Eyes that are the same as those of evil

Chapter 59 The Ungrateful Wolf 16
Good news kept coming. Following the clue about the rope, the people interrogating Fan Licheng and Huang Wen obtained another clue.

“Fan Licheng did not go home on the night of the incident. He went to the next village with Huang Wen’s husband to gamble. There were nearly ten people with him at the time.”

Therefore, Fan Licheng can be ruled out as a suspect.

Officer An suddenly remembered what Qi Sufeng had said about Fan Licheng during their previous interrogation.

"She quickly refuted Fan Xiaojun's claim that he had delivered food to Fan Licheng, saying it was impossible. I didn't even mention the time, yet she was so certain that Fan Xiaojun was lying. Why?"

Zheng Yan held the cup but hesitated to bring it to his lips, pondering, "Because she knows Fan Licheng couldn't be home? In other words, she knows what Fan Licheng is doing?"

“Very likely. Fan Xiaojun is her second child, and Fan Licheng is like her second husband. She knows that Fan Licheng is a bad person and is watching the interaction between the father and son... She may have chosen one of them as a scapegoat, just like she did more than 20 years ago. Back then, she chose Zeng Hao, who ‘set fire to the whole family to protect his mother.’ Now she has chosen Fan Licheng, who ‘has no alibi and hates children.’”

"Wow, that's brilliant!" Officer An exclaimed, feeling a chill run down his spine at Qi Sufeng's intelligence after his analysis.

“Luckily, we had that dream Tan Jia had this time,” Zheng Yan said, without taking a sip of water, and screwed the thermos lid back on. “Before the trace evidence test results come out, let’s reconstruct the scene and guess what other traces she might have missed, and try to trick her.”

The two veteran detectives, who were tasked with predicting exam scores as soon as the questions were set, found it hard to bear watching the scene of "the murderer torturing the victim" unfolding in their office.

“Captain Zheng, go easy on him. Officer An isn’t young anymore, and he has osteoporosis… cough, I understand what you mean. If the perpetrator caused a cut or bleed when kicking the child, it would leave bloodstains on the shoes. No matter how clean it is with water, it will still show up under luminol. That’s what we’re checking right now.”

Forensic expert Lao Li: "Although luminol cannot distinguish whether it is human blood or animal blood, or whose blood it is, if Qi Sufeng does not know this, she can be tricked."

The forensic team said, "Furthermore, there are traces that the perpetrator might have left behind when she returned home wearing protective clothing, including soil from the orchard, fuzz from the mulberry tree, hair, oil stains, paint, etc., on the child's body. Hair would be the best, as she would have taken the person to an area without surveillance cameras, and the most careless contact with the child would have been during that time, making it very likely that hair would have gotten on her. If all goes as expected, we will have these pieces of evidence among what we brought back, and we are just waiting to do the testing."

Zheng Yan understood and immediately began the second round of interrogation.

They went in looking very relaxed this time.

Officer An, as expected of a veteran detective, displayed a smug expression that suggested he could solve the case immediately, which was truly admirable.

"Aren't you going to speak up? We have enough evidence, and we're just waiting for you to confess."

Qi Sufeng had been locked up here for half a day, without food or water, and had to keep crying and answering questions. Now her mouth was dry and she was too lazy to cry anymore. Her blank face was like dried tree bark.

Seeing that she didn't speak, Officer An shook his head and said contemptuously, "Do you know what the first piece of evidence we obtained was? It was Fan Xiaojun's confession."

"Qi Sufeng, you're so pitiful. Fan Xiaojun would rather lie to get away with it because of his lousy father who beat and cursed him, than cover up anything for you. If you ask him a few more questions, he'll tell you everything that's wrong with you."

Qi Sufeng slightly lifted her wrinkled eyelids.

"It seems you want to know what he said? He said you were acting very strangely the night of the incident, and he heard you going in and out in the middle of the night. According to him, you went back home once after taking the two children, right? We searched your house carefully for several hours and found two hairs, one of which had a follicle—it was Yu Dong's."

"Do you think washing your protective suit and shoes, and burning the rope, will solve everything? Technology advances rapidly these days. Even if you wash them, we can still detect the problem. For example, there's still Yu Dong's blood on your shoes. You must have kicked him hard, right? You just didn't expect the blood from the cut to stick to the toes of your shoes, and bloodstains can't be washed away with water alone." "As for the rope, whether we find it or not, the result is the same. We just need to know that there was indeed a rope on the bag of sauce you bought that perfectly matches the murder weapon, and no one else in the village has it."

Two crucial pieces of evidence were presented, and Qi Sufen raised her head in surprise.

At fifty-one, many would be enjoying their golden years at home, but she was a solitary figure committing murder in the dead of night. Her gray hair couldn't conceal the ruthlessness in her eyes.

"What are you talking about? I don't understand." She even laughed.

Zheng Yan: "If you don't understand, listen more. It means that the evidence is conclusive, and we can convict you without your confession."

“Those things are not mine. I don’t know who put them in my house. My sauce is brand new. How could it be related to the big case eleven years ago? Fan Xiaojun’s words are not credible. He may still be lying for his father.”

Officer An sneered: "I know what you're trying to say. The strangulation marks on the necks of the victim eleven years ago and the victim this time are different. Your sauce is new, the rope is new, and your protective suit was only bought in the last two years, so you think you have nothing to do with what happened eleven years ago? But the method of killing is the same. As long as you are confirmed to be the murderer in this case, you can be directly judged to have committed the same crime as eleven years ago. Besides, don't forget, there are two survivors."

Qi Sufeng pursed her lips impatiently when the topic of survivors came up.

However, she never verbally admitted to the crimes she committed.

Zheng Yan looked at her: "Among the children you tortured to death eleven years ago, besides the survivor, there was also a filial child named Liu Qin, who did not meet your criteria for revenge. Why did you arrest him?"

"Was it because you were so caught up in the heat of the moment that you couldn't tell the difference between good and bad kids? Or did you just hate seeing other families with loving fathers and filial sons? You've never seen anything like that in your life, have you? Zeng Qingxiang beat you, Zeng Hao looked down on you, and you worked like a hardworking ox in the Zeng family, saying you endured it all for the sake of the children. So when Zeng Hao teamed up with his father to abuse you, you felt like the sky was falling. But I think you also have to take responsibility for Zeng Hao and Fan Xiaojun's betrayal."

Qi Sufeng's eyes darkened. Being repeatedly mocked and attacked in her sore spots would make it hard for her not to be angry, no matter how strong her mental fortitude was. Every time she recalled what happened back then, it was another injury.

But the person opposite ignored her, and Officer An continued, "Maybe your usual care and education are completely wrong, hypocritical, cowardly, or even frightening to the child. The child sensed it, so when making a choice, he can't wholeheartedly choose you. That's true, even if the nanny is very good to him, when asked who he wants to live with, he'll only say 'Mom and Dad,' 'nanny,' what are they anyway..."

Qi Sufeng's face twisted even deeper, as if insects were wriggling under her skin. Finally, a certain keyword tore open a crack, and all the insects rushed out. She suddenly shouted sharply, "Shut up!"

His voice, fueled by anger, was rough and masculine.

Officer An understood: "So Zeng Hao said something like that? Did he say you're just a nanny, that your father is the only one earning money to support the family, and that all your efforts are your due? That you should obediently listen to him even if you get beaten up because of this good life? Did he even tell you to die...?"

"Shut up! Shut up! I told you to shut up!" She slammed her hand on the table, making a piercing noise.

"You say everything is for the children, but you've been letting them live in a domestic violence environment. Isn't it normal for them to imitate their father's behavior? How can you call them ungrateful? Fan Xiaojun lied at first, but later realized his mistake and told the truth. How is that betrayal and being an ungrateful person? Qi Sufeng, you tortured the children and forced them to kneel. Was it really to teach the bad kids a lesson? I'm afraid it was more to make yourself feel good and vent your dissatisfaction with your marriage, your parent-child relationship, and your utter failure in life!"

Qi Sufeng hissed and groaned as she lunged forward, shouting, "They're ingrates! They can't tell right from wrong, they're ingrates who beat and kick the people who love them the most! Bastards!"

Officer An slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and shouted back even louder: "Whether their parents loved them the most or not, and how their relationship could be improved, none of these are reasons for you to abuse or kill your children! If I killed Zeng Hao before he kicked you, would you be grateful and thank me?!"

(End of this chapter)