C4 The Lie in the Children's Songs!(4)

Qiao Liang entered the room obediently and closed the door behind him with great care. He stood before Director Lee, his unease palpable, resembling a child fully aware of his own misdeeds.

"Sit," Director Lee said, glancing up at Qiao Liang before returning his attention to the documents on his desk.

After taking a seat, Qiao Liang, unable to bear the silence any longer, ventured, "Sir, I understand why you've summoned me, but I truly believe that simply finding evidence to convict Zhou Yang isn't sufficient for this case."

Director Lee responded with a touch of sarcasm, "So, there's no one capable of cracking this case within the Yongzhou City police force?"

Director Lee had been Qiao Liang's instructor at the police academy. Qiao Liang both revered and feared this man, known for his decisive and forceful approach to matters.

Qiao Liang hastened to clarify, "Sir, you're aware of Lu Wangshu's capabilities. He's only here to help us accelerate the investigation."

"Are you that quick to concede your inferiority to him?" Director Lee asked slowly.

With a sigh, Qiao Liang replied, "More than whether I'm willing to admit inferiority, I'm concerned about whether Zhou Yang has been falsely accused. Isn't our duty as police officers to exonerate the innocent and ensure the guilty face justice?"

"Leaking internal police information to outsiders is a mistake. Do you realize that?" Director Lee raised his voice, his gaze sternly fixed on Qiao Liang.

Intimidated, Qiao Liang remained silent. Director Lee continued, "Lu Wangshu is someone capable of orchestrating a perfect crime!"

Unable to contain himself, Qiao Liang blurted out, "But he is fundamentally an honorable man. I implore you to trust me on this!"

Taking a deep breath, Director Lee said with a hint of resignation, "You've already turned to him for assistance with cases more than once. Did you think your actions were going unnoticed?"

Stunned, Qiao Liang looked at him and whispered, "Sir..."

"If you want his help, so be it. But this case needs to be solved within three days. I'll assign a few more people to assist you. If Zhou Yang is the culprit, bring him and the evidence to court. If he's not, then find the real perpetrator and present the evidence in court. Understood?" Director Lee spoke with gravity.

Seeing that Director Lee had implicitly given his approval, Qiao Liang let out a sigh of relief. Unable to conceal his excitement, he quickly stood and respectfully bowed to Director Lee, "Yes, sir!"

In the break room, Lu Wangshu was idly scanning the surroundings while sipping on hot tea. Meanwhile, Zhao was engaging Lin Xiangyi in a lively discussion about the news. Not wanting to disappoint a fan, Lin Xiangyi patiently addressed each of Zhao's inquiries.

After sitting for a while, Lu Wangshu grew restless and stood up to stretch languidly. He sneakily rolled his eyes at Zhao's back, silently judging, "He's so inexperienced."

Qiao Liang soon emerged from the Bureau Chief's office and led Lu Wangshu and Lin Xiangyi into the Major Crime Division's office. The other officers had already left for the day, not having been called in for overtime.

Qiao Liang arranged the case photos on the blackboard and started detailing the case to Lu Wangshu. Lin Xiangyi and Lu Wangshu took their seats and listened intently to Qiao Liang's narration.

"The victim's name is Chen Rou, 28 years old. She was fatally stabbed in the abdomen. She worked as a beautician at a beauty salon, earning a decent salary. Her colleagues and friends found her approachable and knew of no enemies," Qiao Liang said as he placed Chen Rou's photo on the blackboard.

Lu Wangshu nodded and asked, "Her hair is blonde. When can we expect the test results?"

"I've requested the lab to work overtime; the results should be available by tomorrow," Qiao Liang replied.

"Good, please continue," Lu Wangshu encouraged.

"We arrived at the scene at seven in the evening, an hour after the victim's time of death. The suspect, Zhou Yang, was the victim's husband, a 28-year-old owner of a tobacco shop. His customers described him as generally warm-hearted. During the interrogation, he was inconsolable, constantly crying out Chen Rou's name," Qiao Liang recounted, his eyes brimming with tears.

He vividly recalled Zhou Yang's devastated state when he was apprehended; the grief was so intense that Zhou Yang was beyond tears. It was clear from his profound sorrow that if he were truly the perpetrator, how could he have brutally murdered Chen Rou and then displayed such genuine heartbreak?

"Was the little girl at the scene?" Lu Wangshu inquired keenly.

"Yes, she's been known as Yun since her time at the orphanage, seven years old. She's the girl Chen Rou and Qiao Liang adopted a year ago. We responded to the scene after receiving her distress call. She was crying incessantly before she passed out," Qiao Liang explained, as he placed Yun's photo on the blackboard.

"Did she call the police to say her adoptive father murdered her adoptive mother? How could Zhou Yang have missed that?" Lu Wangshu asked, puzzled.

Qiao Liang shook his head. "No, it was her smartwatch that sent the distress signal, prompting us to go there. The children's smartwatch, issued to all kids over five in our city, comes with a built-in location tracker."

Lu Wangshu nodded. "I need to speak with Zhou Yang."

"Understood," Qiao Liang replied. Lin Xiangyi, with a hint of sorrow in her voice, added, "The report mentioned Yun witnessing her parents' violent argument from inside a closet. Such an ordeal is incredibly traumatic for her; it's likely to cast a long shadow over her life."

"Indeed, when we burst in, Yun ran out from the closet and clung to one of our officers, crying uncontrollably. It seemed Zhou Yang was unaware of her presence there; he was taken aback and even tried to grab Yun," Qiao Liang recounted.

Outside the interrogation room, the trio stood behind the one-way mirror, observing the gaunt figure of Zhou Yang. Since the incident, he had become withdrawn and listless, a stark contrast to the vibrant man in the photographs.

As Lu Wangshu prepared to enter the interrogation room, Lin Xiangyi cautioned him, "Please don't mention that Yun informed the police he killed Chen Rou. Regardless of whether Zhou Yang is the actual culprit, he'll resent Yun for it."

Lu Wangshu brushed off Lin Xiangyi's hand, confidently stating, "I've had the basics of interrogation down since my freshman year."

Lin Xiangyi watched Lu Wangshu enter the interrogation room with concern. To her, the man inside was a murderer, posing a significant risk to Lu Wangshu.

Lu Wangshu sat down across from Zhou Yang, remaining silent for a long while. Zhou Yang lifted his head, finding it odd to be facing this long-haired man in a trench coat.

"Why do you need to change into plain clothes for the interrogation? You cops sure have some interesting protocols. I've said it over and over—I'm not the killer," Zhou Yang said to Lu Wangshu with a wry smile.

Lu Wangshu leaned in and inquired, "If you're not the killer, then who is?"

Zhou Yang nodded reluctantly. Unlike other officers who didn't believe him and pressed for details, this man seemed to give him the benefit of the doubt. An urgent thought crossed his mind, and he quickly asked, "How is Yun? She's not too frightened, is she?"

Lu Wangshu's brow furrowed. If Zhou Yang were the killer, he wouldn't be concerned about the safety of a witness, let alone worry about Yun being scared. It was perplexing. Could Zhou Yang be a cold-blooded murderer adept at deception?

"Yun is safe; she's been returned to the orphanage," Lu Wangshu replied, gauging Zhou Yang's response.

Zhou Yang exhaled with relief, his voice tinged with sorrow, "Yun is only seven. What she's been through is just too cruel for her."

Lu Wangshu's frown tightened as he probed further, "Why were you at the crime scene?"

"Do you cops find it amusing to keep asking the same questions? I've told you countless times. After work, I came home, and when I didn't hear any noise, I went looking for someone. That's when I found Chen Rou... Chen Rou was already dead. Why aren't you out looking for the real killer instead of grilling me? My wife is dead! I'm a victim too!" Zhou Yang's voice was nearly a shout, but even with all his might, it was barely a whisper.

Zhou Yang's chapped lips cracked and bled. Unfazed by his emotional outburst, Lu Wangshu pulled a tissue from his pocket and offered it to Zhou Yang, then asked, "Zhou Yang, did you love Chen Rou?"

Caught off guard by the question, Zhou Yang scoffed, "I loved her, more than anything. We've been together since college, and all these years, she's been the most important thing in my life."