The Devil in the World (3)

On the day Lu He took over the case, he contacted Ruan Mengying's family, but they said they didn't have time to go to the police station to claim the body.

Lu He could only buy a ticket and rush to Ruan Mengying's hometown with Liang Yunfeng. It is possible that Ruan Mengying returned to her hometown to live after she disappeared for a year. He was even more puzzled by her family's attitude.

At six o'clock in the evening, without having a bite to eat, the two of them went straight to her hometown community, and after asking people, they found a house on the first floor.

After knocking on the door, a woman in her forties opened the door a crack and asked curiously, "Who are you?"

"We are from the Jinyang City Public Security Bureau. Is this Ruan Mengying's home?" Liang Yunfeng took out his police officer ID and showed it to her.

The woman had received a call from the police before and knew why they came to her house, so she opened the door and said, "Come in."

After entering the house, Lu He looked around the house out of habit. It was probably a two-bedroom, one-living room apartment with average decoration. Judging from the placement of shoes in the house, in addition to the hostess, there were two men's shoes, one was old and the other was fashionable and sporty. One should be Ruan Mengying's father, and the other might be her older brother.

The woman's name was Luo Ping, and she poured water for the two of them. Luo Ping asked them to sit down, and they sat on the chairs first. Liang Yunfeng glanced at Lu He, and sat opposite Luo Ping.

Liang Yunfeng took out the notebook and said, "Ms. Luo, why didn't you go to claim the body?"

While Liang Yunfeng was questioning, Lu He casually walked a few steps and scanned the structure of the house. The two bedrooms should be the master bedrooms of Luo Ping and her husband, and there was another room that was undoubtedly the residence of Luo Ping's son. There was no trace of Ruan Mengying in this house, not even a photo of her.

Back in the living room, he put his hands in his pockets, inquired about Luo Ping, pursed his thin lips, and said nothing. He handed the task of questioning to Liang Yunfeng today.

Luo Ping was wearing home clothes and an apron, her hair was a little messy, and the skin on her cheeks and palms was dull. She must have done housework frequently and was exposed to cold water a lot.

Luo Ping said with an attitude that it had nothing to do with her: "My son is going to take the college entrance examination, so I really can't spare time. Her father is always busy at the mahjong table and doesn't care about her at all."

"Do you know where Ruan Mengying went this year?" Liang Yunfeng asked.

Luo Ping shook her head, "I don't know, Meng Ying rarely calls me."

Liang Yunfeng became emotional: "But as a mother, you can't just ignore this situation. Now that the person is dead, you don't even go to claim the body..."

"She is a stepmother." Lu He said suddenly.

Liang Yunfeng was stunned for a moment, and Luo Ping's expression was slightly shocked, and she seemed a little surprised that someone had guessed her identity.

"Yes, Mengying's father and I are a married couple. When Mengying was in junior high school, her parents divorced. She lived with her father, and there was a big gap between the two of us. After high school, especially after we started working, we kind of stopped communicating with each other. Even if he didn't contact his daughter for a year, he wouldn't ask about it."

"He was indifferent when he heard his daughter was murdered?"

"In fact, when he heard the news about Meng Ying the night before, he cried all night. He cried secretly in the corner. He must have felt sorry for his daughter, but what could he do? His daughter was dead. He went to the mahjong hall the next day."

"Mahjong hall?" Liang Yunfeng's forehead was raised, his facial features were tense, and his anger was evident in his words.

Luo Ping had no expression on her face, and even said lazily, "He likes playing cards. He didn't have a formal job. There are several rooms in his house, and he collects a little rent every month. It's barely enough to support the children's education and the family's life. Oh, there's nothing else to do, I still have to cook, my son studies very hard, and he will be back soon after playing basketball..."

"Bang!" Liang Yunfeng shrank his neck, startled by the sound, and turned his head to see Lu He's right fist hitting the wall. The wall was hard and solid, but when Lu He punched it, it seemed that his fist was stronger than the wall.

Luo Ping turned pale with fright, her pupils dilated, with a hint of uneasiness in her eyes. After looking at Lu He, she was totally at a loss as to what to do. The expression of "careless and indifferent" that she had just had suddenly subsided.

Liang Yunfeng didn't think Captain Lu was angry. Although he punched the wall, there was no obvious anger on his face. His eyes were just very cold, even chilly. Maybe it was because of the look in his eyes that Luo Ping looked timid.

"What mahjong hall?" Lu He's voice was low and sharp like a knife.

Luo Ping swallowed, her emotions tense. "It was Xiao Ming's Mahjong parlor. He...he wasn't gambling, he was just making small changes."

"Liang Yunfeng, contact the police station." Lu He put his hands in his wallet pockets again and walked towards the door.

Liang Yunfeng stood up, said "I'll come visit again when I have time", and went out. In the darkness at the door, he met a big boy with sweat all over his head and holding a basketball. He was probably Luo Ping's son.

Lu He walked past him without any intention of stopping, so Liang Yunfeng didn't plan to stop and ask about the situation.

At eight o'clock in the evening, in the office of the police station, four or five people were squatting on the ground, and a policeman was writing something on his desk.

The squatters complained: "Isn't this just a small bribe? Ordinary people can't even have fun."

"Yeah, why are you arresting people randomly?"

The police officer turned around and said sternly, "What are you arguing about? What is entertainment? Playing cards day and night is also entertainment? Don't you have a normal life? Don't you care about your wife and children at home?"

Several people stopped talking loudly, but still complained quietly. At this moment, a tall shadow suddenly came from the doorway, giving people a suffocating feeling of impending storm. Everyone raised their heads. The man was tall, with handsome features, but also very stern. His eyes were like holding a knife. Looking at people like this made people feel cold in their hearts, and everyone immediately fell silent.

"Ruan Fuchun, come out." The man's tone was cold and chilling.

Everyone looked at the middle-aged man squatting outside.

The man had sparse, untidy hair, a bushy mustache, dull small eyes, and was unkempt. He probably spent all day in the mahjong parlor and didn't care about grooming himself.

In the separate interrogation room, Ruan Fuchun sat in a chair, Lu He still stood beside him, Liang Yunfeng sat opposite the man and asked: "Ruan Fuchun, do you know that your daughter Ruan Mengying was murdered?"

Liang Yunfeng's tone was harsh, showing that he was full of confusion and anger towards his father.

Lu He actually roughly understood Ruan Fuchun's psychology. Perhaps when they divorced, his daughter Ruan Mengying blamed him. He gave up on himself and neglected to raise his daughter. His daughter became more and more disappointed in him, and the two became strangers.

Combined with Luo Ping's words, Ruan Fuchun should still love his daughter, but his love is evasive. He has been avoiding Ruan Mengying. He feels sorry for her, but he is a father and he can only adopt an evasive attitude to deal with the father-daughter relationship.

This time his daughter was murdered, and he probably knew how she died, so he escaped again and did not go to identify the body. This time his escape was slightly different from the previous ones. He might be afraid of seeing his daughter's miserable condition, and he could not face his indifference over the years.

He hid in the corner and cried secretly that night, which was a confession, but he soon became numb. He returned to the mahjong hall again just to numb himself completely.

Ruan Fuchun moved his mouth, as if he had something to say but did not speak. Liang Yunfeng reminded him sternly again, and Ruan Fuchun finally spoke: "I'm sorry Meng Ying, I'm not worthy of being her father. If you want to lock me up, just lock me up."

"How long do you want to keep running away?" Lu He scolded, "She has been stitched up. You will never have the chance to see her again in the future."

Perhaps everyone present could understand the words "sew it up". Ruan Fuchun felt as if he was stabbed hard. He stretched out a rough hand, covered his eyes and started crying.

Ten minutes later, Ruan Fuchun calmed down. Liang Yunfeng asked, "From last year to this year, has Ruan Mengying contacted you?"

"No, she hasn't talked to me since high school. When I was in high school, she would go home to ask for tuition and living expenses. After she started working, she would only come back during the Spring Festival."

"Did she come back last Spring Festival?"

"No, she sent a piece of clothing to my family last Spring Festival. It was a down jacket. I was surprised at the time that she would buy me clothes, so I knew she would not be going home for the Spring Festival."

"Didn't you ask her why she didn't go home for the New Year?"

"I don't have her contact information, and she won't give it to me."

Lu He suddenly interrupted: "Did you leave the package of clothes behind? What's the address on it?"

"I don't remember... I did leave it there. I wanted to go to see her at the address, but I couldn't find it later. Maybe Luo Ping threw it away."

Lu He knew that this piece of clothing might not have been sent home by Ruan Mengying, and the address might have been filled in randomly. Maybe nothing could be found, but any possibility could not be missed, maybe there were clues among them.

Liang Yunfeng asked some more questions, and Ruan Fuchun answered them all. In fact, Ruan Mengying and he had no interaction at all this year, so there was no breakthrough from him.

Lu He finally asked, "Ruan Fuchun, is there any problem with going to Jinyang City Police Station to claim the body today?"

"No problem." Ruan Fuchun nodded heavily.

After leaving the police station, Lu He told Liang Yunfeng: "Contact the local post office to see if you can find the address."

"Okay, Team Lu, don't worry."

*

At two o'clock in the afternoon, Meng Siqi, Feng Shaomin and Zhao Leiting arrived at Jinyang City Fushou Ankang Nursing Home. After communicating with the nursing home staff, a nursing nurse took the three to a VIP room.

While walking, Meng Siqi was also observing the condition of the nursing home. It was a relatively new nursing home, and the staff were dressed neatly and formally. The name of the nursing home was embroidered on the chest of each person's uniform, and next to it was an aluminum work badge the size of an eraser.

Just like the name badge of the nurse in front of him, Meng Siqi's eyesight was a little better and he could see her name clearly at a glance: He Ling.

The VIP room is on the second floor. The corridor is very clean, with emergency lights and fire extinguishers. On the walls are Chinese paintings and calligraphy by the elderly. The air is filled with a slight smell of disinfectant and refreshing floral scents.

Meng Siqi felt that this nursing home was not cheap, and the fact that Yao Renjun, deputy director of the textile factory, lived in a VIP room showed that his family was well-off.

On the way, Nurse He gave a few reminders. At this time, Mr. Yao had just finished his nap. The old man was afraid of noise and liked quietness, so he should try to give him a comfortable afternoon.

Nurse He knocked on the door of Room 208. "Mr. Yao, someone is here to see you. We are coming in."

Nurse He did not wait for a response from inside, but opened the door directly, and Meng Siqi followed behind and entered the entrance. The room was not as she imagined, thinking that it would have a strong smell of old people, but on the contrary, the environment inside was very elegant, and there was a strong fragrance of flowers.

The entire decoration is very plain, mainly beige, giving a very fresh feeling. Although the room is not big, it still has a separate bathroom and balcony. There is no one in the bedroom. On the clean bed, there is a neatly folded quilt, there are flowers on the table, and there is a radio with an open antenna.

Apparently, Yao Wenjun still had the habit of listening to the news. Meng Siqi walked from the entrance into the bedroom and immediately looked at the sunny south-facing balcony. An old man with half-white hair was sitting in a wheelchair with his back to them.

The sun was shining on him, and his white hair was blown by the wind, looking like transparent fishing line in the sun.

Nurse He walked to the balcony and greeted Mr. Yao, then slowly pushed the wheelchair 180 degrees. The wheelchair turned around, and with it, Yao Renjun's face turned around.

It was a face that was not old. The wrinkles on his face were shallow, his face was thin, his facial features were three-dimensional, his eyes were slightly sunken, and his nose bridge was high. One could imagine that he was a lean and smart type when he was young.

There was a sharp contrast on such a face. His eyes were very dull, with almost no light except for the little bit of sunlight that forced its way in.

So at first glance, he looks like a wax figure, because his face is well-groomed and has a bit of gloss, making it look more like a wax figure.

The only thing that could distinguish him from the wax statue was that he was sitting in a wheelchair with one of his hands resting on the armrest, and several fingers were trembling, as if he had obvious Parkinson's disease.

He was wearing a neat Mao suit and seemed to have been well cared for in the nursing home. Otherwise, if he was really in this condition, he would not be so clean.

He had no reaction at all to the visitor, so when the nurse pushed him into the bedroom, Meng Siqi could not see any changes in his lifeless eyes.

He is always looking ahead into the void, and his condition may be more serious than ordinary Alzheimer's disease.

"Can he hear us now?" Feng Shaomin asked.

Nurse He replied: "He can hear it, but he may not be able to give much response."

"What should we do when eating and going to the toilet?" Feng Shaomin continued to ask.

"We have caregivers. As a VIP user of our Fushou Ankang Nursing Home, the services you enjoy are definitely different. Mr. Yao also cooperates with us and is our high-quality user."

Unexpectedly, Nurse He also introduced her own nursing home. Her tone was calm and she was very respectful to Yao Renjun.

Feng Shaomin continued to ask: "How long has he been like this?"

Yao Renjun is only 66 years old. Logically speaking, it is impossible for him to reach such a level of dementia at this age. Moreover, given his wealthy family background, the mental pressure he is under is not high.

Meng Siqi checked and found out that he had a son who was the owner of a company, his wife also had a decent job, and his grandson was already in college. If there was any mental pressure, it was the year when the textile factory was finally facing bankruptcy. He definitely would not have been like this from then on, otherwise he would not have been sober enough to do those things at the time.

Nurse He replied: "Mr. Yao was admitted to our nursing home two years ago, but his condition was much better at that time. We have checked his condition now and found that it is not just physical. It may be due to the influence of the past. Mr. Yao, Mr. Yao's son, explained to us that Mr. Yao had been under mental pressure in recent years. The pressure was very great, so he gradually became like this."

"Did you mention any pressure?" Feng Shaomin asked.

"I heard from Mr. Yao that he worked hard for the factory all his life, but in the end, the factory closed down. He tried his best but couldn't save it. This is Mr. Yao's lifelong pain. He feels sorry for the factory workers and he can't get over it..."

Suddenly, Yao Renjun reacted. A trace of fear and despair appeared in his pupils. His mouth opened and he screamed, "Uh, uh..." with a sound like guilt, pain and sorrow.

"Mr. Yao, Mr. Yao, are you okay?" Nurse He quickly half-knelt in front of him, her face full of worry. She held his trembling palms with both hands and gently rubbed the back of his hands, trying to calm him down.