Chapter 97 The Handyman: The Handyman at Shunlai Restaurant
The interrogation, which lasted for more than three hours, finally came to an end. Zheng Yu and Jiang Ling walked out of the interrogation room, their backs soaked with sweat and their expressions exhausted.
Zhang Minghui confessed to all the charges.
— Out of jealousy, he plagiarized An Xiaohui's research results.
—He murdered An Xiaohui out of fear that his plagiarism would be exposed.
—Because Xiaoyu witnessed him killing his wife, he felt guilty and abused his own son, wanting to silence Xiaoyu forever.
The case is meticulously structured, the motives are clear, and the evidence is complete.
The case has finally been solved.
Jiang Ling and Zheng Yu exchanged a glance, both feeling relieved.
The evidence collection took nearly a month. If the two had not worked together, it would have been impossible to convict Zhang Minghui so easily.
Although the case has been solved, if Xiaoyu is not properly taken care of, the judge may still make an exception for him, considering that he is Xiaoyu's only guardian.
Zheng Yu asked, "How's Xiao Yu doing?"
Jiang Ling said, "An Xiaohui's mentor is willing to solve the technical problems in the patent. As long as the dye stability problem is solved, this patent can still generate considerable production benefits. Although Zhang Minghui is in jail, the Peony Towel Factory is willing to pay a patent usage fee every month, which is enough to support Xiaoyu's living and study expenses."
Zheng Yu looked at Jiang Ling: "The expenses are settled, but who will raise Xiao Yu? I learned in Jiangcheng before that An Xiaohui's parents have passed away, and her two older brothers and one younger sister have all gone abroad. Only her aunt is still in Jiangcheng. When An Xiaohui jumped to her death, her relatives could only contact her aunt. Her aunt made a scene at the factory, and Zhang Minghui gave her some money. Her aunt never inquired about it again, which shows that her aunt is also an unreliable and selfish person. There are actually many loopholes in An Xiaohui's suicide case. If even one or two relatives had insisted on investigating, the local police would not have hastily closed the case as a suicide."
Everything in the world is afraid of being serious.
Zhang Minghui's murder of An Xiaohui was riddled with flaws, but because no one investigated it, the case was hastily closed. If it weren't for the intervention of two compassionate and righteous police officers, Jiang Ling and Zheng Yu, Zhang Minghui would likely still be at large.
Since we're taking this case seriously, let's see it through to the end.
Jiang Ling said, "Wen Xiufen is willing to raise Xiaoyu."
Zheng Yu shook her head: "Zhang Minghui has a lot of savings, plus patent royalties, Xiaoyu is now a gold mine. According to the principle of prioritizing relatives and friends, I'm afraid Xiaoyu's custody won't go to Wen Xiufen, who is not related to him at all."
Thinking about the frequent trips between the police station, the civil affairs bureau, and the Mudan Towel Factory during this period, Jiang Ling's expression turned serious: "Short-term care is not a problem; the civil affairs bureau can issue a 'Temporary Care Authorization Letter.' But long-term guardianship requires a court judgment, which involves collecting evidence such as neighbor testimonies and the child's wishes... Wen Xiufen wants to take over? Difficult!"
Jiang Ling paused at this point.
To be honest, the most difficult part of this case is the issue of Xiaoyu's resettlement.
The psychological expert Qin Ningyun visits Xiaoyu once a week to provide psychological therapy, and Wen Xiufen accompanies him each time. Xiaoyu has a strong psychological attachment to Wen Xiufen, and abruptly severing this attachment relationship may be detrimental to Xiaoyu's future development.
Zheng Yu was straightforward: "Then let Wen Xiufen take care of him for now, and after Xiao Yu's psychological treatment is over, Zhang Minghui's parents will take him back."
Jiang Ling looked at Zheng Yu: "Zhang Minghui's father has a long history of domestic violence..."
Zheng Yu patted her shoulder and said, "Don't take too much responsibility on yourself. We've done our best. Zhang Minghui is in jail, so Xiaoyu should be raised by his grandparents. The issue of expenses has been resolved. We'll just ask the civil affairs department there to pay more attention to the child's growth, visit him regularly, and play a supervisory role."
Jiang Ling suddenly realized, yes, she had done her best.
Wen Xiufen has done her best.
Everyone has their own life, and we shouldn't add more responsibility to Wen Xiufen, nor should we allow ourselves to get caught up in troubles that don't belong to us.
After figuring this out, Jiang Ling felt much lighter on her feet.
After working so hard for so long, I can finally go home and rest.
August in Yanshi is like a giant, tightly sealed steamer.
The sweltering heat rose from the burning asphalt, distorting the distant streetscape. Occasionally, a gust of hot wind would sweep by, carrying dry dust and the incessant chirping of cicadas, pelting people and making it hard to breathe.
As evening approached, Jiang Ling stepped out of the office building, raising her hand to shield her eyes from the slanting sunlight streaming in from the west. She immediately spotted Liang Jiushan and Liang Qiqiao waiting at the main entrance.
"Sister Ling!" Liang Jiushan, with his sharp eyes, saw Jiang Ling come out and immediately called out. His voice was clear and bright, carrying the unique vitality of a young man, which dispelled some of the stuffiness of the summer heat.
Liang Qiqiao also raised her pretty face, which was flushed red from the sun, and gave Jiang Ling a shy smile.
Jiang Ling hurried forward to greet them: "What brings you all here?"
Liang Qiqiao wiped the sweat from her brow with a small handkerchief: "We just arrived and wanted to invite you to dinner."
Jiang Ling couldn't help but laugh: "How could it be your turn to treat us? You've been helping take care of Lin Xiaoyue all this time, so I should be thanking you. Come on! I'll take you out for Western food."
Liang Qiqiao insisted, "No, I got into university and Jiushan got into No. 1 High School. If it weren't for you, Sister Ling, where would we be today? We have to treat you to this meal."
Liang Jiushan's bright eyes were full of affection: "Sister Ling, we've been saying we'd treat you to a meal, but you always say you're busy. Today, the two of us will wait for you at the door after get off work. You can't refuse us again, can you?"
Jiang Ling thought for a moment and said, "Alright, let's go!"
Seeing the siblings' foreheads flushed and covered in sweat, Jiang Ling couldn't bring herself to refuse. Considering they both got into their desired schools, it was indeed something to celebrate.
Since I'm free of cases today, let's go out for a meal together.
The three left the city bureau entrance and joined the evening rush hour crowd.
Liang Jiushan squeezed between Jiang Ling and Liang Qiqiao, and Jiang Ling then realized that he had grown quite a bit taller. She wasn't short, but she only reached his chin.
Liang Jiushan blinked: "Sister Ling, you just said you wanted to eat Western food? Is Western food good?"
Jiang Ling did not comment on the taste of the Western food: "There was air conditioning and the environment was quite nice."
Liang Jiushan was still a curious boy, and he became interested when he heard about something new: "It's so hot, it would be great to have air conditioning. Let's go eat Western food."
There aren't many Western restaurants in Yanshi; you need to take two bus stops to reach Yintai Plaza, the busiest and most vibrant area in Yanshi.
After getting off the bus, I walked a short distance, and almost reached the street corner, where there was a restaurant with a small storefront.
A greasy signboard hung above the door, with the words "Shunlai Restaurant" written in yellow on a red background. Next to the restaurant was a small alley, where a dirty tricycle loaded with wire mesh cages was parked. The cages were empty, but the cart bed was covered with dark red stains and a few tufts of animal hair, emitting an indescribable fishy smell.
The back door of Shunlai Restaurant opens into a small alley. A thin figure huddled at the back door, wearing a drab gray short jacket, with his back to the street, head down, and silent, like a stone blending into the shadows.
Just as Jiang Ling's gaze swept over the figure in the short-sleeved shirt, the glass door of the restaurant facing the main road was violently pushed open with a "bang." A middle-aged man with a greasy white apron, a fleshy face, and a large belly shuffled out in slippers. He was carrying a tin dustpan filled with kitchen waste.
The middle-aged man was none other than Mr. Wang, the owner of this "Shunlai Restaurant".
Mr. Wang was clearly in a bad mood, perhaps because it was too hot in the kitchen, or perhaps because business was slow. His brows were furrowed, and he was muttering something under his breath. Just as he reached the door, a skinny, filthy stray dog appeared out of nowhere, cautiously approached the dustpan, and stretched out its nose to sniff at the last remaining traces of food inside.
"Get out of here, you beast!" Without the slightest hesitation, Boss Wang raised his foot, clad in a hard plastic slipper, and kicked the dog hard in the stomach with disgust and venting his anger.
"Awooo—" A shrill scream pierced the gloom of the evening.
The dog was kicked and flew more than half a meter away, crashing heavily onto the scorching ground. It curled up, whimpering in pain, struggling to get up, but its four thin legs trembled and slipped.
"What bad luck!" Boss Wang spat, seemingly still not satisfied, and picked up the winnowing basket as if to go forward again.
"stop--"
A furious shout rang out beside Jiang Ling. Liang Jiushan, like an enraged leopard cub, suddenly lunged forward two steps, his hands clenched into fists, his body tense, glaring angrily at Boss Wang.
Mr. Wang was startled by the sudden shout and paused in his movements.
He looked up and saw a tall, thin boy glaring at him, then glanced at Jiang Ling and Liang Qiqiao behind the boy.
Liang Qiqiao, wearing a floral dress, reached out and grabbed Liang Jiushan's arm, preventing him from rushing in to fight.
Jiang Ling was still wearing the same white shirt and brown knee-length skirt she wore in the interrogation room, her calm gaze revealing an indescribable pressure.
Mr. Wang's face twitched, and he swallowed back the curse that was about to come out of his mouth.
He seemed a little wary of Jiang Ling, or perhaps he found it troublesome. In the end, he just glared fiercely at Liang Jiushan, then cursed at the whimpering dog on the ground, "Come any closer and I'll skin you alive!" He then dumped the garbage from his dustpan into a street trash can and walked towards the restaurant entrance, cursing under his breath.
Liang Jiushan was kind-hearted and loved animals. He was furious to see Boss Wang kicking the dog so violently. After blocking his next move, he turned his attention to the dog that was curled up in the middle of the road, its hind legs twisted and whimpering in pain.
Just then, the small, thin figure that had been crouching in the shadows of the alley and huddled at the back door of the restaurant moved.
Upon hearing the dog's whimper, he immediately stood up and rushed to the restaurant's main entrance.
The sunlight shone on his face.
He was very young, even immature, at most in his early twenties. He had dark skin, high cheekbones, and thin, tightly pursed lips. Beads of sweat clung to his forehead and temples, sticking to a few strands of his dry, straw-like hair.
The thin man quickly walked to the middle of the road, bent down and picked up the whimpering, struggling stray dog.
The road was so hot that the soles of the man's slippers almost got stuck to the asphalt, making him walk like a duck.
The stray dog was hugged and barked twice.
The thin man reached out and patted the stray dog on the head, muttering something under his breath. Strangely enough, the stray dog suddenly became incredibly docile, nuzzling his hand and making gurgling sounds.
In the middle of the road, with cars coming and going, a thin man carrying a dog quickly weaves through the traffic and returns to the roadside.
Just as Mr. Wang opened the glass door of the restaurant to go in, he saw this scene and shouted, "Xiao Mao, what are you doing?"
The thin man, nicknamed Xiao Mao, held the dog and looked at Boss Wang pleadingly: "Boss, it's injured."
Boss Wang sneered, "A stray dog? You want to keep it?"
Xiao Mao nodded repeatedly, his back hunched and hunched, looking humble and pitiful.
Boss Wang glanced at Xiao Mao with a condescending air: "I'll deduct ten yuan from your salary."
Xiao Mao's eyes lit up: "Okay."
A sinister smile curled at the corner of Boss Wang's lips: "Trying to shirk your duties?"
Xiao Mao hurriedly shook his head: "No, no, no, the dishes are washed, and the kitchen is cleaned up too."
Boss Wang kicked him: "Go back!"
Xiao Mao carried the dog and quickly entered the restaurant.
The whole process was very short, lasting only a few minutes.
However, an inexplicable sense of familiarity made Jiang Ling's feet firmly planted on the ground.
The combination of Boss Wang's face and his silent, thin figure gave Jiang Ling a strange sense of familiarity.
who are they?
Chaotic fragments of memory swirled rapidly in her mind.
After being reborn, Jiang Ling knew that the criminal files in her memories couldn't stay with her forever. So she focused on honing her skills in applying criminal profiling theories to reduce her reliance on her past life's memories.
But today, this inexplicable sense of familiarity made Jiang Ling wary.
This means that new cases may occur.
I finally finished a tough case and could take a short break, but I didn't expect to have this feeling again.
Jiang Ling sighed and quickly searched her memory.
Is he a victim?
No relevant image records were found.
Is he a murderer?
No matching criminal photo was found.
So what exactly is it?
While Jiang Ling was deep in thought, Liang Jiushan spoke up: "This boss is ruthless; he's not a good person."
Liang Qiqiao hesitated for a moment: "But he agreed to adopt that dog."
Liang Jiushan glanced at the tricycle parked in the alley next to the restaurant and whispered, "See that tricycle? That iron cage is probably for dogs. This owner buys, kills, and sells dog meat."
Jiang Ling's expression hardened.
Buying dogs, killing dogs, and selling dog meat?
These words triggered Jiang Ling's memories.
There was indeed a case in my past life that involved dog abuse.
It was a serial murder case that began in 1996 and ended in 2008, lasting twelve years.
The deceased was ruthless and cruel.
They possess extremely strong counter-surveillance capabilities, and their true identity has never been ascertained.
The target was strangled with a hemp rope, and a bone with its flesh and blood removed was stuffed into the victim's mouth.
The killer thus earned a chilling code name—Black Bone.
Real name? Unknown.
Household registration? Unknown.
Social connections? Almost zero.
The deceased were all notorious people who abused, stole, and sold dog meat.
The first case occurred in April 1996, when a dog thief known in a small circle for his cruel methods of killing dogs was found strangled to death by a remote riverbank or abandoned construction site, with a rope wrapped around his neck and the rope digging deep into his flesh.
Then the second, the third...
Then, the range of victims began to expand, including vendors and stall owners who had disputes over eating dog meat or who had been reported for abusing dogs. The number of victims increased, and the methods gradually evolved from strangulation to more elaborate and cruel ways, showing an extreme hatred and vengeful venting towards "dog abusers".
The police had invested a huge amount of manpower, but "Black Bone" was like a real ghost, with no fixed residence, no stable job, no reliable witnesses, and not even a clear portrait.
He would always disappear completely after committing a crime in one place, often taking advantage of the gaps in household registration management and social surveillance at the time.
The only relatively clear piece of speculative information about him comes from an early contact: he started working at a very young age and may have worked in places like restaurants or slaughterhouses.
Finally, during an attempt to apprehend him, Blackbone clashed violently with the police. He set fire to his hideout, causing a massive fire that claimed his life. Because the scene was almost completely destroyed, and given that he was an unidentified, undocumented individual, and DNA testing was far from widespread at the time, this chilling serial killer ultimately became a fragmented criminal file marked as an unsolved case.
Jiang Ling recalled the complex emotions that welled up inside her when she was sorting through this file. The deceased had a long history of misdeeds, but all of them had suffered abuse and torture before their deaths. Hei Gu claimed to be a righteous person, the police were powerless, and the identity of the murderer remained a mystery, leaving a poignant ending.
However, it is now 1994, and Blackbone has not yet started killing people.
Perhaps I'm being too sensitive?
The image of the man in the short jacket reappeared in Jiang Ling's mind.
He was the first to rush out when the shop owner kicked the dog, which shows he is a dog lover.
Who is he? Is he a handyman at Shunlai Restaurant?
He was young, quiet, and honest.
If Mr. Wang's shop sells dog meat, is it a good thing or a bad thing for Xiao Mao to adopt this stray dog?
Thinking of this, Jiang Ling glanced at the sign again. Shunlai Restaurant was only two or three hundred meters away from the Yintai Plaza commercial center.
Liang Jiushan had "interned" at the Municipal Bureau for a while. Seeing Jiang Ling's expression, he became alert and leaned closer to her, asking, "Sister Ling, what's wrong? Is there something wrong with this boss?"
Jiang Ling shook her head: "It's nothing."
Jiang Ling led them forward, her steps returning to their previous rhythm. But only she knew that her mind was no longer on eating.
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