Siheyuan: Hang Jia Dongxu, smash Banggeng to death!

Yi Zhonghai stood in front of the crowd, his palms sweaty.

Three now...

Three have already died...

He touched his stomach and felt real fear for the first time.

Chief Li's face was ashen, and he shouted sternly, "Everyone, step back and protect the scene!"

He asked the police to put Yan Jiecheng's body down. After examination, they found that the time of death was probably between 2 pm and 3 pm.

Another suicide attempt by hanging.

It's that same tree again.

Two people hanged themselves on the same tree in one day.

This can no longer be explained by coincidence.

"Director Li..." Qin Huairu said, her voice trembling, "This...could this be that..."

She didn't dare to continue.

We can only imply that we cannot promote feudal superstition, but it's up to you to imagine it yourself.

Director Li glanced at her, then looked at the tree, his brows furrowed.

He had been a policeman for so many years and had seen many strange things, but he had never seen anything as bizarre as today.

"Take the body back first and let the forensic doctor examine it."

Director Li said in a deep voice, "Comrade Yan Bugui, please cooperate with the taking of a statement."

Yan Bugui was crying so hard he couldn't speak, and the police officers helped him to his feet.

Yang Ruihua was carried back into the house, where an older woman took care of her.

The courtyard was deathly silent.

Only suppressed sobs and heavy breathing could be heard.

No one spoke, but everyone was thinking the same thing:

Who will be the next one?

They dared not speak aloud, and could only communicate with their eyes.

Fear spread among the people like a plague.

Seeing all this, Director Li understood that there was a secret hidden in this courtyard.

A secret that everyone knows, but no one dares to tell.

He took a deep breath, preparing to begin his questioning.

In the backyard, Lin Tian withdrew his ghostly shadow, a cold smile curving his lips.

All three enemies are dead.

But not enough.

Moral Supreme Yi Zhonghai, the modest and beautiful Jia Zhangshi, the friend of women Xu Damao, the peerless white lotus Qin Huairu, the money-grubbing Yan Bugui, the imposing official Liu Haizhong, the desperate sycophant Sha Zhu...

None of those involved in profiting from the extinction of the family's property can escape.

Qin Huairu grabbed Director Li's arm, her voice filled with desperate pleading: "Director Li, please, please help us find Bang Geng... I'm scared... I'm scared he'll be in danger..."

Director Li felt a pang of pity looking at the woman in front of him who was crying so hard she was almost fainting.

He instructed the police to carefully remove Yan Jiecheng's body from the tree, while he reorganized the search party to continue looking for Banggeng.

Everyone in the courtyard joined in the search, but this time, the atmosphere was noticeably different.

Madam Jia ran like a madwoman, from the front yard to the back yard and back again, shouting incessantly:

"Bang Geng! Grandma's darling grandson! Where are you?!"

Qin Huairu stayed close to Director Li, her eyes unfocused, glancing occasionally toward the backyard.

She felt her stalk was in the backyard.

I searched everywhere, but still couldn't find it.

"Director Li," Jia Zhangshi suddenly rushed over, pointing at the Lin family's house, "my grandson Banggeng is definitely in the Lin family's house, he's definitely hiding in those two little bastards' house."

Director Li frowned: "Auntie, we've already searched the Lin family's house."

"They didn't search thoroughly!" Madam Jia hissed. "They definitely didn't search thoroughly. My grandson must be there."

Qin Huairu whispered, "Director Li... could... could you search again? What if... what if we didn't see it before..."

Director Li looked at the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, then at the Lin family's tightly closed door, and a strange unease welled up in his heart.

He recalled the series of cases that had occurred that day.

Lin's father died in an accident at the steel rolling mill.

Lin's mother died of depression a few days later.

Lin Tian got into a fight with three young men in the courtyard, and it seems he died that afternoon.

Yi Zhonghai sent Lin Tian to the crematorium, but he didn't die, so he brought him back.

That night, Jia Dongxu inexplicably hanged himself from a crooked tree.

The next morning, Liu Haizhong beat his son Liu Guangtian, who died under mysterious circumstances.

Now, at 2:30 PM, Yan Jiecheng has also inexplicably hanged himself on the same tree.

What a coincidence!

It was so coincidental it was unsettling.

Director Li was a staunch materialist. He understood the principles of Confucius not speaking of strange phenomena, physical prowess, disorder, and spirits, and that animals were not allowed to become spirits after the founding of the People's Republic of China.

But reality was right in front of him, leaving him no choice but to think about it.

Especially that Lin Tian...

Director Li recalled the look in Lin Tian's eyes that he had just seen.

Those were not the clear eyes of an eight-year-old child.

Too calm, too serene, even... too profound.

Like a bottomless pool of water, the surface is calm, but something terrifying is hidden beneath.

"Director Li?" Qin Huairu's voice pulled him back to reality.

Director Li took a deep breath and looked at Lin's house: "Let's go take another look."

He led his men to the Lin family's door.

This time, no one dared to kick the door openly.

Even the previously reckless Sha Zhu stood at the back of the crowd with a solemn expression.

Director Li knocked on the door.

The door opened.

Lin Tian stood at the door, his face pale, looking weak and pitiful.

He looked at the crowd outside the door, his eyes calm: "Chief Li, you've arrived. What brings you all here..."

"Lin Tian," Director Li said, trying to keep his tone calm, "we're looking for a stick."

Qin Huairu peeked out from behind Director Li, her eyes darting anxiously into the room.

She desperately wanted her son inside, yet she was also terrified that he really was inside.

If Bang Geng is really in the Lin family, what does that mean?

This indicates that Lin Tianzhen has a problem.

This explains those who died...

Qin Huairu dared not think any further.

Lin Tian stepped aside, his tone calm: "Didn't you already search them?"

The question was asked naturally, but Director Li sensed a different meaning in it.

Is it mockery?

Or something else?

"Lin Tian is overthinking it. Bang Geng is indeed missing, so we need to search everywhere."

As Director Li spoke, he led the way into the house.

The room was so simple that you could see it all at a glance.

Tangtang was lying on the kang (a heated brick bed).

There is no stick.

Undeterred, Qin Huairu walked to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), gently lifted the quilt to look, but still found nothing.

She opened the cabinet again, and it was completely empty.

"Bang Geng..." Qin Huairu murmured to herself, tears welling up again, "Where are you...?"

Jia Zhangshi also rushed in, searching everywhere, even poking at the corners of the wall with her hands, as if the stick could retract into the cracks in the wall.

Of course, there was nothing there.

Director Li stood inside the room, carefully examining every corner.

There was indeed nowhere to hide.

His gaze fell on Lin Tian.

The child remained calm throughout.

It's too peaceful.

Is this really an eight-year-old child?

"Lin Tian," Director Li began, "were you... inside the house this afternoon?"

Lin Tian nodded: "Yes, my sister and I stayed inside the house. It was just too noisy in the yard, and I was afraid of getting beaten up, so I didn't dare to go out and check."

"Afraid of being beaten by whom?" Director Li pressed.

"Is that even a question?" Lin Tian said. "Someone made a move this morning, but unfortunately, they fell flat on their face."

He spoke so naturally, without any flaws.

But the doubts in Director Li's mind grew stronger.

"How's the injury on your head?" Director Li changed the subject.

"It's alright," Lin Tian said, rubbing his head. "It just hurts a little."

"Who hit him?"

"Jia Dongxu, Liu Guangtian, and Yan Jiecheng," Lin Tian stated clearly, "and Xu Damao said I stole his chicken."

Director Li's eyes narrowed: "Why did they hit you?"

"Because..." Lin Tian lowered his head, his voice becoming softer, "Because Xu Damao said I stole his chicken... I said it was Yan Jiecheng and Liu Guangtian who gave me the chicken legs... They didn't believe me..."

He looked up, his eyes reddening: "Chief Li... I really didn't steal the chicken... They really gave me that chicken leg..."

Director Li looked at him, but his doubts only grew stronger.

An eight-year-old child, who had just lost his parents and was being bullied by others in the neighborhood, was able to calmly and methodically recount the entire incident when questioned by the police...

Is this normal?

"Lin Tian," Director Li said slowly, "Jia Dongxu, Liu Guangtian, Yan Jiecheng... are all dead."

Lin Tian paused for a moment, a flicker of something passing through his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure: "Oh."

Just one "Oh"?

Director Li stared at him: "Don't you find it strange? All three of them are dead."

Lin Tian lowered his head and said softly, "What's so strange about it? My parents died one after the other."

……