Chapter 214: Another Man

The little boy said: “Aren’t you trying to ask me who my grandma was sneaking around with?”

For a child of only fourteen or fifteen to speak such words was indeed startling, but Gu Changzheng was stunned by the implication in his words: he seemed to know who the man meeting Lou Zhen was!

Yet he maintained his calm demeanor and smiled: “Heh, so it seems you’re the one who usually runs this shop?”

Xiao Hai rolled his eyes at him for not following up: “Yes! Grandma never bothers with these things, but it’s simple enough—suppliers restock and adjust the goods, I just watch the store and collect money.”

“Hmm! You don’t seem like just a kid on the surface!”

Xiao Hai showed no reaction to Gu Changzheng’s double meaning; he lowered his head: “What’s so special? Someone has to do these things.”

Seeing his somber expression, Gu Changzheng couldn’t help but remember that he was still just a child, raised all his life by such a grandmother—he could hardly imagine what he’d endured! Thinking of this, his heart softened, and he spoke gently: “You went to Tianyang Hotel last night? What did you go there for? Could you tell us?”

Xiao Hai looked at Gu Changzheng with an odd expression—surprised, wary, yet with a hint of emotion! This was the look Gu Changzheng later recalled from that conversation in the convenience store, after the truth came out.

Xiao Hai thought for a moment: “I’d better not gossip about Grandma—after all, she raised me.” He lowered his head as if lost in thought, then after a few seconds added: “You look like a good cop. I’ll tell you—but you have to keep it secret!”

Gu Changzheng nodded with a smile, but Xiao Hai didn’t continue—he only stared at Jiang Fan beside him. Gu Changzheng understood he didn’t want others to hear, but this clearly violated protocol. He paused, then said solemnly: “This is my colleague. It’s fine—he won’t tell anyone. Trust me. Tell us everything you saw and heard. I promise neither he nor I will speak of it to anyone.”

Xiao Hai glanced between him and Jiang Fan, hesitated inside, then chose to believe him: “Yesterday evening, around five-thirty, Grandma usually came by the store after her mahjong game. Her game isn’t far from here—she finishes at five-thirty and shows up ten minutes later. I was guarding the shop yesterday when a man in his thirties walked in, picked up a pack of Sanwu cigarettes, and while paying, I heard him say on the phone something about meeting tonight at Tianyang Hotel. Since he was standing close to me when he paid, and his phone speaker was loud, I heard the voice on the other end—it was incredibly familiar!”

At this, Xiao Hai’s eyes filled with revulsion. Gu Changzheng guessed it must have been Lou Zhen’s voice.

Sure enough, Xiao Hai continued: “I recognized it as Grandma’s voice. Then the man said more to her, turned, and left. I heard them arrange to meet at Tianyang Hotel, and I felt sick. After he left, I locked the shop and walked to Tianyang Hotel.”

“Do you remember what the man looked like?” Gu Changzheng thought the man couldn’t possibly be Zhang Zhiyuan—they knew each other!

Xiao Hai said: “I remember the general appearance.”

“If you saw him again, could you recognize him?”

“Hmm…” Xiao Hai tilted his head, thinking. “I think I could.”

Gu Changzheng nodded in satisfaction: “What happened after you got to the hotel?”

Xiao Hai’s eyes flickered with fear. He whispered: “I—I…”

Gu Changzheng knew this was the key point of the case. He didn’t interrupt, only watched him expectantly, encouraging him with his gaze.

Xiao Hai’s voice grew even lower, as if crushed by invisible dread, nearly inaudible: “I—I saw Grandma with that stranger… they were doing something unspeakable! My heart leapt into my throat—I froze completely.”

Xiao Hai paused, swallowed hard, then continued: “Then I noticed Grandma suddenly seemed to be in trouble. The man kept shaking her body, but she went limp like a puppet with cut strings, collapsing into a heap. The scene was horrifying—I couldn’t even breathe.”

As he spoke, Xiao Hai began trembling uncontrollably, his lips twitching from sheer terror. Seeing this, Gu Changzheng immediately reached out his broad, strong hands and gently patted Xiao Hai’s shoulders, trying to offer comfort and strength. Slowly, Xiao Hai seemed to feel Gu Changzheng’s reassurance; his trembling lips gradually calmed.

Yet Xiao Hai’s eyes remained filled with terror. In a trembling voice, he went on: “After panicking, he fixed Grandma’s clothes, then seemed ready to leave her behind. But when he took a few steps away, he suddenly turned back—his face showed hesitation and unease. Then, unexpectedly—he rushed back to Grandma, grabbed her without hesitation, and carried her quickly to the rooftop railing. There, he pushed with all his strength—and Grandma just… just fell from the high rooftop!”

Xiao Hai’s gaze was vacant, his face terrified: “He shoved Grandma down! Then came a loud thud—I was terrified, hiding behind the door, paralyzed. I wanted to run, but my legs felt detached, unresponsive! I thought I was done—he’d find me and throw me off like he did Grandma! But then I saw him bend down and rummage through Grandma’s bag. Soon, he pulled out paper and pen and started writing something.”

Gu Changzheng asked: “Does your grandma always carry paper and pen with her?”

Xiao Hai said: “Yes. She comes to the store every day to check accounts—she never leaves without them.”

Gu Changzheng nodded slightly: “Do you have any of her account books here?” He didn’t believe in the so-called suicide note, but handwriting analysis was necessary. According to Xiao Hai, the note was left by the man who met Lou Zhen—its handwriting must differ from hers.

But that phone call? Had Lou Zhen taken another call after speaking to Zhang Zhiyuan? Then why did her call log show Zhang Zhiyuan as the last contact?

Could it be? Gu Changzheng suddenly remembered a possibility—he immediately pulled out his phone and called Gao Ye!