remembered I was transferring to a school in Shanghai next week, and perhaps my father was giving me extra treatment because of our impending separation.
"Just sit here and do your homework. Don't go out and disturb other people's work." My father instructed before leaving.
After waiting for nearly an hour, my father still hadn't returned. I felt my stomach swelling and slipped out of the room.
I found my way to the second-floor restroom, a familiar spectacle of the entire police station: cramped, oppressive, and reeking of cigarette smoke. A sink sat on one short wall, while two porcelain urinals, at hip height and no children's, lined the other long wall. There were only two stalls along the main wall, neither of which had a red square on the lock. I chose the one by the window and crouched down inside, only to discover the lock was broken.
Before I finished, I heard footsteps outside. I quickly pulled the door of the cubicle with my hand, and fortunately the footsteps were heading towards the urinal.
"The kid that Lao Su brought just now looks very familiar." A man's voice.
"He's his son. He was interrogated as a suspect at the police station last month. Have you forgotten?" The other voice sounded noticeably older.
"I was wondering why he looked so familiar." I heard the click of a lighter, and then the smell of cigarettes grew stronger. The man seemed to be exhaling thick smoke. "That case has been transferred to the city police, right? Any news on the case being closed?"
"No, it's more troublesome." said another voice.
I quietly pushed the cubicle door open a crack.
Two men in police uniforms stood side by side at a urinal, observing the international etiquette of avoiding looking at each other. The man on the left had a head shaped like a pumpkin from behind; I only remembered his last name, Wu. The young man on the right had a rather unremarkable head, though his neck was thicker than average, but I couldn't tell who he was from that alone.
"What the hell are those guys up to? They're dragging on a case with such a huge social impact. Isn't it obvious enough that the man named Li Xueqiang committed suicide?" said the thick-necked police officer.
"It's not that they don't want to, it's that they've discovered something suspicious," Officer Wu, with the pumpkin head, replied. "The day before the incident, a man wearing a power supply bureau uniform visited Li Xueqiang's home, acting suspiciously. We inquired with the power supply bureau and found out they had no plans to check meters that day, and they denied the man was an employee."
Thick Neck shuddered, perhaps from the hypothermia after urinating or from sheer shock. "Why didn't we find out about this when the case was ours?"
"Li Xueqiang's son, that kid named Li Tianci. The city police pried the information out of him. He was terrified after the incident, and no matter who asked him, he just kept repeating a few limited sentences. His sister came back last week, and I guess she was finally relieved, so he seemed to have regained his memory and remembered what happened. So it's not our responsibility."
"I'm afraid the higher-ups won't agree." Thick-necked looked down at his lower body, his arms moving as if he were zipping a zipper. "Who is that fake power supply bureau guy?"
"Who knows? I hope it's just a habitual thief who stole some things from someone's house, and it's not connected to the murder. I do have a sketch, which the city bureau faxed over. I'm having it copied in the archives, so everyone can get a copy."
They tightened their belts and filed out. I quickly took care of my business and slipped out of the cubicle.
Should I risk investigating this? I hesitated for a split second. For myself, suspected of picking the lock, and for Li Zitong, who lost both her parents, I felt a responsibility to uncover the truth.
The archives were on the second floor. I didn't run into anyone else along the way; there probably weren't many police officers still on duty at this hour. It was completely quiet, with only the sound of the copy machine in the archives room.
I tiptoed closer and pulled out the copied paper from the copier, and an incredible picture appeared before my eyes.
Due to my carelessness, the papers scattered all over the floor. Hundreds of identical faces stared at me in silence.
All previous speculations were denied.
Although it was a simple carbon-line sketch, the facial features were clear—a slightly dejected face, small, pointed eyes, and sparse, short hair with some white spots. I recognized this face that had appeared repeatedly in my nightmares; it was Beavis.
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