Chapter 3: The Female Corpse in the School Building (3)

The man was wearing a gray shirt under a black jacket, which was left unzipped. The jacket was slightly small, so the shirt sleeves extended beyond the cuffs. The shirt was clearly a security uniform.

Meng Siqi slowly refocused her attention on his cuffs. The buttons reflected a faint metallic sheen as they moved, eerily similar to the ones she had seen in her memory.

Was he the killer?

Meng Siqi did not jump to conclusions. She forced herself to stay calm. Security guards likely wore similar uniforms, and the details of the buttons in her memory were somewhat blurred. She needed more evidence.

After asking for his basic information, Tang Xiaochuan got straight to the point. “Mu Zhiquan, were you on duty at the school last night?”

“Yes, I was on duty last night. My shift ended this morning,” Mu Zhiquan replied.

He appeared to be in his early thirties, with short hair and an average build. He looked alert, but the dark circles under his eyes suggested frequent late nights.

The person who reported the crime this morning was the security guard who took over the shift from Mu Zhiquan. Han Changlin had already questioned him earlier, but his testimony did not provide any useful clues.

When Tang Xiaochuan asked, “Where were you around ten o’clock last night?” Han Changlin instinctively paid closer attention.

With no solid leads, Mu Zhiquan might be their only breakthrough in this case.

At noon, Han Changlin had not even had a bite to eat. The director had suddenly called him to the office, stressing that the murder of the high school teacher had caused a significant public outcry. They needed to solve the case as soon as possible

The director demanded a deadline for solving the case.

At that moment, Han Changlin was unsure how long it would take to crack the case, as there were no leads at all. However, he was determined to achieve results this year. Feeling a bit anxious, he hesitantly raised five fingers.

Director Liu spoke firmly, “Han Changlin, I am waiting for good news from you. I do not want to see zero progress on this case after ten or fifteen days.”

He then added decisively, “If the case is not solved within five days, it will be handed over to First Unit.”

A few months ago, Han Changlin had made a solemn pledge. This case was undoubtedly a test for him. Over the years, Second Unit had barely made an impression. There had even been discussions about merging Second Unit into First Unit. That was why Han Changlin had vowed to prove their worth.

As he stepped out of the director’s office, he ran into two colleagues from First Unit. They were enthusiastically discussing a recent case they had cracked in just three days, which had earned them praise from the department.

Seeing Han Changlin, they greeted him and half-jokingly said, “Captain Han, this case is no easy task. If you need any help, just let us know. We can always request Captain Lu to lend a hand.”

Han Changlin twitched the corner of his mouth, forcing a smile, and awkwardly rolled his neck.

..

“It was raining last night, so I did not patrol the entire school. I just walked around the sports field,” Mu Zhiquan answered Tang Xiaochuan’s question.

Han Changlin quickly snapped back to attention, his gaze once again locking onto Mu Zhiquan’s facial expressions.

Beads of sweat dotted Mu Zhiquan’s forehead, glistening under the dim light. It was unclear whether he was nervous or if it was just a normal physiological reaction in the confined interrogation room.

The questioning proceeded systematically. While taking notes, Meng Siqi observed Mu Zhiquan closely. She noticed that he spoke quickly and with certainty. For instance, he confidently stated that he had gone out on patrol at around 10:10 PM the previous night.

She tried to detect inconsistencies in his words, but every statement seemed to reinforce his alibi.

However, last night, only one teacher, Zhou Jieli, had stayed at the school. Mu Zhiquan was also the only security guard on duty. His suspicion could not be completely ruled out unless there was a third person present that night.

Then, Mu Zhiquan said something that made Meng Siqi’s pen suddenly freeze on the paper.

She could sense that Han Changlin and Tang Xiaochuan also subtly straightened their postures.

Mu Zhiquan said, “Last night, around 10:30 to 10:40 PM, I saw a figure on the sports field.”

“A figure?” Han Changlin asked in a tone that carried both doubt and excitement.

Tang Xiaochuan immediately pressed on, “Did you see who it was?”

“I remember a flash of lightning at that moment. I did get a glimpse of the person’s face, but it was only for an instant. I could not be completely sure.”

“Think carefully,” Tang Xiaochuan urged.

“I feel like that person looked like Teacher Zhou’s husband.”

Almost simultaneously, Tang Xiaochuan and Han Changlin exchanged glances. The next second, Tang Xiaochuan’s voice turned serious. “Mu Zhiquan, think carefully. Are you certain that the person you saw was Zhou Jieli’s husband, Zhao Guanghui? You must understand that this is a crucial lead.”

Mu Zhiquan hesitated for a moment before replying, “I… I am sure.”

“Try to recall the exact location of Zhao Guanghui, his clothing, and any other details from last night.”

Mu Zhiquan placed his hands on the table, staring at his intertwined fingers without lifting his head, as if straining to recall the scene.

After a while, he slowly said, “He was standing at the entrance of the teachers’ building staircase. He was wearing a white shirt, but I could not make out the exact details. However, by the time I got a clearer look, he was already gone. I assumed he had come to visit Teacher Zhou that night, so I did not think much of it. At that time, the lights in Teacher Zhou’s room were already off, so I figured she had gone to bed.”

Meng Siqi remembered that Zhao Guanghui had been wearing a white sweater today. His spare jacket was also white. It seemed he had a preference for white clothing, but that alone was not enough to prove he was the killer. It merely indicated a habit.

“How long have you known Zhao Guanghui? How much do you know about him? Can you describe what you know about his relationship with Zhou Jieli?” Tang Xiaochuan continued questioning.

Mu Zhiquan hesitated for a few seconds, bit his lip as if organizing his thoughts, and then said, “Teacher Zhou was an outstanding teacher. She was kind to her colleagues, students, and even us security guards. She would sometimes greet us proactively.”

As he spoke, his eyebrows noticeably lifted.

“So, I naturally got to know Zhao Guanghui. He often came to the school. Others might not have noticed, but I certainly did.”

“What do you mean?” Mu Zhiquan’s expression darkened, his brows furrowing slightly. “It was like he was watching her.”

The word “watching” heightened everyone’s alertness, but no one interrupted his testimony.

“Earlier this year, I don’t remember the exact time, the two of them had a big argument at school. Zhao Guanghui was very aggressive. He dragged Teacher Zhou from the classroom into his car while yelling, ‘Explain yourself!'”

Meng Siqi took careful notes. She was well aware that Han Changlin and the others already knew about this incident. That was why they were listening intently without interrupting.

Mu Zhiquan continued, “Zhao Guanghui must have thought Teacher Zhou was involved with someone else.”

This statement immediately intensified the atmosphere in the room. It was undeniably a crucial lead in the case.

Meng Siqi’s pen seemed frozen on the page, the ink sinking into the paper. She was unsure how to record this statement. Was it slander, paranoia, or the truth?

“Did you see this with your own eyes?” Han Changlin asked sternly. That morning, he had spoken with school officials. Aside from that argument, there was no evidence suggesting Zhou Jieli had been unfaithful.

“Of course not. Teacher Zhou was well-liked at school, and she did not have any close interactions with anyone. She would never do such a thing,” Mu Zhiquan shook his head in denial.

“Then why do you think Zhao Guanghui suspected her?” Han Changlin pressed.

“Because he was monitoring her. Sometimes he wouldn’t even enter the school. He would just check on things. He was definitely worried about her being alone and having an inappropriate relationship with someone else. Think about it, during that argument, what was Zhao Guanghui demanding an explanation for? The whole thing blew up. What else could it be about other than a man and a woman?”

“But all of this is just your speculation.” Han Changlin interrupted him at the right moment.

After an hour-long interrogation, it finally came to an end. When Han Changlin stepped out of the room, his steps were noticeably lighter. Meng Siqi could clearly sense a hint of excitement in him.

There was no doubt that the interrogation had played a crucial role. Based on Mu Zhiquan’s account, if Zhao Guanghui had indeed appeared at the school the previous night, a new suspect had emerged.

Back in the office, everyone gathered around the crime board, which was covered with clues related to Zhou Jieli.

Tang Xiaochuan provided a brief analysis of the case. So far, it was confirmed that only Zhou Jieli and security guard Mu Zhiquan were present at the school the previous night, making Mu Zhiquan the primary suspect.

However, Mu Zhiquan had pointed to another suspect—Zhou Jieli’s husband, Zhao Guanghui.

The newly obtained autopsy report revealed that the victim’s pleura showed signs of red spots, commonly known as Tardieu spots, which were characteristic of mechanical asphyxiation. Zhou Jieli had been strangled to death.

An empty bottle of alcohol was found in her room. It seemed that after the murder, the killer deliberately used alcohol to wipe away any fingerprints left on the victim’s neck.

Tang Xiaochuan added, “There is still one pending test result. The contents of the victim’s stomach have been sent for examination, but it will take some time.”

He then continued summarizing the forensic evidence.

There were no missing valuables from the scene. Four hundred yuan in cash remained untouched in the drawer, and Zhou Jieli’s gold ring was still on her finger.

There were no signs of a struggle, and the door and windows showed no signs of forced entry or tampering. After leaving, the killer had deliberately cleaned up any footprints on the ground.

All the evidence pointed to one thing—the killer was someone Zhou Jieli knew well and trusted. This was not a case of robbery gone wrong.

Tang Xiaochuan then brought up a crucial finding. “The victim was sexually assaulted before her death. There were slight tears in the lower body, but no traces of semen were detected.”

“If it was a rape-murder case, that would make sense. But why was there no semen?” Han Changlin asked, puzzled.

Silence filled the air for a moment before Feng Shaomin spoke slowly. “There could be several reasons. For instance, the perpetrator might have a medical condition causing semen blockage. Or perhaps the act was interrupted for some reason. Another possibility…” He paused briefly before continuing, “The killer deliberately staged it to mislead us.”

“Mislead us?”

“The real intention wasn’t sexual assault, but the killer wanted to make it look like one, so the investigation would head in that direction.”

As soon as Feng Shaomin said this, the office fell into complete silence. Everyone’s expressions turned grim as they absorbed the weight of his words.

For the first time, Meng Siqi felt the intense pressure of solving a murder case. A tightness formed in her chest, but she had no new insights to contribute yet. Many of these clues were new to her as well.

Han Changlin continued, “Did the victim have anything under her fingernails?”

Tang Xiaochuan checked the autopsy report again and shook his head. “Her nails were completely clean.”

“That’s strange,” Han Changlin frowned. “The scene was too quiet. Whether it was sexual assault or strangulation, the victim would have fought back desperately. She should have grabbed something—perhaps skin tissue from the attacker or fibers from their clothing. Cleaning up the scene is one thing, but would the killer really go as far as cleaning under her nails?”

If that were the case, the murderer was extremely meticulous. Everyone’s expressions became even more serious.

Feng Shaomin remained calm as he proposed another theory. “What if the killer was someone very familiar to the victim? He could have launched a surprise attack with enough force to render her unconscious immediately, preventing any struggle.”

Han Changlin caught Zhao Leiting’s eager expression and said, “Go ahead.”

Zhao Leiting explained, “It only takes about two kilograms of pressure to obstruct the jugular veins. If the force applied was much greater than that, it could have caused an immediate lack of blood flow to the brain, leading to unconsciousness.”

After finishing, he glanced around, waiting for feedback. However, the others showed little reaction. When he looked at Meng Siqi, she understood and gave him a small, polite smile.

Han Changlin simply responded with a brief “Mm.” Zhao Leiting’s raised eyebrows slightly drooped in disappointment.

Han Changlin stood in front of the crime board, deep in thought. After a moment, he slowly released his grip from his lower lip, his eyes sharpening.

“In terms of physical strength, Zhao Guanghui has an advantage over Mu Zhiquan. But compared to the naturally weaker victim, both men could have rendered her unconscious quickly. However, looking at their relationships with the victim, Zhao Guanghui would have had a much easier time catching her off guard. And most importantly, he had a motive—”

“Zhou Jieli and Zhao Guanghui had been separated for more than six months. Their relationship had already deteriorated. We also know that Zhao Guanghui was once violent toward her at school. Their marriage was beyond repair, and perhaps Zhou Jieli wanted a divorce. That could have driven Zhao Guanghui to kill her in a fit of rage. After strangling her, he staged a fake sexual assault to mislead the investigation…”

It felt like they were getting closer to the truth.

Feng Shaomin added, “If Mu Zhiquan was telling the truth, then Zhao Guanghui is our prime suspect. He also lacks an alibi. Last night, he claimed he was driving an empty taxi around with no passengers. That’s not a solid alibi.”

Han Changlin’s voice was firm. “Tang Xiaochuan, apply for an arrest warrant. Bring Zhao Guanghui in for questioning.”

About ten minutes later, just as Meng Siqi was about to get into the police car, a cold voice from the back seat said, “A girl like her shouldn’t be going on arrests. Captain Han, let her stay back.” It was Feng Shaomin.

Han Changlin turned his head slightly and said without looking at her, “Xiao Meng, organize all the evidence we gathered today.”

“…Alright, Captain Han.”

As she watched the car speed away, Meng Siqi felt a small pang of disappointment.

On her way back to the office, she couldn’t shake off a lingering sense of unease.

She had a feeling that Mu Zhiquan was lying.

But how could she prove it? Where was the evidence?

After hesitating for a moment, she made up her mind—she would go and investigate herself.