Chapter 84 [VIP] The Murder in the Secret Room Airbnb Case (23)

Chapter 84 [VIP] The Murder in the Secret Room Airbnb Case (23)

After listening to Long Shanwen's story, Meng Siqi felt a deep sense of sorrow. It was a time of fragmented memories, an incredibly absurd period.

During that time, Long Shanwen was young and full of hope for the future and longing for beauty. She arrived at the textile factory, but because of its closure, sufferings that weren't meant for her came one after another.

Her life could have been better, but her uncle and aunt didn't care for her. The factory leaders, under the guise of saving the factory, engaged in ridiculous and illegal schemes. Gui Xiangyang, an extremely important person in her life, became the guide to her downfall.

She struggled desperately in the mudslide of time, just wanting to live the good life she pursued. She was kind and compassionate, always wanting to repay even the smallest kindness, but it was precisely because of her kindness that she was burdened and unable to escape the prison others had drawn for her.

She knew she was unfortunate, so even though she lived a different material life, she still envied her three sisters. Deep down, she might have thought that giving them her money in the form of gifts was her way of repaying their kindness.

Perhaps she also hoped that the gifts would bring her good luck, but Long Shanwen was undoubtedly kind—how could someone else's good luck be exchanged for her own?

She might have just wanted to give away the dirty money she received, or maybe she genuinely wanted to help her sisters change their lives.

She was unfortunate, not because she was kind or weak, but because of the ugly faces of those evil people during that period, those butchers who trampled her kindness underfoot.

Those "butchers" are either deceased or have become senile, and none have faced legal punishment.

Therefore, when closing this case, Meng Siqi wrote a sentence in her notebook: The soul is beautiful but full of thorns.

The murderer of this secret room case, Xu Liang, who killed Long Shanwen, was also known as Kong Yang. He was the descendant of a textile factory worker. His father, Kong Qushan, was a model worker at the textile factory. From a young age, he was cherished by his father and even instilled with the idea of becoming a future force in the textile factory. He often went to the textile factory to play, proud of his father. The factory was his childhood dream.

But he witnessed the closure and collapse of the textile factory, saw his father killed before his eyes, and saw factory workers chase and confront his mother. From the age of nine, his world changed.

His father had once been his everything. He regretted not saving his father's life and not standing up to protect his mother and clarify the facts during the most difficult times. He was afraid, fearful, and cowardly.

It was a lifelong pain for him. He couldn't go back to the past and wanted to end everything, including himself. He chose the most foolish way he thought would honor his father.

As for Gui Xiangyang, who was at the center of the textile factory vortex eight years ago, whether he committed manslaughter or intentional murder, he had already confessed and was handed over to the court. Meng Siqi didn't pay much attention to how he would be sentenced.

During that turbulent period, Gui Xiangyang might have been unable to control his actions. He had heroic ideals of justice but also filthy thoughts. He was determined to save the factory but also cunning in committing crimes. He was a contradiction—it couldn't be said he was entirely bad, nor could it be said he was good. He was complex and couldn't be defined solely by good or bad.

The law does not tolerate emotions. The wrongs he did and the crimes he committed would be punished by law.

During his detention, Zhang Hui came to visit Gui Xiangyang. They stood facing each other through the iron window.

Zhang Hui's eyes were probably swollen from crying, with dark purple bags under her eyes. She couldn't believe her husband had killed someone, nor could she believe he was a villain. At home, he knew how to care for and look after the children. He was the heart of the family, and his complete departure would mean the family's collapse.

Zhang Hui was not a strong woman. Since meeting Gui Xiangyang, she had been dependent and enjoyed the benefits. She hoped to rely on him for her entire life.

Therefore, she was the one who least wanted to move on from this incident, but no matter what, she needed to face it.

Her heart was conflicted. She didn't know whether to face a murderer or the husband who had once loved and protected her.

She struggled to open her mouth: "You... are you okay?"

"Zhang Hui," Gui Xiangyang's tone was slow and weak, having lost his former vigor, "I'm sorry."

Zhang Hui least wanted to hear those words and slowly lowered her eyes, unsure how to respond.

"When I first met you," Gui Xiangyang paused, "I might not have truly loved you."

Zhang Hui slowly looked up, her eyes wrinkled and moldy, thinking it impossible since he had spent so much effort pursuing her.

"At first, I met you because of your sister, or rather, your brother-in-law. Because of this relationship, I could navigate the business world more easily. To be honest, my brother-in-law was a strange person. He was my brother-in-law for seven years but never had a meal with me or accepted a gift. I used his identity to deceive others. I let him down."

"Of course, the person I let down the most is you. From the beginning, my intentions were impure..."

Gui Xiangyang continued, and Zhang Hui still couldn't hold back. She lowered her head and wept softly, realizing that even though Gui Xiangyang was a heinous criminal, she still cared for him.

"Zhang Hui, you should remarry and take Tiantian with you!"

She suddenly looked up, "Gui Xiangyang, have you never loved me? These seven years, what did you think of me? Now you tell me to remarry, do you think you're a saint, that I'm some tool you can toss away?"

"I didn't," Gui Xiangyang's emotions rose slightly, "My intentions were impure at first, but after you gave birth to Tiantian, we took care of him together, went to school together, went to the park together. I liked that life... I couldn't let go. If I could choose again, I would never have made that mistake. I wish I had met you and lived with you earlier; then I would be the true Gui Xiangyang."

Gui Xiangyang's eyes reddened, and he sighed deeply. Zhang Hui couldn't bear to listen anymore and walked out of the detention center, crying outside.

She regretted meeting him. Otherwise, her second half of life would have been complete, and Tiantian would have had a good father. If given the choice again, she would never have married Gui Xiangyang just to compete with Zhang Ya.

She would have focused on character, even if he wasn't wealthy, as long as he was hardworking, cared for the family, and loved Tiantian.

*

During this time, Han Changlin also returned to the police station. After not seeing everyone for a while and considering the situation with Gui Xiangyang, people didn't know how to greet each other for a moment.

Han Changlin didn't have his usual calmness and smile. He cautiously greeted everyone in the office: "Everyone has worked hard."

Before he could even sit down, Han Changlin went to Commissioner Liu's office. The commissioner had been looking for him, so it was a good time for a conversation.

Han Changlin said, "Commissioner Liu, I feel very apologetic about this work. Because of Gui Xiangyang's situation, I was on extended leave and delayed the work. I must apologize to you."

Commissioner Liu smiled calmly, "No need to apologize, Changlin. Your leave was unavoidable. Everything has passed, and you've returned to your post and worked diligently."

"I have one more thing to discuss today," Han Changlin handed a prepared letter to Commissioner Liu's desk and said solemnly, "Commissioner Liu, these are my most sincere thoughts. I hope you will approve."

"Your most sincere thoughts?" Commissioner Liu picked up the letter, "Resigning as captain is your most sincere thought?"

His tone carried a hint of disdain, yet with an air of authority: "What tradition does your second team have? When Feng Shaomin did this, and now you're doing the same, is the police duty treated like an everyday matter?"

Han Changlin swallowed, "Commissioner Liu, I'm not saying this. As the criminal investigator captain, I lived with a murderer for seven years without discovering him. It was my lack of awareness, my failure as a captain."

"Is it that you, Han Changlin, lack sharp eyes, or that Gui Xiangyang had an invisibility spell? What kind of thinking is this, a feudal concept of guilt by association? If everyone thought like you, we wouldn't be able to do our police work."

"Commissioner Liu, don't try to persuade me anymore. I've already made up my mind. Please arrange the second team's work as soon as possible. I'll be leaving now." Han Changlin was resolute and turned to walk towards the door.

"Stop!" Liu Maoping shouted, "If you dare step out that door, you can forget about being a police officer."

At that moment, Han Changlin stood still.

He slowly turned around, his voice filled with sorrow. "Commissioner Liu, these are not the same thing."

Han Changlin's dream was to become an honorable police officer. This was not only the mission in his heart but also the wish of his wife, Zhang Ya, and the pride of his daughter, Duoduo. He had to forge ahead on this path. He felt guilty towards the captain, but if he weren't even allowed to be a police officer, what would be the point of his life?

"These are the same thing," Liu Maoping said decisively. "I was originally going to praise you for doing a good job avoiding suspicions in this case, but who knew you would ignore the police station regulations and treat the position of captain like a joke. I now order you, Han Changlin, to write a 5,000-word self-criticism; otherwise, you can pack your bags and leave the police station."

"Commissioner Liu, I was wrong," Han Changlin said, flustered. "I'll write it right away, 10,000 words. Please take back your order; I won't mention the captain's position again."

"What's this? You still have this piece of paper here with me."

Han Changlin carefully walked over and picked up the resignation letter from the captain's desk. Facing Commissioner Liu's stern demeanor, he didn't dare to breathe. He walked to the door and gave Liu Maoping a solemn salute.

*

After the case was finished, Meng Siqi could finally take a good rest for two days. She had been busy and tense, with no time to relax. Now, she could finally let go of her worries.

But there was still one thing she needed to do before her vacation. Last time, during the heavy rain, she took Shirt and Long Pants from Lu He's house. She had washed and dried them neatly and specially ironed and wrapped them nicely, but she hadn't had the time to return them.

If she didn't return them soon, Lu He might think she was withholding his clothes.

In the morning, she packed the clothes, grabbed a bag, and went to the Team One office, deciding to hand them over personally.

However, the office was empty at this time. She stood at the door, wondering whether to leave the bag on Lu He's desk.

As she hesitated, a man's voice came from behind her. "You are... Xiao Meng?"

She turned around. She remembered him. Cai Shuangxi, a Team One officer. In the homestay murder case, his vivid description of the soccer match had been crucial, helping her pinpoint the time details of the crime, which was the key clue to solving the case.

Cai Shuangxi had a happy expression. Since then, Meng Siqi had some understanding of his personality—an open and generous person.

"Oh, Xiao Meng, it's rare to see you again. I was hoping to discuss football with you. Aren't you also a fan of Maldini?"

Meng Siqi didn't understand anything about it, and her knowledge of football was limited to the impression of eleven people kicking a ball. But she couldn't dampen Cai Shuangxi's enthusiasm. She should be grateful to him. She smiled broadly, "Officer Cai, thank you again. Without your description of that match, we might not have solved the case."

Cai Shuangxi beamed, gesturing, "I heard that the killer took advantage of the halftime break to commit the murder within just fifteen minutes. This locked-room case, Xiao Meng, I genuinely admire you for deducing the murderer based on the match schedule. You are truly amazing!"

It turned out that Cai Shuangxi was not only open but also eloquent. Meng Siqi didn't know how to respond for a moment and could only say, "Thank you, Officer Cai."

"Calling me Officer Cai is too formal. I've been particularly impressed by you since the last time. Just call me Xiao Cai."

Seeing that Cai Shuangxi was about seven or eight years older than her, it seemed inappropriate to call him that. Meng Siqi quickly said, "Then thank you, Brother Cai."

"Just call me Shuangxi. Calling me Brother Cai sounds awkward."

Meng Siqi felt that if she continued chatting, it would go on endlessly. "Brother Shuangxi, where's Captain Lu? Why isn't he here?"

"In a meeting." Cai Shuangxi patted his thigh. "I came back to get some materials and forgot about it while chatting. Xiao Meng, maybe we can discuss Maldini another time."

Seeing that she was still there, Cai Shuangxi asked, "By the way, are you looking for Captain Lu? If so, you can come with me to the meeting room."

"No, no," Meng Siqi didn't want to return the personal items in such a setting. "I'll do it next time. You go ahead."

As he walked out, Cai Shuangxi turned his head and urged, "Maldini, Xiao Meng, we're on for it."

Watching his back, Meng Siqi swallowed. She wondered who this Maldini was and how he could "obsess" someone so much. She decided to look up the information when she got back.

*

After the meeting, when Lu He returned to the office with the others, Cai Shuangxi said, "Captain Lu, Xiao Meng came looking for you not long ago."

"Hmm?" Lu He's pace faltered slightly.

"How could you forget her, the little beauty from the second team? She's really nice and sharp."

Luo Xiaoguo laughed, "Cai Shuangxi, you've only known her for a few days, and you're already praising her to the skies."

Yan Chun said, "As far as I know, Meng Siqi and Shuangxi both like Maldini."

"Haha..." Everyone laughed.

Cai Shuangxi could tell that the laughter was light-hearted, a usual banter among teammates. During the investigation process, it was too dull and tense, and without some fun, who could endure it?

Except for Lu He, who was more serious, the atmosphere in Team One was relatively balanced. The warmth of the team members offset the coldness.

"Shuangxi, why was she looking for me?" Lu He asked.

Cai Shuangxi replied, "I don't know. I only saw her carrying a bag."

At that moment, a police officer came over. "Captain Lu, Commissioner Liu needs to see you."

"Alright, you guys go ahead first," Lu He handed his notebook to Luo Xiaoguo to take back.

As he walked towards the commissioner's office, he wondered why Commissioner Liu wanted to see him. With his investigative experience, he could often guess correctly.

But this time, he was wrong.

Upon entering, Liu Maoping had a smile on his face, which was unusually not as serious as usual. He gestured, "Lu He, sit."

There was a chair opposite the desk. Lu He generally wouldn't sit down for work-related matters, understanding the importance of separating public and private affairs. But he could tell that today, Commissioner Liu didn't seem to be discussing a case.

He sat down with an extremely standard posture.

"Take a look," Liu Maoping handed him a piece of paper the size of a soapbox.

Was it a clue for a case? He hesitated as he took it, and when he looked at it closely, he was slightly stunned.

It was a movie ticket for a show starting at seven o'clock that evening, seemingly a romantic film.

He didn't understand Commissioner Liu's intention and asked, "Commissioner Liu, what case's clue is this?" He genuinely couldn't think of any other situation.

"It seems you need some relaxation. Your nerves are too tense," Liu Maoping said peacefully with a smile. "I got this when I was at the union. It was meant for my daughter, but since she just returned to her unit, the movie ticket would go to waste, so you go and watch it."

Lu He was speechless. He had never watched a movie since he was young, let alone a romantic one given by the commissioner. For now, romance was not something he would consider.

He said, "Commissioner Liu, this isn't appropriate. You should give it to the younger colleagues in the department."

"What, do you think you're not young?"

"I suppose I'm not young."

"Since you're not young, why has that person's situation been put aside?"

Lu He had many experiences, but he couldn't argue with Commissioner Liu on this matter. His thin lips slightly pressed together. He didn't want to debate personal matters in front of Commissioner Liu because, at the police station, personal life was part of the job.

"Enough," Liu Maoping pushed his hand as if to guide him, "watch a movie and relax. Don't I, as the commissioner, have the right to order you?"

"That's not what I meant."

"Since that's the case, don't be late tonight."

Lu He was thinking about giving the ticket to a colleague, but just as he was about to get up and leave, Liu Maoping's expression turned serious, "Lu He, you know I have 'eyes' outside. If you privately transfer the movie ticket or leave halfway through the movie, I'll consider it a violation."

Lu He: "..."

"I understand, Commissioner Liu, don't worry, I'll treat it as a task to be completed."

Liu Maoping chuckled lightly, "No need to treat it as a task. Go, just relax and watch a movie."

"Well, I'll be leaving then."

"Write a review afterward."

"?"

Ten minutes later, Chen Jierong received a call from Commissioner Liu in her office. She replied, "Yes, Commissioner Liu, I'll come right away."

Chen Jierong didn't think much of it. When there were no cases, Commissioner Liu rarely called her, but he would still communicate with her about case follow-ups. The door was open, so she walked in directly.

"Have a seat, Xiao Chen," Liu Maoping said kindly.

Chen Jierong sat down, "Commissioner Liu, is there a case?"

"You guys always think about cases and not about yourselves," Liu Maoping handed her the movie ticket, "It's for 7 PM, don't be late."

"Huh? A movie ticket." Chen Jierong confirmed it in her hand, "Commissioner Liu, are you..."

"Don't girls like watching movies? This one seems pretty good."

"Um, actually, Commissioner Liu..."

"Do you have something else tonight?"

Chen Jierong did have plans, but it was inconvenient to say, so she replied, "No, I don't have anything else. Should I give it to Xiao Tong and the others?"

"Remember to balance work and rest. Your job as a forensic examiner is tough, and we must consider your well-being. Don't delay this."

Chen Jierong couldn't refuse Commissioner Liu and nodded, "Alright then, Commissioner Liu, I'll go tonight."

"Good, the ticket is quite expensive, don't waste it. Also, write a review tomorrow."

"Ah?" Chen Jierong understood; Commissioner Liu really wanted her to watch it, "Don't worry, I won't waste it."

As Chen Jierong was leaving with the movie ticket in hand, she was unsure how to handle her evening plans. She either had to refuse Commissioner Liu or her mother, and she couldn't afford to offend either. While hesitating, her eyes lit up, and she quickly waved, "Siqi."

Meng Siqi turned around, "Sister Rong."

"Come here, I need a favor from you."

Meng Siqi walked back to her lightly and said with a smile, "Sister Rong, just say it."

Chen Jierong placed the movie ticket in her palm, "It's quite expensive. I have an urgent matter tonight, so I really can't go. Can you watch it for me and tell me the plot tomorrow?"

Meng Siqi looked at the movie ticket and said, "Don't worry, Sister Rong, I have nothing else to do tonight."

"Little one, I'll treat you to a meal next time. I have to take a cab now."

"Okay, Sister Rong, take care." Meng Siqi waved as Chen Jierong hurried off.