(1) Body Parts

By linking all of Yang Chunling’s strange actions together, Cui Luo realized that the conclusion she had reached was actually in line with Shen Wanwan’s “imagination.”

Something’s not right, there’s definitely something wrong.

Cui Luo avoided the traffic, sprinting to the back of the shop buildings, and sure enough, she saw that all the shops had backyards.

Cui Luo cursed under her breath and headed straight into the clothing store.

The shopkeeper was sitting behind the counter, snacking on sunflower seeds.

There was a screen about a meter high in front of the counter, and the shopkeeper was slouching behind it, seemingly relaxing.

Cui Luo knew at that moment that something was very wrong. “Where is the woman who just came in?!”

The shopkeeper, startled and shrinking back, pointed to the back door and said, “She already left…”

“Where did she go?!”

“How would I know? Who are you?!”

Cui Luo didn’t have time to explain to the shopkeeper.

She had just entered from the back door, and there was no sign of Yang Chunling anywhere.

She had known that the shops in the area all had back doors, and she had intentionally led them here.

Cui Luo quickly regrouped with Zou Guodong and the others. “She left through the back door. I didn’t see anyone. There are many shops nearby. She’s likely hiding in one of them for now. We need to contact Captain Tao immediately.”

Zou Guodong, stunned and unable to react, stuttered, “What does that mean? She ran? She really ran?”

Xiang Dong was also shocked. “If Captain Tao finds out, aren’t we all finished?”

“Do you still have time to worry about yourself?” Cui Luo snapped, holding back her anger. “Is it more important for us to get punished or to catch the murderer?! Hurry up and think of a way to find her!”

The three of them rushed to the car parked by the street.

Just as Zou Guodong was about to jump into the driver’s seat to start the car, Shen Wanwan appeared, dragging a woman and leisurely walking out of the park.

The woman was wearing ordinary jeans and a loose plaid shirt, with a blue hat on her head and a woven bag in her hand.

Her clothes were dirty, her style was far from fashionable, and she looked more like a woman who needed to do farm work.

But if you looked closely at the woman’s face, you’d notice…

“Yang… Yang… Yang…” Zou Guodong was too shocked to speak.

Cui Luo urged, “Enough with the ‘Yang, Yang, Yang,‘ hurry up, let’s go.”

Zou Guodong pointed at Shen Wanwan, “It’s not ‘Yang, (羊 = sheep)’ it’s ‘Yang’!”

Cui Luo and Xiang Dong looked over. “Yang Chunling?!”

Shen Wanwan smiled and waved at them. Under their surprised gazes, she took off Yang Chunling’s hat, then opened the back door of the car and shoved her inside. “Come with us to the station and cooperate with the investigation. Don’t make any sudden moves.”

Yang Chunling’s face was pale, and she clutched the woven bag, not daring to say a word.

Shen Wanwan added, “Take out Huahua, don’t suffocate it.”

Yang Chunling seemed terrified of Shen Wanwan. She gave her a frightened glance and hurriedly opened the woven bag.

Huahua’s small head popped out. It was probably frightened, as it immediately dove into Yang Chunling’s arms and began desperately licking her chin with its little tongue.

Shen Wanwan could hear its thoughts again—“Monster! Monster! So scary! The monster’s here!”

Shen Wanwan glanced around.

What a strange little dog, always shouting about monsters every day.

Sweat beaded on Yang Chunling’s forehead, and her hands, still holding Huahua, stiffened and she didn’t dare move.

Cui Luo thought for a moment before turning around. “So, she’s been hiding in the bathroom this whole time?”

Xiang Dong, his mind slower to catch up, asked, “So, she really went in and never came out? She was caught when she finally came out?”

He felt a strong sense of defeat.

Shen Wanwan had made the right choice again.

Based on her seemingly random “intuition,” she had chosen correctly again!

Xiang Dong felt powerless, as if he could never beat Shen Wanwan.

His tone was sour, “How did you know she didn’t leave?”

Shen Wanwan, having settled one worry, casually replied, “I didn’t see her leave, and it’s always safer to leave someone behind to guard. Anyway, you guys are already here, it doesn’t matter if I stay.”

Xiang Dong asked, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll catch her before you?”

Shen Wanwan gave him a strange look. “What’s the difference between you catching her and me catching her?”

“I…”

Cui Luo and Zou Guodong both noticed Xiang Dong’s underlying concerns but didn’t bother to pay him any attention.

His desire to show off was understandable, a little show-off could spark motivation, as long as it didn’t go too far.

The group brought Yang Chunling back to the station, where Tao Jiang came personally to conduct the questioning.

There were only two computers in the entire station, and a recorder was needed for the interrogation. Tao Jiang looked around, then called Shen Wanwan’s name.

Everyone knew Tao Jiang wasn’t exactly “satisfied” with the situation, but now he was actively working with a new female colleague, clearly indicating his approval of Shen Wanwan.

Xiang Dong sat at his desk, flipping through documents without saying a word.

Zhu Jianhua was leisurely sipping tea and reading the newspaper, but it was obvious he was much more relaxed than Xiang Dong.

Cui Luo passed by Xiang Dong’s desk and patted his shoulder. “Still feeling frustrated?”

Xiang Dong forced a smile. “No, I’m just checking if there are any other oversights.”

Saying he wasn’t frustrated would be a lie. He was someone who had always remained in the background, and suddenly, he was the center of attention. Despite always being excellent, he kept making mistakes, and Xiang Dong didn’t know how to accept it.

It was like now—he felt as though everyone was watching him fail.

There were only two new recruits in the team. One could already follow Tao Jiang into the interrogation room, while the other was still making mistakes.

Xiang Dong didn’t even want to talk to Cui Luo. He felt like Cui Luo was just there to laugh at him.

But Cui Luo said, “We’re a team. If I catch the criminal, if Wanwan catches the criminal, or if you catch the criminal, it’s all the same. If you hadn’t stayed up all night yesterday, Yang Chunling might have already escaped under the cover of darkness. Don’t overthink it. Go rest for now.”

Xiang Dong rubbed his head, his feelings even more complicated.

The interrogation room in the 1990s didn’t have much high-tech equipment. It was just two simple tables, chairs, and a harsh overhead light—that was pretty much all.

For this interrogation, Shen Wanwan was responsible for the notes, while Tao Jiang did the questioning.

After asking the usual basic information, Tao Jiang asked, “Why did you try to escape?”

Whether it was fear or nerves, Yang Chunling’s face flushed red, her eyes darting away. “I… I was just going for a walk.”

“A walk? Hiding in a public restroom?!” Tao Jiang’s voice was rough, and his temper was bad. After just a few scoldings, Yang Chunling shrank back and didn’t dare say anything.

Tao Jiang continued, “Yang Chunling, you know your situation better than anyone. We’re still looking for your accomplice, and once we catch her, you won’t have any chance to explain yourself.”

Yang Chunling lowered her head and muttered, “I don’t understand what you’re saying. I don’t know anything.”

Tao Jiang replied, “Don’t want to talk? Fine, don’t. Wanwan, go, prepare for the interrogation of the other one.”

Tao Jiang pulled a cigarette from his pocket and made as if to leave.

Shen Wanwan cooperatively packed up her notebook, and while Tao Jiang wasn’t paying attention, she leaned toward Yang Chunling and said, “Yang Chunling, the money was already found at Cheng Li’s house. Someone will come to collect your fingerprints. We’ll know if you’re the murderer soon enough.”

Tao Jiang raised his thick eyebrows and shot Shen Wanwan a glance.

What Shen Wanwan said wasn’t exactly by the book, but Tao Jiang didn’t stop her. He wasn’t exactly a stickler for rules himself.

To be honest, Shen Wanwan’s way of handling things suited his temperament.

The director always said he was too impatient and often acted out of line, but to Tao Jiang, as long as they could catch the suspect and prevent the next crime, it was all worth it.

Tao Jiang lightly kicked the chair to make some noise. “Stop wasting time with her. Let’s go.”

Yang Chunling looked at the two of them in terror, her face red, her body trembling. “I, I… wait, I’ll talk, I’ll tell you everything!”

Tao Jiang smiled faintly. It worked.

Yang Chunling sat silently for another two minutes.

This time, Tao Jiang didn’t rush her and even had Shen Wanwan pour her a glass of water.

Yang Chunling grabbed the cup and shakily took a sip. After putting it down, her gaze became much calmer. “Cheng Liang is the one I killed… no, it’s more accurate to say I had someone kill him.”

“Because he wanted to break up?” Tao Jiang asked.

“No!” Yang Chunling immediately denied it. “I love him. How could I bring myself to hurt him?”

Tao Jiang furrowed his brows. “What do you mean, then?”

“I…”

Yang Chunling’s luck wasn’t great. She was born into a poor family, with two younger brothers aside from herself.

Her father had worked in a mine, and her mother didn’t have a job. Later, there was an accident in the mine, and her father was trapped underground, with no remains even found.

Although the mine compensated some money, it couldn’t support the three children, so her mother chose to remarry.

Her stepfather never liked the three children, and after having a son with her mother, he disliked them even more.

Her two younger brothers were better off, as they were boys and had their grandparents dote on them, but Yang Chunling was truly left without love or care.

In the 1970s, Yang Chunling was forced to go to the countryside as a replacement for her stepfather’s daughter, with only three months of living expenses.

She wasn’t someone who could easily adapt to new environments, so life in the countryside was tough, and she almost ended up marrying a man from the village.

The man was capable and earned more work points than others, which temporarily improved Yang Chunling’s situation, but he was involved with several young intellectuals, and Yang Chunling couldn’t accept that.

Later, by chance, Yang Chunling got an opportunity to return to the city. She almost cut off all contact with her mother and went to work on her own.

Yang Chunling had no education and no special skills. She ended up working in a nightclub.

At the nightclub, Yang Chunling met all kinds of people, some of whom bullied her, but she also learned how to protect herself.

Once, when a few unruly customers were making trouble, it was Cheng Liang who helped her out.

For Cheng Liang, it was just part of the game, but Yang Chunling took it seriously.

Cheng Liang was always welcoming to beautiful women, and naturally, the two ended up together.

“I don’t know why I liked him so much. Sometimes he would remind me of my father, and it made me feel like there was still a place where I belonged. At first, he was very tolerant of me. When I threw a tantrum, he would coax me. But after a while, he got tired of it. I knew how men are, and later, when I was with Wu Yaoming, I understood how to handle men. He was indeed very obedient to me.”

Tao Jiang asked, “You had feelings for him, and yet you still wanted to kill him?”

“I didn’t want to kill him!” Yang Chunling replied. “From start to finish, I never thought about killing him! The person I wanted to kill was… is…”