Chapter 214: Another Man

Xiao Hai said: "Don't you want to ask who my grandmother went off fooling around with?"

Such words coming from a child of only fourteen or fifteen years old were indeed surprising, but what surprised Gu Changzheng was the meaning revealed in his words: he seemed to know who the person Lou Zhen was meeting was!

But he still maintained a steady demeanor and said with a smile: "Heh heh, so it seems you usually manage the shop?"

Seeing that he didn't continue along his topic, Xiao Hai rolled his eyes and said: "Yes! Grandmother usually doesn't care about these things. But it's simple; suppliers replenish and adjust the goods, and I just watch the shop and collect the money."

"Hmm! It seems you are not just a child as you appear on the surface!"

To Gu Changzheng's double-entendre, Xiao Hai seemed to have no reaction. He lowered his head and said: "What of it? Someone has to do these things!"

Seeing his somewhat lonely expression, Gu Changzheng couldn't help but think that he was still a child after all, and having lived with such a grandmother since he was young, it was hard to imagine what he had been through! Thinking of this, his heart softened, and he said gently: "You went to the Tianyang Hotel last night? What did you go there for? Can you tell us about it?"

Xiao Hai looked at Gu Changzheng with a strange expression. His eyes were surprised, defensive, and seemed to have a trace of being moved! This was what Gu Changzheng captured in Xiao Hai's eyes when he recalled their chat in the small supermarket after the truth came out later.

Xiao Hai thought for a while and said: "I'd better not talk nonsense about Grandmother's affairs. After all, Grandmother raised me." After saying this, he lowered his head as if thinking about something, and after a few seconds, he said again: "You look like a good police officer. I can tell you, but you must keep it a secret for me!"

Gu Changzheng nodded with a smile. Xiao Hai didn't continue, just looking at Jiang Fan beside him. Gu Changzheng knew he didn't want others to hear, but this was obviously against the rules. He thought for a moment and said solemnly: "This is my colleague, it doesn't matter. You trust me. Tell us everything you know and saw. I guarantee that neither he nor I will tell anyone else!"

Xiao Hai looked at him and then at Jiang Fan. He must have hesitated internally, but he chose to trust him: "Yesterday evening, around 5:30, Grandmother usually comes to the supermarket after playing cards at this time. The place where Grandmother plays cards is not far from here. Basically, she finishes at 5:30 and appears at the supermarket ten minutes later. Yesterday, I was watching the supermarket when a man in his thirties walked in. He took a pack of 555 cigarettes from the shelf. When paying, I heard him say on the phone something about meeting at the Tianyang Hotel tonight. Then, when he was paying, he was closer to me, and the sound from his phone receiver was loud. Then, I heard a voice on the phone that was very familiar!"

Speaking of this, a look of disgust appeared in Xiao Hai's eyes. Gu Changzheng guessed that it should be Lou Zhen's voice, right?

Sure enough, Xiao Hai continued: "I heard the voice was Grandmother's, and then the man said those things to her. He turned and left. I heard them making an appointment at the Tianyang Hotel, and I felt troubled, so after that person left, I closed the shop door and walked to the Tianyang Hotel."

"Do you remember what that man looked like?" Gu Changzheng thought that person definitely wasn't Zhang Zhiyuan, as they knew each other!

Xiao Hai said: "I remember what he looked like roughly!"

"Then if you see him again, will you be able to recognize him?"

"Hmm..." Xiao Hai tilted his head and thought for a while: "I should be able to!"

Gu Changzheng nodded with satisfaction: "What happened after you went to the hotel?"

A trace of fear flashed in Xiao Hai's eyes. He whispered: "I, I..."

Gu Changzheng knew that what he was about to say should be the key point of the case, so he didn't dare to disturb him, just looked at him expectantly, encouraging him with his eyes.

Xiao Hai's voice became lower and lower, as if suppressed by an invisible fear, becoming almost inaudible: "I, I saw Grandmother actually with that strange man... They were doing that kind of unspeakable thing! My heart instantly jumped to my throat, and my whole body froze in place."

Xiao Hai paused, swallowed hard, and continued: "Then, I found that Grandmother seemed to have some kind of situation suddenly. The man kept shaking Grandmother's body, but Grandmother's body was like a puppet without strings, limp and lifeless. The scene at that time was really terrible, and I was so scared I didn't dare to breathe."

Speaking of this, Xiao Hai's body began to tremble involuntarily, and his lips twitched uncontrollably due to extreme tension and fear. Seeing this, Gu Changzheng hurriedly reached out his broad and powerful hands and gently patted Xiao Hai's shoulder, trying to give him some comfort and strength. Gradually, Xiao Hai seemed to feel the comfort from Gu Changzheng, and his twitching lips slowly returned to normal.

However, Xiao Hai's eyes were still full of horror. He continued to recount what happened later in a trembling voice: "That person, in a panic, tidied up Grandmother's clothes and looked like he was about to leave Grandmother alone. However, when he walked a few steps away, he suddenly turned back, with a look of hesitation and unease on his face. Immediately after, an unexpected scene happened—he rushed back to Grandmother's side, picked Grandmother up without hesitation, and walked quickly toward the wall of the rooftop. When he got there, he pushed hard with both hands, and Grandmother just like that... just like that fell from the high rooftop!"

Xiao Hai's eyes were unfocused, and his expression was terrified: "Grandmother was pushed down by him! Then I heard a loud bang. I was scared to death at that time, hiding behind the door and couldn't move. I wanted to run, but my two legs seemed to have left me and didn't listen to me at all! At that time, I thought it was over. If that man found me in a while, he would definitely throw me down like he did to Grandmother! But at this time, I saw the man bend down to rummage through Grandmother's bag. Not long after, I saw him find paper and pen from the bag and write something there."

Gu Changzheng asked: "Does your grandmother usually carry paper and pen with her?"

Xiao Hai said: "Yes, she comes to the supermarket every day to balance the accounts, and she never leaves paper and pen on her."

Gu Changzheng nodded slightly and said: "Do you have the account book she recorded here?" Gu Changzheng didn't believe in the so-called suicide note, but handwriting identification needed to be done. According to what Xiao Hai said, the suicide note was left by the man who met with Lou Zhen, and the handwriting must be different from Lou Zhen's.

But what about that phone call? Could it be that Lou Zhen made another call after finishing Zhang Zhiyuan's call? Then why did the last record of Lou Zhen's phone call show Zhang Zhiyuan?

Could it be? Gu Changzheng suddenly thought of a possibility and hurriedly took out his phone and called Gao Ye! ===== CHAPTER 215 =====