[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-chasing-the-criminal-case":3,"chapter-chasing-the-criminal-case-chasing-the-criminal-case-chapter-222":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Chasing the Criminal Case",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2328990,4554,"Chapter 222: The Story","chasing-the-criminal-case-chapter-222",222,"\u003Cp>In another interrogation room, Zhang Qizhi sat slumped in the chair, his face grim; the police had brought him straight to the Criminal Investigation Unit—this didn’t look good. Were they trying to bluff him, or had Huang Li betrayed him? Why else would they detain him? He decided to say nothing at all—refuse to fall for their tricks!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he was lost in thought, Gu Changzheng walked in. Gao Ye, the officer in charge, immediately stood up and said, “Captain Gu!” Seeing Gao Ye’s expression, Gu Changzheng knew Zhang Qizhi hadn’t broken. He sneered, “Zhang Qizhi! You think hiring a scapegoat lets you walk away clean?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Changzheng still couldn’t confirm that Lou Zhen was pushed by Zhang Qizhi—there was still Xiao Hai, that half-grown boy under sixteen. His earlier testimony was worthless, but Gu Changzheng had just thought of something far more terrifying. He couldn’t draw a conclusion yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Qizhi looked up at Gu Changzheng. “I don’t know what you mean. You’ve locked me up without cause—what do you want?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hah!” Gu Changzheng sneered. “You’re pretending ignorance. You introduced Lou Zhen to Chen Junyang precisely to set up the murder, right?” He deliberately said “you” to confuse Zhang Qizhi, to make him unsure how much they knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Qizhi’s lips twitched slightly—so faint and fast, but Gu Changzheng caught it. He pressed on: “You went to great lengths. Now that we’re here, speak up! Why kill Lou Zhen? Why fake a suicide? And why pin the murder on Chen Junyang—did you hate him that much?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Qizhi’s lips twitched again. He looked at Gu Changzheng. “Hah! I never thought you’d go to such lengths over some disgraced woman’s suicide! Fine! She didn’t jump willingly!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Qizhi’s demeanor shattered instantly. He shouted, “That woman deserved to die! Because of her, my mother died in that disaster! Because of her, my father lost all dignity! Didn’t she deserve to die?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Changzheng watched him coldly, wondering if Huang Li had been persuaded to help him—but why Xiao Hai? Lou Zhen was his own grandmother! Why would he lie for Zhang Qizhi and mislead the police?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, it was Xiao Hai’s testimony that led Gu Changzheng to believe Chen Junyang was the killer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After venting, Zhang Qizhi sighed deeply and said, “But in the end, I couldn’t escape your eyes. Fine—I’ll confess.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Changzheng said calmly, “Good. Speak.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hah!” Zhang Qizhi looked up at the ceiling, speaking slowly. “This story starts over ten years ago—around 1992. I was thirteen, in middle school. My father worked at the hospital in our small county town; my mother worked at the county TV station.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both parents had respectable jobs and got along beautifully—they were college alumni. My father was a few years older and doted on my mother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But everything changed the year I turned thirteen.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One day after school, I came home and found both my parents there. Given their jobs, it was rare for them both to be home. I was happy at first—but the strange atmosphere made me uneasy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then I noticed my mother’s eyes were swollen, as if she’d been crying. Maybe it was a child’s instinct—I panicked and tugged at her sleeve, asking what was wrong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that instant, my mother, always strong and independent, burst into tears.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I froze, helpless. My childish panic made her cry even harder.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My father looked pained, but turned and walked out the door. I didn’t know then—that was the last time our family would ever be together.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t see my father again until 2003—eleven years later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, I didn’t know why my parents separated. My mother never explained—she only said my father had the right to pursue the life he wanted.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, in 2003, the SARS outbreak hit. My mother, as a journalist, worked nonstop on the front lines, reporting on the spread and control of the epidemic. She accidentally got infected—and in the end… she couldn’t survive.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Qizhi’s hands clenched tightly. Tears welled in his eyes, threatening to spill.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If my mother hadn’t been alone, she wouldn’t have died from neglect. But I was stuck at school—by the time I got back, she was already in her final hours.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet even then, she never said a bad word about my father. As she lay dying, she told me to find him. She said he was a good man—just not meant for her.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She told me to go to him, to take care of him. Only later did I understand what she truly meant—when I finally met the woman who lived with him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh? You didn’t know Lou Zhen existed before you went to your father?” Gu Changzheng asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No! Didn’t I say? My mother never mentioned why my father left us!” Zhang Qizhi snapped, head snapping up, face twisted with irritation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Ye slammed his hand on the table. “Zhang Qizhi! Control your emotions!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Qizhi’s head dropped. His body trembled slightly. Then, softly, he whispered, “Sorry… sorry… it’s my fault.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Changzheng frowned, watching him, lost in thought.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Zhang Qizhi apologized, Gu Changzheng said, “That’s enough for today. You’re tired. Rest. We’ll talk again tomorrow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without acknowledging Gao Ye’s puzzled look, he waved his hand. A police officer entered and took Zhang Qizhi away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Ye asked, “Captain Gu, what’s going on?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Changzheng glanced at him quietly. “Zhang Qizhi likely has a manic disorder. He’s not fit for further interrogation. Let’s go find Xiao Hai—he probably knows a lot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That kid? Yeah… how did he get mixed up with Zhang Qizhi?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Maybe,” Gu Changzheng said, a faint smile touching his lips, “the boy has his own story.”\u003C\u002Fp>",943,"2026-06-20T19:35:31.675Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","967891350af3d19aeeb3148bd76e3fe0b3263248b9916526cec2a02c739a24ef","chasing-the-criminal-case-chapter-223","chasing-the-criminal-case-chapter-221",276,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchasing-the-criminal-case-cover.jpg"]