Chapter 379 The Case of the Female Corpse in the Culvert "Thank you everyone. Actually, today's incident is also a reminder to everyone."
"In the future, when you encounter similar public arguments, especially those involving one-sided moral accusations against an individual, don't just sit back and watch the drama unfold and jump to conclusions."
Xia Zhining's gaze swept across the crowd, her tone earnest and forceful: "Many criminal gangs take advantage of people's tendency to watch and their preconceived notions, deliberately creating conflict, slandering and isolating victims, making it easier for them to commit further crimes or escape."
“In many human trafficking cases, the perpetrators will suddenly gather a group of people, slander lone women on the street as ‘mistresses’ or ‘cheating partners’, and forcibly take them away under the pretext of ‘teaching the mistress a lesson’.”
"Maintaining vigilance and goodwill can sometimes save a life by asking an extra question or helping to call the police."
Many of those who had just joined in the commotion or tacitly agreed with the stall owner's explanation now looked ashamed and nodded in agreement: "The young lady is right!"
"We need to be more careful!"
"Been taught a lesson!"
After processing the scene, the police officer said to Xia Zhining, "Expert Xia, we need to take these two pieces of jade involved in the case back to the station for formal registration as evidence."
"Once the process is complete and everything is confirmed to be correct, we will return it to you as soon as possible."
"Of course, I will cooperate with the investigation."
Xia Zhining nodded, then looked at the little boy who was clinging tightly to her side, his small hand still tugging at her clothes, her eyes filled with worry, "Then this child..."
“We’ll take the child back with us first.” The officer crouched down and said gently to the child, “Don’t be afraid, we’ll help you find your mom and dad, okay?”
“We have a large DNA database, which might help you find your family soon.”
The little boy looked up at Xia Zhining, then at the policeman. Seemingly sensing the goodwill, he nodded slightly, but his hand still didn't loosen its grip on Xia Zhining's clothes.
Xia Zhining's heart softened, and she looked up at Gu Huaiye and said, "Shall we go to the police station with the child? He seems... a little scared."
Gu Huaiye naturally had no objection: "Okay."
So, under the admiring gazes of the crowd, Xia Zhining, holding the bewildered little boy's hand, and Gu Huaiye, with a litter of small animals, got into the police car together.
Guided by the police officers, the group arrived at the police station.
The brightly lit interrogation room was right in front of them, and a gentle policewoman knelt down, preparing to take the little boy inside to make a statement.
At this moment, the little boy who had been tightly clutching Xia Zhining's clothes suddenly let go.
He turned around, looked up at Xia Zhining, his eyes bright, his tone earnest yet a little embarrassed:
“Sister,” he said, his voice not loud but clear, “I can go in by myself.”
He paused, as if organizing his thoughts, then said forcefully, "Just now... my sister was so brave, confronting those fierce bad guys without being afraid at all. I... I want to be as brave as my sister!"
The innocent yet resolute words, "I want to be as brave as my sister," warmed Xia Zhining's heart.
She saw the gleam in the child's eyes, a light that seemed to emulate a hero.
Xia Zhining crouched down, looked the boy in the eye, and replied solemnly and gently, "You are very brave."
"Go ahead, your sister is proud of you."
The boy nodded vigorously, a small but powerful smile spreading across his face.
He then turned around and followed the policewoman firmly toward the interrogation room.
As the interrogation room door closed softly, Gu Huaiye's gaze fell on Xia Zhining's gentle expression, and he spoke in a low voice, "The heart problem he mentioned earlier..."
He turned to the police officer beside him and said in a calm tone, "If further examinations or treatment are needed, you can contact Gu's Hospital."
Gu Huaiye handed over a business card, saying, "We have a special medical charity fund for children in difficult circumstances, and we can provide support."
That was a very concise and to-the-point statement.
The policewoman who was about to pour water overheard this and her eyes lit up instantly. She couldn't help but steal a glance at Xia Zhining and then quickly glanced at Gu Huaiye, her face full of excitement that she had "met him."
Her inner monologue was already going wild: Oh my god!
Xia's boyfriend seems so aloof and unapproachable, but I never expected him to be so thoughtful and warm-hearted!
They also quietly do charity work!
What an amazing combination!
The door to the interrogation room wasn't closed properly, and the little boy obviously heard those words as well.
He quietly peeked his little head out from the doorway, his dark eyes looking at Gu Huaiye with a bright, almost worshipful light.
His sister saved him, and his brother wanted to help him get treatment.
The little boy looked at Gu Huaiye, then at Xia Zhining, his eyes unconsciously filling with stars. It was the purest form of worship for a "hero," and the role model was taking root in his heart.
Just then, Police Chief Peng returned to the station. Upon hearing that Expert Xia was present, he personally came out to greet him.
"Expert Xia, are you planning to stay in this province for a while longer?"
Director Peng smiled and shook hands with her, getting straight to the point, "Coincidentally, we have a case that has been unsolved for several years and we've been missing a key breakthrough. The provincial department is also paying close attention to it."
"If it's convenient for you, could you please help me take a look?"
Xia Zhining took the case file he handed her; the cover clearly read "Case of Female Corpse in Underpass".
She turned to the inside page, and Director Peng briefly explained: "Four years ago, a hiker found a female corpse in an abandoned highway culvert. The body was highly decomposed. After DNA comparison, it was confirmed to be Zhong Manqing, a missing female student from the local art academy."
"She went into the mountains with a sketching team to find inspiration, but she went out alone on the second evening and did not return."
"The cause of death was multiple comminuted fractures throughout the body caused by a fall from a height. The scene was... extremely horrific."
Director Peng's tone turned serious. "The police focused their investigation on a classmate, Su Jianxue. She came from a wealthy family, had a cold and aloof personality, was difficult to get along with, and had always been a competitor of the victim in their studies, and they had argued many times."
"They also could not provide a clear alibi for the time of the incident."
"However, due to a lack of direct evidence, the investigation could not proceed and was eventually shelved."
Xia Zhining's gaze fell on the scene photo in the file.
A dark culvert, a blurry figure.
She looked up: "Are all the physical evidence still preserved?"
“They are all there, including trace evidence collected from the scene and from the deceased’s clothing.”
Director Peng nodded, "It's just that the technology was limited back then, and some traces couldn't be further utilized. If Expert Xia is willing to take over, I will immediately arrange to retrieve all the evidence."
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