Chapter 134

Tan Shan was the first to be called into the adjacent private room.

She walked in timidly, feeling entirely different from when she usually walked into a classroom full of students.

This private room was quite large, separated by two rooms from the one where they had dined earlier.

The room was a suite, the largest in the Lotus Moon Tower. The staff had cleaned up a bit, setting up a table and a few chairs in the lounge area. Although it was simple, it was sufficient for temporary use.

Song Wen and the others had tested it earlier, and it was indeed as the staff had said: very soundproof. Standing at the door, you couldn’t hear anything from inside.

Zhang Ziqi was responsible for guarding outside. Cheng Mo and Song Wen sat on one side of the table, opposite Tan Shan. Lu Siyu sat next to Song Wen, slightly behind, with a voice recorder for archiving the interrogation process, and then opened a notebook to take notes.

As soon as Tan Shan entered, Cheng Mo courteously said, “Oh, Teacher Tan, long time no see. What happened today is really unfortunate. As soon as I heard, I rushed over. My condolences…”

Seeing a familiar face, Tan Shan relaxed a bit and said, “Thank you, Uncle Cheng. Cheng Cheng has been studying very diligently lately and has made great progress…”

Cheng Mo continued, “Thanks to you, Teacher Tan. My son is still quite lacking in self-motivation…”

Seeing the interrogation turning into a parent-teacher conference, Song Wen coughed.

Cheng Mo then said, “Teacher Tan, don’t be nervous. Just tell us everything you know. My colleague and I are here, and we won’t wrong any good person.”

Tan Shan was still nervous, her face slightly pale. She had a small face, with delicate features that made her look obedient and quiet, but as a teacher, she seemed to lack a certain authority, making it questionable if she could handle unruly students.

Tan Shan looked up at Song Wen and then at Lu Siyu. She had met both of these officers earlier. Nervously twisting her fingers, she took a deep breath, trying to treat this interrogation as if it were a teacher’s interview.

Her previous teacher interview had taken place in a school’s activity room, much like now, with a table in front of her and three stern interviewers across from her.

Nancheng No. 1 Middle School was now a key junior high school in the city. To become a teacher there required passing multiple exams and screenings. Tan Shan had undoubtedly excelled in all of them, whether in exam scores, public lecture evaluations, lesson plan preparation, or teaching materials. She had gone through several rounds to reach that final interview.

That was three years ago, but Tan Shan still remembered some of the questions the interviewers had asked. After the professional questioning ended, one of the interviewers suddenly asked, “Tan Shan, what kind of teacher do you want to become?”

The lead interviewer was an elderly woman with skin as rough as dried orange peel. Her face remained taut throughout, revealing no hint of whether she was satisfied or displeased.

Tan Shan steadied her voice and replied confidently, “Becoming a teacher has always been my dream and career plan. I have prepared thoroughly for it. I want to be a good teacher, one whom students like and parents respect. I will teach according to the students’ abilities, impart all I know, and guide them. I will care about their lives…”

Before she could finish, the interviewer interrupted, “I heard that Zhang Dongmei was once your homeroom teacher.”

At that time Tan Shan hesitated for a moment, “Yes.”

“How would you evaluate Teacher Zhang?”

Tan Shan was the first to be called into the adjacent room.

She walked into the room somewhat timidly, feeling completely different from when she usually walked into a classroom full of students.

This room was quite large, separated by two rooms from the one they had dined in earlier.

The room was a suite, considered the largest in the entire Lotus Moon Tower. The staff had tidied up a bit, arranging a table and a few chairs in the lounge area. Though simple, it was enough for the time being.

Song Wen and the others had tested it earlier; just as the staff had mentioned, the room was very soundproof. Standing at the door, one couldn’t hear anything from inside.

Zhang Ziqi was responsible for guarding outside. Cheng Mo and Song Wen sat on one side of the table, facing Tan Shan, while Lu Siyu sat beside Song Wen, slightly behind, with a voice recorder turned on to document the interrogation process. He then opened his notebook to take notes.

As soon as Tan Shan entered, Cheng Mo greeted her politely, “Ah, Teacher Tan, long time no see. Today’s incident was such a coincidence. When I heard about it, I rushed over. My condolences…”

Seeing a familiar face, Tan Shan relaxed a bit and replied, “Thank you, Mr. Cheng. Cheng Cheng has been studying very hard recently and has made great progress…”

Cheng Mo continued, “I’ll still need to trouble you, Teacher Tan. I know my son; he’s not very self-motivated…”

Seeing the interrogation turning into a parent-teacher conference, Song Wen coughed from the side.

Only then did Cheng Mo say, “Teacher Tan, don’t be nervous. Just tell us everything honestly. My colleague and I are here to ensure no innocent person is wronged.”

Tan Shan still seemed nervous, her face a bit pale. She had a small face with delicate features, which made her look obedient and quiet. However, as a teacher, she seemed to lack a bit of authority, making one wonder if she could control a classroom of unruly students.

Tan Shan looked up at Song Wen, then at Lu Siyu, both of whom she had seen earlier. Nervously twisting her fingers, she took a deep breath, trying to treat this questioning like a teacher’s interview.

Her previous teacher interview had taken place in a school’s activity room, much like now, with a table in front of her and three stern-faced interviewers across from her.

Nancheng No. 1 Middle School was now a key junior high school in the city. Becoming a teacher there required passing multiple exams and screenings. Tan Shan was undoubtedly outstanding, whether in exam scores, open class evaluations, lesson preparation, or writing teaching plans. She was one of the best among the candidates, successfully passing through all the stages to reach the final interview.

That was three years ago, but Tan Shan still remembered some of the questions the interviewers had asked her. After the professional questioning ended, one interviewer suddenly asked, “Tan Shan, what kind of teacher do you want to become?”

The main interviewer was an elderly woman with skin as tough as dried orange peel. Her face remained stern throughout, making it hard to tell if she was satisfied or displeased.

Steadying her voice, Tan Shan had answered confidently, “Becoming a teacher has always been my wish and my career plan. I have prepared thoroughly for this. I want to be a good teacher, one that students like and parents respect. I will teach according to students’ needs, imparting all my knowledge to them, guiding them. I will care about their lives…”

She hadn’t finished her answer when the interviewer interrupted, “I heard that Zhang Dongmei was once your homeroom teacher.”

Tan Shan had been momentarily stunned, “Yes.”

“How do you evaluate Teacher Zhang?”

“She… she taught us math very well. Teacher Zhang knew every student’s situation very well. She worked very hard, and was somewhat strict. At that time, I was the class monitor and the math representative…”

Tan Shan didn’t know why, but her hands and feet started to feel cold, and her face felt a bit stiff. She had prepared for open classes and interviews, but she hadn’t expected such a question. She looked up, her gaze somewhat panicked, and stammered through her answer.

Just when she thought her answer was poor and she might fail the interview, the interviewer spoke again.

The main interviewer, still with a stern face, adjusted her glasses and said, “Teacher Zhang was the best teacher in Nancheng’s No. 1 Middle School for several years in terms of student performance. I think her proud protégé won’t be bad either. We hope that Teacher Tan can lead a class with excellent results. Welcome to our team. The Academic Affairs Office will notify you of your start date later.”

Tan Shan realized she had passed the interview. She stood up, her legs feeling a bit numb. She had finally achieved her wish and got the job, but for some reason, she didn’t feel happy at all.

They just needed a teacher like Zhang Dongmei. It was like that a few years ago, and it was still like that a few years later.

Her expectations were suddenly tangled with confusion and doubt.

It felt like she had embarked on an unknown and thorny path…

At this moment, Tan Shan suddenly recalled those events. She closed her eyes briefly, took a deep breath, and steadied her mind, ending her recollection.

She looked at the three officers in front of her, ready to answer.

Song Wen began the questioning, “I’d like to ask, who organized today’s gathering?”

Tan Shan hesitated for a moment, “It was me.” She shifted slightly. “It’s National Day holiday and also the tenth anniversary of our graduation.”

“So, you contacted the others?”

“Yes…” Tan Shan nodded. “We have a class group chat. I found their contact information from the group and asked them one by one. But it was Qian Jiang who booked the restaurant…”

Lu Siyu noted this, marking a star next to Qian Jiang’s name.

“Did you ask publicly in the group chat?” Song Wen asked her.

Tan Shan paused and shook her head, “Our class group chat has been inactive for years. Everyone only chats privately if there’s something important.”

“So how did you decide on these people? Did you contact those you’re close with?” Song Wen asked curiously. With so many classmates, he was curious about the criteria for selection, hoping to find some clues or patterns.

Tan Shan said, “Many of our classmates went to universities out of town. Tonight’s attendees are those I knew still lived in Nancheng and would come back during holidays. They were also students who had a good relationship with Teacher Zhang and still kept in touch with her…”

Song Wen had some doubts about this answer, but Lu Siyu showed no reaction. He listened while quickly writing in his notebook.

Song Wen continued, “You were always the class monitor back then?”

“Yes, ten years ago, Teacher Zhang was our homeroom teacher and taught us math. I was the class monitor and the math representative.”

“Then your grades must have been excellent?”

“I could always rank in the top five… But Zhao Yuliang often ranked among the top few in the class.”

Tan Shan remembered this clearly. Back then, Zhao Yuliang was ahead of her, like an insurmountable gap. No matter how hard she worked or how many problems she solved, she couldn’t surpass him. Even when Zhao Yuliang changed deskmates or encountered issues during exams, she couldn’t defeat him.

“How would you evaluate the others? What impressions do you have of them?” Song Wen asked her.

“Qian Jiang’s family is very wealthy. When he had his birthday in junior high, he invited the whole class to his villa for a meal. After the meal, we drew the curtains in the hall and watched ‘The Ring.'”

“Zhao Yuliang had excellent grades, but his family seemed to be neglectful. He started smoking as early as junior high.”

“Back in junior high, Meng Tiantian was a tomboy with short hair. After high school, she studied art and took the art college entrance exam.”

“In school, Meiren was the class flower. She and her older sister, who was a year ahead, often worked together as hosts for school events. They were a famous pair of beautiful sisters in our school.”

Tan Shan recalled and evaluated several classmates.

“So, you all were the students the teachers liked?” Song Wen continued to inquire. With Tan Shan’s words, the images of those people seemed to gradually take shape.

Tan Shan hesitated before saying, “Most teachers like students who are obedient, have good grades, and look good…”

It was a true statement, but it made Cheng Mo think of his own son, who had average grades, a plain appearance, and was a bit bear-like. He turned to Song Wen and said, “Captain Song, I think we’ve covered the basics. Let’s ask about tonight’s events.”

After interjecting, Cheng Mo took the initiative to ask, “Teacher Tan, what time did you arrive tonight? What happened during the evening?”

In his view, these were the questions to ask the person directly involved in a traditional interrogation.

“In the evening, we agreed to meet at half past five. When Teacher Zhang and I arrived here, the others had already taken their seats. Then we exchanged some recent news, where everyone had been these years, what they had been doing, and later talked about our own situations. Meng Tiantian talked about filming, Qian Jiang wanted her autograph, Ji Meiyun talked about her wedding preparations and invited classmates to attend, Zhao Yuliang, who is about to graduate with a PhD, is preparing to teach at Beicheng University…”

“That’s enough,” Song Wen interrupted her. Such a description was devoid of substance, like a standard student essay. Moreover, they had no way of knowing whether what Tan Shan said was true or false. He leaned towards asking for details, which, although seemingly unrelated at first, could determine the direction of the case and reveal any lies.

Song Wen took back the initiative of questioning. “Who bought the cake?”

“It was Zhao Yuliang. Probably from a very good cake shop.”

“During dinner, did you lock the door for half an hour?”

“The waiter kept coming in and out, which disrupted our conversation. When all the dishes were served, we locked the door.”

“After locking the door, what did you talk about?”

“At that time, everyone had drunk quite a bit of alcohol.” Tan Shan hesitated for a moment, then looked up at Song Wen. “We played truth or dare…”

Upon hearing this, Song Wen interjected, “Ten years later, you must have revealed some things you didn’t dare to say back then?”

Tan Shan’s expression showed a hint of nervousness. “I also drank a lot just now and can’t remember much.” Then she lowered her head. “I just remember that Zhao Yuliang drank too much and said he used to like Meiren.”

“What did Meiren say in response?” Song Wen asked with interest.

Ten years later, classmates reunited, and the person once secretly admired was right in front of them, about to get married. This was indeed quite sensational.

“Meiren didn’t respond to him. Qian Jiang joked that at that time, who didn’t like Meiren? So, the topic passed like that.” Tan Shan lowered her head.

Cheng Mo, seeing Song Wen gossiping again, redirected the conversation. “So, what did you do after that?”

“After that, we ate, cut the cake, and when everyone finished eating, the meal was over. Teacher Zhang drank too much, and I and Meiren helped her to the restroom. Meng Tiantian also drank a bit too much, and she was afraid of being seen, so she went into the private room and lingered there for a while. After I finished using the restroom, I said I had class tomorrow and had to leave. I took my bag and went downstairs… and then that happened.”

Song Wen asked, “You came with Teacher Zhang, but you didn’t wait for her to go back together?”

“I thought she wanted to catch up with other students, so I didn’t wait for her.”

Song Wen nodded, then looked at Lu Siyu, who had already recorded several pages, and said, “Thank you for your cooperation. You may leave now.”

As Tan Shan left her seat, Song Wen became a bit impatient. He turned to Cheng Mo and said, “Captain Cheng, I know Tan Shan is your son’s Chinese teacher and homeroom teacher, but she hasn’t been ruled out as a suspect yet. Tonight’s events are definitely not that simple. She’s already been a bit evasive, and if you keep interrupting, we won’t get anything out of her.”

Cheng Mo, although now a rank lower than Song Wen, still leaned on his seniority and said, “I feel this case is quite simple. Teacher Zhang drank a lot, so the fall could be an accident. These students are all teachers’ favorite students. We Chinese have always respected teachers and valued ethics. Why would they kill their own teacher? There’s no motive for murder. As long as we can prove these people didn’t have a motive to kill, we can close this case as an accident.”

Song Wen sighed; his train of thought and that of the experienced detective were on completely different channels. “We discovered some issues during our questioning earlier. This class reunion, not seeing each other for ten years, not taking a single photo or video, or if they did, being unwilling to show it to us.”

Cheng Mo replied, “Maybe they just don’t like taking photos? I don’t like taking photos either.”

“A few people not liking it can be explained, but if no one took any, it’s a bit strange. Claiming not to have taken any and being resistant to the question raises further suspicion,” Song Wen elaborated. “You saw Tan Shan’s interrogation just now.”

Cheng Mo nodded, “I heard it, it was a normal description.”

“Besides the necessary descriptions, she didn’t mention the deceased at all. In this gathering, the teacher should be the focus, but she mostly talked about the classmates. Why avoid discussing the teacher?” Song Wen asked Cheng Mo.

In the conversation just now with Tan Shan, she mentioned Teacher Zhang only a few times. Whether in the past or now, she seemed to deliberately avoid the subject.

“Well… just after someone died, it’s customary to avoid mentioning them, right? Teacher Zhang is not only her teacher but also her colleague. She probably feels uncomfortable about it too. Moreover, her answers were all prompted by your questions, weren’t they?” Cheng Mo said, looking at Song Wen, then seemingly recalling Song Wen’s recent promotion, he quickly corrected himself, “Well, Captain Song, I’m just expressing my understanding of Teacher Tan’s character. I don’t think this teacher, who is a role model for others, seems like a murderer. Of course, this is my subjective judgment, and I know I shouldn’t use my judgment as the standard for solving the case. Among these people, I only know Teacher Tan. I won’t ask any more questions in the next session you lead.”

Indeed, Cheng Mo was a seasoned workplace fox. Clearly, he had stirred things up, but now it seemed like he was graciously stepping back. He had said both good and bad things… Cheng Mo was over twenty years older than Song Wen, a veteran in the city bureau, a former captain. He usually didn’t interact much with the other two teams. Facing a subordinate much older than himself, Song Wen didn’t know what to say.

Lu Siyu sat in the back, silently and expressionlessly listening to their conversation. Just as he heard this, his phone buzzed. Lu Siyu quickly picked it up. It was a young voice on the other end, “Mr. Lu, right? Boss Cao has sent you a takeout. Could you please come down and collect it?”

Lu Siyu hung up the phone, checked the time; it was only seven fifty, ten minutes earlier than he had estimated. They had only questioned one person, but Boss Cao’s efficiency was indeed remarkable.

Lu Siyu placed his notebook on the table, got up, and said to Song Wen, “I’ll go downstairs to pick up the takeout.”

Song Wen was surprised, “Huh? You’ve only been here for a short while, and you can’t even feed yourself properly with dinner and popcorn. What did you order?” He thought for a moment and felt something was off, then stood up, “Wait, let me go with you.”

After taking a few steps, Song Wen turned back, “Captain Cheng, if you’re willing to wait, you can, or if you want to start the interrogation first, that’s also fine.”

Cheng Mo couldn’t figure out what these two were doing, and he couldn’t understand what they were saying either. He just watched as the two of them left. Watching their backs, he sighed, seeming to feel that young people nowadays were not focused. They asked half a question and then slipped away on their own.

In the restaurant corridor, Song Wen quickly caught up with Lu Siyu. Lu Siyu turned around and saw Song Wen, asking, “Why are you also coming out?”

“Let Captain Cheng wait.” Song Wen followed Lu Siyu downstairs. “What did you buy anyway?”

Lu Siyu blinked and said, “I bought a phone…”

Song Wen immediately understood, “You didn’t happen to find Qian Jiang’s phone, did you?”

Lu Siyu replied, “Possibly.”

“Nice, you’ve got some skills. Where did you find it?” Song Wen curiously inquired.

“From… a thief’s hands…” Lu Siyu didn’t hide it from him, but he also didn’t elaborate. Official channels weren’t working for him, so he had to think of other methods.

Song Wen: “…” He remained silent for a moment before saying, “Stolen goods can’t be used as evidence.”

Lu Siyu replied, “Of course, that’s not how the report will be written. We were just going downstairs to pick up takeout and happened to find a phone on the way.”

Song Wen chuckled, “That’s great, now I won’t be afraid of losing my phone in the future…”

After the two of them went downstairs, a teenager who looked about fourteen or fifteen was already waiting downstairs. Seeing them coming out, he approached them and said, “Are you Mr. Lu?”

Lu Siyu nodded, and the boy took out a payment code for Lu Siyu to scan and pay. Then he handed over a phone, saying, “The password for the phone is 000630, as instructed by Boss Cao. Consider this information a freebie.”

Lu Siyu took the phone, entered the password the boy had given, then swiped, and sure enough, the phone unlocked. He checked WeChat and the call logs; it was indeed Qian Jiang’s phone. When he looked up, the boy had already merged into the crowd and disappeared.

Song Wen watched in amazement, “Our tech department doesn’t have this decryption speed, do they?”

Lu Siyu nodded, “It’s the latest model. They probably would take half a month to crack it.” As he spoke, he opened the phone’s gallery, where there were several short videos, all recorded tonight.

“They did record something, after all?” Song Wen stepped closer.

Lu Siyu nodded and pressed play.

Before watching these videos, they never imagined that the contents would be like this. After watching the short few minutes of footage, Lu Siyu and Song Wen were both silent for a moment. Those three short clips made their backs cold.

Teacher and students, meeting after ten years, sharing the same space, with drinks, cake, exquisite meals, beneath the calm surface, hid such a shocking reality…

Recalling their earlier conversation, Song Wen raised his eyebrows slightly, facing the night breeze, squinting at the bustling pedestrian street, and murmured softly, “Interesting…”