Relationship
“How about this? Absolutely explosive material, I’ll only take this price—” The young man with a gold chain extended two fingers and waggled them.
The person across, with bleached blonde hair in an explosive hairstyle, held a cigarette in their mouth and stood there. An old Canon camera hung around their neck. Upon seeing his gesture, they exhaled a smoke ring, turned around without a second word, and walked away.
“Hey, don’t go, wait a moment, just take a look!” The young man grew anxious, caught up, and stuffed the photos into her embrace.
“It’s definitely worth this price, otherwise… I’ll even give you a discount… and help me with a few sets of papers…”
The woman held a cigarette in her hand and finally gave him a half-smile. “Alright, one thousand yuan, no more. Give me the papers.”
While the young man was busy rummaging through his backpack with his head down, the woman flipped over the photos. Upon a glance, they were taken in secret; the pixels weren’t very clear. However, well, the fuzzier the better for tabloid news. Blurriness could spark people’s imaginations.
The woman in the photo was none other than Ding Xue. The man sprawled over her was another man whose name couldn’t be recalled.
Yet, there was a hint of familiarity, though the memory of who he was couldn’t be retrieved. Well, at least he wasn’t her husband.
“What’s this…” She deliberately flung the photo dismissively with a whooshing sound.
The young man handed over the exam papers, saying, “An extramarital affair! This is a sensational scoop about our school principal. I’ve even come up with a headline for you: ‘Prominent Female Teacher at Jiang City No. 1 High School Cheats with Superior, Meets Tragic End Due to Love Affairs!'”
He was boasting with great satisfaction when the woman slipped the photo into her bag and casually pointed behind him, saying, “Hey, who’s that over there? Isn’t that your teacher?”
The young man instinctively turned around, and the woman took off running.
“No—damn it! What the hell!”
Before he could finish his sentence, he suddenly snapped back to reality. The woman had already dashed to the bus stop at the school gate. The bus had just arrived, and she skillfully squeezed into the crowd and boarded the bus. Just as the bus doors were about to close, she waved at him.
The young man was infuriated, steam practically coming out of his ears. He angrily spat on the ground a few times and muttered, “Damn it, don’t let me see you again!”
Lin Yan set down the newspaper, walked out of the newsstand, and hailed a taxi. Raising her hand, she called out, “Follow the bus in front.”
Following the vice principal’s visit, Song Yuhang continued to make her rounds, visiting several other teachers one after another. Their responses were either “I didn’t know, I’m sorry,” or “I wasn’t acquainted with Ms. Ding,” and various other evasive statements.
When asked if the deceased had any conflicts with anyone, almost everyone gave the same answer.
“I don’t think so. Ms. Ding was a very kind person. However, she was quite close to a student, you know, something that’s considered taboo in school…”
That hesitant expression left an unsettling feeling.
Song Yuhang closed her notebook and decided to meet with the student named Zhou Mo.
“Hello? Editor-in-chief, uh… you say…” She walked while nodding and bowing slightly. “Me? I’m just out gathering news.”
“What the hell kind of news can you gather? You can’t even write a good article! All you come up with are trivial matters! We need something hot! Do you understand? We need attention-grabbing stories! If our sales don’t go up this month, you better roll up your stuff and get lost!”
A middle-aged man’s angry roar echoed in her ear. Ning Que moved her phone slightly away but still wore a playful smile.
“Yes, yes, I understand. Don’t worry, this time it’s definitely a big selling point. I just got a massive scoop about that female teacher from Jiang City No. 1 High School who died—”
Before her words could finish, her path was blocked by someone, casting a shadow on the pavement.
She slowly raised her head. A woman stood there with her arms crossed, a half-smile on her face. Her countenance was quite pleasant to look at, though her expression carried a hint of ill intent.
Ning Que thought to herself, this doesn’t look good, could this person be a colleague?
As she attempted to go around, every step she took, Lin Yan matched it. When she veered left, Lin Yan also went left; when she moved right, Lin Yan followed suit.
Clearing her throat, Ning Que put on a flattering smile, “Is this… someone looking for me?”
Lin Yan halted her steps and pointed to the bag on her back, saying, “Give me the photos.”
The woman tightened her grip on the bag strap and hesitated, “Colleague? Then you should know the rules. Exclusive reporting isn’t possible—”
Lin Yan pulled out a few red bills from her wallet and waved them, “Money is the rule. Take the money and scram. Leave the photos with me.”
Ning Que’s thoughts raced. The stack of money was substantial, but it couldn’t compare to the stability of her long-term job. If the magazine’s sales truly didn’t improve this time, she would likely be the first to be let go. She had worked hard to secure her job in Jiang City; she couldn’t be dismissed so easily.
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“Alright, alright,” Ning Que said, reaching for her bag and slowly pulling it out.
Lin Yan was growing impatient, “Hurry up.”
Before her words could fully sink in, a thick stack of papers came flying towards her, scattering and obstructing her view. Ning Que took advantage of the distraction and bolted.
Seeing her attempt to escape again, jumping onto a roadside motorcycle to solicit a ride, Lin Yan caught up in a few strides. She delivered a flying kick towards the back of Ning Que, who tumbled onto the road, scattering pedestrians like startled birds.
Lin Yan grabbed her collar and pulled her back, slapping her face with the money while maintaining a cool tone, “If you won’t drink the toast, you’ll have to drink the penalty.”
Observing that the frail-looking Ning Que still had some strength left, Lin Yan struggled with her for a moment. Eventually, she forcefully sat on Ning Que’s back, nearly squashing her. Ning Que’s eyes rolled back, and she was on the verge of foaming at the mouth.
Lin Yan used one hand to firmly hold onto Ning Que’s head, preventing her from moving, while her other hand snatched the backpack off her arm. She opened it and rummaged through, finding a camera, a recording pen, and various other items. Inside the inner compartment, there was a photo tucked away. She took it out and slipped it into her own pocket.
Ning Que still attempted to struggle, but Lin Yan grabbed her by the hair and lifted her up, saying, “Trying to be lecherous with me? You’re still too green. Do you know who I am? I’m the ancestor of lecherousness!”
“I’ll let you off this time, scram!”
After saying that, she released Ning Que and stood up. Nearby, a patrolling police officer ran over with an electrified baton in hand, asking, “What’s going on?!”
Lin Yan stepped back two paces, saying, “Nothing… nothing’s going on.”
After saying that, she bolted, running away faster than a rabbit.
With the assistance of the police officer, Ning Que managed to stand up. “Are you okay? Did you lose something? Come with me to the police station to make a statement. We’ll make sure to help you recover your belongings.”
The kick from Lin Yan had been quite forceful, leaving her back tingling. Ning Que brushed off the police officer’s hand and limped over to pick up the scattered items and papers from the ground.
“I’m fine, no need.”
She watched the direction Lin Yan went, crumpling the papers in her hand with force.
“Hello, is anyone there?” Song Yuhang lightly knocked on the door twice, receiving no response. She took a step back and surveyed the entire building.
This was the western district of Jiang City, a world apart from the eastern side separated by a river.
The so-called building was just a three-story bungalow. Clothes of both adults and children hung outside, and a web of power lines segmented the sky.
The narrow alley could only accommodate electric scooters. Not far from her feet was a sewage ditch emitting a foul stench.
Her weekend home was right here. A makeshift shack beneath the bungalow, constructed from corrugated iron. Under the blazing sun, it heated up intensely. A nearly lifeless sunflower sat by the entrance.
Song Yuhang turned around and peered through the rusty windows into the interior. The curtains were drawn, casting a pitch-black darkness inside.
Her gaze landed on the iron lock hanging at the entrance. She reached into her bag and pulled out a piece of wire.
“Did you get rid of everything?” The KTV was awash with colorful lights, causing his face to alternate between shades of blue and white.
The young man lowered his head and softly replied, “Yeah.”
“Good. Here, I know you’re short on money. Take this, and if it’s not enough, let me know.”
A stack of Chinese yuan was placed on the table, a substantial amount.
The young man remained unmoved, his head still buried.
The person speaking gave him a push. “Are you stupid or something? Are you really thinking of telling—”
They abruptly stopped, swallowing their saliva, and rephrased, “There’s less than a month left until the college entrance exams. Think it through. You’ve spent so many years studying, endured all the hardships. Just when you’re about to break through, you’re willing to give up like this?”
“Are you content with living your whole life like this, being a coward, being poor?”
The young man’s throat moved, and his voice turned hoarse, “But also—”
“You’re different from people like us. As for me, it doesn’t matter if I don’t get into college. I can always go abroad and get a degree somehow. But if you can’t get into college, you might be stuck forever. Do you really want to live your whole life in that pigsty of yours?”
“Xiao Zhou, do you know why people need to study? They talk about having the ambition to benefit the world and its people, to carry on the teachings of the past, and to bring peace to future generations. It’s all idealistic talk, and it’s nice to have those ideals, but it’s okay if you don’t.”
“Because for most of us, just staying alive takes all our strength. So, we strive to learn in order to live better, to change our lives, to buy the things we want, and to pursue the people we like.”
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“Success isn’t solely confined to the path of studying, but studying is indeed a shortcut to success. It doesn’t require you to pay upfront, it just demands your constant effort. Xiao Zhou, the teachers don’t want you to drop out. You need to keep pushing forward.”
The words were still echoing, yet the person in question had already laid to rest eternally beneath the ground.
The young man hugged his head with his hands, emitting a fragile cry from his throat.
Inside the private room, the music blared loudly, but nobody stopped his outburst. After a while, the music ceased, and the young man slowly raised his head. His gaze landed on the stack of Chinese yuan in front of him. His throat moved, and he reached out to take it.
At noon, the various teams regrouped for a brief analysis of the case.
Zheng Chengrui spoke first, “We’ve examined the computer used by the deceased, Ding Xue, during her lifetime. There was nothing unusual. However, while checking her commonly used communication tools, we found traces of deleted chat records.”
Song Yuhang leaned her chin on her hand, resting on the chair. “With whom? When can the records be recovered?”
A photo was enlarged on the screen, showing a man wearing gold-rimmed glasses and a well-tailored suit, slightly on the plump side.
“The current principal of Jiang City No. 1 High School, Ge Jun.”
Song Yuhang understood immediately, “This Ge Jun was on a business trip to the provincial capital last Friday, the day of the incident. He’s a suspect. Contact the provincial office and request him to come back for questioning.”
Zhang Jinhai tapped his teacup thoughtfully. “That might not be appropriate. After all, he’s the principal of a key city school and a representative of the People’s Congress. Let’s wait until we have concrete evidence from the recovered chat records before taking action.”
All eyes turned to Song Yuhang, but she showed no particular reaction, twirling a pen in her hand with a faint expression.
“What did Group 2 find out?”
A detective stood up with a notebook in hand. “We visited several major second-hand markets in the city, but we didn’t find any phones of the same model as the deceased, Ding Xue. This model is quite new and not cheap. It might not be easy to come across one for sale anytime soon.”
Another detective continued, “Additionally, we also visited the mother’s house of the deceased, Ding Xue. We learned that her marital relationship with her husband was relatively harmonious. They had arguments but no cases of domestic violence.”
Fang Xin also stood up, saying, “Through interviews with neighbors, we confirmed that Ding Xue and Sun Xiangming rarely fought, and on the night of the incident, Sun Xiangming has an alibi.”
Fang Xin presented a transcript, which was taken from a neighbor living next to Sun Xiangming’s house. According to the neighbor, he worked overtime that evening and returned home after midnight. When he arrived, Sun Xiangming was at the door receiving a food delivery, and they exchanged greetings.
“We also investigated the street food stall downstairs. Indeed, it was Sun Xiangming who ordered the meal. We also spoke to Sun Xiangming’s supervisor at his workplace, and it’s confirmed that he was assigned work that evening. His claim of working from home overtime is not a lie.”
Song Yuhang furrowed her brow. “What about surveillance footage?”
“This is the surveillance at the entrance of the building unit in the residential complex. We watched it all night without blinking, and we didn’t see him leave.”
“Are there any other exits?”
“No, we’ve checked. Even the fire exit leads to the side of the building unit entrance, so to leave, he’d have to pass by that camera.”
“Which means, whether it’s the motive, the timing of the crime, or his alibi, Sun Xiangming doesn’t fit. Song, should we lift the surveillance on him?”
Zhang Jinhai’s gaze shifted. He and Song Yuhang often had differing opinions. In the investigation, Song tended to be more radical, while Zhang leaned toward caution. However, his rank was a level higher than hers, and most of the time, unless Song persisted, they would defer to his judgment.
As expected.
The person sitting opposite nodded. “I have no objections.”
At this moment, the video happened to show the segment where the deceased, Ding Xue, walked out. The camera was positioned in front of the building unit, capturing everything clearly.
One could see her stumbling, looking panicked, and constantly glancing behind her. However, there was no one behind her.
“Stop, rewind and play it again.”
Zheng Chengrui pressed the pause button, and the video started rewinding.
Once again, she hurriedly ran out, looking around frantically, but there was no one around. She seemed as if she had seen a ghost, creating a scene that inexplicably sent shivers down one’s spine.
Song Yuhang frowned. “Why was she running?”
“Could it be because she was in a hurry to get to school?”
“Teachers are used to seeing students fight, so why would she be so agitated?”
“Stop—zoom in.” Song Yuhang paid close attention to her repeated glances over her shoulder.
Who was chasing her?
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Or perhaps, she was afraid of something?
The people watching the video were puzzled. Zhang Jinhai also furrowed his brow. “In any case, for now, let’s do this. We’ll temporarily suspend the investigation on Sun Xiangming. While it’s necessary to investigate the deceased’s immediate family as a procedural step, we shouldn’t jump to conclusions that he’s the murderer. In our investigation, evidence is key.”
The others nodded in agreement.
“I suggest that the next step of our investigation focuses on this student named ‘Zhou Mo’ and also on Ge Jun. The technical investigation team should work diligently to quickly recover the chat records.”
“Yes, Chief Zhang,” Zheng Chengrui raised his chubby hand and saluted.
Song Yuhang twirled the pen in her hand and stopped at her fingertip. She had been sitting with her chin resting on her hand, somewhat relaxed, but now she straightened up and focused on the surveillance footage.
“I’ve also reviewed the surveillance. She left the gate of No.1 High School at around 10:30 AM. Logically, she should have been heading home at that time, but she went in the completely opposite direction.”
That was a small path, lacking proper city infrastructure, and the surveillance was cut off after about five hundred meters.
Song Yuhang tapped her pen on the table twice. “Let’s make a bold assumption: she didn’t end up at the Lianchi Park as a dumped body, but rather went there herself. So why did she choose that specific time to go to Lianchi Park?”
Zhang Jinhai took a sip of his tea and motioned for it to be refilled. “We can’t rule out the possibility that there might be some undisclosed relationship between the deceased, Ding Xue, and Ge Jun. We need to investigate this thoroughly.”
The general direction of the investigation is correct, so she didn’t say more. She casually glanced around and noticed an empty seat in the technical investigation team. “Where’s Dr. Lin?”
Fang Xin quickly followed up, “She’s tinkering with equipment in the autopsy room.”
TL I’m sorry for the inconsistent updates lately. My nose allergy has been flaring up more than usual for the past weeks. If I didn’t update tomorrow or the following days, just know that my allergy is acting up.