Chapter 820: Twenty-Four Train Tickets!

"I want to meet with the suspect," Tang Ye requested of Xing Zhijun.

"Fine, I'll contact the City Bureau," Xing Zhijun said, already having a certain understanding of Tang Ye.

There was a reason he could be so successful: he was obsessive, earnest, and competitive in his work.

In truth, the case should have ended right there.

This was a result many were willing to accept.

However, Tang Ye did not feel it could just end like that.

Xing Zhijun also knew that this case hid something suspicious,

so he approved of Tang Ye's approach,

and took the initiative to communicate with the Yanzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau working group.

It was clear that the other party was very dissatisfied,

but.

Xing Zhijun "casually" mentioned: Tang Ye is the key figure in this case, and he has the authority to contact Secretary Liu directly.

The working group finally accepted the request.

Around three in the afternoon.

Tang Ye arrived at the Yanzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau Detention Center.

The suspect's name was Zhang Yong, from the same village as Zhang Gang, forty-seven years old this year, yet he looked like a man of sixty or seventy—his complexion was sallow, his frame withered, and his whole body exuded a sickly, frail air.

Xing Zhijun leaned into Tang Ye's ear and whispered, "The interrogation has been very difficult; he hasn't really opened his mouth."

Tang Ye was confident, having already studied the suspect's file beforehand.

Tang Ye waited a moment before speaking slowly: "You and Meng Haibo had no grudges; you had no motive to kill him. Even if you turned yourself in, there are still suspicious points in this."

The suspect spoke like a broken record: "I'm the one who hurt him. I'm sick and needed money. He's a city person, and I thought he had money to spare, so I had crooked thoughts."

Tang Ye said in a deep voice: "People in the village all say you are honest and upright, and that you couldn't possibly do anything illegal."

The suspect remained silent, unwilling to say another word.

Tang Ye softened his tone: "I know there must be a reason you did this. Is someone threatening you? As long as you tell us the reason, we will definitely help you solve the problem."

The suspect, however, insisted: "I did it, and it has nothing to do with anyone else."

Tang Ye could not continue the questioning.

The suspect had already resolved to die—

in all likelihood because he was suffering from a terminal illness and did not want to live anymore.

Tang Ye turned to Xing Zhijun and said, "I want to go to his home and take a look."

Xing Zhijun nodded slightly: "Fine!"

When investigating a case, the primary crime scene is always of vital importance.

Walking into the courtyard of Zhang Yong's home, Tang Ye found it somewhat cluttered;

but upon entering the house, he was somewhat surprised: one wall was covered in certificates of merit.

The name on the certificates was "Zhang You," spanning from elementary school all the way to high school; she was clearly a high-achieving child.

Tang Ye asked thoughtfully: "The suspect has a daughter?"

The accompanying staff member nodded: "Yes, but the relationship between father and daughter is very poor. After the daughter went to college, she never returned home."

Tang Ye pressed: "Why is that?"

Xing Zhijun sighed: "According to the neighbors, the year the daughter was in her first year of high school, her mother died in a car accident, and Zhang Yong didn't shed a single tear at the time. Later, Zhang Yong only knew how to earn money; the daughter felt he was heartless and had a huge fight with him. After that, the bond between father and daughter faded, and even during the Spring Festival, she was never seen coming back."

A grave look appeared in Tang Ye's eyes; he vaguely felt there was a hidden story here—

one could tell from the wall full of certificates that the father clearly had feelings for his daughter.

Tang Ye walked into Zhang Yong's room,

and a musty smell rushed into his nose; he subconsciously covered it.

Afterward, he pulled open a drawer, which was filled with messy items;

then he went to the daughter's room,

which was much cleaner and tidier than the room Zhang Yong lived in himself.

A photo frame of the daughter sat on the cabinet; Tang Ye glanced at it—she was a girl with delicate features.

His gaze landed on a locked drawer, and he asked softly: "Can you open this lock?"

Xing Zhijun communicated with the accompanying City Bureau staff for a few moments,

and the staff member forcibly pried the lock open.

Tang Ye looked at the contents of the drawer and was somewhat surprised: "Why are there so many train tickets!"

Xing Zhijun also leaned in to look and wondered: "These train tickets are all from Yanzhou to Bao City, and they are all standing-room tickets."

Tang Ye was thoughtful: "They must be the tickets Zhang Yong bought to go to Bao City to see his daughter. Judging by the dates on the tickets, they are mostly concentrated around the Spring Festival."

Xing Zhijun flipped through the dates on the tickets: "The two most recent ones are from April of this year and two days ago."

Tang Ye said in a deep voice: "I understand. In April, he must have found out he had a terminal illness, so he went to Bao City; two days ago, he knew he was about to lose his freedom, so he went specifically to see his daughter one last time."

Xing Zhijun rubbed his chin and said in a deep voice: "Sigh, I suddenly feel a heaviness in my heart."

Tang Ye felt he had found a breakthrough in the case and asked: "Does the daughter know her father has been arrested?"

"She knows, but her reaction was numb, and she didn't say she wanted to come back to visit her father," the staff member explained.

Tang Ye said: "Give me her daughter's phone number; I'll give her a call."

The staff member quickly found Zhang You's mobile number.

Tang Ye dialed the number and asked softly, "Hello, may I ask if this is Zhang You?"

"It is me, who are you?" There was wariness in Zhang You's voice.

"I would like to have a chat with you about your father's affairs."

"There is nothing to chat about; his affairs have nothing to do with me."

"Don't be in such a hurry to refuse; we found some train tickets in your home."

"Train tickets?"

"Yes, I think you might not know—during the time you were in university, your father would secretly take the train to your school to see you."

Hearing this, Zhang You suddenly went silent, and after a while, asked with a trembling voice: "Why didn't he tell me!"

Tang Ye sighed softly: "Your father is a man not good at expressing himself, but his feelings for you are all hidden in twenty-four train tickets."

The motive for your father's surrender this time has suspicious points in itself.

He is already in the late stages of liver cancer and does not have much time left.

By the way, tucked inside the tickets was a letter soaked with tears.

On it was a crooked line of text: "Our daughter is doing very well, I can go see you later!"

A father with little education and limited literacy.

Actually went to her school to see her twelve times in four years.

It is impossible to imagine how a father who had never left his township came to the big city and how he found the school.

How did Father endure those dozen or so hours of standing-room-only tickets!

Zhang You on the other end of the phone could no longer control her emotions, and tears instantly welled up from the corners of her eyes.

She choked out: "I want to see him!"

"Hurry back, we will arrange for you two to meet."

At dusk, Tang Ye and Xing Zhijun met Zhang You at the train station.

Zhang You was tall, with regular features and delicate, pretty brows, her face filled with sorrow.

Inside the Interrogation Room.

Zhang Yong sat with his head bowed gloomily.

Suddenly, an unusual sound made him jerk his head up.

"Dad!"

Zhang Yong's lips trembled, and tears instantly spilled from his eyes.

"Daughter, you, you, why did you come?"