Chapter 833: Extenuating Circumstances

"What am I thinking? What could I possibly be thinking!"

Zhang Zhang Guoqi stared wide-eyed, protesting with grievance: "What does Fu Linfang's matter have to do with me!"

"You don't suspect I'm the one who killed her, do you?!"

Old Wang sneered and nodded, his expression matching everyone else in the room: "Please, begin your performance!"

Zhang Zhang Guoqi swept his gaze across the people in the room, every look as if they were viewing trash.

"What are you all looking at!"

"I didn't kill anyone!"

"Are you all crazy!"

Zhang Zhang Guoqi shouted with all his might: "That damn person was hanging from a tree! Do I have that kind of ability?"

"Indeed, you didn't kill her."

Old Wang sneered: "If you had killed her, you wouldn't be lying here shouting at us."

"However,"

under Zhang Zhang Guoqi's widening stare, Old Wang said: "Huang Huang Shiwen confessed that you threatened and insulted Fu Linfang."

"What?!"

"She's spouting nonsense!"

"Are you all trying to smear me!"

Zhang Zhang Guoqi bulged his eyes, looking left and right at the people in the room, strongly suspecting whether Li Li Huai De had made a move.

But there were three factions in the room; even if some individuals lacked firm stance, it was impossible for people from all three forces to have been bought off by Li Li Huai De.

Then, there truly might be something wrong with this whole affair!

"I never touched Fu Linfang!"

Zhang Zhang Guoqi said earnestly: "I swear to heaven, I truly never touched her!"

"Then explain this: what did you do and say with her in the Daisuoshitang the day before Fu Linfang died?"

Old Wang tapped the notebook beside his hand and said: "It just so happens that comrades from the Security Office are here; they will be asking you about this later."

Zhang Zhang Guoqi paused, glanced at the security officer, frowned, and said: "What did I say? I said she should come work at Dongfeng in the future; I said nothing else!"

"It seems you won't cry until you see the coffin."

Old Wang glanced at him, took a document from Xiao Liu, and said while reading: "According to Huang Huang Shiwen's testimony, you sat down beside Fu Linfang, put your arm around her shoulders, and touched her hand and arm."

"Did this happen or not?!"

"And there's more!"

Before Zhang Zhang Guoqi could answer, Old Wang continued: "Several waitresses on duty at the guesthouse that day remember you doing this, and that you spoke ambiguous and threatening words to Fu Linfang."

"Did this happen or not?!"

Old Wang slapped the documents onto the table and barked: "Do you have anything else to say!"

"I..."

Zhang Zhang Guoqi froze there, gasped heavily, then said with a aggrieved tone: "But I truly didn't do anything to her!"

"I was just concerned about her, just..."

"Even if I was in the wrong, was it really enough to drive her to hang herself!"

Zhang Zhang Guoqi said indignantly: "If she wasn't willing, why didn't she say so at the time? Just because I touched her a couple of times, she goes and hangs herself?"

"I don't believe it!"

"You indeed don't believe it!"

Old Wang said: "You threatened her parents; did she dare resist you?!"

"It wasn't me!"

Zhang Zhang Guoqi recalled for a moment, then shouted loudly: "It was Huang Huang Shiwen! That day, Huang Huang Shiwen pasted up her big-character poster, wrote about many of her affairs; that's what made her so ashamed she committed suicide!"

"It wasn't me!"

As if afraid Fu Linfang would come to claim his life, Zhang Zhang Guoqi shouted loudly: "Go ask Huang Huang Shiwen!"

"No need to ask."

Old Wang tapped the documents beside his hand and said: "We only came over after clarifying everything. Don't you want to know why they wanted to poison you? Let me tell you."

Speaking while flipping through the documents, he explained: "Huang Huang Shiwen's actions made her the primary person responsible for Fu Linfang's death, yet she believed you all bore responsibility for Fu Linfang's death."

"Who else?!"

At this moment, Zhang Zhang Guoqi's mind was remarkably clear; he seized the key point in Old Wang's words.

"Who is it? There must be someone else; I... I didn't do anything!"

Old Wang lifted his head from the documents, glanced at the security officer standing by the window, and then said: "Huang Huang Shiwen believed your insults and threats contributed to Fu Linfang's death."

"She learned from Fang Lining that Fu Linfang had sought help from Deputy Director Li of the Security Office, but Deputy Director Li was away on a business trip."

"Therefore,"

Old Wang looked at Zhang Zhang Guoqi and said: "Huang Huang Shiwen also believed Deputy Director Li watched them die without saving them, and bore responsibility for abandoning them when they initially left the Security Office."

"Then why the hell didn't she go find Li Li Xuewu!"

Zhang Zhang Guoqi, furious, pounded the bed board: "Why come after me!"

"They indeed wanted to find Deputy Director Li."

Old Wang's voice was very calm, yet within that calmness lay a sigh: "Wang Wang Jingzhang disappeared; only the Security Office was investigating his whereabouts, which also caused Fang Lining and the other to be unable to return to the factory for a long time."

"Furthermore, after taking revenge on Wang Wang Jingzhang, Fang Lining planned to dispose of his body during this period, but was discovered by the Security Section."

"Therefore, Fang Lining and Huang Huang Shiwen initially wanted to eliminate Deputy Director Li; they were afraid."

Old Wang took a sip of tea and said: "According to Fang Lining's confession, they investigated Deputy Director Li's habits; he doesn't casually eat other people's food, nor does he drink water from outside sources."

"The thermos in his office is filled by his secretary, he brings his own tea leaves, locks the door when leaving, and only three people have the key."

"Regrettably, they were unable to find an opportunity to poison him within such a short time."

"Moreover, Deputy Director Zhou-Li is away on business and not at home, making it even harder for them to exert their efforts."

"It was precisely at this moment that you appeared."

Old Wang looked at Zhang Zhang Guoqi and said, "Fang Lining confessed that you were also a target they wanted eliminated; since you were detained by the Discipline Inspection Commission, they feared they would have no future opportunities."

"Furthermore, Fang Lining said that since you and Li Li Xuewu are good brothers, poisoning you would achieve the same result—it would also be a harm to Li Li Xuewu..."

Good brothers?

In your moment of glory~

Let me sing a song for you~

My good brother~

How can I speak of the bitterness in my heart!

"Who is his good brother!"

"What the hell does 'the same poison' mean!"

"I've been wrongly accused, damn it!"

"I... cough, cough..."

Seeing that Zhang Zhang Guoqi's condition looked wrong, Old Wang immediately stood up and rushed over to check on him.

"Go call a doctor! Quickly!"

Zhang Zhang Guoqi's face had turned green, looking even more terrifying than when he was poisoned yesterday.

Old Wang was truly panicking; he feared that if the rat poison hadn't killed the guy, he himself might end up angering him to death instead!

Fortunately, this ward was under high observation, so the doctor arrived promptly.

After a series of examinations, the doctor immediately performed a thoracentesis on Zhang Zhang Guoqi.

Old Wang and the others stood anxiously at the ward door, waiting until the doctor emerged from inside.

The crowd stepped forward and asked, "How is the patient?"

The doctor looked somewhat speechlessly at the cadres from the factory's Discipline Inspection Commission and said, "The patient has returned to normal, but is temporarily unfit for interrogation."

"What happened to him?"

Wang Wang Zongli, who had remained silent until now, spoke up to ask; her rank was higher here, and she also bore supervisory responsibility for the case.

The doctor helplessly replied, "His lungs burst from anger; let him rest more, he needs oxygen therapy."

Having said this, he turned and left without paying any attention to the crowd's stunned expressions.

While bursting lungs from physical exercise is relatively common, bursting them from speaking out of anger is truly rare.

It was simply outrageous!

Especially in Zhang Zhang Guoqi's case, it was quite severe; without releasing the air, he would have suffocated to death.

The crowd standing at the doorway also looked at each other in blank dismay, unsure of what to say.

Should we... notify Deputy Director Li to come see his good brother?

"Your feet must be steady before your hands can have strength."

"Correct, squat slightly, but stay relaxed, don't tense up; use your waist for power."

"Hold the gun with both hands, yes~"

"Don't exert force with your hands..."

Li Li Xuewu corrected Zhou Zhou Xiaobai's grip on the gun while simultaneously adjusting her shooting posture.

They were not in the shooting range but in the rest area, and the gun in Zhou Zhou Xiaobai's hand belonged to Li Li Xuewu.

A real gun, not the kind you are thinking of!

There were no bullets in the gun, which was pointed at a wall; Huang Gan and the others lacked Li Li Xuewu's patience, so after teaching a few pointers in the shooting range, they let the young ladies play on their own.

Zhou Zhou Xiaobai had actually been to the shooting range before, but she had used long guns; this was only her second time handling a short gun.

Last time, Li Li Xuewu had taken her to play in the shooting range; this time, he first brought her to the rest area to practice her posture while waiting in line.

The "bang-bang" sounds of gunfire echoed from behind the safety wall of the shooting range, creating quite a racket.

Over here, Zhou Zhou Xiaobai obediently held Li Li Xuewu's pistol, acclimating herself to the standard posture.

Unlike the Type 54 pistols found in the shooting range, Li Li Xuewu's M1911 was larger and longer, appearing somewhat heavy.

Watching her press her small lips together as she persisted in the stance, Li Li Xuewu smiled and asked, "Do you want to take a break?"

"... Okay."

She was actually truly exhausted, gritting her teeth to persist, her mouth suffering along with the effort.

After handing the pistol back to Li Li Xuewu and walking with him to sit on the sofa, Zhou Zhou Xiaobai somewhat unnaturally tucked the hair behind her ear.

When she casually lifted her head to look at Li Li Xuewu, she discovered he was also looking at her.

She instantly felt as though she had been caught red-handed; red clouds immediately rose to her face, burning all the way to the roots of her ears.

Zhou Zhou Xiaobai felt as if her face were on fire, burning intensely.

The noisy clamor of the underground shooting training range suddenly vanished from her ears, leaving only a buzzing sound in her mind.

"Drink some water."

"Huh? Oh~"

Zhou Zhou Xiaobai's brain understood Li Li Xuewu's words, but her hands did not; she grabbed a teacup at random and poured it straight into her mouth.

Only when she was about to put down the teacup did she realize that the coffee table in front of Li Li Xuewu was empty.

He looked again at what was before him... and what was in his hand...

Maybe they should give up on extinguishing the fire with water and use a fire extinguisher directly; she was about to collapse.

It was he who had lit a fire in her heart!

Li Li Xuewu, the arsonist of young ladies' hearts, had not yet realized what a grave mistake he had made; smiling, he took the teacup from her hand and placed it on the coffee table.

Zhou Zhou Xiaobai's body had gone stiff; if there had been a mouse hole in the floor just then, she would have been more than willing to crawl into it.

If push came to shove, she could even take off her shoes and dig out another basement level beneath this training ground with her bare hands.

Fortunately, only the two of them were in the rest area, and the safety wall blocked the view, sparing them from the gazes of others; otherwise, she would have died of shame.

Li Li Xuewu, however, paid no heed to her panic; crossing his legs, he listened to the sounds of gunfire coming from beyond the safety wall.

This too was a form of training—training one's hearing—to discern what kind of gun it was, what kind of bullet, and how many shots had been fired.

His casualness and indifference actually gave Zhou Zhou Xiaobai room to recover.

After a while, Luo Yun came running back noisily, mimicking how many rings she had hit earlier and boasting about how exhilarating pistol shooting was.

Zhong Zhong Jingxue watched her clamor with a chuckle; it seemed men of his age all favored young ladies of sixteen or seventeen.

Not for their bodies, but for that memory of youth and its vitality.

Waving his hand to signal Li Li Xuewu and the others to take over, he sat down on the sofa himself.

Li Li Xuewu beckoned to Zhou Zhou Xiaobai and led her into the shooting room.

Standing in the same position as before, Li Li Xuewu positioned himself behind and to the side of Zhou Zhou Xiaobai, signaled her to raise her pistol, then reached out to correct her posture.

"Fire!"

"Bang!"

"Fire!"

"Bang!"

After letting her fire two shots, Li Li Xuewu pointed toward the target with his finger, corrected the mistake she had just made, and then had her fire again.

"Fire!"

"Bang!"

"Good, find that feeling, fire!"

"Bang!"

"Very good, you've already hit the target, fire!"

Feeling Li Li Xuewu's embrace from behind and hearing his voice in her ear, Zhou Zhou Xiaobai gradually found her confidence.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Pistol shooting depended entirely on whether one mastered the rhythm, including body stance, breathing, hand pressure, and adjustments made with each shot.

The recoil of the Type 54 pistol was considerable; a young girl's hand would start hurting after only a few shots.

Li Li Xuewu let her fire only two magazines before stopping her.

These things had to be taken slowly; one needed to find the rhythm and also find confidence.

Firing too many rounds at once was not a good thing; once the rhythm was memorized, becoming familiar with it next time would be much simpler.

Zhou Zhou Xiaobai used binoculars to look at the target paper in the distance; although not many shots had hit the target, one bullet had luckily struck the bullseye.

This was a case of a blind cat catching a dead mouse!

But a dead mouse is still a mouse!

Zhou Zhou Xiaobai was extremely excited; this was the result of her diligent study, and moreover, she had studied alongside Li Li Xuewu.

So, in the semi-enclosed shooting room, she made a bold move.

"Whoa!"

Luo Yun, who was lying at the observation peephole watching them through the thick glass, widened her eyes in shock; what had she just seen!

Although she knew one should not look at impropriety, and although she knew peeking at people kissing was immoral behavior, she still could not tear her eyes away.

This was too thrilling!

And it was Zhou Zhou Xiaobai who had taken the initiative!

Was this still the same Miss who used to be shy and bashful!

"What are you looking at?"

Ao Ao Zhongliang came out of the adjacent shooting room; seeing Luo Yun lying there watching, he casually asked a question.

"Oh, nothing, just shooting~"

Luo Yun gave a dry laugh, glanced back at the glass, and returned to the rest area with Ao Ao Zhongliang.

Just as she sat down, Zhou Zhou Xiaobai and Li Li Xuewu walked out of the shooting room.

Looking at Zhou Zhou Xiaobai's appearance, Luo Yun's gaze was filled with teasing, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl upward.

You really have some nerve!

Zhou Zhou Xiaobai also noticed Luo Yun's unusual behavior; following her gaze to the safety wall, she then remembered there was an observation peephole there.

Boom!

Her brain exploded instantly; she went numb, realizing that what she had just done had been seen by Luo Yun!

Li Li Xuewu, however, paid no attention to the silent exchange of glances between the two young ladies; he took the teacup handed to him by Huang Gan, took a sip, and began chatting idly with the others.

Let the story in the shooting room stay in the shooting room; it was merely a young girl's joy and impulse in celebration, no need to make a mountain out of a molehill.

But it really was soft!

Li Li Xuewu was referring to the sofa; whether you believe it or not is up to you.

Bang Geng had actually wanted to come down and play too, but Li Li Xuewu hadn't allowed it; he hadn't even settled the matter of the depth charge with him yet, and he still wanted to play with guns?!

Keep dreaming!

Had Yu Li find a wrestler from the sports school to teach him wrestling, or rather, to use him as a punching bag.

The energy of a growing boy is limitless; especially after a meal, if not vented, it turns into mischief.

Everyone played a while longer; Zhou Xiaobai didn't dare act recklessly with Li Li Xuewu again, sitting properly there and pretending to be a timid quail.

A little past three in the afternoon, Li Li Xuewu took a few people to sit in the flower hall, drank tea with the others from the club, and discussed work matters.

Bang Geng played until exhausted, covered in sweat; after washing at the bathhouse, he was like a little calf again, following beside Li Li Xuewu with wide eyes.

Li Li Xuewu did not attend the evening gathering; although Yu Li mentioned a grand feast, he truly had other matters.

Instead, he kept Ma Jun and the others; with more people here tonight, it would be easier to bond.

He also instructed Zhou Xiaobai and the other young ladies to watch a movie after dinner tonight and relax properly.

Under Zhou Xiaobai's reluctant gaze, Li Li Xuewu carefreely took Bang Geng into the jeep, chatting and laughing as he drove away.

Once drunk, I whipped a famous horse; never wishing my excessive affection to burden a beauty.

Li Li Xuewu did not feel he possessed any great charm, nor was he worthy of a young girl entrusting her youth to him.

More importantly, he could not afford to offend any young lady.

They have endless youth to squander freely, but Li Li Xuewu cannot; he is already twenty years old, not a child of eighteen or nineteen.

He was certain that Zhou Xiaobai was merely acting on a momentary impulse, or rather, love-struck.

Having met only three times, what fate could there be to speak of? He least believed in love at first sight; that was nothing more than an excuse for a one-night stand.

The other party was young, having just stepped out of the ivory tower, finding everything fresh and new.

Suddenly encountering such a young and promising big brother, she felt as if she had seen a heavenly being; in reality, what she loved was the dream she had woven herself.

Li Li Xuewu knew deeply what kind of person he was, and there was absolutely a huge difference between that and the image fabricated in a young girl's heart through snippets of information or others' words.

Speaking strictly of facts, what could be presented openly for people to see were surely his highlight moments, or rather, his positive image.

But one could not isolate these highlight moments and positive images to singly sculpt a perfect Mr. for worship.

He was human, a living person of flesh and blood with seven emotions and six desires; he would make mistakes, would do wrong things, and he did not wish to be a flawless sage.

If truly worshipped by someone as a flawless sage, then basically he would be finished.

He knew well the consequences of a collapsed persona; however much they worshipped you initially, that much would they wish to kill you later.

Being heartless now was better; both sides would have a limit, so as not to reach the point of no return.

Comparing it this way, you still feel that an older sister who is married is better, safe and sensible.

Right?!

What? Married?

Isn't that a bonus point...

"This unlucky child, why are you causing trouble for your Wu Shu again!"

Seeing her son sitting in the passenger seat of the jeep with his face turned up to the sky, making an even greater fool of himself than the ugly foreign devils in the movies, Qin Qin Huairu scolded him with a mix of anger and amusement.

Before Li Li Xuewu had even parked the car properly, Bang Geng pulled himself up by the handrail, waved at his mother, and shouted, "Mom! I'm going out to play with Wu Shu! It's so much fun!"

Qin Qin Huairu smiled at her son, dissatisfaction and relief hanging on her face simultaneously.

Do I not know whether your Wu Shu is fun or not? Does it need you to say it?!

"You'll fall again!"

Seeing Bang Geng's dangerous movements, Qin Qin Huairu sharply scared him with a warning, waving her hand for him to quickly behave.

Like a hairy rabbit, Bang Geng waited until the jeep entered Bai Bai Xiyuan, then jumped down and ran into the courtyard, boasting to everyone he met about how happy he had been playing today.

Qin Qin Huairu did not go through the main gate but followed in through the Bai Bai Xiyuan gate; seeing her son had already run into the courtyard, she angrily called out again.

She did not know where Li Li Xuewu had taken her son, but seeing him, he was truly happy.

Li Li Xuewu jumped down from the jeep, tossed the car keys onto the seat, smoothed his wind-blown hair, and asked Qin Qin Huairu, "How did the in-laws' meeting go?"

"Don't even mention it~"

Qin Qin Huairu just wanted to talk with Li Li Xuewu, and with her son absent now, it was perfect.

Standing in Bai Bai Xiyuan, she waited for Li Li Xuewu to come over, then continued, "After so much effort, it finally landed."

"What a busy time it was."

Qin Qin Huairu smiled helplessly, saying, "People say good things take time to mature; one can only think of it that way."

"Wasn't everything fine? Did something go wrong?"

Li Li Xuewu looked at her with amusement and asked, "It wasn't your third uncle, was it?"

"Who else could it be!"

Qin Qin Huairu scolded dissatisfiedly, saying, "When he's not drinking, he's himself; but once he starts drinking, his brain turns to paste, and he says whatever comes to mind."

Recalling the chaotic chatter at noon, she felt weary at heart; looking at Li Li Xuewu, she said, "They only agreed because Qin Jingru is capable, good-looking, and has no room for pickiness."

"Otherwise~"

Qin Qin Huairu nodded, saying, "She would have been ruined by her father again~"

"Different people, different fates."

Li Li Xuewu said indifferently, "Since you're stuck with that father, you can't exactly lock him up or beat him to death, can you?"

"Later, I'll talk to Little Han."

Li Li Xuewu smiled, gesturing toward the screen gate, and said as he walked, "After the marriage, find a time to straighten out his father-in-law and teach him some rules~"

"Get lost!"

Qin Qin Huairu knew Li Li Xuewu was joking, but still scolded dissatisfiedly, "Would you dare treat your own father-in-law like that?!"

"I wouldn't dare~"

Li Li Xuewu said with amusement, "It's more likely my father-in-law would teach me rules; how many guts would I need to teach rules to my father-in-law~"

"However~"

Li Li Xuewu walked over to the table beneath the windowsill, sat down, and reminded Qin Qin Huairu: "As the eldest sister, and since you also know Little Han, you should facilitate more communication and interaction between both sides to help coordinate things."

The tone sounded like he was assigning work, but in reality, that was exactly what he was doing.

"There will always be some gap in living habits and concepts between city folks and rural folks; regardless of who looks down on whom, there is still a long road ahead for them to grind through their days together."

"As for you, your days of bearing the burden are still ahead!"

"So what if they look down on us?"

Qin Qin Huairu sat down by the edge of the table; seeing He Yu Shui walk out of the room, she nodded without paying it much mind and continued speaking: "With the wedding coming up, I can't possibly go find a father for Qin Qin Jingru in the city right now!"

"Speaking of which, I actually owe you thanks."

Looking at Li Li Xuewu, Qin Qin Huairu said: "The two bottles of wine you gave Qin Jingru really came in handy; Han Han Jiankun's aunt wouldn't budge until she saw that wine and asked about it, after which she fell silent."

"Heh~ It's useless~"

Li Li Xuewu said indifferently: "Just because she didn't speak today doesn't mean she won't have things to say later; she is marrying into their family and will sooner or later have to go through this."

As he spoke, he pointed at Qin Qin Huairu and asked: "Do you think you can manage her household and make decisions for her for the rest of her life?"

"Just joking~"

Glancing at He Yu Shui, Li Li Xuewu smiled lightly and said: "When it comes to marriage and daily life, one must ultimately rely on their own efforts; if you don't strive, others can only watch you with sighs, anger, and helplessness~"

"Why are you looking at me?!"

Seeing Li Li Xuewu say this to her as if he were talking about herself, He Yu Shui rolled her eyes in dissatisfaction.

Qin Qin Huairu also looked at her with amusement, then turned to Li Li Xuewu and said: "You know Qin Jingru's temper; she's stubborn and reckless, has no real ability, and gets completely lost when someone scares her."

"But don't you still have Sister Qin?"

He Yu Shui smiled and said to Qin Qin Huairu: "No matter how capable Han Han Jiankun is, he's still just a worker; with you, his sister-in-law, as her backer, Qin Qin Jingru should at least have some confidence~"

"Didn't you hear what Deputy Secretary Li said?"

Giving He Yu Shui a look, Qin Qin Huairu smiled and said: "You can't rely on anyone else; you have to rely on yourself~"

Li Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows; why did he feel that remark carried a double meaning?

When women get together, can't they talk about work, career, and ideals instead?

"You two sit tight; I'm going to the back courtyard to make a phone call."

Li Li Xuewu couldn't sit still any longer; he feared they might say something else that would make things awkward.

Watching Li Li Xuewu get up and leave, He Yu Shui rolled her eyes again, then asked Qin Qin Huairu: "Has the date been set?"

"We were discussing it today."

Qin Qin Huairu picked up a teacup from the table and used a thermos to pour herself a glass of water.

This table was placed outside specifically for the workers of the Bai Bai Xiyuan to drink water while working.

Nowadays, those willing to collect scrap together to sell it can get a slightly higher price.

Collecting scrap in the courtyard was too hot and sun-baked, and going inside to drink water or record accounts was inconvenient, so now that the weather had cooled, they set up a table here.

Holding her teacup, Qin Qin Huairu chattered on about Qin Qin Jingru's meeting with her in-laws today, which He Yu Shui actually enjoyed listening to.

Perhaps when women reach a certain age, a certain mindset opens up, and the fire of gossip begins to burn.

Li Li Xuewu could not stand listening to such things; he went to the back courtyard and called the duty room of the Rolling Steel Factory's Security Department, as the case was still on his mind.

Perhaps Han Han Yating had given instructions that if the Section Chief called, she should be fetched immediately; Li Li Xuewu heard the duty officer report, "Leader, please hold on," and soon after, he heard her voice.

"Section Chief, Fang Lining has confessed."

"Go on."

Li Li Xuewu hadn't expected Zhou Yao to act so efficiently; she had indeed brought the person back.

Han Han Yating explained to him that Zhou Yao's timely arrival was one factor, and another was that Fang Lining's legs were not very functional.

The injury had only been healing for two months; the broken part of his leg hadn't healed yet, and he had to use a crutch to walk.

"Upon hearing that Zhang Zhang Guoqi was not dead and that Huang Huang Shiwen had been arrested, Fang Lining confessed everything."

Han Han Yating introduced: "According to his confession, he instructed Fu Linfang to kill Wang Wang Jingzhang."

"Oh?!"

Li Li Xuewu had indeed harbored such a suspicion but hadn't dared to think too deeply about it, nor had he mentioned it to Zhou Yao, fearing it might influence her line of judgment.

Now that Han Han Yating had said it, he roughly formed a clear judgment.

Just as he had anticipated, Ma Hua's surrender had completed the final piece of the puzzle in the Wang Wang Jingzhang poisoning case.

After receiving Fu Linfang's report, Zhang Zhang Guoqi took people and went to Workshop Seven.

When Fu Linfang saw Fang Lining again, he told her that Wang Wang Jingzhang, being a cunning rabbit with three burrows, had a dormitory room in Dormitory Building No. 7.

Specifically, Fang Lining guessed that the leverage Wang Wang Jingzhang held over Fu Linfang might be located in that dormitory.

With everything in chaos at the moment, Fu Linfang had an opportunity to break free from Wang Wang Jingzhang!

Even if not for the sake of joining Dongfeng, she still had to guard against Wang Wang Jingzhang threatening her again.

And precisely because Fang Lining was from out of town, he had been assigned to live in the dormitory area.

Previously, under Wang Wang Jingzhang's instruction, he had been the one to contact Ma Hua from the Dashitang to deliver meals to that dormitory room every day.

At that time, Wang Wang Jingzhang had already sensed the dangerous situation of the Red Flag Society and feared he wouldn't have time to flee the Rolling Steel Factory, so he prepared a safe house.

Fu Linfang had been to this safe house before and had even slept there.

As soon as she heard Fang Lining mention this location, she knew what to do.

At that time, the entire Rolling Steel Factory was in an uproar, with people from Dongfeng still trying to capture her.

What her mood and thoughts were at that time, Han Han Yating and Li Li Xuewu could now only guess based on Fang Lining's confession.

It was possible she was truly panicked, or perhaps she hated Wang Wang Jingzhang to the extreme, or maybe she had simply lost all hope in life.

The rat poison belonged to the dormitory manager and was kept on the balcony; knowing that Wang Wang Jingzhang might return to this dormitory to hide, and knowing Ma Hua's meal delivery schedule, poisoning him became a matter of course.

Li Li Xuewu specifically asked about several doubtful points, including who had entered that dormitory and whether any evidence had been destroyed.

Han Han Yating provided a very detailed account; Fang Lining said he knew nothing while in the hospital and only learned of these circumstances after regaining consciousness.

Fu Linfang had administered the poison and only left after watching Wang Wang Jingzhang carry the lunchbox upstairs.

Perhaps out of fear, or perhaps out of regret, Fu Linfang never entered that dormitory again, a fact corroborated by Huang Huang Shiwen's testimony.

This was because the crucial evidence inside that dormitory had been collected by Huang Huang Shiwen.

The day after Fu Linfang administered the poison, which happened to be the day of the heavy rain, she encountered Zhang Zhang Guoqi and was also misunderstood by Huang Huang Shiwen.

Huang Huang Shiwen believed that Fu Linfang had willingly debased herself, ruining Fang Lining and destroying her own life as well.

Amidst the atmosphere of that time, she made the move that caused Fu Linfang the greatest harm.

Huang Huang Shiwen did not deny that Fu Linfang had walked the path to destruction due to a combination of factors: betrayal by a friend, panic after being poisoned, confusion about her life, and threats from Zhang Zhang Guoqi.

And that morning, upon seeing Fu Linfang hanging dead in front of Fang Lining's hospital ward, Huang Huang Shiwen completely collapsed.

She regretted it; muddled in repentance and self-blame, she had truly gone to the riverside intending to commit suicide.

But thinking that Fu Linfang had died beside Fang Lining in the end, she too went to the hospital to bid Fang Lining farewell.

That night, by sheer coincidence, Fang Lining regained consciousness, and the two embraced and wept bitterly.

The injustice of the world, the friendship among classmates, and the sorrow following a great calamity all surged forth together.

Hearing of Fu Linfang's choice and seeing no sign of Wang Wang Jingzhang appearing, Fang Lining guessed that something must have happened.

He immediately sent Huang Huang Shiwen to check the dormitory area that very night; the news she brought back completely left the two of them paralyzed with shock.

With no way to explain things away, Fang Lining knew he could not escape involvement in Wang Wang Jingzhang's death, thanks to the existence of Ma Hua.

As soon as Ma Hua was exposed, he would be finished; therefore, he had to leave and could no longer wait in the hospital for the Security Section to arrive at his door.

Fang Lining's parents never came; he had signed the papers himself, and Huang Huang Shiwen had arranged for someone to take him away.

The two hid in an abandoned warehouse outside the Rolling Steel Factory, belonging to the Service Office.

Acting on Fang Lining's orders, Huang Huang Shiwen went to that dormitory again, enduring the stench to clear away the evidence.

They had also considered disposing of Wang Wang Jingzhang's corpse, but with Fang Lining's leg crippled, Huang Huang Shiwen alone lacked the strength for such heavy labor.

Therefore, in the days that followed, all they could do was wait.

Either Wang Wang Jingzhang's case would break, allowing them to flee far away and wander the ends of the earth,

or Wang Wang Jingzhang would be forgotten, and once Fang Lining regained enough strength, the two of them would go handle his corpse.

By then, everything would truly be calm and tranquil without further complications, and they could return to a normal life.

However, heaven did not grant their wishes.

That dog of a man, Wang Wang Jingzhang, actually had someone concerned about him, someone trying to find him.

While Fang Lining and his companion moved around the periphery of the Rolling Steel Factory, the intelligence they gathered indicated that the Security Section had never abandoned its investigation into Wang Wang Jingzhang's disappearance.

How could they possibly dare to return to the Rolling Steel Factory to recuperate and cancel their leave!

Thus, the two of them fed mosquitoes in that warehouse for a long time; only when they saw that nothing much was happening did Huang Huang Shiwen finally appear in Zhou Yao's line of sight.

This was deliberately arranged by Fang Lining; if they did not act soon, they would either starve to death or be bitten to death by mosquitoes.

By having Huang Huang Shiwen voluntarily expose herself, they guided Zhou Yao to investigate elsewhere, while simultaneously addressing personnel issues at the Rolling Steel Factory and gathering first-hand information from Zhou Yao's side.

Zhou Yao became the target of their schemes and their breakthrough point.

But man proposes, heaven disposes; just as they began to execute their plan, Wang Wang Jingzhang appeared.

It was the second week after Huang Huang Shiwen's return, and even more bizarrely, Wang Wang Jingzhang was discovered by several lazy loafers near that dormitory.

Fang Lining was furious; they had endured the stench for so many days, could they not hold out for just a few more?!

Perhaps Wang Wang Jingzhang himself could no longer bear his own foul odor and had voluntarily revealed himself.

This shock terrified Fang Lining; he dared not show himself even more and sent word to his parents in their hometown to hide far away.

The Security Section's pursuit grew increasingly intense; every moment, they feared that the next second Zhou Yao would appear before them.

As for Huang Huang Shiwen, who was already exposed, she felt utterly helpless; if only she had known, she would have kept hiding, but what could she do now?

There was no other way; the Rolling Steel Factory had invested tremendous effort into the investigation, many leaders had issued orders, and Li Li Xuewu had further imposed requirements on the Security Section.

Fang Lining had become a prime suspect; now, even if he wanted to flee, he could not.

It was precisely this mindset of a trapped beast fighting to the death that caused the psychological balance of the two to collapse completely.

Huang Huang Shiwen reflected on her journey to the Rolling Steel Factory; having endured endless hardships, it seemed she would never escape this besieged city.

In the end, Li Li Xuewu became the final straw that broke the backs of these two camels.

The first leader they encountered was Li Li Xuewu, and the last might also be Li Li Xuewu; both of them said this was the arrangement of fate.

He ignored matters he should have managed but clung stubbornly to matters he should not have, causing them to harbor resentment toward Li Li Xuewu.

Furthermore, driven by the fear of death, the two made their most insane decision: to poison and kill Li Li Xuewu.

First, if Li Li Xuewu died, the Security Bureau would inevitably fall into chaos and no longer have the mind to deal with this case.

Second, it would avenge Fu Linfang and avenge themselves; the fates of the three were intertwined, and if anyone had pulled one of them back, they would not have reached this point today.

Third, it would create chaos, allowing them to escape in the confusion; they still had some money and planned to go to Tianjin to board a ship and leave, going anywhere was fine, as long as they left this place of sorrow.

The idea was good, but the reality was that Li Li Xuewu's alertness was too high; apart from poisoning, there was no other way to eliminate him.

Precisely because they chose poisoning, they found themselves in an even more difficult predicament.

He ate no snacks, took no special meals, ate no food from outside, drank no water from outside, and would not even accept anything offered by others.

How the hell were they supposed to get close to him?!

Surely they could not ask Huang Huang Shiwen to seduce him!

Before their patience even ran out, Li Li Xuewu disappeared first.

Huang Huang Shiwen learned from Zhou Yao that Li Li Xuewu had gone to Tianjin, and coincidentally, on that very day, Zhang Zhang Guoqi was taken away by the Discipline Inspection Commission.

This actually became good news; whether Li Li Xuewu died or Zhang Zhang Guoqi died, it was all the same.

What they wanted most was chaos; revenge came second.

Zhang Zhang Guoqi had been restricted by the Discipline Inspection Commission, making it easier to poison him; the poison prepared for Li Li Xuewu was perfectly suited to deal with him instead.

And in Huang Huang Shiwen's heart, Zhang Zhang Guoqi was also one of the factors that caused Fu Linfang's death.

Therefore, after the two of them discussed it, they settled on a plan for Huang Huang Shiwen to find an opportunity to administer the poison while simultaneously obtaining a travel permit to Tianjin.

No plan is ever flawless, and no one's plan remains unchanged.

The variable in this plan was that Zhang Zhang Guoqi did not die, yet his influence was too great.

Li Li Xuewu had returned, discovered their modus operandi, and identified the perpetrators in the shortest possible time.

After finishing the case briefing, Han Han Yating's voice grew somewhat low as she said, "I intended to let Zhou Yao rest, but she refused; after crying her fill, she went back to work."

Li Li Xuewu sat by the window holding the telephone, silent; he did not know what to say.

The fates of four university students had become intertwined, churning forward in the torrent of the era.

Some had reached shore, while others were forever left behind in those depths.

He did not resent Huang Huang Shiwen and Fang Lining for their extremism and stubbornness; they were young, had strayed onto the wrong path, and the era itself was also at fault.

Yet he did not pity them either; they could have lived, but now they faced the death penalty.

One wrong step leads to endless wrong steps; they had pushed themselves into the abyss.

"People from the sub-bureau have arrived; they are currently handling the handover and conducting supplementary interrogations, while also gathering additional evidence."

Han Han Yating explained, "Zhou Yao is cooperating with them; they may need to conduct another round of questioning to confirm several key points."

"Um... Director."

Han Han Yating asked, "How should we handle the issues concerning He He Yuzhu and Ma Hua? The sub-bureau also wishes to know our position."

"Handle it within the factory."

Li Li Xuewu sighed and said, "Detain those who must be detained, and criticize those who deserve criticism."

He offered only this opinion, then instructed, "The case bulletin must be prepared tonight and delivered to the Propaganda Department first thing tomorrow morning."

"Understood!"

Han Han Yating cleared her throat, acknowledged the order, and then took the document handed over by the duty officer.

After glancing at it, just before Li Li Xuewu was about to hang up, she said, "Leader, something has happened at the hospital."

"Hmm? What happened?!"

Li Li Xuewu frowned and asked, "Didn't we arrange for personnel from the Security Section to stand guard there?"

Han Han Yating glanced at the report again, then looked at the duty officer with suspicion.

Seeing the duty officer nod affirmatively with a helpless expression, she had no choice but to speak into the phone: "The Discipline Inspection Commission briefed Zhang Zhang Guoqi on the case details, hoping to elicit information from him, but unexpectedly, upon hearing..."

Han Han Yating looked at the words on the report and found them absurd as well.

"He was so angry his lungs exploded?"