Chapter 25.1

Luo Lan had something on her mind, just like her husband, and took a bun with her as she left. This time she didn’t go far but instead visited the neighbors in the courtyard.

There were four households in their courtyard; they lived in the main room, while a family of four lived in the east room, all relatively young. The wife was straightforward; she had even helped Luo Lan deal with the woman from the south room last time. So she went to the east room first.

“Sister-in-law, are you eating?”

“Hey, Luo Lan is here. Come, have a bite.” The woman said, handing her chopsticks.

“No, no, I have steamed buns at home.”

“Is something wrong?”

“Sister-in-law, did you hear anything last night?”

“Yeah, I heard you shouting not to run. My husband got up to see what was going on. What happened last night?”

“Someone broke into our house. We chased them out, but we couldn’t catch them. I want to ask who closed the gate last night.”

The woman turned to her husband, who replied, “I closed it. I got off the second shift and came home around twelve. She opened the door for me, and I closed it after coming in.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course. I personally closed it, how would I not know?”

She had been chasing after the intruder at around two o’clock, while he had come home after midnight. This was already the last shift. The only ones out at that time would be those working the night shift, who had to get up early to come back.

She glanced at their two children, a pair of girls aged eleven and six. The kids looked curious, but under their mother’s watchful gaze, they didn’t speak out of turn. Their eyes were clear; besides curiosity, there was nothing else.

So who had opened the door that night?

“Our courtyard gate uses a latch. It can’t be opened from the outside with tools,” the man reminded her. This courtyard gate was crucial for the security of all the residents. No one wanted to worsen the already difficult situation.

“Let’s go. I’ll go with you, and we’ll gather everyone in the courtyard to ask.”

“No need, I’ll ask them myself. It’s unlikely I’ll get answers, but I can observe their reactions.”

“Alright then.”

The family in the east room showed no signs of deception, so they could be mostly ruled out. Next, she planned to head to the south room. Just as she exited the east room, she encountered the old lady from the south room in the courtyard. She was holding a water bucket but was standing not far from the door of the east room.

“I… I’m going to get water.” Flustered, she spoke before Luo Lan could say anything. This was out of character for her. After the previous conflict, they hadn’t spoken for a long time.

“Auntie, what time did you go to bed last night? They say older people sleep less. I hope you’re sleeping well?”

“Good, very good.”

“Didn’t you hear any noise last night?”

“No, I didn’t hear anything.”

Her response was anxious and hurried. She occasionally glanced at Luo Lan, who noticed that the water bucket in the woman’s hand was shaking, and her arms were trembling.

At that moment, the neighbors from the west room also heard the commotion and came out. The family in the west room also consisted of four members. Most of the families living in the courtyard were factory workers, and they generally had a good relationship with one another.

“What happened at your place yesterday? I heard you shout. I didn’t come out, but from behind the glass, it looked like you were chasing someone out of the courtyard.”

“Yeah, we were robbed.”

“Oh my, where did that thief come from? It’s been years since anything like this happened in our courtyard. Was the gate not closed last night? I remember I closed it. Didn’t Old Xu leave the door open when he got off the second shift?”

Old Xu from the east room also came out. “I closed it. Who knows what happened.”

Everyone started discussing, while the old lady from the south room finally seemed to come to her senses. “Did you lose anything important?”

“No.”

They had basically locked in on their target; it seemed that last night’s incident wasn’t random but a premeditated crime. Zhou Qingshan had already reported it, and they were waiting for the results from the water sample before making any decisions.

Her mother-in-law heard the commotion and came out, quietly standing at the door of the main room to watch. Luo Lan explained that they had been robbed, but nothing was stolen from the house, which eased her mother-in-law’s worries.

“I was home during the day. I guess I need to pay more attention in the future.”

After lunch, Luo Lan went to work, leaving her mother-in-law to watch the house. Since she was still preoccupied with family matters, she couldn’t concentrate at work. Today, her supervisor asked her to write a report, so she pulled out previous reports from the archives to review.

“Luo Lan, have you finished the report?” the director urged again.

“Almost, just give me ten more minutes.”

The man looked skeptical, not believing that a newcomer like her could simply look at previous reports and manage to write one. Today, it was obvious that he was trying to make things difficult for her since Sister Liu was absent due to personal matters.

The other two in the office also doubted that she could complete it on her own, but in the end, she integrated all the materials and wrote the report according to the previous format and wording.

After reviewing it, the director seemed hesitant; it hardly needed any modifications. Seeing that he was done, Luo Lan turned and left his office. She had always excelled at rewriting in school; with the materials provided, what was so difficult about it?

“Director, I have some family matters to attend to. If there’s nothing urgent at work, may I leave a little early?”

He didn’t make it difficult for her this time; his demeanor had completely changed to a warm one, instantly agreeing. “Sure, you can leave early if you have something to attend to.”

“Thank you, Director.”

By eleven o’clock, she left the office and went to her husband’s workplace, only to be told he had gone out on an errand. Errand? What kind of errand?

“Oh, right, sister-in-law. Those Red Guards came by yesterday looking for trouble with the section chief.”

“What happened later?”

“One of them, a guy named Sun Tong, seemed to have had a grudge with the section chief. He brought his people along. But the section chief didn’t give him any leverage, so it ended up being nothing. Be careful, that Sun Tong doesn’t seem like an easy guy. Our factory manager has already been detained.”

“Got it, thanks for letting me know.”

So, Sun Tong took the initiative yesterday. It was unclear if this was his own idea or if someone was behind him.

Yesterday, Sun Tong, who had been flaunting himself with his friends, was now visiting a classmate’s home. A person who used to act in the shadows now began to surface in this era of reversals.

Watching his former classmates being bullied and crying in the corner brought him immense satisfaction. He insulted the classmate’s father to the fullest, even provoking the classmate with his gaze. That alone wasn’t enough; he needed to sow discord.

“Student Xu, you’ve been with him all day. You should know his dark secrets best. This is your chance to uphold justice by exposing him. You could earn some merit while bearing guilt.”

Student Xu, who stood in the corner, was thin and bit his lip without saying a word. He clenched his fists, using all his strength to resist. He knew that by doing this, he might be isolated; the best way to handle such situations was to draw a clear line. Sun Tong had done just that, not only distancing himself from his father but also leading the charge against him yesterday.

“Really not going to say anything? Do you want to be a dog under his feet?”

Student Xu didn’t argue but didn’t comply either. He looked at his father, who, usually the head of the household, was now standing there with blood on the corner of his mouth. There was nothing he could do for his father; all he could do was remain silent.

Sun Tong wore a smug expression, laughing maniacally as he struck people with whatever he held. He was a madman—a total madman. Those who had previously disliked him at school now found him even more detestable, yet they could do nothing in this situation but watch as this lunatic ran rampant with other thugs.

“I’ll report him.”

“I’ll expose him.”

Suddenly, three people rushed in, raising their hands. The leader thought they were there to report Xu, so he immediately stopped and let them in. But the moment they spoke, the outcome surprised him.

“Sun Tong can’t join the group, he’s a murderer.”

Another female classmate raised her hand in agreement: “Yeah, Sun Tong is a murderer. I saw it with my own eyes. Someone like him can’t join the group.”

“Right, I also saw it. He secretly attacked classmate Zhou Minshan. He’s a murderer and doesn’t deserve to join the group.”

Everyone’s gaze turned to Sun Tong, who, just moments ago, had been so arrogant, now turned pale and bewildered, completely caught off guard by the turn of events. He thought that matter had long passed; how could it resurface at such a crucial moment?

“No, I didn’t.”

The male classmate continued to expose him: “Murderers will definitely not admit it, but we all saw it with our own eyes. This incident was covered up at the time. If you don’t believe it, ask the principal. He knows everything.”

Student Xu, who had originally appeared pained and dazed, suddenly stood up. Although he hadn’t seen anything, he joined in to push against the person he hated.

“Yes, I also saw it with my own eyes! Sun Tong used a brick to assassinate classmate Zhou Minshan.”

“Right! His dad threatened us to provide false testimony, saying that Zhou Minshan had fallen by himself. But that’s not true, he secretly hit him with a brick.”

“Zhou Minshan was killed by that blow. The police did an examination and said the fatal injury was that blow to the back of his head.”

Sun Tong, unsure whether he was scared or shocked, had turned whiter than a piece of paper. He pointed at his classmates, still trying to make a desperate struggle.

“You’re talking nonsense! You’re slandering people!”

Fueled by anger and hatred, Student Xu stepped forward to confront him, unafraid. “You still don’t want to admit it, huh? Too bad, the truth will come to light. There were many students present at the time. I was scared and hiding behind the wall, but I saw it very clearly; you can’t deny it.”

They weren’t afraid to confront him now; it was time for the bully to face the consequences. One after another, they argued back. A female classmate pulled out a pen as evidence.

“Look, this is what his dad shoved into my hands to make me keep quiet. His dad threatened us that if we spoke out, we’d be expelled and wouldn’t be able to go to school.”

“Murderers cannot join the group, they must be eliminated.”

As she spoke, a few more students came forward, raising their hands together. These were students who had been hiding outside and came in only when the situation seemed nearly resolved. With so many people accusing him at once, Sun Tong was immediately bound hand and foot, with Student Xu taking the lead.

“Sun Tong, just wait to die.”