“Mingfang stayed in the restaurant after her shift, and I went to play with friends until all the customers in the hot pot restaurant above had left before I was called up. After that, I stayed up all night and returned to the restaurant at about 5 o’clock the next day. Sometime after cleaning up, the first person to arrive at the restaurant was Zhang Hua. By the time everyone had arrived, I went back to the lounge at the back to catch up on my sleep.”
Yuan Fang took careful notes and asked, “Do you remember where Zou Mingfang said she was going?”
“When she got off work, she talked to other waiters in the restaurant. I heard she said she was planning to go to the department store across the street to buy clothes."
“Okay, thank you for your cooperation. Please wait here for a moment."
Lin Shiheng and Shui Wei stood outside, waiting for Yuan Fang to come out through the door.
“Leader Lin, what he did that day is exactly what the others have said. We checked the surveillance on that street, but Zou Mingfang didn’t leave the building after work that day. That means she was probably caught before she had a chance to leave the building."
Feng Kaiyuan came out of the room at the other end of the corridor, “Zhang Hua’s story is the same as last time. He went back after work, and he was always alone. The surveillance showed that he did leave the building immediately after work, but he entered the building at 5 o’clock in the morning the next day, not quite the same time as Zeng Longhai said he arrived.”
Lin Shiheng took the book he handed him, and while lowering his eyes and flipping through it, he asked, “Which one of them entered the building first?"
“Zhang Hua. He entered the building almost 20 minutes earlier than Zeng Longhai.”
Hearing that, Yuan Fang quickly answered. “But according to Zeng Longhai, he’s the only one who has the key to the restaurant."
“The key thing could be duplicated, nothing is certain yet."
Feng Kaiyuan touched his chin, “And most importantly, Zhang Hua lied. He clearly arrived at 5 o’clock, but he said it was 6 o’clock. He wasn’t in the restaurant for the extra hour, so where did he go?"
“Someone has died, but he’s still lying.”
Lin Shiheng slightly frowned and added, “Where was Zhang Mei?"
“She was in the restaurant all day, and invited the restaurant staff to dinner after closing. After that, they all went out together for karaoke. They also came back together. After that, she was always in the hot pot restaurant. The hot pot restaurant staff had confirmed it."
Shui Wei frowned, “Are there no surveillance at the hot pot restaurant? Is there any surveillance inside the building?”
“It’s an old building, and it’s only been thriving recently. The owner of the restaurant had set up some surveillance to prevent theft. It isn’t really safe here.”
Feng Kaiyuan quickly replied, “The hot pot restaurant is safe, but some time ago the restaurant was renovated for a second time. They accidentally broke the surveillance system. so they can’t provide any video evidence.”
“Ah...”
Yuan Fang lamented, “That’s so annoying. We’re in modern times, but we need to investigate this case through clues and questioning.”
After studying with him for a period of time, Shui Wei had a good relationship with him. Now, seeing the sad and helpless appearance of her teacher’, she quickly consoled, “Actually, it’s all right. At least, didn’t we find out that Zhang Hua was lying from the surveillance outside the building?"
“Ah Wei. ah, you’re still so nice to me. I didn’t teach you in vain."
Yuan Fang pretended to cry, and reached out to pat Shui Wei on the shoulder. But, before he could touch her, his hand was blocked by a report file.
Lin Shiheng, the owner of the report, used it to move Yuan Fang’s hand away with a cold expression.
“Crying is crying, no touching."
Yuan Fang: “..."
Feng Kaiyuan:'..."
Oh yeah, he almost forgot that Leader Lin was with Shui Wei.
Yuan Fang. after stiffening up. managed to ask, “Leader Lin, you and Ah Wei?”
Lin Shiheng’s chin was slightly lifted. He looked like he was talking about a serious topic. His magnetic voice also carried a solemn tone.
“I’m her boyfriend and her future husband.”
“So, in the future, you'd better avoid any physical contact with her.”
When he said that, he saw two shocked faces.
Including Shui Wei, whose cheeks instantly blushecl red.
Although they had talked about announcing their relationship to their colleagues, why did Leader Lin’s calm tone give her a sense of embarrassment when she heard it?
“Oh ... that... Congratulations! Congratulations on the relationship. both of you."
In the end, Feng Kaiyuan, who would always teased people , took the lead to react. He quickly placed a smile on his face and congratulated them. He smiled at Lin Shiheng and said. “That’s a big event. When we solve this case, we should all go out for a meal.”
“Then, we can officially announce that our Seventh Precinct’s most handsome Leader Lin and the most beautiful Ah Wei are together. You should distribute wedding candy or something."
Yuan Fang softly reminded, “Vice Leader, people only distribute wedding candy on their wedding day.”
Feng Kaiyuan waved his hand and smoothly said, “It’s fine, it’s fine. From now on, we can also distribute wedding candy on happy occasions.”
Yuan Fang:... The Vice Leader is really shocked.
No matter how the two bachelors envied and hated it, as police officers on a case, they still had to yawn and continue their overtime work.
There was no other way. For these kinds of cases that involvecl human life, the higher ups would always pressure them to solve it as soon as possible. Especially for the Seventh Precinct, which specialized in solving such hard cases.
Lin Shiheng and Shui Wei watched as Zhang Hua was brought in for a second round of questioning.
The surveillance video of his appearance outside the building at 5 o’clock in the morning was laid out in front of him.
After he watched the video. Zhang Hua, who still seemed normal before, was obviously panicking. He couldn’t help but nervously knit his fingers together.
Feng Kaiyuan knocked on the table, “Tell me, why did you lie.”
“That’s my personal matter. I can swear that it has nothing to do with Mingfang’s death. Can’t I keep it to myself?"
Zhang Hua was a very common name, but he was very handsome himself. According to his waiter colleagues, who were questioned before, he definitely had a celebrity-like face. When he looked at them with pleading or pity, it would really soften a person’s heart.
However, no matter how good-looking he was, he wasn’t as good-looking as Lin Shiheng, who was watching beside them. Besides, Feng Kaiyuan was a straight man, so he wouldn’t feel soft for another man. His expression still looked serious, without showing any other feelings.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Zhang. At the moment, you’re a suspect. Withholding the truth right now, will affect the suspicions against you.”
Zhang Hua instantly wilted down, looked around, and uneasily looked up at Lin Shiheng and Shui Wei, who were standing in front of him.
“Well... I actually did arrive at the building yesterday at 5 o’clock. but instead of going to the restaurant, I went to the hot pot restaurant upstairs."
“They weren’t back when I went over there. I had the key to the hot pot restaurant, so I went in and slept in the lounge for an hour.”
Feng Kaiyuan was stunned, “Wait, you have a key to the hot pot restaurant. and you went there to sleep?"
The corners of his mouth twitched. It couldn’t be what he was thinking. could it?
However, it really was what he thought it would be.
Zhang Hua’s good-looking face was full of frustration at this moment. His shoulders sank and his back was slightly bent down, looking very tired.
“Yes, Zhang Mei and I are from the same village, and she was also the one who offered me a job at Dragon Sea Restaurant.”
“My father died early, my mother’s health hasn’t been very good. My family is poor. and she needs someone to take care of her. I haven’t graduated from primary school, I have no education, no skills, and my mother needs someone to take care of her all the time. I’ve been hanging around in the village before, occasionally going to town to work as a day laborer. We live from paycheck to paycheck."
“At 17 years old. my mother died, and I blindly hung around the village for a few years. I was muddling through every day, all I knew was to eat and sleep, sleep and eat. I wasn’t living like a normal person. 3 years later, Sister Zhang Mei came back to see her mother. Her mother fell that day, and I helped her home. Sister Zhang Mei was grateful, and tried to give me some money. I didn’t want the money, so she brought me to Zhongyuan City, allowing me to work in Brother Zeng’s Restaurant."
Feng Kaiyuan and Lin Shiheng, who had handled many cases and seen many complex emotions, had a hunch in their hearts.
Even the rookie Shui Wei, who loved to watch romance dramas, had vaguely guessed the following plot.
Sure enough, Zhang Hua soon revealed his secret.
“I’m very grateful to Sister Zhang Mei, who has weak hands and feet. I don’t usually rest on holidays, I go upstairs to help her. Brother Zeng is a womanizer, and would always have other women outside. The richer he got, the colder he was to Sister Zhang Mei. I’m too afraid to provoke Brother Zeng. so I tried comforting Sister Zhang Mei, so she wouldn’t be too upset."
“One thing led to another, and we hit it off.”
After saying that, he painfully propped his forehead with both hands and spoke with a little bit of panic in his voice, “It was an accident. I didn’t want to wrong Brother Zeng, but Sister Zhang Mei is someone I’m grateful to. She said that she found comfort in me and asked me to accompany her for a while. She would give me money, and she wouldn’t let others know. L... In the heat of the moment, I agreed.”
Feng Kaiyuan’s expression looked like someone who had predictecl it, “You like her?”
“No, not really."
Zhang Hua quickly shook his head, “I admit that I have favorable feelings for Sister Zhang Mei, but not that kind of affection. I was only grateful to her and wanted to repay her, so after she asked me, I hesitated but agreed. After all, I was really short of money."
“You were kept by Zhang Mei? Why are you still with Zou Mingfang?"
“When I was with Mingfang, I had already broken up with Zhang Mei. She said that her daughter was older and Brother Zeng had turned over a new leaf. She decided to live a good life with Brother Zeng and told me to refrain from seeing her in the future." Zhang Hua nervously licked his lips, “I was actually a little happy at that time. I took the money Sister Zhang Mei gave me and planned to quit my job to learn a new trade. However, because business was booming for the restaurant, I couldn’t leave them. Brother Zeng asked me to stay for another month, and when the time came, he would give me a big bonus.”
“When I stayed for this one month. Mingfang and I started flirting. I actually liked her a little, but I was too afraid to show it because of Sister Zhang Mei. Mingfang also liked me, so naturally, we started dating.”
Feng Kaiyuan led him on, “But you still broke up with her. Why? Because you were planning on leaving?”
“No.”
The painful look on Zhang Hua’s face got even heavier, “Because of Sister Zhang Mei."