Chapter 293 Who Is the Invisible Murderer

Everyone turned their heads to see Rong Jian coming in with Liu Xiaofan and Fan Lifeng. “Chief Rong! What brings you all here?” Mu Yu quickly straightened up.

“Stay still! Be careful of your wound!” Qin Xiaozhi reminded Mu Yu nervously without reacting much to the arrival of Rong Jian and the others. On the other hand, Rong Jian greeted Qin Xiaozhi and Mu Yu’s parents before turning to her. He expressed his concern for her by asking, “How are you feeling, Yu? Can you have your testimony recorded?”

“No!”

“Yes!”

Both Qin Xiaozhi and Mu Yu responded simultaneously. When Qin Xiaozhi heard Mu Yu saying so, he admonished in a grave voice right away, “You’re very weak right now—you need a good rest!”

“I’m feeling just fine right now, Grandpa.”

“How could you be fine with such a sickly complexion?” Qin Xiaozhi retorted. He then rebuffed Rong Jian dismissively and said, “You just want Yu’s testimony recorded, right? It doesn’t have to be done today or tomorrow. Just wait until she gets better.”

Rong Jian had always been very respectful and somewhat afraid of Qin Xiaozhi, so he didn’t dare to say anything even when the latter’s words had put him in a difficult position. He said to Mu Yu, “In that case, get a good rest first, Yu.” Then, he turned around and was about to leave.

“Wait a minute, Rong Jian!” Mu Yu hurriedly stopped him. She explained to Qin Xiaozhi, “Grandpa, if you don’t let me have my testimony recorded, I won’t be able to rest with a peace of mind as I’ll definitely keep thinking about it. Instead of doing that, why don’t you let me have my testimony recorded first before resting with a peace of mind?”

When he saw how grave Mu Yu looked as though she had to do this, Qin Xiaozhi felt somewhat helpless since he had always doted on her. After a moment of hesitation, he merely turned his head and earnestly exhorted Rong Jian not to tire her out without saying another word of protest.

Rong Jian happily promised and said, “Don’t worry, Grandpa. I’ll stop recording her testimony whenever Yu feels tired.”

Qin Xiaozhi gave a slight nod before giving his granddaughter a few words of exhortation. Then, he left the ward with Mu Yu’s parents, leaving the space for Rong Jian and the rest to record her testimony.

The recording of Mu Yu’s testimony was completed very quickly without a hitch. As Rong Jian and the others were about to leave, Mu Yu stopped him. “Chief Rong, the detention center is managed in such a standardized way, so how did Dong Wanqing escape from there?”

“Well.” Rong Jian told Liu Xiaofan and Fan Lifeng to leave first. Then, he moved a stool and sat down by the bed as he explained, “Dong Yueyun and Yin Anran previously testified that Dong Wanqing didn’t lose her diamond ring. Dong Wanqing was very emotional at the time; she kept crying and causing a ruckus, saying that she was wrongly accused. When she learned that Dong Yueyun and Qin Wentao had left An City yesterday afternoon and would never come back again, she suddenly quieted down and asked the detention center to contact us, saying that she was willing to confess to the diamond ring’s whereabouts.

“Since she appeared especially submissive at the time, we all thought she was sincere about making a confession. Moreover, Xiaofan, myself, and several others were busy with our own tasks, so I randomly sent two police officers who were quite careful with their work to take her home and retrieve the diamond ring. According to one of the two police officers, Wu, Dong Wanqing kept asking them along the way if she would be given a lighter sentence after turning the diamond ring in. In order to smoothly make her turn the item in, they both replied that she would be given an appropriately lighter sentence and that they would help her. At the time, she visibly heaved a sigh of relief and thanked them repeatedly, so they let their guard down somewhat under such circumstances.

“After they reached Dong Wanqing’s place, she said the diamond ring was in the safe of her closet and led them into her bedroom. As it happened, Wu wanted to go to the toilet, so he let Xiaowen, who was accompanying them, enter Dong Wanqing’s bedroom alone with her. However, none of the two expected Dong Wanqing to have a baton specially made for police use kept illegally in her bedroom.

“She told Xiaowen the safe’s password and got him to take the diamond ring. As he was unprepared, she knocked him out using the baton. Then, she waited at the door to the toilet and knocked Wu unconscious when he came out. After tying them to the bedroom using the safety rope, she even blindfolded their eyes and sealed their mouths using adhesive tape. After throwing Xiaowen’s phone into the toilet, she changed her clothes, drew the bedroom curtains, and locked them in. Then, she fled her home with Wu’s phone and the baton.

“Qin Wentao and Dong Yueyun had already left An City by then, making you the only person left in An City whom she hated the most. She probably knew it wouldn’t be easy to take you hostage, so she went to Yin Anran directly. Perhaps to avoid startling Yin Anran, she called Zhi Xiaoyin first and went to Yin Anran’s home directly only upon learning that the woman was unwell and resting at home. According to Yin Anran, she was knocked unconscious by Dong Wanqing as soon as she opened the door. When she regained consciousness, she was already on the rooftop with her hands and feet tied; also tied up there was a three-year-old boy living in the apartment opposite hers. Dong Wanqing called you using Yin Anran’s cell phone, and we both know the rest.” Since he knew that Mu Yu wanted to know all of this, Rong Jian explained everything in a single breath.

“I see.” Mu Yu didn’t seem particularly surprised as what Rong Jian said wasn’t very different from what she had guessed. However, upon recalling Dong Wanqing’s tragic death, she associated it with what Qin Jinhuan had said previously, so she couldn’t help heaving a sigh of pity. “By the way, is the boy all right?”

“He wasn’t injured, but he was traumatized. We have found a psychotherapist for him.”

“I hope that what happened this time won’t leave mental scars on the boy’s little soul.” Mu Yu sighed again. This time, though, she sighed for the boy, for she recalled how she had been traumatized when she was younger. Back then, she withdrew into herself precisely because she had been traumatized after witnessing how Luo Mingan killed Zhao Lin. If she hadn’t been lucky enough to meet Xin Yihan, who got along especially well with her, perhaps she would never have stepped out of her home for the rest of her life. May this little boy be luckier and tougher than I am, she prayed silently in her heart.

Rong Jian sighed. “Dong Yueyun and Qin Wentao have left, whereas Dong Wanqing is dead; Yin Anran will probably take a rest now that she’s disfigured. The Qin Family is finally at peace. At last, you and Huan can live a free and easy life without having to worry about being plotted against ever again.”

Mu Yu replied, “We’ll live a free and easy life, but Grandpa… He’s probably the most heartbroken person right now.” Despite Qin Xiaozhi’s best efforts to conceal his emotions, he couldn’t fool anyone else with the dark circles under his bloodshot eyes. In fact, Mu Yu wasn’t the only one who noticed this—everyone else did too, but no one pointed it out.

Rong Jian was instantly outraged at the injustice done to Qin Xiaozhi. “That’s because Grandpa placed too much importance on kinship and indulged them until they became arrogant. They racked their brains in multiple efforts to stir up trouble and vie for their family fortune in a vain attempt to reap a huge fortune without much hard work. Grandpa should have severed ties with them or driven them out of An City long ago lest it’s hard to guard against them.”

“Qin Wentao is Grandpa’s only son, after all. Besides, Grandpa watched as he grew up. If he hadn’t gone too far and disappointed Grandpa bitterly, he would never have severed ties with them no matter what. After all, the Qins are too few in numbers. There are only a few of them, and they’re scattered here and there. Grandpa is ashamed of this, you know!”

“Well, it’s better to be ashamed than to watch the Qins cut each other’s throats. You have no idea how cruel Qin Wentao and Dong Yueyun were to Huan’s mother. Otherwise, Huan wouldn’t have hated them so much. Had Grandpa not forcibly stopped him and shielded them, they would’ve died hundreds of times at Huan’s hands. That’s why Grandpa forced himself to take care of things both inside and outside the family despite his old age and poor health. At the end of the day, he refuses to let go of Qing Tian Group completely and hand it over to Huan because he fears that the father and son would have daggers drawn at each other until blood is spilled in the end,” Rong Jian replied. As he spoke of this, his face took on an expression of relief. “Now that they’re gone, things have finally quieted down completely.”

Mu Yu was a bit worried, though. “I wonder if Grandpa will change his mind and call them back in the future.”

“Well… that probably won’t happen now that Dong Wanqing is dead. Dong Yueyun had a lot to do with Dong Wanqing’s death, but she certainly wouldn’t take the responsibility upon herself. Otherwise, she would be ashamed to face her parents, her brother, and her sister-in-law after her death. Instead, she would definitely deceive herself and others by putting the blame on Huan and you. She must be hating your guts deep down inside. If she and Qin Wentao ever come back, she’d definitely step up her efforts to take revenge. Grandpa always has everything considered, so he’s definitely thought about this as well.”

“But don’t forget that Grandpa is an old man who is nearly 80 years old. As a person gets older, they will slowly become confused and find it harder to part with those they care about. Perhaps he’ll pick up his father-and-son relationship with Qin Wentao when he misses the latter one day.”

“That’s not impossible.” Rong Jian sighed. “Well, it seems that the quiet is only temporary, just like our three murder cases. Things seem peaceful now, but who knows if a new murder will happen one day?”

Mu Yu suddenly remembered something. “Haven’t you all been investigating the social ties between the three victims, Chief Rong? Did you all focus on investigating those surnamed Feng, Kuang, or Ling around them?”

“We did, but we found nothing.”

“I see.” Mu Yu was instantly disappointed, but what Rong Jian said next disappointed her even more. “If the two strokes Li Jianyun wrote before his death are supposed to reveal any information about the murderer, the two strokes might be part of the murderer’s first name other than the latter’s surname. Besides, the two strokes are hard to discern. They could be a radical consisting of a dot stroke and a rising stroke, but I think they could also be a dot stroke and a horizontal stroke. Not many surnames have a radical consisting of the first combination, but many surnames start with a dot stroke and a horizontal stroke. There are even more Chinese characters that are written with either a radical consisting of a dot stroke and a rising stroke or a combination of a dot stroke and a horizontal stroke in the beginning—you can find many pages of them if you look them up in Xinhua Dictionary.”

Mu Yu was stressed out as she listened to Rong Jian’s words, and she gave a sigh of frustration and helplessness. Just then, Rong Jian continued, “Li Jianyun and Zhao Yongli were both in Huacheng five or six years ago. If we can find out what connected them at Huacheng or find Gan Wulin—who is Sun Meilan’s son—and confirm that Sun Meilan had stayed in Huacheng five or six years ago, we might be able to find a breakthrough. Unfortunately, we’re now clueless.”

Mu Yu laughed somewhat helplessly. “Gan Wulin was scared of Zeyu, wasn’t he?”

“Maybe.”

“Oh, that’s right! Have you guys found Gong Lilan yet? I’m talking about Zhao Yongli’s ex-wife.”

“Not yet. No one’s heard anything about her ever since she left Huacheng with her daughter back then. Perhaps she had seen through Zhao Yongli and didn’t want her child to have any dealings with this kind of father anymore.”

“She didn’t want her child to have any dealings with the latter’s father anymore… Technically speaking, she can show herself already since Zhao Yongli is dead, right?” Mu Yu suddenly screwed up her face. “Chief Rong, is it possible that Gong Lilan went into hiding with her daughter not to hide from Zhao Yongli but from someone else instead?”

“Someone else? Do you mean—”

“The murderer!”