Chapter 62
The reporting process went extremely smoothly. The police officer who received the call carefully recorded the valid information I provided and passed it on to his superiors.
Since this was a murder case that required high attention, the leadership immediately held a meeting and conducted research, locked down Wen Liangxi's basic information, and sent plainclothes officers to conduct preliminary investigations and verify whether it was consistent with what I reported.
Because there is no surveillance around the tomb, the report is my one-sided statement, and I can only give the approximate location. No one except Wen Liangxi knows where the body is buried, so the police will not dig on a large scale without caution. This is not only inconsistent with the work process, but will also attract Wen Liangxi's attention.
It was not as fast as I thought. Both applying for an investigation warrant and conducting investigations took time. I was temporarily banned by the police from going to my workplace and was reminded to be highly vigilant of my surroundings.
At the same time, Li Ying'an also took leave to accompany me.
It has been rainy for several days in a row, and the winter atmosphere is getting stronger and stronger. The heating in the community has not started yet, so I need to cover myself with a thick quilt when I sleep at night, otherwise my legs will hurt the next day.
In the past few days, I am afraid that the real severe winter has arrived.
A bowl of steaming pear soup was served in front of me, and Li Ying'an thoughtfully provided me with a soup spoon: "Maybe there will be results in the next few days. Don't overthink it, just eat something."
I took the food he offered me with both hands. The warm pear was sweet in my mouth and warm in my stomach, instantly relieving my melancholy. After chewing a few bites, I looked out the window at the dark sky, thick with dark clouds and a howling north wind, and thought to myself, this is my fifth winter in a body other than the human world.
It's been five years, it's time to end...
My human journey.
I also remember that my first visit was during the winter solstice, which is roughly the coldest time of the year. I took Li Ying'an's phone, opened the calendar, and checked the time until that day.
I was surprised. It turns out that the winter solstice is only half a month away. Will Wen Liangxi confess his guilt in such a short time?
"Don't worry, there will be news soon. You've been under intense questioning these past few days. Are you worried that they won't take it seriously?"
Li Ying'an still thought that I was worried about reporting Wen Liangxi's murder, but he didn't know that I was thinking about something else.
A winter thunder rolled in the sky not far away, followed by the sound of a cell phone ringing. I was startled by the ringing of the phone in my hand and trembled. I quickly threw it to Li Ying'an before throwing it away.
Since I didn’t have a mobile phone, the contact information I left with the police station was Li Ying’an, so it was Li Ying’an who answered the phone every time.
There's new news over there, and we need to go over there.
I came to the familiar police station again. I don’t know if it was because of the weather, but the atmosphere inside seemed particularly serious.
The receptionist told us that a special car would take us to the criminal investigation department of the Municipal Public Security Bureau for more rigorous questioning. He hoped that we would wait patiently and cooperate with the investigation.
"Can I ask what you've found out?"
The receptionist revealed the news: "I heard that two bodies were dug up in the cemetery. One is still fresh, and the other is rotten."
I was horrified and looked at Li Ying'an in surprise: Two...
"Then these two bodies are——"
"I'm sorry, sir," the receptionist interrupted him. "Let's not even talk about whether a grassroots police officer like me would know about this. Even if I did, it's an internal secret and I can't disclose it."
Li Ying'an smiled in understanding: "I understand."
A few minutes later, after receiving the news of our arrival, a police car took us from the police station to the local public security bureau.
The unfamiliar and solemn city bureau building stood in front of him. Dark clouds covered the sky overhead and it was rolling like a rough sea. Soon, it would be either wind, rain, or frost and snow.
Originally, I was the only one who was supposed to enter the interrogation room, but because I was mute, the police allowed Li Ying'an to accompany me.
My first impression of this room was the overexposed light source, depressing atmosphere, and mixed smells. As a cat, I don't like this kind of environment. It gives me a feeling of suffocation and makes me feel like I'm always in a state of stress.
So as I sat there being questioned, I looked at Li Ying'an uneasily.
"According to the information you provided, we did excavate bodies in the cemetery, but there were more bodies than expected. There were two," the presiding police officer stated the facts. "We have confirmed that one of them is indeed Sui, the person we were looking for not long ago. As for the other body..."
He pushed a photo towards me and asked, "Do you know this person?"
I looked at the man above, who was about forty years old, and shook my head in confusion.
"Due to the appearance of this body, I reasonably suspect that you are an insider or the real murderer. Please answer seriously."
I was shocked to find that a good report had implicated me. My confused eyes turned into panic. Fear made me look at Li Ying'an first, but I was sternly stopped by the police. They asked me to cooperate with them and give a reasonable explanation, otherwise they would mistakenly think that I was playing the thief crying "stop thief" game.
I explained anxiously: I really don’t know the person in the photo, I have never seen him, and I don’t understand why he became another corpse. The only people I saw in the grave that night were Wen Liangxi and Sui Yusheng. There was absolutely no third person except me. I can swear!
Afterwards, the police sorted out the timeline again and asked me to recount in detail what happened that night when Wen Liangxi murdered someone. I answered their questions one by one. Some details were asked repeatedly. Every time this happened, I would get so nervous that my scalp would go numb, and it felt like ants were gnawing at my heart, hands and feet, as if the person buried in the soil was me.
Fortunately, the presiding judge did not make things difficult for me. After understanding the situation in detail, he brought the topic back to Sui Yusheng.
"Wen Liangxi is in the interrogation room right now. I've learned some things from him. His account differs significantly from the information you provided. He denies the murder." The presiding judge fiddled with the folder in his hand, stating the topic calmly. "I heard you were friends, and even friends with the deceased. His situation is unique. Judging from his account, if he had attacked the deceased, it would indeed arouse suspicion. I also suspect you may have framed him."
The shock and disbelief were drowned out by the wave of fear. I was in a panic and denied that I had framed Wen Liangxi.
The presiding judge stared at me for a few seconds, then calmly sorted out the cases on the table. Finally, he leaned loosely against the wall, folded his arms, tilted his head, and looked at me thoughtfully.
I was confused by his gaze, but I didn't dare to express my doubts, so I could only sneak a glance at Li Ying'an from time to time.
Suddenly, I heard him ask, "Actually, I've always had a doubt of my own. From the information I've investigated about you and the information you've provided, I think you're amazing."
Since I dared to report Wen Liangxi, I was already prepared to be investigated, but when I heard certain words from the police officer's mouth, I would still tremble suddenly and feel panicked that I was being discovered.
I don't want my background to be discovered, because if I did, I would definitely have to leave Li Ying'an and be taken to the laboratory for experiments.
After hearing his colleague's words, the recorder next to the presiding judge couldn't help but flip through the notebook in his hand, then nodded repeatedly in agreement: "Hmm... I think this is really quite magical. This is the first time I've seen someone like this. It's like Sun Wukong, appearing here out of thin air, like a ghost-"
The presiding judge slapped him on the head, and said with a serious yet gentle expression: "Public officials are strictly prohibited from believing in feudal superstitions."
He focused his gaze on me again and said, "Tell me more, Mr. Li. I want to know about your past."
My hands, resting on my thighs, clenched into fists. I hadn't anticipated that reporting Wen Liangxi would expose my true identity. If I were an ordinary person, I could have spoken candidly with the police about my past. But I'm not an ordinary person. I'm a cat, a cat transformed into a human.
My eyes glanced at Li Ying'an uncontrollably again, and Li Ying'an also looked at me worriedly. He had no choice but to speak out to protect me. It was a taboo for me to make eye contact with him again and again.
Sure enough, after a few seconds, the presiding judge sternly stopped me from making eye contact with him and warned me, "Don't hide your secret thoughts, or I will hire a sign language interpreter."
At the end of our glance, I saw Li Ying'an nodded slightly to me, and I understood what he meant.
I thought about it for a moment and then revealed my true identity.
The interrogation room fell silent for a moment. After hearing Li Ying'an's words, the presiding judge's relaxed demeanor instantly tightened. He stared at Li Ying'an in disbelief, as if staring into a hole. The recorder, so surprised, dropped his pen to the ground, his eyes wide open.
The recorder stammered, "What? Who are you calling a cat? You're crazy! You're even bringing this up as a ghost story."
"Do you think we police officers are all fools?" the presiding judge asked directly after regaining his composure.
"How else can we explain some of these things?" Li Ying'an asked the two officers, "He can present evidence on the scene."
The recorder pondered for a moment: "Turning into a cat on the spot?"
All three gazes were directed at me at once.
Being pushed to the forefront, I hesitated for a moment, and after the recorder turned off the camera without my permission, I had to respond to their request and transform into my original form like a magic trick.
In the brightly lit interrogation room, there were only three people left in the small room that originally accommodated four people. In addition, there was a tabby cat sitting on a chair, staring at the two police officers.
The presiding judge and the recorder: "...I'm really stumped."
While they were surprised, I returned to my human form in front of them and asked Li Ying'an to keep it a secret.
"It's impossible to keep it secret. Otherwise, we wouldn't be able to explain our work to our superiors."
The presiding judge recovered from his shock. He frowned and scratched the back of his head, tapping the file bag with his slender index finger. Finally, he compromised, "At least the leaders of the bureau must know about this matter. Otherwise, you will have to find a way to explain the identity loophole. But I can also guarantee that no one outside the bureau will know."
I lowered my head, thought about it and finally agreed, but before that I had to ask myself a question: I only have half a month left to live. Will I be arrested and observed in this situation?
Li Ying'an also explained to me the reason for the time limit.
The two policemen exchanged a smile, and the recorder said, "Although I don't quite understand what you meant, arresting you for an experiment is outrageous and a bit like illegal imprisonment. However, if the superiors find out about this, you'll probably have to come to the station more often in the future. Such good skills will be put to good use for us."
"Stop trying to guess what the boss is thinking," the presiding judge said, taking advantage of the fact that the video recorder was off and slapping his colleague on the back of the head. He waved his hand and said, "I'll go explain the situation. That's all for today."
Li Ying'an left his phone number again to facilitate subsequent communication on the case, and then Li Ying'an and I left the inquiry room.
Arriving at the police station building, the sky was no longer as gloomy as when I first arrived. Salt particles were floating in the air, blowing on my face and then disappearing. The snow had come earlier this year.
Li Ying'an brushed off the snow that fell on my shoulders and pinched the back of my neck: "You're not wearing too many clothes. Are you cold?"
I looked up at him and shook my head. This warmth was like timely help in this environment with clear snow, and instantly melted the fragmented coldness in the inquiry room.
He took my hand and said, "Let's go home together."
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