Chapter 7
In fact, before arriving at Changtangzhuang, Rong Jing and his party had already cast their suspicions on Zhang Yu.
Cheng Puyu's last memory before his death was related to Zhang Yu. After Song Qing's investigation, it was confirmed that Cheng Puyu's personal information had not yet been cancelled at the police station, which proved that he should be "alive" in the public eye.
This is contrary to reality.
The only possible explanation is that someone concealed his death.
Now, from the fruit shop owner's mouth, they can confirm this guess.
"Then can we go find Zhang Yu now?" Song Qing asked.
Following Xie Changshi around all year round to handle work-related matters had somewhat drained his enthusiasm, but today's investigation into the cause of death of a ghost really made him experience what freshness and excitement meant.
Especially since he was carrying the weight of an innocent life.
Song Qing felt that he was full of motivation.
"Don't worry." Rong Jing peeled the orange, and the sweet and sour aroma filled the entire car. He said, "Before looking for Zhang Yu, we can first find the police uncle."
Report, call the police?
Song Qing was stunned, his expression looking a little incredible.
He has convinced himself to believe in ghosts and gods, so why is the solution still the simple call to the police?
Do the police still care about this?
Besides——
"What should we say to the police?"
"Tell the truth."
"Then we might be kicked out." He might even be treated as a psychopath and make a scene in the police station, then have to drink a couple of cups of tea before being picked up by Mr. Xie.
But Rong Jing said firmly: "No."
Song Qing didn't know why Rong Jing was so confident. Seeing that he was eager to try, he didn't know how to convince him. After thinking it over again and again, he could only send a message to Xie Changshi for help. However, what he didn't expect was that Xie Changshi's reply also shocked him: listen to him.
It's upside down. The world is a little bit upside down.
Song Qing chose to join in the fun.
So he stepped on the accelerator and drove the black Maybach towards the Tingyang City Police Station.
…
The police station was so quiet in the afternoon that you could hear the wind blowing past your eyes.
Duan Yun put his hands in his pockets and walked slowly back to the hall from the cafeteria, with entertainment activities flashing through his mind.
She has been so idle lately that mushrooms seem to be growing on her head. It seems boring to stay in the police station all day long. Maybe she can go to the nearby shopping mall to watch a movie in the afternoon.
I heard that the quality of the recently released films is pretty good.
Then order a cup of milk tea, preferably with less sugar and ice.
As his thoughts wandered, a pleasant young voice rang in Duan Yunshuang's ears: "Hello, I want to find a special department to handle something."
Special department?
Duan Yunshuang's ears pricked up, and the direction of his steps changed as he walked towards the front desk.
The receptionist at the front desk didn't miss her arrival and immediately smiled at the young man in front of her: "It just so happens that the person behind you is Ms. Duan Yunshuang, the head of our special department. You can talk to her if you have any questions."
Rong Jing turned around and saw a face with beautiful features.
Duan Yunshuang wasn't wearing a uniform. Her long, wavy brown hair was casually tied up with a wooden hairpin, making her look particularly neat and fresh. She folded her arms, leaning lazily against the stage pillar. She looked into the mirror and raised an eyebrow as she asked, "Are you sure you want to contact the special department?"
Rong Jing nodded.
"Okay, follow me."
I followed Duan Yunshuang up to the third floor and walked all the way to the office at the end of the corridor. When I opened the door, I saw a unique decoration.
There is an old peach wood sword with a solid wood dragon frame under the sword. A huge portrait of Tianzun hangs behind the desk. In addition, there are some special gadgets.
Duan Yunshuang didn't miss Song Qing's surprised look and Rong Jing's unchanged expression. He smiled, bent down and poured two glasses of water, motioned Rong Jing and Song Qing to sit on the sofa to the side, and asked Song Qing first: "It seems that this gentleman doesn't know much about our special department?"
Song Qing, whose name was called, smiled awkwardly.
Duan Yunshuang didn't mind and slowly introduced, "The Special Department was established by the Tianshi Alliance in cooperation with the government. It has branches in every city's police station and is designed to deal with some unusual phenomena that occur in that city."
When talking about the word "phenomenon", Duan Yunshuang emphasized the pronunciation.
Then he continued, "Then tell me what you two have discovered."
Rong Jing said obediently: "We encountered a ghost in the mall. After a simple investigation, we found that its cause of death might be related to its former friends, so we wanted to come here to check on its friends."
In a few words, he explained the location and circumstances of his encounter with Cheng Puyu, as well as the fact that Cheng Puyu was unable to leave the mall.
Duan Yunshuang's previously languid expression shifted slightly when she heard Cheng Puyu couldn't leave the mall. She lowered her eyes, her brow furrowed slightly, and then quickly walked to her desk to search for information about Cheng Puyu.
Just as Song Qing had investigated, Cheng Puyu's account was not cancelled.
So she entered Zhang Yu's name again.
Zhang Yu, a native of Tangzhuang, Tingyang City, is 30 years old this year. He started his own small business, got married last year, and gave birth to a son in December of the same year.
At first glance, it looks like an ordinary, normal situation.
"Zhang Yu and Cheng Puyu have a good relationship?" Duan Yunshuang asked.
Song Qing replied, "That's what Cheng Puyu himself said. Zhang Yu is four years older than him, so he's like a half-brother. He's always liked to follow Zhang Yu around. After Cheng Puyu's parents died in an accident, they treated him like their own son. Cheng Puyu always spent every holiday at the Zhang family's."
It seems that the relationship is very good.
Duan Yunshuang glanced at Zhang Yu's family situation, then focused her gaze on the words "Starting a Business" behind Zhang Yu's information. She rested her chin on her hand, pondering for a moment. After a few minutes, a meaningful expression flashed from behind the screen: "Three years ago, Zhang Yu's account had an extra million."
Song Qing and Rong Jing looked at each other, and the latter asked, "Is Zhang Yu in Tingyang City now?"
"After Zhang Yu got married, he and his wife moved to Ancheng. But you're lucky. The highway checkpoint showed that he came to Tingyang with his wife and son yesterday. If nothing unexpected happens, they are here to visit their parents."
After getting the information they wanted, Rong Jing and Song Qing did not stay in the police station for long.
Before leaving, Duan Yunshuang asked Rong Jing for his contact information, and then casually asked, "Which sect or Taoist temple does your brother belong to?"
"Xuantian Temple."
The three words sounded a little unfamiliar to Duan Yunshuang.
She searched her memory for a long time but couldn't find the existence of "Xuantian Temple", so she stopped worrying about it.
There are many Taoist temples of all sizes across the country, so it is normal not to know.
She returned to her desk and made a call: "Have you returned to Tingyang? I asked you to keep an eye on me."
…
Back in the black Maybach, Cheng Puyu was already looking forward to it.
Rong Jing stuffed its head back into the car and asked, "Did Zhang Yu encounter any financial problems three years ago?"
Cheng Puyu didn't react immediately. After a pause, he realized that Rong Jing's question might be related to the cause of his death. He thought about it and shook his head in frustration: "I don't know."
It seems to know nothing.
I don’t know how I died, and I don’t know what the grudge between me and Zhang Yu is.
"Then let's ask Zhang Yu when the time comes."
"Zhang Yu probably won't tell, right?" Song Qing frowned. If Cheng Puyu was really killed by Zhang Yu, Zhang Yu would definitely not tell the truth.
He concealed the truth for three years and is now married with children. He certainly doesn't want to go to jail.
Rong Jing curled her lips: "Just scare him, if that doesn't work then beat him up."
Around nine o'clock in the evening.
Zhang Yu came out of his parents' home with his wife and son. His parents, already somewhat elderly, followed behind them. The old father was smiling, while the old mother looked reluctant to leave. She held Zhang Yu's hand and said, "Next time, bring a piece of unpolished jade with you. This kid is really something. He hasn't come back in three years."
Zhang Yu's expression froze slightly, but he quickly reacted and said with a smile, "I see. Anyway, I've conveyed my message. Whether he comes or not is not up to me. Okay, Mom and Dad, you should go back and get some rest. It's getting late."
"Got it. Please be careful when you drive home."
It takes three hours to drive from Tingyang City to Ancheng.
"If you feel tired, take a rest at the service area."
"Yeah, I know."
Zhang Yu's wife heard this and comforted the old man: "Don't worry, Mom and Dad. If Zhang Yu is tired, I will drive. We will come to see you later."
"Okay, okay."
After saying goodbye to his parents, Zhang Yu and his family of three got into the car and quickly drove away from Changtangzhuang.
On the way, Zhang Yu's wife asked curiously, "Why didn't you tell them that you had cut off contact with Cheng Puyu?"
Although she had never met Cheng Puyu, it was no exaggeration to say that the name Cheng Puyu was well-known to her.
Every time I come to Tingyang, my husband's parents and neighbors almost always mention Cheng Puyu.
Everyone thought that Cheng Puyu and her husband had a good relationship, but they didn't know that as early as the year they got married, Cheng Puyu changed her contact information and disappeared without a trace because she owed her husband money and didn't pay it back.
Zhang Yu smiled helplessly when he heard this question: "My parents like Pu Yu so much, they almost treat him as their own son. If I tell them the truth, won't it make them feel disappointed?"
"That's not the case. They'll find out sooner or later."
Zhang Yu's eyes darkened, and he calmly changed the subject: "If you're sleepy, take a nap. I'll call you when we get home."
"OK."
A black car sped along the road.
They chose a shortcut that would take them through a village. The road became narrower and several street lights were broken. Zhang Yu stared intently at the surroundings with his eyes wide open, not daring to be distracted.
However, I don’t know if it’s because my eyes have been in the same position for too long, but my eyelids have developed an extremely strong sore feeling.
He held the steering wheel with one hand and rubbed his eyes.
In the blur of a few seconds, it seemed as if a ghostly shadow flashed by.
Zhang Yu slammed on the brakes.
He shook his head and looked ahead. The five meters of road ahead was dark and empty. Not to mention ghosts, even creatures like weasels were nowhere to be seen. Only the night wind blew the leaves, shaking the shadows on the ground.
Zhang Yu breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that perhaps the mention of Cheng Puyu today had affected his mood.
He pursed his lips and whispered, "Don't blame me. At worst, I can burn more paper money for you..."
"Really?" A hoarse voice suddenly sounded behind Zhang Yu. Even after three years, the voice still seemed familiar, making him drenched in cold sweat at that moment.
Zhang Yu's whole body was stiff, but his heart was beating extremely violently, and each beat seemed to be about to break through his chest and throat.
He swallowed frantically, his eyes focusing on the rearview mirror bit by bit.
Cheng Puyu was wearing the same clothes she'd worn that night, a simple casual outfit, and sat quietly in the back seat. He raised his eyes, his features no longer as delicate as they used to be, but rather ferocious, especially his scarlet eyes, which emanated a silent malice that threatened to devour Zhang Yu.
What made Zhang Yu feel most panicked and horrified was that his one-year-old son was sleeping soundly in the young man's arms.
"you……"
Zhang Yu opened his mouth, but his throat seemed to be blocked by something, and he could only utter one word with difficulty.
Cheng Puyu lowered his eyes, and under Zhang Yu's horrified gaze, his sharp nails gently brushed across the delicate face of the one-year-old child, as if the child's skin would be pierced if he used a little force.
Cheng Puyu said calmly, "I'm curious. I treat you as my brother, why would you want to kill me?"
"You, let him go!"
"Are you worried about your son?" Cheng Puyu hooked his nails on the child's clothes and lifted him up into the air. Then a malicious smile appeared on his pale face. "You kill me, I kill your son, and we'll even out our relationship."
"No! He's just a kid!"
"As for me, I had just graduated from college at that time and had finally found a stable job to start my new life."
Although Cheng Puyu had no idea how he died, he always remembered that night. After receiving the news of his employment at the company, he excitedly shared the news with Zhang Yu. Zhang Yu also seemed very happy and suggested going out for a midnight snack to celebrate with him.
He thought Zhang Yu was really happy for him, but reality slapped him hard in the face.
"Tell me, why are you killing me?!"
"I... I didn't kill you." Zhang Yu hit his head hard, his eyes full of ferocity. "This is all my hallucination. You've been dead for a long time..."
"Hallucination?"
Cheng Puyu sneered and pierced Zhang Yu's son's arm with his sharp nails. Blood gushed out instantly, and the child's shrill cry hit Zhang Yu's eardrum.
Cheng Puyu: "Is this also an illusion?"
No, not at all.
Zhang Yu could clearly smell the strong smell of blood, which made his head dizzy.
But he just bit his lips tightly and said nothing.
Seeing his stubborn look, Cheng Puyu flew out of the car with Zhang Yu's son in his hand and sat on the hood of the car. He held the child in one hand, and if he let go even a little, the child would fall into the wheel.
This scene completely stimulated Zhang Yu's eyes. He suddenly threw himself on the steering wheel and shouted in panic: "No, no, don't do this——"
"Then tell me why you want to kill me."
"I'll burn a lot of money for you every year... Don't touch him!"
"Stop talking nonsense. I just want answers." Cheng Puyu's brows darkened. "Besides, why do you think that just because you killed me and burned some paper money for me, it can be pretended that this incident never happened?"
"I didn't kill you." Zhang Yu's shoulders drooped, as if all his strength had been drained away. He murmured, "I just drugged the wine to make you pass out."
"But you know I'm dead. You know everything."
Zhang Yu choked.
"Tell me what happened, and I'll let you and your son go. From now on, you and your family of three can live a good life. Otherwise, I'll come to you every day. You can try and see if you can have a good life from now on."
Cheng Puyu's face pressed against Zhang Yu's face through the windshield, and the hatred bursting out of his ghostly eyes almost burned Zhang Yu's whole body.
Fear spread silently.
Zhang Yu was trembling all over, and the words "live a good life" began to linger in his mind. As if he had grabbed a life-saving straw, he asked impatiently: "Really? Are you serious? If I tell you..."
Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted: "Of course."
Zhang Yu stared at it blankly for a long while, and finally said: "...Okay, I'll tell you."
"Three years ago, my business partner tricked me into going to the casino and I lost 800,000 yuan..." Zhang Yu's lips trembled. "I couldn't pay them back, so they threatened to break my parents' legs and kill them. I didn't take it seriously at first, thinking they wouldn't be so bold. But that night, my mom told me there was a strange man walking around outside our house. When I asked him about his characteristics, I found out he was from the casino."
“I wanted to get a loan from the bank, but I couldn’t.”
At this time, Zhang Yu met a Taoist priest. The Taoist priest looked him up and down, then suddenly smiled and asked him, "Are you short of money? I have an opportunity to make money. Do you want to try it?"
The other party’s so-called way of making money is to exchange it for Cheng Puyu’s life.
Zhang Yu would definitely disagree.
But he was really forced into a desperate situation.
That night, on his way home, he received a call from his father, saying that his mother had been hit by a car and her leg was broken, but the car was black and had no license plate, so the police couldn't find the person.
At the same time, someone from the casino sent a message saying: Next time there will be more than one leg.
All the hairs on his body stood up in an instant.
He stayed up all night without sleeping.
The next day, he went to find the Taoist priest.
"I drugged you and after confirming you were unconscious, I handed you over to the Taoist priest. Afterwards... the Taoist priest gave me one million. I paid off the debt and used the remaining two hundred thousand to start a small business."
Now, the business is doing better and better, and I have a wife and a son.
Zhang Yu's eyes were red. "Puyu, I really didn't mean it, but I was really desperate at the time... Can you forgive me? I beg you..."
Cheng Puyu looked at the man who was crying bitterly.
Yes, Zhang Yu now has a wife and a son, and his life is getting better and better.
But what about him?
I floated in that shopping mall in a daze for three whole years, watching people coming and going. Sometimes, when I was confused, I followed them, forgetting that I couldn't leave the mall. Then, when I reached the door, I was hit back hard, rolling on the ground in pain.
But no one can see it.
They would just walk through its body and continue talking and laughing.
Cheng Puyu curled his lips and waved his hand.
The cold air around him dissipated completely, and the strong smell of blood also dissipated at this moment. Zhang Yu seemed to have noticed something and raised his eyes.
What he met was not Cheng Puyu's grimace, but his wife's shocked and panicked eyes.
Zhang Yu's heart skipped a beat.
There was only one thought in my mind -
It's over.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
