Chapter 98

Qiu Minmin.

Li Zhuiyuan gently twirled the soymilk bottle in his hand.

Climbed up from the underworld to demand your life?

This sentence already contained an explicit hint.

If you take this paragraph out of context, from the perspective of a normal person, it seems very difficult to understand:

Why would Shi Yuqing, knowing the old professor had killed someone, still want to be with him, and even force him to divorce and marry her?

But if you change the perspective and provide more examples:

Throughout history, both in China and abroad, examples of men colluding with mistresses to kill wives, and women colluding with lovers to kill husbands are everywhere, so numerous that even novels, plays, and movies cannot fully depict them.

Things that were originally difficult to understand suddenly become very normal.

Li Zhuiyuan lowered his head and silently took a sip of soymilk through the straw.

At this moment, he felt more and more the necessity of writing books. After each wave, recording real examples to summarize would definitely be much more effective than his own one-sided preaching.

Next, this old professor displayed an old man’s spiritual skill to Li Zhuiyuan.

He used a tactic of retreating to advance, first helping the woman vent the dissatisfaction in her heart;

Then, building on this foundation, he brought up the various good things they had shared in the past, such as spiritual resonance;

Next was looking forward to the future;

Finally, he mentioned the current real dilemmas again, hoping the woman could give him a little more time.

He clearly just went in a circle, returning to the initial problem from the initial problem. Nothing was solved, no demands were met, yet the woman snuggled into the old man’s arms and began sobbing, followed by a period of intimate whispers.

The two people were leaving.

To avoid attracting attention, the old professor left first, and after a while, Shi Yuqing left.

Because the door to Li Zhuiyuan’s private room was open, both people passed by the door as they left one after another.

The old professor was truly old, a retired old man, with obvious age spots on both his neck and face.

Shi Yuqing was not old, appearing to be only around thirty years old, and still exuded a kind of intellectual beauty.

Li Zhuiyuan noticed that when the old professor passed by the door, a faint murderous glint was revealed in the corner of his eye.

Since he had killed before, killing again was not impossible.

Initially, Qiu Minmin was just this dissatisfied, desperately making demands of him, which is why he sent her to her death.

Shi Yuqing’s eyes revealed a touch of gentleness from having her emotional needs satisfied; she was quite happy.

“Xiao Yuan Ge, should we follow them?”

Although Tan Wenbin didn’t hear what was discussed in the next room, he saw from the young man’s earlier expression that these two people were very important.

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head,

and said:

“Binbin Ge, call the police.”

…

Tan Yunlong sat at his desk, smoking heavily. The ashtray on the table was already filled with cigarette butts.

Wang Chaonan frankly admitted to killing Tang Qiuying. The reason was that year, when Wang Chaonan was trimming the flower bed, he accidentally got dirt on Tang Qiuying’s quilt that was drying outside.

Then the two had an argument.

This should have been a very common verbal dispute in life, and it was very brief. The police weren’t even dispatched, let alone the school’s security department. It quieted down with just the mediation of a nearby dorm aunt who told them to “say less.”

No one took this matter seriously. Later, when Tang Qiuying disappeared, the police and school investigated her social circle, and no one fundamentally thought of this incident.

This is like walking on the road and being splashed with mud on your shoes by a passing cyclist, and you curse: “Are you crazy!”

But precisely, Tang Qiuying cursed: “May you have no descendants.”

After investigation, Tang Qiuying and Wang Chaonan had no previous interactions, so Tang Qiuying fundamentally didn’t know that this school gardener, who was in his thirties at the time, had no children.

She might have just cursed to vent, this dirty word flashing through her mind, and she used it directly. If she had used another word at that time, even a more vicious one, and cursed more, it wouldn’t have mattered.

It was precisely this sentence that Wang Chaonan remembered in his heart.

He began to observe Tang Qiuying’s movements. Then, in the fourth month after the argument, taking advantage of planting trees on the tree-lined path, he chose a time when Tang Qiuying was alone and attacked her, then buried the body in the tree pit.

This kind of perpetrator is the most headache for the police; they belong to that type that is outside the three realms and not within the five elements.

No matter how carefully you screen, you cannot screen for him, but precisely he is the one who killed the person.

Now the biggest problem is that Wang Chaonan is absolutely refusing to talk about Beibei’s matter.

He has a great obsession. Even if he is killed and executed by firing squad, he wants to persist in his belief that he has a son.

He might even hope to be executed quickly, feeling that as long as the child cannot find his biological parents, he is still his son.

Wang Chaonan’s wife is also of the same attitude. If Wang Chaonan’s problem is extreme paranoia, then his wife genuinely has mental problems.

“Tan Ge, the local comrades have replied. Take a look.”

“So many?”

Parents of abducted children will file a report at the local police station. When this side notifies that side, they will also conduct investigations and comparisons, and then notify the matching parents.

Despair is painful, but more painful than that is having hope repeatedly given to you in despair, and then having it shattered.

Many parents, after hearing the news, repeatedly set out to check, only to find it is not their child. At the same time, they may see other parents who have found their children crying with joy.

Rationally, one should be happy for the parents who found their child, but emotionally, this is actually another knife inserted into their hearts.

Xiao Zhou: “Mainly, boys of this age are originally prime targets for human traffickers, and there are many children named ‘Baobao’ or ‘Beibei’ nowadays.”

“Isn’t there a birthmark?”

“The birthmark is a bit small.”

Tan Yunlong sighed.

“Tan Ge, you don’t need to sigh. This time we’ve narrowed the scope, we should be able to find the child’s parents. Maybe his biological parents are already on their way.”

“Xiao Zhou, have you married yet?”

“Not yet.”

“Wait until you get married and have your own child, you will understand.”

“Yes, yes, yes, I understand what Tan Ge means. However, Tan Ge, you should treat, right?”

“Hmm?”

“A case from so many years ago was unexpectedly solved by you just like this, and you rescued an abducted child. You’ve made such a big contribution, won’t you bleed a little?”

All of us are waiting at the wine table to learn from you. Tell us, how exactly did you know that tree buried the body?”

“My son studies at that university.”

“We all know that.”

“One day I went to the school to see him and walked with him behind the dormitory building. I saw that tree was growing the thickest and tallest, and I became suspicious.”

“Just that?”

“Otherwise what, don’t tell me I can summon Tang Qiuying’s ghost to lead me to find her body?”

“Hahaha, Tan Ge, you just like to joke.

However, seriously, amazing, your insight, I admire it.”

Tan Yunlong coughed dryly a couple of times, reached out to pick up the teacup on the table, and drank a mouthful of tea.

At this moment, someone beside him shouted: “Tan Ge, your phone.”

Tan Yunlong got up and left his seat, answering the phone:

“Hello, I am Tan Yunlong.”

“Hello, I am Tan Wenbin.”

“Hurry up and say it.”

“Impudent, what attitude!”

“Stinky boy, believe it or not I’ll go to your school and find you now.”

“Come on, come hit me, come on.”

Tan Yunlong took a deep breath.

He had previously reflected on himself, every time after contacting Xiao Yuan, he would look at his own son with disdain.

He felt it must be his unbalanced mentality as a father. Now he understood, people don’t always need to find problems with themselves.

“Dad, the real murderer who killed Qiu Minmin has been found.”

…

Late at night, the police car drove into the campus again. The arrest operation proceeded very smoothly.

Tan Yunlong leaned against the car door, watching his colleagues in front of him escort the old professor Chen Deliang into the police car.

On the other side, Shi Yuqing had already been arrested first, and interrogation would begin now.

He learned from the intercom that the woman’s psychological defense line was very weak. She was already confessing, strongly clarifying her relationship, saying she was just an informed person, not an accomplice.

The case from seven years ago, and the recent collective disappearance of related personnel, greatly increased the difficulty of detection. Unexpectedly, it could see the light again at this time.

On the way back, the eyes of several young police officers in the car looking at Tan Yunlong all changed; it was undisguised admiration.

Xiao Zhou asked that question again:

“Tan Ge, where did you get the clue from this time?”

Tan Yunlong originally didn’t want to answer this question, but not answering was also not good, because some things must be written into the file.

“My son studies at this school.”

The other police officers in the car were all listening seriously, only Xiao Zhou felt this opening was slightly familiar.

“There’s an old Sichuan restaurant at the school’s north gate. I’ve taken several of you to eat there too. One evening I came to the school to see my son, and we went to eat in a private room on the second floor. The two criminal suspects were just in the next room, and I heard their loud argument.”

Then I investigated a bit myself and found some additional clues as evidence, which is why I decided to apprehend them.”

Actually, Tan Yunlong’s narrative had loopholes, because it’s possible that Shi Yuqing and the old professor didn’t often go to the old Sichuan restaurant, or tonight was the first time. This loophole would be discovered upon careful scrutiny.

But he didn’t want to say directly that his son heard it. The subsequent procedures would be a bit troublesome, and Xiao Yuan didn’t like trouble.

Additionally, as long as the evidence is detailed and confirms the other party’s guilt, how the clue was “triggered” is actually not that important.

Sometimes, the police will deliberately blur this report exposure to protect the whistleblower.

For example, in a certain criminal case, the victim’s family dreamed at night that their relative was buried somewhere. The police went to dig and really dug out the body, finally following the clues to find the real murderer in the same village.

This at first glance suggests someone witnessed the murderer burying the body and reported it while hoping to hide their identity as a whistleblower.

In the car, the other police officers were sighing about Tan Yunlong’s luck, only Xiao Zhou said:

“Tan Ge, your son really brings you luck.”

…

“Ah, so comfortable.”

Tan Wenbin stretched lazily on the bed. Yesterday he felt possessed by a ghost, but after eating and drinking his fill, he slept soundly, and his whole person felt completely revived.

“Huh, Xiao Yuan Ge, why are you here?”

Tan Wenbin rubbed his eyes. Generally, at this time, Yuan Zi Ge should be at Liu Yumei’s place with A Li.

“Binbin Ge, look at the time.”

Tan Wenbin turned his head to look at the clock, 11 o’clock in the morning. Their plan yesterday was to set off for Tong’an Town at 12 o’clock today to find the circus troupe.

“F*ck!”

Tan Wenbin immediately got up, carried the basin to wash, and came back to pack his things, only to find that his things had already been packed by the young man.

“Well, Xiao Yuan Ge, why didn’t you call me.”

“There’s enough time, it’s okay if you sleep a little longer.”

Tan Wenbin leaned towards the desk and saw a set of talisman needles placed on the desktop.

The young man had respectively used red thread to bind the evil-breaking talisman, pure heart talisman, and seal talisman to the needles.

“Xiao Yuan Ge, is this for triggering?” Tan Wenbin said while making a needle-throwing motion.

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head: “This is prepared for Lin Shuyou. Based on the understanding of starting a planchette in the ‘Earth Store Bodhisattva Sutra’, I thought of a simple and crude amplification method.”

“A You will be very moved.”

Tan Wenbin understood that this set of needles was just something Xiao Yuan Ge casually made this morning. In fact, Xiao Yuan Ge had already designed a series of rich and fun things for Lin Shuyou.

After this matter, Lin Shuyou’s understanding of the official generals would inevitably increase significantly.

Like this, when he goes back later, he will have the confidence to challenge his master and grandfather and usurp the position.

Of course,

the premise is that he is not played to death or rendered useless by Yuan Zi Ge.

“Almost time, let’s go.”

“Dragon King sets off~”

Tan Wenbin carried his backpack and followed Li Zhuiyuan out of the dormitory.

When passing by Lu Yi’s door, Tan Wenbin specifically recited: “Though thousands of people, I go~”

Then, the two stopped at the corner of the stairs.

Not long after, Lu Yi’s dormitory door was pushed open, and Lin Shuyou, carrying his backpack, carefully walked out.

After hearing his movements, Li Zhuiyuan and Tan Wenbin continued downstairs.

The two walked in front, while Lin Shuyou thought he was following behind unnoticed.

At the school gate, Li Zhuiyuan and Tan Wenbin stood separately to hail a taxi. This is a way to increase the success rate of hailing a taxi these days.

Then, Li Zhuiyuan’s side hailed one first, didn’t get in immediately, but negotiated the price with the driver.

After Tan Wenbin’s side also stopped one, Li Zhuiyuan then got in the car. Tan Wenbin immediately abandoned the taxi he stopped, ran to the front car and sat with Li Zhuiyuan.

The driver in the back, who had been stood up, was about to curse when the back door opened, and Lin Shuyou got in:

“Master, quickly, follow that taxi in front.”

Tomorrow is the human trafficker’s transaction day, but considering that the circus troupe needs to set up the venue and do publicity in advance, they likely arrived today.

During a normal exam, entering the exam room early has no meaning… but what if the test papers are already on the desk?

Regarding ‘Yu Granny’s’ file, Li Zhuiyuan had seen it, but seeing it was equivalent to not seeing it.

Because what the police collected was just Yu Granny’s branch, possibly learned from or once part of this gang and later self-operated.

The clay idol stood very properly, but it was truly just a mascot.

This kind of person is truly very strange, both believing in ghosts and gods, yet doing evil things that people and gods alike detest.

Tan Wenbin turned his head and saw Xiao Yuan Ge holding a hardback book and drawing on it.

He saw clearly that it was two lines extending from one endpoint.

The endpoint was marked ‘self’.

One line extended from the ‘self’ endpoint, successively listing ‘dormitory’, ‘high heels sound’, ‘Lu Yi possessed’, ‘suppressed female ghost’, ‘Ran Qiuping’s letter’… then extending all the way to ‘Beibei’, and finally to ‘Yu Granny’.

The second line also extended from the ‘self’ endpoint, successively listing ‘discount store’, ‘Sun Hongxia’, ‘Runsheng attack’, ‘faceless dead’, ‘Ran Qiuping’s letter’………. then extending all the way to ‘Chen Deliang’ and ‘Shi Yuqing’.

Chen Deliang and Shi Yuqing here represented a parallel fork.

The two lines had a brief intersection point in the middle, which was ‘Ran Qiuping’s letter’.

Tan Wenbin, using the way Xiao Yuan Ge had previously explained problems to him, asked: “Xiao Yuan Ge, is this an event line, or, or called… a cause and effect line?”

“Um, I’m exploring the question setter’s thinking.”

After confirming that walking the river had opened, Li Zhuiyuan focused on paying attention to these two lines, wanting to solve them as soon as possible.

Currently, both of these lines have been solved.

The high heels Tang Qiuying line ultimately led to Yu Granny.

But the Qiu Minmin line ended here.

“Xiao Yuan Ge, besides both involving ‘Ran Qiuping’s letter’, is there any other connection between them?”

“You can look at it in the reverse direction, go backward.”

“Ah?”

“I think the lines are mutual.”

“Oh?”

“Binbin Ge, do you think all things are constant? That is, things that have happened must have happened.”

“Xiao Yuan Ge, otherwise what?”

“Standing from a macro, all-knowing perspective, that is correct; but standing from our individual perspective, with our limited viewpoint, are those unknown things that have happened for us truly unchangeable?”

Theoretically speaking, until the second before the black cloth is lifted, the sculptor can still modify his work.”

“Xiao Yuan Ge, do you mean that we are all actually being guided in the dark?”

“We are pushed by the river water. When she is pushed towards me, relative to her, then I am pushed towards her.

Only in the specific implementation process, whoever first masters this line, can always maintain the initiative in this wave and the next.

Just like us now.

Look, if you push Tang Qiuying’s line backward from Yu Granny, can it also push to us here?

Wang Chaonan was originally supposed to bring that fellow villager of his to the circus troupe tomorrow to buy a child.”

“So, if we didn’t advance along this line to find Yu Granny, then it’s Yu Granny who would follow this line to find us? We would be the passive side.”

“Um, it’s just… ”

Li Zhuiyuan’s pen drew two circles around the small forks of Chen Deliang and Shi Yuqing,

“It’s just that Qiu Minmin’s line, why can’t it connect?”

…

“Liangliang, come, come chase Daddy. As long as you catch Daddy, Daddy will buy you a toy car.”

“I’m coming, Daddy, Daddy wait for me, I’m coming!”

A pair of father and son chased and played in an open space.

In the process of chasing, the two came to a place where a shed was being built.

Several trucks were unloading goods, which included various performance props.

“Daddy, I caught you, I want a toy car, hehe.”

The man lowered his head, touched his son’s head, and asked: “Liangliang, how much money’s car do you want to buy?”

“I don’t know, I like whatever money’s worth Daddy buys, hehe.”

“Our Liangliang is really good. Daddy will help you ask how much it’s selling for, okay?”

“Okay, Daddy.”

The man raised his head and looked towards the two women walking towards him from the side of the shed.

One woman was young and beautiful, with a graceful figure, while the old granny she was supporting had a hunched figure, very long cheeks, and obviously sagging flesh on the sides of her mouth.

The man asked them: “Name a price, how much can you sell him for?”

When asking this question, the man’s eyes revealed deep resentment.

Hehe, Shi Yuqing, you didn’t expect it, did you? I will sell your and his bastard child!

—

Continuous bursts, a bit hard to keep up. My eyes are starting to blur and my brain is getting sluggish. I’ll just write a little less tonight. I need to rest for a while to recover.

Mainly, everyone’s monthly votes are too strong. It wouldn’t be good not to write a bit more… Don’t panic, a big hug to everyone!

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