In the large office of the Major Crimes Unit, Zou Shuyang leaned back in his chair, idly spinning it with his feet as he flipped through Jiang Hongye’s statement. “This is getting interesting.”
Xiao Tang walked over, carrying a cardboard box. He chimed in, “What’s interesting?”
Zou Shuyang didn’t answer directly. Instead, he hooked the box over to his side with his foot. “Is that the case file for the teacher murder at Jiangzhou No.4 High?”
Gasping for breath and taking a swig of water, Xiao Tang nodded. “Yeah, it’s all here, though back then, procedures weren’t as strict as they are now. There are a few small discrepancies.”
“Discrepancies?”
Xiao Tang gave a wry smile. “Just look at this…”
He pulled out a few files from the box, their text faded, the paper yellowed and speckled with holes of various sizes.
Pointing to the pitifully deteriorated file, Zou Shuyang frowned. “What’s this?”
Xiao Tang chuckled bitterly. “The old office building was damp, so the files got infested with bugs. Then they were exposed to too much sunlight, and this is what we’re left with.”
Zou Shuyang: …That’s impressive.
Despite the state of the files, they were still readable. It took Zou Shuyang and Xiao Tang two hours to sift through them. The events of the case aligned with what Jiang Hongye had described.
Teacher Shen Tinglan, who taught the third-year students, was known for being strict with troublemakers like Shen Jun due to his serious and responsible nature. Something Shen Tinglan did must have triggered Shen Jun’s fragile nerves, leading Shen Jun to gather a group of friends to “teach him a lesson” just before the college entrance exams.
“Captain Zou, why do you think Shen Jun suddenly lost control?” Xiao Tang frowned, staring at Shen Jun’s statement. “I find it hard to believe that he acted purely out of youthful impulse and a moment of hot-headedness.”
Zou Shuyang set down the file he was holding and began rummaging through the box for another one. “Do you remember what Jiang Hongye said earlier about Shen Jun having a hundred thousand yuan, and about Cheng Hao winning the lottery?”
Xiao Tang nodded. “That part is definitely strange. I looked into Cheng Hao’s records and social connections. His family is just an ordinary working-class household with several children. After Cheng Hao got into trouble, his family basically disowned him. But despite that, Cheng Hao somehow managed to buy a hundred-square-meter apartment in the most expensive neighborhood in Jiangzhou, paid in full. Oh, and he also bought a car—a fifty-thousand-yuan car, also paid in full.”
Xiao Tang’s expression turned peculiar as he added, “Did Cheng Hao rob a bank or something?”
Zou Shuyang chuckled. “Robbing a bank? Probably not. But what if they had a generous benefactor?”
“Captain Zou, what do you mean by that?”
Instead of answering, Zou Shuyang simply smiled and leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the door.
Sure enough, the next moment, the door opened, and a middle-aged man in his forties walked in. He was about 1.75 meters tall, slightly overweight, with deep smile lines from years of seriousness.
“I heard you pulled Shen Tinglan’s file?” The man’s tone was sharp, and he radiated an air of authority.
Xiao Tang stood frozen, barely daring to breathe, fearing that Captain Zou and Captain He might start arguing and that he’d be caught in the crossfire.
Zou Shuyang scratched his nose and grinned. “Come on, Captain He, let’s review Shen Tinglan’s case together. I have a feeling the two people who died today are closely connected to him.”
Captain He snorted, pretending not to notice Zou Shuyang’s sarcastic tone, and dragged a chair over to sit next to him. As he bent over the box to look through the files, a trace of nostalgia appeared in his eyes.
“Captain He, what’s that look for?”
Captain He sneered. “If you’re confused about something, just ask me directly.”
With that, he picked up one of the files, pointing to the name “He Yushan” on the cover. “I was the investigator for this case. Asking me will be faster than reading the file.”
Zou Shuyang set down the file and, following Captain He’s suggestion, asked, “When Xiao Tang and I were reviewing the statements, we noticed that before Shen Jun got all worked up and killed Shen Tinglan, Shen Tinglan hadn’t said anything particularly provocative. Did Shen Jun give any explanation during the interrogation?”
Captain He shook his head. “Ten years ago, Shen Jun was still under eighteen. After the incident, he was so scared that he shut down. No matter what we asked, he just shook his head.”
“Then what about this statement?”
Captain He hesitated for a moment, but didn’t dwell on the question. “Old Shen was usually very gentle and got along with his students like friends. When the case first came to me, I could hardly believe that someone like him would be killed by one of his own students.”
“This case was strange.” Captain He continued, pulling a cigarette from his pocket. He didn’t light it, just twirled it between his fingers. “You’ve seen it too. Shen Jun was the only source of conflict, but later interviews confirmed that there wasn’t any serious friction between Shen Tinglan and Shen Jun. Even though Shen Tinglan was strict with him, it wasn’t to an unreasonable degree.”
Zou Shuyang added, “So the idea that Shen Jun harbored resentment toward Shen Tinglan for being reprimanded, leading him to gather people to confront Shen Tinglan, doesn’t hold up.”
Seeing that Captain He didn’t refute his words, Zou Shuyang leaned in closer. “That means my suspicion might be on the right track.”
Captain He’s grip tightened on the cigarette, causing the delicate paper to tear and bits of tobacco to fall out.
“Shen Jun and the others might have been paid off by someone. In other words, Shen Tinglan’s murder wasn’t just an accidental event—it was…”
“A hired killing?” Xiao Tang gasped, his voice rising in pitch.
Unable to believe it, Xiao Tang went back to the files, reading over the contents again. Nothing had changed, but after hearing Zou Shuyang’s theory, he began to notice things he had previously overlooked.
For example… among the people who joined Shen Jun to confront Shen Tinglan, more than one of them had only a passing acquaintance with Shen Jun. Some of them weren’t even in the same class as him.
It didn’t make sense that these people, just before the college entrance exams, would risk everything to confront a teacher for someone they barely knew.
“This also explains why Shen Jun and the others suddenly had money.”
Xiao Tang muttered to himself, then suddenly slapped the table. “But what about Jiang Hongye? Why is Jiang Hongye living in such poverty?”
In his agitation, Xiao Tang hit the table so hard that the sound echoed through the room. He hadn’t even had time to wince from the pain before he felt two pairs of sharp eyes on him. He quickly regained his composure, silently pulling his hand under the table, trying to maintain a calm expression.
Zou Shuyang glanced at Xiao Tang a couple more times before returning his focus. “That’s a good question. Why didn’t Jiang Hongye get any money? And why is he the only one who’s still alive?”
Captain He remained unfazed under Zou Shuyang’s gaze. He casually pointed at him with the half-broken cigarette. “You young folks, always full of ideas. You’ve already figured it out, so why are you pretending to ask me?”
Zou Shuyang wasn’t offended. He continued, “So, Jiang Hongye likely had no idea what was really going on back then.”
An idea flickered in Zou Shuyang’s mind as he checked the time. “Xiao Tang, tomorrow morning, head to the bank and check the transaction records of Shen Jun and the others. Once you’re done, come back to the office.”
Xiao Tang nodded. He noticed Zou Shuyang stroking his chin, staring intently at Captain He, which made Xiao Tang gulp nervously. Was Captain Zou going to clash with Captain He again?
Sure enough, Zou Shuyang’s tone was light and playful as he asked, “Captain He, you clearly knew something was off about this case. Why didn’t you dig deeper back then?”
Captain He sighed and pulled out another cigarette, skillfully holding it between his fingers. “I did dig deeper, but it didn’t lead anywhere. Everyone involved gave consistent statements, saying they only confronted Old Shen because Shen Jun had complained to them. Their stories all matched up, and we couldn’t find any evidence to prove they were lying. By the time Shen Jun calmed down enough to talk, he stuck to the story that he acted impulsively because he was afraid Old Shen would tell his parents. We investigated the case for over half a month and ended up with nothing more.”
Watching Captain He, who suddenly seemed to have aged several years, Zou Shuyang felt a tug at his heart.
Before he could say anything, Captain He sneered. “Don’t look at me like that. I did have history with Old Shen. Over ten years ago, when I first came to Jiangzhou, I was like you kids, thinking I was some kind of crime-fighting hero. I thought no matter where the criminals ran, I could catch them.”
He pointed at Xiao Tang, who was eavesdropping with his ears pricked up. “Then one day, I got stabbed while trying to catch someone. The doctors told me to stay in the hospital, but I thought I was invincible, so I didn’t listen. That night, I passed out right at my front door. Luckily, Old Shen lived next door. He had a good heart and took me to the hospital. You could say Old Shen was my best friend here in Jiangzhou.”
Captain He suddenly sat up straight, his expression serious. “So, Zou Shuyang, if you think there’s something fishy about this case and you can find more clues, I’ll support you all the way. I hope you can bring justice to Old Shen.”
Hearing this, Zou Shuyang suddenly felt the weight of responsibility on his shoulders. After a long pause, he leaned back, trying to sound casual. “In that case, if I ever want to take a vacation, don’t stop me, Captain He.”
Captain He chuckled. “Deal.”
With that, Captain He stood up and tossed his unlit cigarette into the empty ashtray. “Alright, that’s enough for today. I’m heading home. I still have to pick up my wife later.”
As he reached the door, Captain He turned around and stared at Zou Shuyang for a moment. “And you too. Work is work, but life is life. I heard from my wife that Miss Jian was pretty shaken up today. You’d better comfort her properly tonight.”
Zou Shuyang, still processing what he’d just heard, was startled when Xiao Tang, who was preparing to leave with Captain He, winked at him and said, “Yeah, Captain Zou, your girlfriend had a rough day. When we were recording her statement at noon, her hands were trembling. This is your chance to step up and take care of her!”
Zou Shuyang: “…Just get out of here.”
Xiao Tang grinned and hurriedly packed up his things, making a quick exit.
Watching Xiao Tang leave, Zou Shuyang shook his head in exasperation. He couldn’t understand how someone so young could already be so slick. If Xiao Tang was like this now, how much oil would his family need to buy when he got older?
With a sigh, Zou Shuyang prepared to lock the case files in the cabinet and head home. But as he was organizing the documents, something compelled him to open the witness statements. He went through all thirty-six statements from Shen Tinglan’s class, but he couldn’t find the one he was looking for.
“I know that victim. He was my high school homeroom teacher, the one who was killed.”
Jian Mengyan’s words echoed in his mind again.
Jian Mengyan had been one of Shen Tinglan’s students. So… where was her statement?
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