An incident occured
After Song Yuhang finished speaking, she quickly turned her head as if afraid of being hit. While fiddling with the computer, she discreetly observed her with a sidelong glance.
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Lin Yan’s lips. Seeing her looking at her, she quickly put on a stern face and slapped her hand onto the keyboard.
“What are you looking at? Do your work.”
The second marriage proposal ended in failure.
Song Yuhang dragged out her voice and sighed, accepting her fate as she got up.
Although she didn’t have computer skills as advanced as Old Zheng’s, it was effortless for her to search for things within the intranet.
Song Yuhang showed her the search results: “Guo Xiaoguang, formerly known as Zhu Fangjie, the son of Butcher Zhu Yong. After his father got into trouble, he was adopted by a family surnamed Guo and changed his name to Guo Xiaoguang.”
The photo on the household registration showed Guo Xiaoguang in his thirties, with a crew cut and single eyelids. He wasn’t remarkable in appearance, but upon closer inspection, there was some resemblance between him and the photos Lin Yan had gathered of Zhu Yong.
For years, she had been searching for people related to Zhu Yong, but there had been little information or fake leads.
Song Yuhang smiled and explained to her: “As early as many years ago, the Ministry of Public Security began the construction of the ‘SkyNet,’ which is the prototype of the current intranet. It includes the identity information, addresses, family members, and even biological evidence such as fingerprints, blood types, DNA, of all detainees, prisoners, and released convicts, including deceased criminals.”
“By setting up an airtight net for all potential repeat offenders, this is also one of the reasons for the increasing success rate in solving criminal cases in recent years. Of course, this is inseparable from the improvement in criminal investigation techniques.”
“In this net, whether it’s registering for marriage, divorce, or a child’s household registration, or participating in work-related political reviews, as long as there is a need for identity registration, it will be recorded by the local police station and uploaded to this net. Of course, the access privileges are also quite high.”
Lin Yan pulled the corner of her lips and casually clasped her fists while standing, saying, “Alright, you’re at least a leader. Get to the point and tell me the results.”
Song Yuhang copied down Guo Xiaoguang’s current address, telephone number, and identity information and handed it to her, saying, “I think we should take some time to visit him.”
Lin Yan took the note and turned to leave but was stopped, “Where are you going?”
“What do you think? Investigating the case, of course.”
Song Yuhang’s gaze was intense as she stood in front of her, blocking her way. “Don’t be impulsive. We need to gather more evidence and reopen the investigation.”
Lin Yan smiled, lifting her hand to push her away. “Don’t be impulsive? I don’t have much time left. It’s been fourteen years, and there has been no progress. In another six years, the statute of limitations will expire. What’s the use of finding the murderer? Can the law give me and Chunan justice? Can it make the murderer pay for their blood debt? Can they be sentenced to death? If not, then I—”
Song Yuhang grabbed her shoulder, emphasizing her words as she called out her name, “Lin Yan, even if the statute of limitations is over, we can go to the central authorities, to the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, to the Supreme People’s Court, and file an appeal. Justice is clear, and fairness resides in people’s hearts. I won’t let the murderer go unpunished!”
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Lin Yan shook her head, her smile carrying a hint of disdain, and a glimmer of moisture appeared in her eyes. “It’s useless. Have you forgotten about the ‘Ding Xue’ case? Have you forgotten about He Miao, about Bai Ling, about Wu Wei, about those children who died in the ‘White Whale case’? The murderer is not just Li Yang. Those irresponsible parents, the teachers and classmates who stood by and watched the bullying, and the people online who criticized the deceased—they are all murderers!”
As if a heavy hammer struck her heart, Song Yuhang’s eyes welled up, and she embraced her tightly.
Lin Yan struggled, but Song Yuhang didn’t let go. She held her head and whispered in her ear, word by word, “We pursue justice and righteousness, not to become murderers ourselves one day. Lin Yan, if you really resort to vigilante justice to punish criminals, then what’s the difference between you and Li Yang, and those instigators who fueled the fire?”
Trembling slightly in Song Yuhang’s embrace, Lin Yan was lifted up by her. Song Yuhang wiped away the slightest hint of moisture in her eyes and spoke softly.
“Lin Yan, I don’t want you to become like that. Promise me, let’s handle this matter patiently. Have you forgotten about Li Bin? Don’t alert the enemy by making sudden moves. Let’s follow the normal procedures. The truth will come to light one day.”
“If Chunan were still here, she would never want you to take such risks for her sake. After all, you were her best friend, right?”
Lin Yan bit her lip slightly and remained silent. She tightened her grip on Song Yuhang’s clothes. In the dim light, tears that had just been wiped away welled up again, but she restrained herself and didn’t let them fall.
Song Yuhang couldn’t bear to see her like this. She embraced her and gently patted her back, providing comfort.
“Isn’t it Friday tomorrow? I’ll accompany you home in the evening, and then we can pack up. On Saturday, we’ll pay a visit to Guo Xiaoguang’s house. But now it’s getting late, and you need to go to sleep.”
Carefully helping her up, Song Yuhang rubbed her face. “Hmm?”
Lin Yan sniffed and pushed away her hand with a slap. “Go away, I don’t need you to accompany me. I’ll go by myself.”
Finally, she added in a low voice, “After all, Lin Youyuan still doesn’t like you. Don’t go.”
In the end, she was still worried about her.
Song Yuhang chuckled and squeezed her hand. “Okay, then I won’t go in. I’ll wait for you outside.”
She always seemed to be able to envelop her rough edges with gentleness, slowly smoothing out her sharpness and restlessness.
Lin Yan’s restless heart gradually calmed down. She pulled her hand back, feeling a bit warm in her ears, and walked towards the exit. “Hmm, I’m going to sleep.”
Song Yuhang tidied up the table in a flurry and locked the door, then followed her closely. “Lin Yan, I want to…”
“Sleep on the couch!”
Before she could finish saying the words “sleep with you,” Lin Yan kicked the door shut with her heel, locking her outside with a loud “bang.”
Song Yuhang felt like crying without tears. She pulled the doorknob, but it didn’t budge. She had no choice but to keep knocking on the door, lowering her voice and pleading, “Doctor Lin, Lin Yan, Yanyan…”
Lin Yan threw herself into the bed, angrily covering her ears with a pillow. She grabbed a cushion and threw it aimlessly. “If you don’t leave, I’ll make you sleep in the courtyard!”
The knocking abruptly ceased, and Song Yuhang decided to give up and disappeared without a trace.
The world finally regained its tranquility.
Lin Yan let out a sigh of relief, took out a box of medicine from the bedside table, opened it, and swallowed the pills with a gulp of cold water from a glass. She dimmed the desk lamp, then nestled into the bed, closing her eyes.
She was awakened in the middle of the night by the coldness of her feet. Lin Yan got up, turned on the electric blanket, and switched on the air conditioner.
Looking at the darkness outside, she could hear the rustling sound of the wind and the gentle patter of falling snow in the quiet atmosphere.
She got up and rummaged through the cabinet, pulling out a thick blanket. Wearing slippers, she gently opened the door.
A faint light emanated from downstairs. She leaned over the railing for a glance and saw Song Yuhang sleeping soundly on the sofa, with the computer still on beside her.
Lin Yan tiptoed downstairs. She swore that she had never felt so guilty even when she was committing a theft. She nervously walked a mere ten meters, her back covered in cold sweat.
It wasn’t until she gently draped the blanket over her that Lin Yan finally breathed a sigh of relief.
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She had been busy all day and endured the freezing cold in the snow. She was probably truly exhausted. Lin Yan’s restless movements didn’t manage to wake her.
Song Yuhang, with her eyes closed, muttered a few words, then rolled over and slept facing the sofa.
Lin Yan tucked her in and turned around to shut down her computer. However, she noticed that there were several search pages open, including ones about the “Fenyang Port dismemberment case,” “foreign same-sex marriage registration,” and “destination for wedding travel.” It was a diverse array of topics.
A slight curve formed at the corner of Lin Yan’s lips, unable to suppress her delight. She glanced back at Song Yuhang, reached out, and closed the computer screen.
As she was about to get up, Song Yuhang muttered something again. Lin Yan leaned in to listen, and what she said was…
“Lin Yan… marriage…”
She really… was fixated on this matter.
Lin Yan chuckled, unable to contain the curve of her lips any longer. Her eyebrows lifted as she gazed at this slightly heroic face in the darkness. She leaned in, offering her own lips.
In the early morning of the next day, as she stretched lazily and descended from upstairs, Song Yuhang had already prepared breakfast and freshly brewed coffee for her. She followed Lin Yan closely.
“Did you cover me with a blanket last night?”
Lin Yan took a sip of coffee and walked towards the coatroom. “It wasn’t me.”
“Then who was it?”
“Probably the housekeeper.”
Song Yuhang looked puzzled. “But I distinctly felt someone kissing me.”
Lin Yan turned around slowly and handed her the coffee cup. “Must have been a wet dream.”
Song Yuhang scratched her head. “Then who shut down the computer?”
Lin Yan picked out clothes from the neatly arranged closet. “Maybe it glitched.”
Song Yuhang became increasingly perplexed. “But…”
Soon, she pushed the issue aside. Lin Yan stood in front of the dressing mirror, changing her clothes while her delicate fingers tugged at the robe belt.
“Lin Yan, tonight I want to sleep with you. We haven’t… for a whole day——”
Veins bulged on Lin Yan’s forehead as she restrained herself from hitting her.
Song Yuhang was relentless, her gaze fixed on Lin Yan. “Or, you could sleep with me.”
“Get lost!” Lin Yan roared, grabbing a clothes hanger and throwing it at her.
Damn it, she was still angry. If she couldn’t touch her, fine, but dreaming that she would sleep with her?!
Song Yuhang covered her head and scurried away, holding the coffee cup.
By the time she emerged, breakfast was already on the table, and the TV in the living room was playing the morning news.
Song Yuhang took out a carton of milk from the microwave and handed it to her. “Here, drink it while it’s hot.”
Lin Yan stared straight ahead at the TV.
“Chairman Lin, Chairman Lin, what are your thoughts on the recent sharp decline in Jingtai’s stock price, as well as the incident where a retail investor jumped off the rooftop of the Jingtai Group building yesterday morning?”
“Chairman Lin, Chairman Lin, could you comment on the discovery of carcinogens in the ‘Overseas’ brand health products and powdered milk exported by your company?”
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“Chairman Lin, Chairman Lin, please share your views on the mass sell-off of real estate properties under Jingtai Group.”
“Chairman Lin, Chairman Lin, there are rumors that the company has initiated a new round of layoffs. Can you confirm if this is true?”
……
Outside the Jingtai Building, Lin Youyuan sat in a wheelchair, surrounded and besieged by reporters.
Bodyguards struggled to navigate through the crowded crowd, protecting him. There still seemed to be no expression on Lin Youyuan’s face, but whether it was her illusion or not, she felt that he appeared even older on the high-definition cameras.
Last time they met, his temples didn’t have this many white hairs. Avoiding the camera with a gaze that used to be bright and resolute, he operated the wheelchair silently and headed inside. His shoulders slumped, and his figure appeared hunched.
The security guards of Jingtai rushed out, forming a human wall to keep the large group of reporters outside the glass door.
Not far away, on the steps, sat disgruntled retail investors holding banners demanding Jingtai to repay their hard-earned money, homebuyers, and family members of the deceased burning paper money in a copper basin. Some of the employees, in tears, were pleading for their unpaid wages.
The camera lenses of the reporters quickly surged forward.
Song Yuhang sat opposite her, subtly blocking her line of sight and squeezed her hand. “Eat quickly, or you’ll be late for work.”
Lin Yan snapped back to reality, nodded, and picked up the remote control to turn off the TV. “Okay.”
On the way to Jiangcheng City Bureau, Song Yuhang drove past the Jingtai Group building. She slowed down the car and glanced sideways. “Do you want to go down and take a look?”
Lin Yan flipped through the magazine in her hand, took a sip of coffee, and sneered. “What’s there to see? What does Jingtai have to do with me?”
Song Yuhang fell silent. After dropping her off at the city bureau, she returned to her office and made a phone call to the local police station responsible for the matter to gather information.
“The person indeed jumped from the top of the Jingtai Building. Hundreds of pairs of eyes witnessed it. I heard they had to compensate 1.8 million yuan. It was the hard-earned money meant for their son’s medical treatment. With the money gone, their son is gone too, and his wife divorced him. Their family was destroyed, and the person…” There was a pause, a hint of reluctance. “The Economic Investigation Bureau is also involved in the case. Captain Song, you can go and inquire.”
“Alright, I got it. Thank you,” Song Yuhang hung up the phone and immediately called the Economic Investigation Detachment.
The response she received was that investigations had been launched into Jingtai’s production of counterfeit and substandard products, suspected illegal fundraising, financial fraud, and a series of illegal business activities. The China Securities Regulatory Commission had also deployed a team to conduct a thorough investigation within the group.
In the current economic situation, which has yet to fully recover, such an outcome is nothing short of adding insult to injury for a company.
Song Yuhang rubbed her forehead and said, “Alright, let me know if there are any updates.”
“Okay, Captain Song.”
After hanging up the phone, the operator from the Economic Investigation Detachment still had some doubts. “Wasn’t this case initially transferred from the Criminal Investigation Detachment to the Economic Investigation Detachment? And you’re not even the captain of the Economic Investigation Detachment, so why are you so concerned?”