C29 There Was No Evidence

Qiao Liang and Lu Wangshu exchanged glances. At the current stage, without the Identification Department's comparison report, they truly had no substantial evidence to present.

The teaching director, observing their reactions, realized they were without evidence and felt a wave of relief wash over him, accompanied by a smug satisfaction. His years at the school had honed his ability to read people. Though he wasn't adept at lying, he could tell that Qiao Liang and Lu Wangshu, no longer as assertive as before and silently exchanging looks, were at a loss for evidence.

With this realization, the teaching director's posture stiffened as he said, "However, I must say, the police have really gone too far. To take the word of a minor so seriously and to mistakenly accuse an innocent person—I really don't understand how you operate."

Qiao Liang, unable to hide his irritation at the teaching director's disdainful and smug demeanor, was about to respond when there was a gentle knock on the interrogation room door. He strode over, opened the door, and was greeted by a junior officer from the Identification Department.

"Captain Qiao, the results are in. Here's the report," said the junior officer, extending the document to him.

Qiao Liang eagerly accepted the report and quickly scanned the contents. Seeing the conclusive results, he felt a weight lift from his shoulders.

After closing the door, he turned back to the teaching director with a sly grin and said, "You were just emphasizing the importance of evidence, weren't you? Well, here it is."

With that, Qiao Liang tossed the file onto the table in front of the teaching director. The latter, skeptical, gave Qiao Liang a wary glance before picking up the Identification Department's report. As he read, his eyes widened upon seeing that the DNA from his own oral mucosa cells matched the DNA of the semen found in Wangshuu's body.

The implications of the report were clear, and the teaching director knew it. He continuously shook his head in denial, muttering, "No, no, this can't be true!"

"Teaching director, you've seen the report. With both the witness and the evidence before us, what do you have to say?" Qiao Liang asked, his gaze fixed on the teaching director, emphasizing each word.

Drained of all energy, the teaching director slumped in his chair, speechless. After a prolonged silence, he let out a wry laugh and conceded, "Fine, I'll confess. I'll tell you everything."

He admitted to the crime of molesting students and revealed to Qiao Liang and Lu Wangshu that Du Le was not his first victim, nor would Wangshuu be his last.

He recounted his premeditated intentions towards Du Le. On one occasion, Mrs. Zhang inadvertently allowed a student to escape the school and visit an internet café. The school faced a dilemma over how to handle Mrs. Zhang's oversight.

That's when the teaching director stepped forward, defending Mrs. Zhang's years of error-free service, attesting to her usual caution and responsibility. He proposed that the school withhold Mrs. Zhang's salary and place her on a year-long probation. Should she err during this period, they could then consider termination.

The school accepted his proposal, and he used this leverage to coerce Du Le.

Upon hearing the teaching director's confession, both Qiao Liang and Lu Wangshu were seething with anger.

With an icy demeanor, Qiao Liang addressed the teaching director, "Now that you've come clean, you're coming with us." He promptly stood, cuffed the teaching director, and escorted him out of the interrogation room. Lu Wangshu, having organized the notes, followed suit.

Lin Xiangyi, who had overheard everything from the adjacent cubicle, saw Lu Wangshu emerge and stepped out to join him in the corridor.

"What should we do next?" Lin Xiangyi inquired.

After a moment of contemplation, Lu Wangshu sighed and responded, "We should go see Mrs. Zhang. Now that we've identified the person responsible for Du Le's death, it's only right that we inform her about it."

Lin Xiangyi nodded in agreement with Lu Wangshu's suggestion. The thought of Mrs. Zhang filled her with sorrow.

Mrs. Zhang had only one daughter, Du Le, and her loss must be devastating. Du Le had endured much to protect her mother before her death. How could Mrs. Zhang possibly come to terms with this?

She had unintentionally terrified an innocent student, yet she had always greeted the real culprit with a smile.

Regardless, they had to inform Mrs. Zhang. With a heavy heart, Lin Xiangyi and Lu Wangshu made their way toward the prison.

Mrs. Zhang had been sentenced to a few months in jail for intentionally causing disturbances at the school and scaring the students, which had significant repercussions. She was currently incarcerated.

Upon their arrival at the prison, since it was still within visiting hours, they were allowed to see Mrs. Zhang.

When Mrs. Zhang learned that Lu Wangshu and Lin Xiangyi were there, she immediately knew they had come regarding her daughter Du Le's case. Without hesitation, she agreed to meet and followed the officer to the visiting room.

Given the special status of Lu Wangshu and Lin Xiangyi, the officers had arranged a private meeting in a dedicated guest room.

As soon as Mrs. Zhang entered, she spotted Lu Wangshu and Lin Xiangyi seated on the sofa. She hurried over and asked anxiously, "What's the news? Have you discovered who harmed my daughter?"

Both Lu Wangshu and Lin Xiangyi exchanged a glance, each clearly uncertain about how to break the news.

Mrs. Zhang, sensing their reluctance, pressed them, "Come on, speak up. Who was it?"

Finally, Lin Xiangyi found her voice, "Mrs. Zhang, we can tell you, but you must remain calm and take care of yourself after hearing it, okay?"

Mrs. Zhang eagerly nodded her agreement, "Yes, yes, I promise you."

Lin Xiangyi bit her lower lip before finally breaking the silence. "The person responsible is none other than the dean of Yongzhou No.1 Middle School."

Mrs. Zhang was taken aback. It was inconceivable to her that the person who had hurt her daughter could be the dean. She shook her head in disbelief, repeating "Impossible" several times. "No way, the dean is a decent person. Why would he target our Le?"

"It's true," interjected Lu Wangshu, who was standing nearby. "Our investigation revealed that before Du Le's death, the dean of Yongzhou No.1 Middle School had molested her. His actions directly led to her demise."

"What, what did you say? The dean molested our Le?" Mrs. Zhang struggled to accept Lu Wangshu's words.

Lu Wangshu nodded affirmatively. "Yes, the dean exploited a mistake you made at work to threaten Du Le, forcing her into a sexual relationship. Du Le felt she had no other option but to comply. Unfortunately, the dean's behavior escalated, ultimately leading to Du Le's death. He has since confessed to these actions."

"What, it's really like that..." Mrs. Zhang's strength seemed to drain away as she slumped into her seat, her eyes vacant and expressionless. She murmured to herself, "So that's what happened. My poor Le, you died trying to protect me. This is all my fault!"

Her voice trailed off to a whisper, and tears streamed down her cheeks like a string of pearls snapped from a necklace.

Mrs. Zhang recalled confronting her daughter about her slipping grades just before her death, questioning her about the sudden decline in her performance. She had been angry when her daughter wouldn't explain, suspecting her of getting into trouble.

Looking back now, she felt an overwhelming urge to punish herself for her ignorance. The pain in her heart was so intense it was almost suffocating.

One of life's most unbearable tragedies is for a parent to outlive their child. Mrs. Zhang's daughter, Du Le, had been in the prime of her youth, yet she had been taken from this world too soon.

And for Mrs. Zhang, who only discovered the truth so long after Du Le's death, the reality was almost too much to bear.