Chapter 28: Visit and Deception |
Lin Shuman never expected that Guan Shan would investigate the murder of Zhao Hong and his wife...
She stared blankly at Guan Shan's thoughtful expression.
What a joke, aren't you the killer?
I saw you kill both of them like it was nothing, as if you were just killing chickens! And now you're investigating their deaths?
Lin Shuman's mouth twitched. She was at a loss for words... Well, as long as you're happy.
Guan Shan opened the file on his computer and said, "I heard about this case a few days ago. Initially, it was a missing person case, but now that the bodies have been found, it's been reclassified as murder."
"The victims are Zhao Hong and Fang Minmin, aged 35 and 32. They were married for six years and had a four-year-old son."
The file included a photo of the family, all three smiling brightly.
"About three months ago, Zhao Hong and Fang Minmin went missing simultaneously. There were signs of a break-in at their home, and the case was treated as a missing person case."
At the bottom of the file, there was a blurry photo.
It showed several people lurking outside Zhao Hong's house, seemingly trying to break in.
Guan Shan declared firmly, "I don't know where Jiang Siyuan got this, but these people are likely the murderers."
No, whether these people are related or not, the murderer is you. There's no need to look further.
Lin Shuman watched Guan Shan earnestly as he played the thief calling for help and couldn't help but scoff.
She glanced at the family photo again, puzzled. Did he genuinely not recognize Zhao Hong and Fang Minmin? Their faces should be hard to forget.
Lin Shuman made a mental note of this discrepancy.
However, she was curious about what had happened to Zhao Hong and his wife before they became experimental subjects. After all, Special Security Group only acted post-factum.
As a low-ranking operative, Lin Shuman had no choice but to follow orders.
Since Special Security Group had no information, these people were likely ordinary civilians, and their apprehension was a matter for the regular authorities.
Shen Dinghua frowned, "Are you really going to investigate these people? That's too dangerous. It's not even our job..."
Guan Shan shook his head, "I won't take unnecessary risks, but I still need to check out Zhao Hong's house."
---
Guan Shan and Shen Dinghua walked through the residential area.
This area was the LC District, filled with old apartment buildings and brick houses. Narrow alleys and pathways were lined with parked vehicles.
Pedestrians were sparse, and it was quiet at midday.
"There it is, Zhao Hong's house... And, it seems the holdout is in a nearby apartment building. Perfect, we might be able to visit both today."
Guan Shan's gaze settled on a small house.
The house had two floors, with the first floor converted into a shop and the second floor used as living quarters.
Zhao Hong and his wife ran a small restaurant here.
The first floor's rolling shutter was now closed, but laundry hung from the second-floor windows, suggesting someone still lived there.
"After Zhao Hong and his wife died, their son was left in the care of Zhao Hong's mother. Other relatives didn't want the burden, and even Fang Minmin's parents avoided it."
Shen Dinghua spoke softly, glancing at Guan Shan.
After all, Guan Shan had experienced something similar.
Guan Shan smiled at her, "Let's go knock on the door."
They circled the house and found the side door. An elderly woman in her sixties or seventies opened it, with a young boy behind her.
It was Zhao Hong's mother, Yu Zhen, and his son, Zhao Jie.
Reportedly, Zhao Jie was present at the scene on the night of the incident and was so traumatized that he became mute.
The old woman looked wary and spoke with an accent, "What do you want?"
Guan Shan, maintaining his composure, put on a professional smile, "Hello, we're from the Demolitions Office."
Lin Shuman was stunned, "Huh?"
Shen Dinghua's lips curled slightly... Xiao Shan was about to start deceiving people again.
The old woman was taken aback, "Demolitions Office?"
"Isn't that Yulan Apartment building nearby slated for demolition?"
Guan Shan smiled, "We're the supervisors for this project. This area is being cleared for new infrastructure like supermarkets and malls to make shopping more convenient for residents. It's a public benefit project, but one household, the Qin family, refuses to move and won't cooperate, delaying the project. We wanted to ask the neighbors about it."
The old woman's wariness eased, and she muttered, "So that's it."
Guan Shan looked eager, "Do you know anything about this, ma'am?"
This was not a spur-of-the-moment plan but a strategic one.
It not only eased Zhao Hong's mother's guard, making further contact easier, but also potentially provided valuable information.
Since Zhao Hong's house was the only restaurant nearby, most residents likely ate there.
If they wanted to gather information, Zhao Hong's mother, as part of the "Neighborhood Intelligence Network," was the best source.
The old woman sighed, "Others have asked about it too. We all want them to move. Everyone else has left, but the Qin family won't budge. What can we do?"
She continued in a lower voice, "That family is strange. Qin Deguang often came to eat here but only ordered a bowl of rice and water. He had no job and was always doing who knows what."
Guan Shan was puzzled, "No dishes?"
The old woman nodded, "Yes, isn't it strange?"
Guan Shan asked, "Does he do this every day? No work, no socializing?"
The old woman shook her head, "Not exactly. He chats with people often, different ones each time, strangers to me. They talk for a long time and then leave together."
Guan Shan frowned. This was peculiar.
An unemployed man knowing many people wasn't odd, but it was strange that these people were unknown to the old woman.
This holdout issue seemed more complex.
But this was a new lead, so things were looking up.
It appeared previous inquiries only focused on the murder case, not realizing Zhao Hong's mother was a valuable information source.
"By the way," Guan Shan asked, "Qin Deguang has a wife and daughter, right? Do they still live there?"
"They went back to her family."
The old woman shook her head, "The whole building is empty, except for Qin Deguang. He refused to leave, making his wife and child suffer. They had people asking questions all the time, so they went back to her family."
Guan Shan nodded, "Thank you for your cooperation. We might need to ask you more questions later. Is that alright?"
The old woman hesitated, "Come at noon when fewer people are around."
It seemed she was indeed overwhelmed.
Guan Shan noted this and then casually asked to buy some water, successfully entering the closed restaurant.
After a quick look around, he found no new leads.
Disappointed, he left.
The old woman escorted them to the door.
As they were leaving, the little boy saw a cat run by and chased after it, almost tripping.
Lin Shuman instinctively moved to help but stopped herself.
Just then, she felt a slight vibration on her wrist. Confused at first, she remembered she still had an energy detector she hadn't returned.
Lin Shuman glanced at it.
D-class.
Her pupils contracted, "This kid... is an esper?!"