Chapter 93 Murder: Are Technical Talents Good at Building Connections?
The wind in Jiangcheng carried the unique dampness of the Yangtze River, blowing through Zheng Yu's short hair.
She stood at the foot of the drab, gray staff quarters of the Red Star Towel Factory, looking up at the rooftop.
This is where Zhang Minghui and An Xiaohui lived for six years.
Unfortunately, the house they used to live in has changed hands.
Housing was scarce at the Hongxing Towel Factory; even the death of the original homeowner couldn't stop the new owner from moving in. They simply renovated the place.
This apartment building is an old-style five-story brick-concrete structure with an accessible roof.
The rooftop terrace has a strong sense of everyday life, with water tanks, clotheslines, and styrofoam boxes planted with various vegetables. There is also a low wall around the perimeter, about 90 centimeters high, reaching waist height.
That was where An Xiaohui's life ended.
Zhang Minghui is lying. An Xiaohui did not die from illness or injury, but from falling from a building.
Case files, testimonies, on-site data... all the evidence points to suicide.
The on-site investigation record showed that there were traces of the deceased climbing on the edge of the rooftop platform, and a pool of congealed blood on the concrete ground below. The forensic examination concluded that the death was "consistent with death from a fall from a height."
In the interrogation records at the time, the neighbors unanimously mentioned that An Xiaohui was "depressed," "mentally confused," and "frequently quarreled with her husband."
An Xiaohui was described as a woman who, overwhelmed by the burdens of life, jumped off a building in despair.
The more Zheng Yu learned, the heavier her heart felt, as if a stone was pressing down on it.
She found Grandpa Wang, the neighbor who was the first to rush to the rooftop back then.
The old man recalled that day with a look of horror in his cloudy eyes: "What a tragedy! Such a small child, crying her heart out, being held tightly by her father, desperately shouting towards the spot where An Xiaohui jumped: 'Mommy, don't jump! Don't jump!' Zhang Minghui was pale at that time, his whole body was trembling, and he kept muttering 'It's all my fault, I didn't watch her properly.'"
Grandpa Wang paused, then lowered his voice: "Xiao Yu's eyes were off; he was completely terrified. Think about it, he was only five years old at the time. How could Xiao Hui bear to let such a young child jump off a building? Sigh!"
"Mommy, don't jump!" This desperate cry from a five-year-old child pierced Zheng Yu's heart like a thorn.
As a woman and a mother herself, Zheng Yu felt deep sympathy for An Xiaohui's death. She came to gather evidence with questions in mind; even though the existing evidence indicated that An Xiaohui committed suicide, Zheng Yu believed that An Xiaohui's jump was definitely not voluntary.
The neighbors all said that An Xiaohui was gentle and loving towards Xiaoyu, a good mother. A mother who loves her child would instinctively cover her child's eyes when faced with an accident, afraid of frightening him. How could she possibly jump off a building to commit suicide in front of her child?
Didn't she realize the serious psychological damage this would cause the child? This damage would stay with the child for the rest of their life!
Even if An Xiaohui was truly desperate and recklessly climbed over the low wall of the rooftop and jumped, Xiao Yu, who was only five years old and had no idea that jumping meant death, would normally react by desperately calling out "Mom" or simply screaming in terror. It was impossible for him to clearly shout "Mom, don't jump."
Zheng Yu walked up to the rooftop platform of the family building, bent over, and carefully searched every inch of the low wall along the edge of the platform.
The outer edge of the low wall was covered with dust and moss, but Zheng Yu found several unusual scratches on the inner side below where An Xiaohui had "climbed".
Two vertical scratches lined the wall, the bottom one darker than the top, with some oxidized and blackened bloodstains nearby.
A wide horizontal scratch line ran along the top of the low wall, and bloodstains were still visible.
Zheng Yu and her colleagues carefully checked and unanimously concluded that the vertical scratches were caused by the legs being pressed against the low wall and scraped by external force, while the horizontal scratches were caused by the lower back repeatedly rubbing against the wall.
If An Xiaohui committed suicide, her posture should be that she braced her hands on the top of the low wall and jumped down.
It's absolutely impossible to press your legs firmly against the wall and slowly exert force from the bottom up, let alone have your lower back scrape against the wall and leave a large mark.
This indicates that An Xiaohui did not commit suicide, but was pushed violently. Prior to the push, the two had a heated argument.
Zheng Yu immediately contacted the local police and requested to review the forensic evidence report that had been sealed away years ago. In the thick appendix of the report, she discovered a detail that had been overlooked.
—A small amount of cotton fibers and traces of skin that did not belong to An Xiaohui were extracted from under her fingernails. There was a peculiar subcutaneous bruise on her right wrist that was not easily noticed and had an unusual orientation, which looked like it had been caused by someone grabbing and twisting her forcefully.
The initial conclusion was that it "may be related to an argument between the couple before the fall."
Yes, Zhang Minghui broke down in tears when questioned by the police, repeatedly repenting for the argument that had occurred because of An Xiaohui's mental instability.
Therefore, the injuries on An Xiaohui's body, the fibers and dandruff under her nails, were all caused by the couple's arguments.
Zhang Minghui cleverly exploited a time difference.
He and An Xiaohui did have a heated argument, but it wasn't the night before; it happened in the minutes before he fell.
Standing on the rooftop, Zheng Yu and her colleagues repeatedly compared the scratches and reconstructed the scene at the time.
—On the rooftop, Zhang Minghui, enraged and out of control, assaulted An Xiaohui. The two stood face to face, Zhang Minghui pinning An Xiaohui against the low wall. An Xiaohui struggled and resisted, her fingernails scratching Zhang Minghui, leaving fibers and skin flakes. In extreme terror and despair, An Xiaohui was pushed off the building.
Xiaoyu witnessed all of this.
He was only five years old at the time and didn't understand much. Perhaps under Zhang Minghui's deliberate guidance, for example, he pushed and shouted: "Jump! Jump!"
That's why Xiaoyu let out a heart-wrenching cry: "Mom, don't jump, don't jump!"
Zhang Minghui quickly staged a suicide scene, hugged his son who had witnessed everything, was in a state of extreme shock, and kept calling out "Mom, don't jump!" and began his "grief" performance.
Thinking of this, Zheng Yu looked up at the gray sky over Jiangcheng.
She has already made some discoveries, but what about Jiang Ling?
At this moment, Jiang Ling is in the conference room of the Peony Towel Factory.
Jiang Ling sat calmly in the slightly worn wooden chair in the conference room, looking at the leaders of the towel factory opposite her.
Li Qiuyun and Li Zhenliang sat on either side of Jiang Ling.
Li Qiuyun never expected to be able to work on a case with Jiang Ling. She felt an indescribable excitement and thrill. She tried her best to maintain the same composure as Jiang Ling, but her tightly pursed lips and slightly trembling pen tip still betrayed her nervousness as a newcomer.
Chen, the head of the technical department, was a middle-aged man with thinning hair and a furrowed brow. He was pouring out his grievances: "Officer Jiang, about Zhang Minghui's patent that you asked about, well, how should I put it? The new high-efficiency printing and dyeing color fixing and brightening process is indeed excellent. It reduces costs and increases color saturation. It's a great concept for use on baby towels, and we're getting orders like crazy."
Wan Ming, the head of the security department, added, "Therefore, it was absolutely the right decision for the factory to bring in Zhang Minghui. Can you police please stop focusing on the incident where he beat the child? Whether our factory can turn a profit depends on the application of this patent..."
Section Chief Chen picked up his enamel mug and took a swig of strong tea, interrupting Section Chief Wan: "The patent is good, but it also has a big problem—the dye's stability is poor. This problem is like a lame leg; it's never been smooth from the beginning until now."
Deputy Factory Director Jiao, who is in charge of product quality management, chimed in, his voice filled with anxiety: "The production line is stuck here! The batches of samples produced are of inconsistent quality; the vibrant colors start to fade and change color after just a few days, resulting in a ton of consumer complaints. Zhang Minghui, who is now the project leader, has been leading his team in technical research for three months. They've spent money, wasted countless materials, and achieved negligible results! The schedule keeps getting delayed!"
Deputy Factory Director Jiao tapped the table with his knuckles in frustration. "We're having a headache. If this continues, the 'Infant-Grade Safe Bright Color' brand that we worked so hard to build will be ruined!"
Jiang Ling nodded slightly, her voice clear and steady: "Section Chief Chen, you just said that the dye stability problem has never been resolved from the beginning. Does that mean that the dye stability itself was an unresolved defect in the initial technical solution of the patent application?"
“That’s not quite right,” Qian, the workshop director and an older, bespectacled technical expert, interjected, flipping through a stack of old photocopies of project applications. “The plan itself is ingenious, and the idea is bold. But… how should I put it? The theory is perfect, but the experiment didn’t completely close the loop.”
Qian hesitated, glancing at Deputy Factory Director Jiao.
Li Qiuyun keenly caught this look and quickly jotted down the keywords in her notebook: ingenious plan, perfect theory, but the experiment was not closed-loop.
The question is, how did such a patent get approved for filing?
Jiang Ling quickly spotted the problem, her eyes narrowing: "You mean, this technology, hailed as the core of reform and bringing huge economic benefits, was launched with a fatal flaw that hasn't been fully verified and resolved? And its inventor, Zhang Minghui, has been unable to resolve this problem, which may have existed from the beginning?"
A brief silence fell over the meeting room. The leaders' expressions were somewhat subtle, as if some unspoken truth had been exposed.
"Well... Engineer Zhang is indeed very hardworking." Section Chief Chen tried to save face for his subordinate.
Jiang Ling remained noncommittal: "Could you show us Zhang Minghui's initial experimental records from back then? Especially the original data and analysis regarding dye stability."
The technical staff looked at each other in bewilderment.
Finally, Qian Gong sighed and stood up: "Yes, we do, but can you understand it?"
Jiang Ling smiled: "Whether you can give it or not is your problem. Whether you can understand it or not is my problem."
After waiting for more than ten minutes, Engineer Qian returned to the conference room with a hard-shell folder: "Here, all the documents are."
Jiang Ling put on the white cotton gloves she always carried and carefully took it.
Turning the pages, one is greeted by neatly recorded experimental data, including various raw material ratios, reaction times, and temperature curves.
Jiang Ling's fingertips slid over the rows of data and quickly noticed a key point.
In this data, the column for accelerated aging test results on dye stability is filled with numerous hasty notes such as "to be optimized", "large fluctuations", and "needs further verification". Some key data points are even deliberately circled in red and marked with a large question mark.
This is nothing like an experimental report on mature core technologies that are fully prepared for production.
“Qiu Yun,” Jiang Ling pointed to the question mark circled in red, “look here. What does it mean when such obvious uncertainty and unresolved issues appear in these core indicators, especially since the patent application has been successful and production is imminent?”
Knowing that Jiang Ling was giving her pointers, Li Qiuyun leaned closer to examine the document: "Does this mean... the technology itself wasn't ultimately perfected? Or, the person in charge didn't even understand some of the key steps?"
Jiang Ling didn't speak, but her eyes deepened.
She closed the folder and turned to Engineer Qian: "Engineer Qian, what do you think of Zhang Minghui's technical abilities? Or, from a professional perspective, what are your thoughts on these experimental records?"
Qian adjusted his glasses and glanced at Deputy Factory Director Jiao, whose face was gloomy.
Deputy Factory Director Jiao said irritably, "Why are you looking at me like that? Just answer whatever the police ask you."
Qian lowered his voice and said, "Zhang Minghui is quick-witted and good at getting things done. He's a master at securing projects, resources, and building connections. But when it comes to really settling down and tackling tough challenges, like this kind of basic chemical research that requires extreme rigor, repeated trial and error, and even a bit of genius-like flashes of inspiration..."
He shook his head and said meaningfully, "Not quite right. His experimental data looks impressive, but he can't seem to solve problems. There's a lack of solidity in his approach, unlike a pure experimental process of doing solid scientific research, discovering problems, analyzing problems, solving problems, and solving them step by step through trial and error."
Li Qiuyun took notes quickly.
A technically skilled person who is also quick-witted and adept at networking?
What does it mean to have impressive data?
Unreliable, impure—this doesn't sound like a compliment at all.
After concluding her interview with the towel factory leaders, Jiang Ling returned to her office.
I had just sat down when I received a call from Zheng Yu.
"Jiang Ling, we have made a major discovery."
Zheng Yu's voice came through the long-distance telephone line, filled with barely suppressed excitement and anger.
She spoke very quickly, yet clearly and logically explained the important discoveries of her trip to Jiangcheng: the underlying meaning of Xiaoyu's crucial cry, the unusual scratches on the inside and upper edge of the low wall, the foreign fibers and skin flakes under her fingernails, the sprained and bruised wrist, and the description from her neighbor, Grandpa Wang.
"On the surface it's suicide, but there are signs of murder everywhere! Zhang Minghui is lying. An Xiaohui didn't commit suicide at all. It's highly likely that she was violently beaten and controlled by Zhang Minghui. In her struggle, resistance, and extreme fear, she was pushed off the building or accidentally fell to her death. And Xiaoyu... was a witness."
After a few seconds of silence, Jiang Ling nodded and said, "I understand. The unusual scratches, the foreign object under the fingernail, the bruise on the wrist, Xiaoyu's cries... these are all key pieces of evidence. Zheng Yu, you did a great job."
"What do we do next?" Zheng Yu asked anxiously, "These physical evidences, and Xiao Yu..."
“I immediately reported to Director Zhong and cooperated with Jiangcheng police in the investigation. I immediately applied for a re-examination of the physical evidence, focusing on comparing the fibers under the fingernails with the material of the clothing Zhang Minghui was wearing at the time. I also photographed and documented the unusual scratches on the low wall and the pattern of the bloodstains, and asked an authoritative forensic doctor to re-examine them.”
Jiang Ling's instructions were clear and unambiguous: "As for Xiao Yu... the horrific memories he witnessed are deeply repressed, becoming the root of his psychological trauma and one of the triggers for Zhang Minghui's abuse of him. The phrase 'Mom, don't jump' proves that he saw the crucial scene. Now, we need a child psychologist to intervene and try to guide him to recall that scene in the gentlest and most professional way. This may be the most direct and powerful testimony."
“Okay! I’ll oversee the physical evidence review and the preservation of evidence at the scene in Jiangcheng.” Zheng Yu felt a surge of energy; Jiang Ling’s affirmation and clear thinking boosted her confidence. “As for Xiao Yu…”
"Leave Xiaoyu to me." Jiang Ling's voice was filled with unwavering determination.
Zheng Yu felt it was a very pleasant collaboration with Jiang Ling, and proactively asked, "How's your investigation going?"
Jiang Ling glanced at the meeting minutes on the table: "I have a question, and I'd like to ask you to help me look it up."
Zheng Yu responded decisively: "No problem, go ahead."
Jiang Ling briefly recounted her interview with the leaders of the Peony Towel Factory today, stating her concise speculation: "Zhang Minghui is not a technically skilled person, and I suspect there is something fishy about his patent."
Zheng Yu reacted quickly, exclaiming in surprise, "You suspect... him of plagiarizing other people's work?"
Thinking of the information she had gathered, Yu on the other end of the phone gritted her teeth in anger: "Then he must have plagiarized An Xiaohui's work!"
When Jiang Ling first came into contact with this case, he thought that the wife who could tolerate Zhang Minghui's domestic violence would be a weak-willed housewife with no source of income. However, after checking the file, he realized that he had underestimated An Xiaohui.
An Xiaohui graduated from the Chemistry Department of Jiangcheng University of Technology, while Zhang Minghui was just an ordinary vocational school student. Judging solely from their educational backgrounds and professional qualifications, An Xiaohui was marrying down.
Therefore, upon seeing Zhang Minghui's experimental records, Jiang Ling made a bold guess: Zhang Minghui plagiarized An Xiaohui's research results, which might be the real reason for An Xiaohui's death.
Jiang Ling asked, "Zheng Yu, what do the people at the Red Star Towel Factory think of An Xiaohui and Zhang Minghui?"
Zheng Yu spoke quickly and clearly: "An Xiaohui is a top student in the Chemistry Department of Jiangcheng University of Technology. After graduation, she was assigned to Hongxing Factory, a true technical talent. She comes from a scholarly family, is quiet, well-educated, and has a particularly scholarly air. Her old classmates said that she was particularly interested in textile dye technology, especially in the environmentally friendly and non-toxic direction, which was her dream. An Xiaohui is a bit idealistic, but she is recognized as highly talented in her profession, with an amazing perception of color and chemical reactions. In comparison... Zhang Minghui?"
Zheng Yu snorted, with a hint of disdain: "She's just an ordinary technical school graduate from the same factory, with mediocre professional skills, but she's best at scheming and networking. If it weren't for the fact that An Xiaohui's parents and family were all sent to the countryside during the movement, she would never have been able to marry Zhang Minghui."
Jiang Ling asked, "How does Zhang Minghui usually treat An Xiaohui?"
Driven by anger and sympathy, Zheng Yu's voice was somewhat unsteady: "Very bad! Logically speaking, An Xiaohui has a higher education and a higher salary than Zhang Minghui, but Zhang Minghui took advantage of An Xiaohui's naivety and controlled her tightly. When they first met, Zhang Minghui was attracted by An Xiaohui's talent and temperament and pursued her ardently. An Xiaohui was naive and inexperienced, and since most of her family members were abroad, she married Zhang Minghui."
“I heard from An Xiaohui’s colleagues that Zhang Minghui was relatively restrained when the two first got married, but he quickly revealed his strong desire for control. He not only interfered with An Xiaohui’s interactions with her friends, but also frequently checked up on her, looked at her notes, and belittled all her research results. He said that her research was a bookworm’s fantasy, impractical and a waste of money, and he deliberately exaggerated his own abilities, saying that without his help to smooth things over, An Xiaohui would be nothing.”
“Zhang Minghui collected all of An Xiaohui’s salary on her behalf and strictly controlled An Xiaohui’s personal expenses, including the purchase of professional books and small experimental materials. For the smallest things, such as the food not being to her liking, not doing housework well, or things not going well at work, Zhang Minghui would explode in anger, throwing things, banging on doors, and verbally abusing An Xiaohui with extremely hurtful words.”
"When An Xiaohui argued with him or when her work performance was better than his, Zhang Minghui would violently shove her, grab her wrist causing bruises, and slap her. Afterwards, he would threaten An Xiaohui, saying that if she dared to tell anyone, he would make it public knowledge and let Xiaoyu know that her mother was a woman who seduces men everywhere..."
The language was too vulgar, so Zheng Yu didn't continue.
A cold glint flashed in Jiang Ling's eyes.
This kind of slow, insidious domestic violence, like boiling a frog in lukewarm water, is truly terrifying.
First, they pamper you; then they belittle you; then they control you; and finally, they escalate to violence.
Unfortunately, An Xiaohui was an intellectual with a simple and honest personality. She valued her reputation and was very sentimental, which is why Zhang Minghui could manipulate her so easily. In addition, during the Cultural Revolution, many of An Xiaohui's relatives died or left, leaving her isolated and helpless without any support from her family. This led to the tragedy.
As a woman herself, Zheng Yu, who was conducting investigations in Jiangcheng, was seething with anger and began to express her views: "Do you know what's most despicable? Zhang Minghui has a performative personality. In front of others at the factory, he plays the role of a good husband, bringing meals to An Xiaohui, washing her clothes, and saying that he must do a good job in logistics to support her work. But behind her back, he spreads all kinds of negative comments, saying that An Xiaohui is too engrossed in her research and neglects her family, is under constant stress, doesn't do housework, and doesn't care about her son, thus reducing everyone's sympathy for An Xiaohui."
It's so stifling!
Jiang Ling didn't want to listen anymore and changed the subject to the patent: "What was the date of the patent invention? Was there any investigation or verification?"
Zheng Yu immediately understood: "That's right, the time of the patent invention coincides closely with the time of An Xiaohui's accident! Moreover, a few days before her accident, Zhang Minghui was suddenly transferred to a key technical position at the Hongxing Towel Factory, supposedly with core achievements."
What a coincidence!
Jiang Ling's heart skipped a beat.
In an instant, she recalled the stiff handwriting she had just seen on the experimental record, those glaring red question marks, Qian Gong's negative evaluation of Zhang Minghui's technical abilities as "exaggerated" and "lacking in solidity," as well as An Xiaohui's academic ideals and amazing chemical talent.
A cold, infuriating conclusion instantly took shape in the minds of the two experienced female police officers.
Zheng Yu forced out a few words through gritted teeth: "We must investigate him!"
A wave of immense sorrow washed over Jiang Ling; she felt grief for An Xiaohui.
Zhang Minghui plagiarized An Xiaohui's unfinished core ideas and semi-finished results that were enough to change the industry. He also committed domestic violence against An Xiaohui for a long time, faked her death as an accident, and then used this blood-stained patent to transform himself into an expert!
The technical problems that are now troubling the Peony Towel Factory are precisely the irrefutable evidence of Zhang Minghui's incompetence, guilty conscience, and inability to truly understand or even complete his wife's last work!
Technology theft.
murder.
Child abuse.
Zhang Minghui must be thoroughly investigated!
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