Chapter 37: Murderer Ye Qing?

Chapter 37: Murderer Ye Qing?

Why? On what grounds?

Yin Shuang was fuming. She believed that the two reporters had definitely been deceived by Ye Qing.

On the train that day, it was she who had exposed the human traffickers’ intentions, drawing the attention of the passengers and the Train Police, thus blocking the traffickers’ escape route.

The unsung hero who had caught the traffickers should have been her!

What had Ye Qing done? She had been hiding like a coward under a seat on the train!

Yin Shuang was convinced that the Captain and Ye Qing were in cahoots, misleading the reporters who had come to the village for an interview. The Captain, impressed by Ye Qing’s medical skills, wanted to elevate her to a pedestal to benefit Kao Shan Tun. So they pulled a switcheroo and stole Yin Shuang’s credit!

The more Yin Shuang thought about it, the more her anger became uncontrollable, shaking with fury!

This Kao Shan Tun was simply too outrageous!

But after the incident with the wild boar the day before, Yin Shuang didn’t dare to cause a scene in the village.

She knew that the people of Kao Shan Tun had been brainwashed by Ye Qing and had become her lackeys. If she stirred up trouble, she wouldn’t gain anything and might even be ridiculed by the whole village.

So she seized the opportunity to run out of the field and onto the highway, trying to intercept the reporters returning to Ji City.

But to her surprise, Hang Tingfang and Huang Kuangyin were in a hurry to get back to write their articles and had no intention of wasting time on the road.

Even though they saw someone waving on the side of the road, Huang Kuangyin, the driver, didn’t spare an extra glance.

The car sped away, leaving behind a trail of dust and exhaust, leaving Yin Shuang covered in dirt and with nothing to show for her efforts.

How could Yin Shuang let it go without achieving her goal?

She couldn’t allow the honor that should have been hers to be stolen by Ye Qing!

After returning to the field, she glared at Ye Qing, seething with anger, while thinking about her next move.

On the train that day, only she, Ye Qing, and Li Juan knew what had happened.

But she didn’t think Li Juan would risk offending Ye Qing to testify for her.

For one, it was she who had pushed Li Juan into becoming a hostage for the criminals that day on the train, nearly getting her killed by the traffickers.

For another, as seen from the incident with the wild boar the day before, Li Juan, the fool, had now ingratiated herself with the Captain’s daughter and had decided to completely break away from her, no longer someone easy to manipulate.

Without anyone to testify for her, even if she told the truth, no one would believe her.

To expose the conspiracy between the Captain and Ye Qing, she would have to rely on external forces.

Thinking of Ye Lijun’s example of reporting Li Rulan, Yin Shuang had an idea.

During the afternoon work, Yin Shuang remained silent and endured, while the village was abuzz with discussions about Ye Qing being interviewed by the reporters. She kept her head down and worked without discussing it with anyone.

In her heart, she had already concluded that Ye Qing was a robber and a thief. The heroine that the villagers spoke of should have been her, but now the credit was being given to Ye Qing. How could she calmly chat and joke about it with others?

And because Yin Shuang avoided the topic, she once again missed the opportunity to learn the specific reasons and details of the reporters’ interview with Ye Qing.

That night, after everyone in Zhao Guosheng’s house had gone to sleep, she hid under the covers with a flashlight and secretly wrote a complaint letter.

With Ye Lijun’s example in front of her, she had learned many lessons. The complaint letter could be written, but not in her own voice, and definitely not as a real-name report.

She wasn’t sure if she could win against Ye Qing and couldn’t expose herself. Besides, she was already unpopular in the village. If everyone found out that she had written the complaint letter, the villagers would likely despise her even more, making her life in Kao Shan Tun even harder.

So after much consideration, Yin Shuang decided to write from the perspective of another unnamed youth on the train.

From an onlooker’s point of view, she detailed how the traffickers had gained the old woman’s trust and then, while she got off at Ping County to watch a monkey show, they had taken her child away.

Finally, she questioned and accused Ye Qing and the Captain of the Kao Shan Tun production team of colluding to steal credit, deceive villagers, and mislead the reporters. She asked what their true intentions were and pleaded for the revolutionary committee of Qing Shan Town to intervene and bring justice to the victim.

Fearing that her handwriting might be recognized, Yin Shuang even wrote the letter with her left hand. The crooked and messy handwriting could barely be read.

After carefully checking to ensure there were no issues with the complaint letter, Yin Shuang, too anxious to sleep, headed to the town that night.

After dropping the complaint letter into the mailbox hanging outside the revolutionary committee’s office, she returned to the village.

She had gone to the town in the dark of dawn and, on her way back, was so focused on imagining Ye Qing being taken away for investigation that she didn’t notice the danger lurking nearby until her strong intuition warned her again. Danger was approaching!

Yin Shuang’s expression changed drastically, and instinctively, she dodged to the side, quickly darting several steps forward.

With her good luck, she once again successfully evaded the ambush in the dark.

“Girl, why aren’t you sleeping at home so late at night? Could it be to meet a lover?”

The person hiding in the dark, disappointed at missing their target, regretfully dropped the stick in their hand and looked over at Yin Shuang with a smirk.

Yin Shuang was terrified.

She had been so focused on dealing with Ye Qing that she hadn’t considered the potential dangers lurking in this remote mountain village late at night.

Standing in front of her was some good-for-nothing from a production team, drunk in the middle of the night. His lecherous eyes glistened under the moonlight, his malicious intentions obvious.

Yin Shuang turned pale with fear, watching the thug warily while cautiously backing away.

The thug seemed to think the girl in front of him was easy to intimidate. Seeing Yin Shuang holding her bag and shivering in fear like a helpless little rabbit, he became even more excited and pounced like a big bad wolf.

But just as he lunged, Yin Shuang pulled her hand out of her bag and threw a handful of crushed chili powder directly into the thug’s face.

That ruffian, caught off guard, had his eyes, nose, and mouth covered in a face full of chili powder.

"Ah——"

A scream rang out. The ruffian clutched his eyes and wailed in agony, losing the fierce demeanor he had just displayed.

Yin Shuang sneered, her face no longer showing any trace of the timid, fearful little white rabbit.

After years of being blessed by the koi, she had avoided numerous crises. How could she be a simple, easily bullied little white rabbit?

Since being sent down to the countryside, Yin Shuang had become highly alert to unfamiliar environments. Before heading out late at night, she had worried about encountering such a situation, so she had prepared some things in her bag just in case.

Watching the ruffian tear up and suffer from the chili powder, a cruel glint flashed in Yin Shuang's eyes.

She knelt down and picked up the wooden stick the man had used to ambush her, and slammed it hard onto the back of his head.

This time, her face twisted with ferocity, putting all her strength into the blow.

A grunt was heard, and the ruffian's head was split open, collapsing to the ground unconscious.

Yin Shuang still felt unsatisfied, thinking about the humiliation she had endured in Kaishantun recently. Her heart surged with resentment, and she had been looking for a way to vent. This ruffian had just walked right into her trap!

Yin Shuang found a rope and a knife in her bag. She first stripped the man and tied him naked to a tree, stuffing his own underwear into his mouth. Then, she vented her rage on the man with the knife.

The man, who had been knocked out, was awakened by the excruciating pain. His drunkenness had long worn off, and he could only look at the crazed woman in front of him in terror, unable to scream as he wanted.

After cutting the man countless times, Yin Shuang's intense hatred subsided, and she realized what she had done.

Under the night sky, the man tied to the tree was left barely alive, his lower body a mess of blood and flesh.

Shocked and panicked, Yin Shuang dropped the knife to the ground.

With such severe injuries, the man was as good as ruined. If he had a wife and children, it might be better, but if not, the enmity of being incapacitated would drive him to seek revenge against her relentlessly.

Realizing the magnitude of the trouble she was in, Yin Shuang turned pale and clamped her hand over her mouth to stifle her cry.

She forced herself to calm down quickly. There was no use in being flustered now; she needed to come up with a perfect plan to extricate herself from this situation.

Yes, extricate herself!

In a flash of inspiration, Yin Shuang thought of a brilliant idea, her eyes glinting with cunning and madness.

Yes, she thought of Ye Qing, the woman who had humiliated her repeatedly during this time.

If Ye Qing dared to impersonate and conspire with the Captain to steal her credit, then let this murder charge be borne by that woman!

Yin Shuang rummaged through her bag and found a small white plastic bottle.

The bottle contained life-saving medication, Cefradine, which she had gotten from the health station before being sent to the countryside.

Concerned about the inconvenience of seeing a doctor in the village, she had spent a large sum to obtain this bottle of anti-inflammatory medication from the health station in Shen City.

According to the doctors at the health station, this medication could handle illnesses like fever and infection, as long as they weren't too severe.

The only thing to note was that this medication should not be taken with alcohol, as it could be life-threatening.

Yin Shuang didn't understand the reasoning behind this, but she feared for her life, so she had taken the doctor's words to heart. She had thought it wouldn't matter much since she didn't drink, but she hadn't expected to use this obscure knowledge so soon!

Now, looking at the man reeking of alcohol, Yin Shuang couldn't help but sneer cruelly.

You came to seek death yourself; don't blame me for being ruthless. If I didn't eliminate you, I would never have peace in Kaishantun again!

Removing the rag stuffed in the man's mouth, Yin Shuang shoved a handful of white pills into his mouth. Afraid he wouldn't swallow, she found a broken jar nearby, scooped half a jar of dirty water from the roadside ditch, and poured it all into the man's mouth!

Only after ensuring all the Cefradine had been swallowed did she feel relieved.

Then, Yin Shuang used the stick to draw several characters on the man's belly with his blood, quickly cleaned up the scene, and ensured no evidence directly pointing to her was left behind. After one last glance at the man who would soon meet his fate, she hurriedly left.

The next morning, after finally sleeping soundly and letting go of her unease, Ye Qing got up and followed the large team to work in the fields as usual.

But shortly after starting work, she heard a commotion nearby. Villagers working in the fields shouted, "A man is dead near the short forest," and rushed back to report to the Captain.

Everyone was startled and ran towards the scene.

About a kilometer from the village, near the edge of the short forest, a man was tied to a tree, motionless, looking terribly miserable. His injuries were so severe that it was hard to tell if he was truly dead.

Most importantly, several striking blood-red characters were written on the man's belly.

"Scoundrel deserved death—Ye Qing of Kaishantun"

These words sent chills down everyone's spine, and they all looked over at Ye Qing, instinctively stepping back to keep a safe distance from the "murderer."

Ye Qing, who had been the favorite in the village, was now surrounded by a large vacuum of space. No one dared to come within two or three meters.

Ye Qing almost laughed in disbelief.

What a huge basin of dirty water to be splashed with! This framing of a murder was executed so skillfully!

She didn't move forward, afraid of leaving traces at the scene that might make things worse.

She quickly approached the Captain, who had rushed to the scene, and said, "Captain, it's not clear if the man is dead. Normally, I should check if he can be saved, but now I'm the prime suspect, so it's not suitable for me to get involved. You should send someone to report to the authorities in town as soon as possible. This matter is beyond our village's ability to handle! We need the officials to investigate! Also, organize people to protect the scene immediately so no one else approaches and potentially destroys the evidence!"

As soon as these words left her mouth, a female voice suddenly shrieked sharply from the group of older educated youths:

"Stop pretending! Aren't you the murderer? Why not just drag you to the police station?"

As soon as this woman's voice rose, the crowd of educated youths immediately echoed, clamoring to arrest Ye Qing, saying that a life should pay for a life, and Ye Qing must pay the price!

Ye Qing narrowed her eyes and looked at the person who had started the accusation.

The female educated youth was none other than Liu Mei, who had been brutally beaten by Meng Jia earlier.

Ye Qing understood the situation. Liu Mei had pushed Meng Jia into the river, intending for Zhao Ma Zi to ruin Meng Jia's innocence. However, their plan was thwarted when Ye Qing rescued Meng Jia before Zhao Ma Zi could act, causing their plan to fail.

So, Liu Mei harbored a grudge against her and couldn't wait to jump out and accuse her at this critical moment.

Ye Qing felt speechless.

This Liu Mei must be out of her mind. Did she really think that after beating Meng Jia, the matter was over? Liu Mei herself had attempted murder. How dare she now put on a righteous front and claim to want to catch the "murderer"?

"You don't need to stir up trouble here. Whether or not I am the murderer is for the public security organs to decide. It's not up to you to convict someone with empty words."

"If I wanted to kill someone, I have my methods. As many of the aunts here can attest, if I really wanted to kill someone, I could do it silently without a trace. There would be no need to tie the person to a tree."

"So, use your pig brains and think about it. If I were the murderer, would I tie the victim to such a conspicuous place and even leave my name on them? Am I that stupid?"

Ye Qing said with a cold smile,

"The murderer's goal is to divert your attention, to shift the blame onto someone else so that you focus your fire on me, allowing the real murderer to slip away. But are you willing to let an innocent person suffer while the real murderer goes free?"

"If you still think I'm the murderer, then I have nothing more to say. Just arrest me!"

Her words silenced the entire crowd.

Although most people might not be very educated at this time, Ye Qing's words were simple and easy to understand. Anyone with a normal level of intelligence would realize that they had almost been led astray.

At this moment, Captain Wu stepped forward and said with certainty:

"Comrade Ye Qing cannot be the murderer. Her silver needles are precise. If she really wanted to kill someone, a few needles to the fatal points would be enough to kill instantly. There would be no need for such a complicated method."

He then hurriedly moved to the man tied to the tree and checked his breathing and pulse.

After a minute or two, Wu Yongbing withdrew his hand with a dark expression and shook his head at the people around him:

"The man is already gone, but I could still feel some warmth. He probably died not long ago. I don't know who is so heartless to kill someone and then torture the body like this. It's too vicious!"

The villagers immediately asked, "Is this person from our village? Does anyone recognize him?"

"I don't think so. He doesn't seem to be from our village."

The man's face was covered with knife marks, making it impossible to identify him. Captain Wu took a few glances but couldn't recognize him. Not wanting to waste time, he quickly sent his eldest son, Wu Cong, to the town to report the incident.

Wu Cong had already returned to the village to get his bike and was now speeding towards the town.

The incident was too frightening, causing panic among the people. Everyone was cautiously looking around, afraid that the murderer might be hiding nearby.

After Ye Qing's explanation and Captain Wu's reminder, everyone finally realized the oddity of the situation. Unless someone wanted to die, no one would leave their name at the crime scene like that. It would be asking to be caught by the police. No normal person would do such a thing.

So, the murderer's actions were clearly meant to frame Ye Qing.

But Ye Qing had only been in Kao Shan village for a few days. As a young girl from the city, she was unfamiliar with the area and hadn't offended anyone enough to warrant such a frame-up.

Who hated her so much that they would try to pin a murder on her? It seemed they wouldn't rest until Ye Qing was destroyed.

Ye Qing's gaze swept over the older educated youths and Wu Yueying.

She thought more deeply and reacted faster than the other villagers. She believed the murderer was definitely among the older educated youths or Wu Yueying.

After all, she hadn't been in the village long enough to have conflicts or rivalries with others. The villagers wouldn't resort to such tricks.

As for people from other production teams, that was even less likely. Ye Qing had only been in the countryside for a few days and wasn't well-known enough for members of other production teams to remember her.

But the educated youths in Kao Shan village were different.

Ye Qing had been involved in several matters in the village recently, and it was possible that one of these had triggered someone or affected their interests.

Among them, she suspected Jian Ming the most.

As Ye Qing had been observing the reactions of the older educated youths, she noticed that when the man tied to the tree was found dead, Jian Ming's expression seemed off. There was shock and panic in his eyes, and he even avoided looking at the man's body.

This reaction was strange. If it were a stranger, they might be afraid, but not panicked or guilty. At least, Ye Qing hadn't seen such micro-expressions on any of the villagers' faces. Most people were shocked, but their shock was mixed with curiosity and caution.

Ye Qing found Jian Ming very suspicious. Either he knew the deceased, or he was the murderer.

Ye Qing silently noted this abnormality and urged Captain Wu to arrange for someone to protect the scene, preferably by using ropes to set up a cordon.

Captain Wu didn't understand the process of criminal investigation and wasn't sure why this was necessary.

Ye Qing had to explain:

"Even though the person is dead, there are many useful clues at the crime scene and on the body, such as the murder weapon, any items left by the murderer, and fingerprints and deoxyribonucleic acid. These are things that the public security organs need to investigate and collect evidence from. If the scene is disturbed, it will be harder to find the murderer quickly, making the investigation more difficult."

Captain Wu scratched his head:

"I think I understand what you mean, but what is this deoxyribonucleic acid?"

In this special era, Ye Qing didn't dare to use the English abbreviation 'DNA,' so she deliberately mentioned deoxyribonucleic acid, hoping Captain Wu would ask. Fortunately, he was quick to follow up.

She immediately explained loudly:

"It's the gene sequence. Simply put, everyone carries a unique gene sequence in their body, just like fingerprints, which are unique to each person. These genes are found in blood, hair, skin cells, and muscle tissue."

"That means that wherever you go or whatever activity you engage in, you will leave traces behind—even if it's just a flake of skin or a strand of hair. If the public security organs find and extract these traces, they can obtain a DNA sequence. Once they have that, they can compare it with others, and whoever's DNA matches will be proven as the murderer!"

Ye Qing was well aware that at this time, domestic public security organs certainly did not have the forensic technology to extract DNA. The reason she brought it up in front of Captain Wu was actually to speak to the murderer.

Once the murderer realized how advanced the police's investigation methods had become, they might panic and potentially reveal themselves in the days to come.

Sure enough, when Ye Qing said this, the entire village was thrown into an uproar. Everyone was astonished by this DNA comparison technology, amazed that such an investigative method existed—something they had never heard of before.

"Is it really true? Are the police really that capable now? Does that mean the murderer will be caught soon?"

The villagers perked up immediately, eagerly awaiting Wu Cong's return from the town to report the case.

Ye Qing had been keeping a close eye on Jian Ming. To her disappointment, although Jian Ming had acted unusually when he first saw the deceased, he showed no reaction when DNA comparison was mentioned. He didn't seem nervous or flustered, as Ye Qing had expected.

The attempt to probe had failed, leaving Ye Qing feeling confused. Had she guessed wrong?

At that moment, a group of villagers became curious about the DNA comparison technology that Ye Qing had casually mentioned. No one was willing to go back to the fields to work; they all wanted to see what would happen when the police arrived and how this gene comparison would be conducted.

This put Ye Qing in an awkward position. Should she explain that while this technology did exist, it hadn't made its way to the country yet?

Just as Ye Qing was conflicted about finding an excuse to leave, a serious and steady male voice came from outside the crowd:

"What Comrade Ye Qing said is correct. Theoretically, this technology could indeed be realized!"

Ye Qing was startled and turned around to see Professor Qiao standing among the crowd, his eyes fixed on the bound body of the deceased in the nearby woods.

Captain Wu was surprised. "Professor Qiao? What brings you here?"

Qiao Youqing, dressed in a drab uniform, a straw hat on his head, a towel around his neck, and muddy yellow rubber shoes on his feet, walked into the crowd and handed a small cloth bag to Ye Qing from his pocket.

"Here, the seeds you wanted."

Ye Qing quickly took the bag and thanked Qiao Youqing.

"I went to the fields to find you but couldn't. When I heard about the murder, I came to take a look."

Qiao Youqing then explained to Wu Yongbing,

"I specialize in plant gene sequences and currently lead a research team working on a gene engineering project at a nearby military farm. So, I have quite a bit of authority when it comes to biological gene research."

"The gene comparison that Comrade Ye Qing mentioned is theoretically possible."

"But this method is only theoretically feasible for now. It may not have been applied in actual case investigations by public security organs yet. This young comrade might have read a few books on investigation and assumed this technology was already mature, but that's not quite the case."

This statement left everyone present stunned.

Wu Yongbing was also confused for a moment, but the next second, he chuckled:

"So, this technology doesn't exist yet. I thought so. If it were that amazing, who would dare to commit crimes? We'd catch them every time!"

Saying this, Wu Yongbing looked helplessly at Ye Qing,

"You kid was just talking nonsense. You have to show off even about case investigation. Go on, I actually believed you knew everything!"

Ye Qing guiltily rubbed her nose. She couldn't be blamed for showing off, right? It was mainly because the real murderer had framed her. To clear her name, she had to use some unconventional methods.

But nothing came of it. The murderer was still hiding among the crowd, which left Ye Qing feeling quite frustrated. She wanted to drag out the bastard who had dared to frame her!

Captain Wu began to shoo away the onlookers, telling them to get back to work:

"The deadline for grain delivery is approaching. If you don't hurry and bring in the harvest, are you planning to stay home and 'drink the northwest wind' in the cold winter months? Get back to work!"

With no more rubbernecking allowed, the villagers reluctantly headed back.

Captain Wu called over a few team cadres and found some ropes to cordon off the area. He warned the villagers not to let their children come near, as the deceased's appearance was too frightening. He was concerned that if children saw the body, it might scare them badly.

Ye Qing didn't return to work. Since she was still the prime suspect until the police ruled her out, she had to stay and wait for the police to arrive for interrogation and investigation.

During this waiting period, Professor Qiao remained nearby, silently watching Ye Qing from a short distance.

When no one was paying attention, the professor suddenly asked,

"How did you know about DNA sequence comparison?"

Ye Qing was startled and instinctively turned around, only to see the professor staring intently at her.

A strange and absurd thought that had first occurred to Ye Qing when she met Qiao Youqing now resurfaced.

"My teacher's husband is involved in gene engineering. He's an expert in this field, knowledgeable about many aspects of this area and has mastered several new disciplines and technologies related to DNA."

Ye Qing didn't answer Professor Qiao's question directly but instead probed deliberately.

Qiao Youqing didn't want to beat around the bush and directly pressed,

"Is this person you're talking about surnamed Han?"

Ye Qing was deeply shocked, realizing that her guess was correct. This professor indeed knew her teacher's husband!

Ye Qing no longer hid anything and nodded, lowering her voice,

"Do you know Professor Han Yabo?"

Qiao Youqing also felt a sense of "I knew it."

Looking at this young girl in front of him, he couldn't help but think how small the world was.

Who would have thought that over two thousand kilometers away, he would meet someone related to Han Yabo in Qingshan Town? What kind of fate was this!

"I suppose I am Han Yabo's teacher. He was initially a math major when he first entered university, but I later steered him towards biology, where he studied bioengineering. I even helped recommend the school when he went to study abroad."

Ye Qing: !!!

She immediately asked excitedly, "So, can you contact my master now? My master's wife received several letters, knowing that he is at Shanhe Farm, but there is no specific address, so we can't send any letters or packages, and we can't get in touch with him. We don't know what's really going on."

As soon as she said this, Qiao Youqing fell silent.

Seeing Qiao Youqing's expression, Ye Qing instantly felt like she had been doused with a bucket of ice water, a chill running from her head to her feet.

"I can't find out the exact location either. Maybe Shanhe Farm is just a code name, but no news might be the best news. A good person will be blessed by heaven, and there will be a day when you'll reunite."

"As for you, you're just a child and shouldn't worry about adult matters. Since you've come to the village, just live your life here. Don't get involved in things that aren't your concern, and don't get yourself into trouble, understand?"

Saying this, Qiao Youqing glanced at the corpse tied to the tree, slightly frowned, and then comforted Ye Qing,

"Don't be nervous or afraid about the case. When the police from the police station arrive, just answer their questions truthfully. Don't lie or hide anything. Rest assured, with me here, no one will dare wrong you if you didn't do anything!"

These words left Ye Qing stunned for a moment.

She hadn't expected that just because she was the student of Han Yabo's lover, Professor Qiao seemed to have her back and was protecting her.

This professor must have deep feelings for his student Han Yabo, and how heartbroken he must be after learning of Han Yabo's fate.

Ye Qing was deeply moved, and just as she was about to decline Professor Qiao's kindness, he was already gone, rushing towards the military farm.

He needed to find someone to inform the county public security bureau as soon as possible. He had to make sure no one would really get hold of this child. If they ran into an overeager fool trying to solve the case quickly, they might end up with a miscarriage of justice!

Before Ye Qing could even react, the professor had already dashed off like a rabbit being chased by a dog, too fast to catch up with.

With such a big incident happening, Wu Cong not only notified the town police station but also went to the commune. Within half an hour, he had brought a group of people back to Kaoshan Village.

The town police station mobilized seven or eight police officers, and even the chief came out;

On the commune side, Lai Guochang led several cadres, all anxious to get down.

They were both shocked and furious that such an incident had occurred in their jurisdiction, and when they saw the victim's crime scene with their own eyes, their faces turned ashen with anger:

"This is outrageous! The murderer is acting lawlessly, as if no one is in charge of this Qing Mountain Town!"

After a preliminary on-site investigation, an experienced veteran police officer soon frowned and reported to the chief,

"The cause of death is not the external injuries on the body."

"It's unclear what exactly it is, but although the injuries on his body are terrifying, they are just superficial wounds. The most severe injury is the severe damage to the □□, but these wounds are not enough to be fatal."

At this point, the officer informed the chief that such a complex case might not be solvable by the town police station and might need to be escalated to higher authorities, with the county's criminal investigation police taking over.

Although the chief of the town police station was eager to take credit, he knew his limitations and quickly agreed. He instructed his subordinates to continue investigations at the scene while he took two officers to bring the current prime suspect, Ye Qing, back to the police station for a statement. At the same time, he notified the county's criminal investigation department for support.

Ye Qing remained relatively calm. She knew she had done nothing wrong, so even when she was taken to the police station and faced with sharp questions from the police, she answered them calmly.

What Ye Qing didn't expect was that while she was at ease, the higher-ups in several units and departments in Jicheng and Shencheng were in an uproar as soon as they received the news. Phone calls poured into the Jiaotan County Public Security Bureau non-stop.

Lai Guochang had accompanied the deputy editor from the Jicheng Daily during the interview in Kaoshan Village and witnessed the entire process of Hang Tingfang's interview. He realized that he might have underestimated Ye Qing's influence.

Regardless of the reason, the fact that a reporter from a major newspaper was so polite to her indicated that Ye Qing was definitely someone extraordinary.

So after returning, Lai Guochang carefully considered adjusting his approach to dealing with the new young educated youth. He decided to treat Ye Qing's matters as a top priority and handle anything related to this young comrade as a priority.

But just as he had adjusted his mindset, the very next day, Ye Qing was involved in a case involving a human life.

Lai Guochang was anxious as soon as he heard that Ye Qing was involved in a case involving a death. After all, this young comrade had just been interviewed by Hang Tingfang from the Jicheng Daily and might be featured in the newspaper in the next few days. If this incident blew up now, the report of a heroic woman in the Jicheng Daily might be exploited by ill-intentioned people.

So as soon as Ye Qing was taken to the town police station, Lai Guochang rushed back to the commune to make a phone call.

He needed to contact the Jicheng Daily to figure out how to handle the situation. If necessary, they could delay the news report until the investigation was complete and Ye Qing's murder suspicion was cleared.

As soon as Lai Guochang made that call, Hang Tingfang was stunned, and the Jicheng Daily was taken aback. Then, several units that had commissioned the Jicheng Daily for the interview, and even Old Comrade Yang, who was in Jicheng for a meeting, all got wind of the news!

And then, the phone at the Jiaotan County Public Security Bureau started ringing off the hook, with one state-level unit after another calling, bombarding the receptionist who didn't even know what was going on, scaring them silly.