The woman looked like she was in her fifties, but it was also possible that she only looked that old because she was in a terrible condition. She had short hair and she was a thin and petite woman. Her eyes were in a daze until she saw the two men walking in.
Shen Peichuan stood beside Zong Jinghao and shared the information by whispering, “I’ve looked into this woman’s file. She murdered her own husband, and the file suggested that it was a premeditated murder. She was sentenced to life without parole.”
The woman eyed them warily. “Who are you? What are you doing here?” demanded the woman.
She was especially wary about Shen Peichuan because he was there that morning to interrogate He Ruilin’s cellmate. It seemed like Shen Peichuan was investigating He Ruilin’s death.
Shen Peichuan didn’t bother wasting any time and cut to the chase, “You killed He Ruilin.”
The woman looked a little surprised, but she defended herself, “What kind of nonsense are you spouting about? What proof do you have?”
Shen Peichuan grinned and replied, “I showed you my credentials this morning when I drop by to investigate the matter, so you must know who I am by now, don’t you?”
The woman remained quiet but nodded.
Shen Peichuan continued, “Naturally, evidence is needed to prove if someone is guilty, and I would’ve shut you up with proof even if you never asked for it. When you killed your husband, your fingerprint and DNA were left on the crime scene. I ran some tests on the skin we collected from He Ruilin’s fingernail, and the skin’s DNA matched yours. Your neck is injured, and it is obvious that it was caused by fingernails. You claimed that you did it to yourself, but how itchy would you have to be to scratch so much that you bleed? You lied at the time because you wanted to hide the argument you had with He Ruilin, but I know the truth. You didn’t kill her on purpose. Someone else ordered you to do so, am I right?”
The woman was petrified and she stared at him for a long time before she suddenly knelt down.
Shen Peichuan backed away and growled, “What are you doing? You should know that confessing to your crimes is the only way to lower your sentence. Staying quiet will only make your punishment that much harsher. There is no point in kneeling or begging me. The only way to help yourself is to tell us everything you know. Why did you kill her? Naturally, I would be able to figure everything out, even if you don’t confess. You can only interact with a few people within the prison. I can get to the truth quickly, even if I have to interrogate everyone.”
Shen Peichuan was being both the bad cop and the good cop.
The woman had her head down and confessed between sobs, “I knew it. I knew things would be discovered eventually, but I was blinded by my desire for my freedom. Warden Han asked me to do it. He said that he would help me get my sentence lowered if I kill for him. As you know, my husband is dead, but I have a daughter who just started her first year at the university. She is the only one I care about, and I thought that maybe I could still care for her once I am released.”
Zong Jinghao’s face was hidden by the darkness, so no one could read his expression.
Shen Peichuan, however, seemed surprised by how quickly the woman confessed to everything.
It seemed to him that she was a pitiful person.
The woman wiped her tears and continued, “I was incarcerated when my daughter was still in high school, and she was just a teen at the time. My husband gambled, so we didn’t leave any money for her. On top of that, she was burdened with heavy debts. She had been working hard all these years to raise herself. Moreover, when she dropped by to visit me, she would even give me some money because she was worried about my life here.”
As the woman spoke, the more heartbroken she became. She knew she hadn’t done right by her daughter.
The woman added, “I really, really want to go out and care for my daughter. That is the only reason I… I know I was wrong, and I know I shouldn’t have committed a sin like that…”
Shen Peichuan understood how that woman felt. She simply couldn’t let her daughter go.
“It is tough for a young lady to survive in this city without any support or power. She will have to work harder than anyone else just to survive. If you step forward and tell the judge everything you know, I will help your daughter get a job as soon as she graduates. She will have no trouble making ends meet. I can promise you all that, and I am willing to sign a contract with you, so long as you can make me honor those words.”
The woman stared at Shen Peichuan. Her heart wavered at his words. The woman wanted to help her daughter by keeping her daughter away from their village. Everyone there knew about how she had killed her husband, and if her daughter had to stay there, everyone would discriminate against her for having a murderer as a mom.
Shen Peichuan had the evidence to prove the woman’s guilt, so it didn’t matter even if the woman never confessed. The woman thought that Shen Peichuan didn’t seem like a bad person, and she didn’t actually have a choice, so she agreed to his terms.
“I trust you, so there’s no need for a contract. All I want is for you to help my daughter out if she ever gets into trouble. Please, don’t let her get onto the path of self-destruction,” said the woman. She knew just how hard it was to survive in a society like that, and she knew just how easy it was to lose one’s way.
The woman trusted her daughter, but no one could predict the future.
What if my daughter got into some trouble? She wouldn’t have any family to help her, so who could she turn to?
Shen Peichuan was straightforward when he said, “I’m not a local here, and I am thankful that you trust me. I am also grateful for your honesty and your confession. If she ever gets into any trouble, or if she ever needs money to make ends meet, I promise that I will help her out.”
“Thank you. Thank you so much,” replied the woman and she lowered her head to the ground.
Shen Peichuan stopped her and helped her up before instructing, “Please don’t tell anyone about meeting us. Just act like nothing ever happened. Can you do that?”
It’s best if we don’t set off any alarms just yet.
The woman nodded.
Shen Peichuan turned to Zong Jinghao and said, “Looks like we were right about the mastermind’s identity.”
Warden Han must have been recruited by Chen Qing.
Zong Jinghao didn’t say anything. He simply turned around to leave. Shen Peichuan told the security guard who was on the lookout, “Take her back to her cell, and don’t let anyone see the two of you.”
Before Shen Peichuan left, the woman called out for him and informed him, “My daughter studies in Hua Qing University and she’s a first-year student named Sang Yu.”
The woman later walked over and fished a few hundred out of her pocket. That was the money her daughter gave her during visits. The woman didn’t have anywhere to spend her money, so she saved everything.
She knew that her daughter must lead a hard life out there.
“Please hand these to my daughter,” said the woman as she gave Shen Peichuan the money.
The woman didn’t know if she could still see her daughter again, but she knew that the two men who just interrogated her were powerful. Hence, it was likely that her punishment would be dire.
The woman then added with a pleading look in her eyes, “Also, please don’t tell her what I did.”
Shen Peichuan accepted the money and promised, “Okay, I will hand the money to her, and I promise I won’t tell her anything.”
“Thank you.”
Shen Peichuan nodded then tapped on the person that helped arrange the meeting. “We should go out and have a drink together someday.”
“Yeah. Alright, let’s hurry out of here for now. It’d be bad if anyone sees us,” urged Zong Jinghao.
Zong Jinghao had already gotten into his car when Shen Peichuan got out. The latter opened the door and got into the passenger seat before asking, “So what do you plan to do now?”
Given the evidence they have gathered, it was likely that Chen Qing was using He Wenhuai to break Zong Jinghao and Lin Xinyan up.
“Blinded, huh?” murmured Shen Peichuan before he turned to Zong Jinghao and teased, “Being handsome is not always a good thing. Look at the mess you made. She knew that you are married, but she was still eager to get her daughter to you. My, what a mess.”
Zong Jinghao ignored Shen Peichuan and started the engine.
“Honestly, though, what’s your next move?” asked Shen Peichuan in a serious tone.
The whole matter was a grave one, and they couldn’t afford to relax.
Chen Qing might not have any actual authority like Wen Qing did, but Chen Qing’s position was not just for show either.
The difference between the power that Wen Qing and Chen Qing held would be best described in military terms. For Wen Qing, he would be the general who could actually command the army, whereas Chen Qing would be the politician behind them.
