Taijiang Prison was also located in Pengcheng City’s Taijiang District. Going a bit further east would lead to Huicheng.

This prison was very large, and it housed criminals convicted of serious crimes from Pengcheng.

Lin Shuyue got out of the car. The imposing main gate came into view. Beside the main gate was a smaller door, and next to that, the words “Taijiang Prison” were written in large, gilded characters.

She first took a picture of the prison gate with her camera before walking towards the guardhouse. After showing her identification, the letter Zhengjun had written to her, and completing a detailed registration, she was finally allowed inside.

The interior of Taijiang Prison was large but felt very empty. Apart from the lawns, there wasn’t even a large green plant, and hardly anyone was walking around outside. The combination of tall buildings and concrete ground, coupled with its specific purpose, made the atmosphere here particularly oppressive.

Lin Shuyue was taken to the office building. This time, there were some other colors on the walls. Lin Shuyue looked around. Most of what was written here was about the history of Taijiang Prison’s establishment and the awards and honors it had received over the years.

She went through another round of registration. Twenty minutes later, Lin Shuyue met Zhengjun in the visitors’ room.

He looked to be in his late thirties, a gaunt man with a crew cut, about 1.7 meters tall, was led into the visitors’ room. Lin Shuyue pointed to the camera in her hand, her expression questioning.

Zhengjun nodded, and Lin Shuyue took a picture of him, deliberately avoiding capturing the prison guard behind him.

After putting down the camera, Lin Shuyue casually activated the Good and Evil Detection System.

The Good and Evil Detection System had a detection range of 130 meters. The moment it was activated, many red dots of varying shades appeared on it.

These weren’t what shocked Lin Shuyue. After all, this was a prison, and it was perfectly normal for there to be criminals.

What shocked her was that the farthest criminals, those who would warrant being held in this prison, were at least 100 meters away from her and all clustered together.

Within her ten-meter radius, there weren’t any red dots indicating convicted criminals.

Because of this scan by the Good and Evil Detection System, Lin Shuyue’s heart sank. This time, she had encountered a wrongful conviction.

Lin Shuyue sat down in front of the transparent glass and picked up the telephone receiver.

Zhengjun also sat down and picked up his receiver.

When Zhengjun learned that someone he had never seen before had come to visit him, he was very happy. But when he saw the young Lin Shuyue in the visiting room, his happy mood instantly plummeted.

However, he quickly comforted himself.

Over the years, he had written letters to almost every reporter in Pengcheng. In the beginning, some people would come to see him, but in recent years, not a single person would visit him even if he sent out ten letters.

Being able to wait for a reporter, regardless of their gender or age, was something he should be happy about.

A clear female voice came from the other end of the receiver, introducing herself.

Zhengjun listened attentively. After she finished her introduction, he began to recount the story he had told countless people over the years.

“My name is Zhengjun, and I’m thirty-nine years old this year. The incident happened in May 1994. Before this happened, I was the business department manager of Limin Real Estate Company. My wife, Liang Haihui, worked for the same company, but she was our company’s receptionist.”

“On May 22nd, one of my major clients called me around seven in the evening, saying that there was a clause in an upcoming contract that hadn’t been finalized. Because this was a particularly large deal, I left as soon as I received the call.”

“When I returned, it was already twelve o’clock in the morning. I turned on the lights and found my home in a mess. The drawers in the living room and bedroom were all open, and everything inside had been turned upside down.”

“Because the security wasn’t very good back then, and I lived in a flat that had been built many years ago, I immediately thought a thief had broken into the house. I was very scared and quickly called my wife’s name. But no matter how much I called, she didn’t respond.”

Speaking up to this point, Zhengjun paused. Even though he had said it countless times over the years, every time he reached this part, Zhengjun still couldn’t continue. He reached out and wiped his face, calmed himself down, and then continued, “I turned on the light in the bedroom. She was lying on the bed, her neck had been slashed many times, and the bed was stained with blood.”

“I went to call the police, but I found that my home phone line had been cut. I could only go to the village store to knock on the door and call the police.”

“That night, many, many police officers came. I was taken to the Public Security Bureau and questioned for a very, very long time. Then I became a suspect in my wife’s murder.”

“I was arrested, detained, tried in court, and sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve. I didn’t accept it and immediately filed an appeal. It wasn’t until December 1995 that the second trial began.”

“This time, my verdict was changed. I was resentenced to life imprisonment. Over the years, my parents and brothers have been working tirelessly outside for me. My application for a retrial has been submitted countless times, but it’s still useless. I’m still a criminal.”

“My mother passed away in the third year after I was imprisoned. We had no other choice but to seek help from the outside.” After Zhengjun finished speaking, he waited quietly for Lin Shuyue to ask him questions, just like the reporters in the past.

Asking him what he had done and what had happened before he left home that night.

Lin Shuyue did ask, and after listening, she said to Zhengjun, “I will do my best to help you.”

A simple sentence, not even a promise, made Zhengjun’s eyes turn red.

He hadn’t heard these words for many years. He solemnly thanked Lin Shuyue, “Thank you, Reporter Lin.”

The visiting time was over, and Lin Shuyue put down the receiver and left.

Zhengjun also followed the prison guard back. Today was Wednesday, and it was still morning. Their work for the day had just begun. Before leaving the visiting room, he turned his head and glanced at Lin Shuyue’s back.

Over so many years, he knew that the chances of his case being overturned were slim, but he still held onto hope. For this sliver of hope in his heart, he had persisted for so many years. And he wouldn’t give up in the years to come.

He wouldn’t admit to something he didn’t do, and he couldn’t. He was waiting for the truth, and his wife was waiting too. He would keep going, and he believed that the sun would eventually shine on him one day.

Lin Shuyue walked out with the prison guard, chatting with him casually, “Officer, do many people usually come to visit Zhengjun?”

The prison guard who was leading Lin Shuyue was an older police officer in his thirties. He had a strong impression of Zhengjun. There wasn’t a prison guard in the entire prison who wasn’t familiar with him!

After all, it was hard to find a second person in the entire prison who had been sentenced for ten years and still refused to confess.

“In the beginning, quite a few reporters would come to see him, but now, apart from his parents and his brother, only his former boss, Yang Hao’an, comes to see him.”

Lin Shuyue raised an eyebrow. “His boss? It’s been so many years, and his boss still comes to see him?”

Speaking of this, the prison guard had a lot to say. “That’s right. You know Limin Real Estate Development Company, right? Most of the buildings in Pengcheng were built by their company.”

“Their company is good. Every time, they give the most generous compensation for demolition. Every time there’s a demolition, the natives are happy to sign and agree when they hear that the demolition company is Limin.” The prison guard was a local, and he smiled broadly when talking about demolition. His old home would also be demolished next year, and the developer was Limin Real Estate.

Last week, he had already signed the demolition agreement. Soon, they would receive the compensation.

Thinking about the large sum of money that would soon be in his account, the prison guard couldn’t hide the smile on his face. “That Boss Yang is a good person. Every year, no matter what kind of charity event the city organizes, Limin Real Estate is always the first to step forward. They also build roads and bridges. Several bridges and roads in Pengcheng were built by them.”

“Their employee benefits are also good. The salary is higher than other companies of the same type. They also give a lot of things during festivals. Now that the weather is hot, I heard that the workers on the construction site even get five pounds of mung beans and two pounds of white sugar every month.”

“And they don’t delay payment for projects. They always pay the contractors as soon as the work is completed. All the construction teams in our Pengcheng City want to work on the construction sites developed by Limin.”

The prison guard really liked Limin Real Estate. He had an enthusiastic look on his face as he told Lin Shuyue about the roads and bridges that Limin had funded.

By the time she left the prison gate, Lin Shuyue had a deep impression of this Limin Real Estate Development Company.

Lin Shuyue didn’t rest for long. She immediately went to Zheng Village, where Zhengjun’s family lived. Zheng Village was also located in Taijiang District, but the village was in the opposite direction from Taijiang Prison.

As the second district to be developed in Pengcheng City, Taijiang’s prosperity was evident in all aspects. Even a small village like Zheng Village was much wealthier than Lin Shuyue’s hometown of Ping Sha Village.

From the moment she entered the village, all she saw were two-story and three-story small buildings. The streets in the village were lined with shops, and many people were coming and going. Factories and workshops of all sizes were everywhere.

Following the address Zhengjun had given her, Lin Shuyue found his house.

It was also a three-story building with a “For Rent” sign posted at the entrance.

After taking a picture, Lin Shuyue followed the “For Rent” sign and went up to the second floor. The landlord’s family lived in the first room on the second floor. Through the open window, she could see a middle-aged man sitting on the sofa watching TV.

Lin Shuyue knocked on the window. The middle-aged man put down the remote control, stood up, and came over to open the door. “Pretty girl, looking to rent a room? We have single rooms, one-bedroom apartments, and two-bedroom apartments available. The rooms are clean, and the rent is cheap. The rooms are clean and well-ventilated, and a dedicated person is watching over the place, so safety is no problem.”

Lin Shuyue took her reporter’s ID out of her bag and handed it over. “Excuse me, are you Zheng Zhonglu? I’m a reporter from Pengcheng Metropolis Daily. Mr. Zhengjun wrote me a letter…”

Zheng Zhonglu looked at Lin Shuyue’s reporter ID. The smile he had just had disappeared. After looking at Lin Shuyue’s ID for several seconds, he returned it to her and said, “Reporter Lin, please come in.”

Zheng Zhonglu’s house was indeed very well-ventilated, just as he had said. “Reporter Lin, please wait a moment. I’ll go call my father.”

Lin Shuyue sat on the wooden sofa, waiting for Zheng Zhonglu to call someone from inside. After a short while, an old man came out, supported by Zheng Zhonglu, walking with shaky steps.

When the old man saw Lin Shuyue, he quickly took a few steps forward. “You’re a reporter, you’re a reporter. I thank you, thank you for coming to help my Ah Fu.”

As the old man spoke, tears streamed down his face.