No Ads on this website buy me a beer instead. Click me!(KO-FI)
Commision a novel to translate Click me!(KO-FI)
Shen Wenzheng, in an effort to prove his innocence, voluntarily went to the police station to provide his DNA. The evidence collected from the body was expedited for comparison, and the results were ready by that evening.
Before the report was even finalized, He Chaun Zhou had already arrived at the hotel where Shen Wenzheng was staying. After receiving a call, she immediately entered the lobby to retrieve Shen.
Shen Wenzheng was staying in a downtown hotel, where many travelers were still resting in the lobby at the time.
A group of police officers entered with an air of authority, immediately drawing attention. Some bold onlookers even started recording with their phones as they followed behind.
Shen Wenzheng, having received a tip-off earlier, was restless in his room. Hearing footsteps approach, he didn’t wait for the hotel manager to unlock the door but opened it himself. Taking the initiative, he sarcastically remarked, “What do you want? Such a grand entrance.”
“We just want to have a chat,” He Chaun Zhou replied calmly, showing her badge. “Thanks for saving us the trouble of looking for you. Come with us.”
Shen Wenzheng’s initial shock turned into fury. His face twisted as he ground his teeth and demanded, “Is this how the Public Security Bureau in City A operates? How are you going to compensate for the damage to my reputation?”
He Chaun Zhou chuckled indifferently, her words as sharp as a blade: “Don’t worry. If we can’t arrest you this time, I’ll kneel down and personally apologize to you.”
Then, turning cold, she commanded, “Take him away!”
Shen Wenzheng’s arrest at the hotel entrance was captured by onlookers and quickly went viral online, sparking a public outcry.
Reporters and other concerned parties swarmed to the precinct, with the office phone ringing off the hook as voices flooded in from all directions.
Bureau Director Feng opened a window, hearing the distant yet distinct commotion from the open area more than ten meters below. Glancing back at He Chaun Zhou, who was quietly discussing something with Officer Huang, he thought to himself: They’ve really stirred up a storm this time, to the point that I’m too nervous to even answer the phone. Who knows if it’s from another precinct or the city bureau.
“Do your best!” Director Feng’s eyes were resolute as he nodded toward He Chaun Zhou. “Let’s settle this tonight!”
Brother Huang made a throat-slitting gesture across his neck with a fierce expression.
Director Feng: “…Be professional!”
He Chaun Zhou tucked the sorted documents under her arm and said, “Let’s go.”
She was the first to enter the interrogation room. The interplay of light from inside and outside illuminated her face with striking clarity.
Shen Wenzheng was thoroughly dissatisfied with his seat. Bound hand and foot, he couldn’t move freely, and the chair’s cold, hard surface made it even more uncomfortable for someone used to a life of luxury. To make matters worse, He Chaun Zhou and her team had deliberately left him waiting for nearly an hour.
His tone was irritable, his gaze slightly arrogant and provocative as he said, “Well, well, the big shots have finally arrived?”
He Chaun Zhou ignored him, sitting down unhurriedly. She opened a folder and asked, “Zhu Shujun, you know her, don’t you?”
Shen Wenzheng responded indifferently, “Maybe.”
With a smirk that didn’t reach her eyes, He Chaun Zhou retorted, “You just had a fight with her mother yesterday.”
Realization dawned on Shen Wenzheng. “Oh, that crazy old hag?”
“And Sun Yiyao?”
Shen Wenzheng didn’t bother to answer, letting his eyes wander around the room’s four walls.
Flipping through a page of the file, He Chaun Zhou read aloud, seemingly to herself:
“Zhu Shujun graduated high school and came to City A to find work. With her limited education, she couldn’t land a decent job, earning just over 3,000 yuan a month while enduring harassment from customers. That’s when she met Sun Yiyao.
“Sun Yiyao didn’t set out to help her at first. She was older and couldn’t compete with her colleagues anymore. But seeing Zhu Shujun’s good looks, she thought she’d bring her along to make a commission on the side.
“She told Zhu Shujun the place she worked at was a high-end club, where the rules were strict but the pay was excellent. She claimed Zhu could easily make tens of thousands each month, far more than she’d earn in a lifetime of regular work. Plus, the wealthy clients were at least ‘decent’, if they touched her, they’d pay for it. Zhu Shujun, young and new to society, fell for it without much thought and agreed.”
Lifting her gaze, He Chaun Zhou looked at Shen Wenzheng with a mocking smile. “And her first client was you, introduced by Sun Yiyao.”
Shen Wenzheng pondered briefly before replying in a feigned tone of distress, “That’s ancient history. I honestly can’t remember. Too many women throw themselves at me, who are you talking about again?”
He Chaun Zhou sneered. “She stuck with you for years, five or six at least. You were full of sweet words back then, weren’t you? And now you don’t even recognize her? What’s the matter, early-onset Alzheimer’s?”
Shen Wenzheng snorted. “So what? I had a little girlfriend. Is that a crime? Do you even have evidence? And even if you do, what can you do about it? Does the criminal investigation unit here have so little to do that they’re chasing after a case from years ago?”
Propping her chin on one hand, He Chaun Zhou stared at him steadily for a moment before shifting her posture and smiling lightly. “With the evidence we already have, even if you don’t confess, the court has enough to convict you. I just came here because I enjoy watching you squirm. Consider it a friendly chat.”
Her voice was light, laced with unmistakable arrogance and disdain. Though her eyes were fixed on Shen Wenzheng, it was as if she was looking through him, exuding an air of utter indifference as if he weren’t even worth her attention.
“There are plenty of people who keep insisting on their innocence, even after they’re thrown in prison. Say it enough times, and maybe they even start to believe it themselves. It’s almost pitiful, really.”
Shen Wenzheng spread his hands nonchalantly and then, with a curious smirk, asked, “Don’t cops have to undergo psychological evaluations? Someone like you must be classified as a psycho, right?”
He Chaun Zhou replied calmly, “What’s the matter? Are you scared? Don’t be. No matter what kind of monsters are out there, they’re at best your equals, never your betters.”
The two exchanged words with thinly veiled barbs, their conversation far removed from civility. Meanwhile, Brother Huang quietly flipped through the case file on the side, listening to their verbal jousting without interruption.
He Chaun Zhou began, “Zhu Shujun—”
Shen Wenzheng cut her off, his tone impatient. “Can you get to the point? Stop wasting my time.”
Her voice turned icy. “Shut up and listen.”
Repeatedly humiliated by her, Shen Wenzheng’s expression darkened, though he managed a mocking smile. “Well, if you insist.”
He Chaun Zhou didn’t miss a beat. “You repeatedly, and deliberately, gave Zhu Shujun expensive gifts in front of Sun Yiyao, praising her beauty to sow discord between the two. You’ve got a real twisted streak, don’t you? Even hiring escorts, you turn it into some dramatic show, enjoying the sight of women fighting over you. Does that make you happy?”
Shen Wenzheng nodded earnestly. “Of course it does. I give gifts to enhance my experience, is that not allowed?”
He Chaun Zhou quipped, “Seems like your company’s been putting you under a lot of stress.”
Shen Wenzheng chuckled. “Naturally. With tens of thousands of people relying on me for their livelihoods, every word I say has a price tag. Standing above others comes with the weight of responsibility.”
Her tone dripped with sarcasm. “So remember this, Shen Wenzheng: everything that happens next, you brought on yourself. You enjoy playing your twisted games with people’s emotions? Well, karma’s just paying you a visit.”
She continued without waiting for a reaction: “Zhu Shujun’s only goal was to earn enough money to buy a house, save a million yuan, and then quit. She wanted to move her mom out of the countryside and start fresh. She was uneducated, without big dreams, she just had this one plan. She mapped it all out: work at the club for four years, make 4 million, and retire at 23. That’s the same age most college students graduate, and she thought she could start a new life then.
“She worked herself to the bone, willing to do anything for anyone who’d pay. She completely wasted and degraded herself in pursuit of that goal.”
Shen Wenzheng showed no reaction, fidgeting in his seat and playing with the cuffs on his wrists. The clinking sound seemed to amuse him, and his disinterest in He Chaun Zhou’s story was palpable.
She pressed on: “When Zhu Shujun had saved up about 3 million, Sun Yiyao told her something: knowing how to invest is more important than knowing how to earn. To the wealthy, 3 million could easily double in a year. The stock market alone offers 10% gains with a single limit-up. Even conservative investments could yield tens of thousands annually.
“Sure, their line of work is hidden in the shadows, but those with the right connections have access to capitalists and their insider information. Riding the wave of their tips? It’s nothing special.”
"You made your start in real estate, with a wide network and plenty of connections. Zhu Shujun believed in your insincere promises and sought your help, hoping to get an 'insider price' on a house or guidance on managing her finances. But since you were no longer in that line of work, you passed her off to one of your 'friends.' Zhu Shujun entrusted her money to him, even roped in Jiang Jingcheng and Sun Yiyao, and the three of them pooled nearly ten million yuan.
“And then it turned out that guy was a scammer. The money they handed over was essentially borrowed from you. Playing both sides, weren’t you? Smart move, until it blew up in your face. The scammer vanished, but your company is too big to run away."
Shen Wenzheng’s restless fidgeting came to an unconscious halt. He feigned indifference, tilting his head slightly as though casually listening.
He Chaun Zhou caught the subtle shifts in his expression and deliberately paused.
The silence lingered for half a minute before Shen Wenzheng realized what was missing, the clinking of his handcuffs that had filled the room earlier.
Noticing his unease, He Chaun Zhou smirked maliciously and leaned back slightly before continuing.
"Zhu Shujun came to you, hoping you could either help her track him down or compensate her losses. But you never saw her as a person, just an occasional plaything to pass the time. And now this plaything dared to defy you, even trying to bite back. The situation had spiraled out of your control, and your authority was being challenged. You were furious. So you decided to toy with her one last time."
Pausing briefly, He Chaun Zhou signaled for someone to bring in water.
As they waited, Shen Wenzheng’s relaxed demeanor vanished entirely. Like the officers scrutinizing him, he now studied them openly, gauging their intentions to adjust his approach.
The door shut again, and the faint shift in light drew Shen Wenzheng’s attention. As he blinked, he noticed the shadow cast by his lashes and thought the room seemed dimmer than before.
He Chaun Zhou drank a couple of sips, her voice steadier as she continued:
"You tricked her into sleeping with you and then told her there was no way you’d help. You’re wealthy enough that this wasn’t about the money, it was about the pleasure you got from tormenting her. You enjoyed watching her struggle helplessly, backed into a corner, and you reveled in the power of breaking her down."
A sigh escaped her. "A person fights so hard just to survive. She sold herself for money, blessed with beauty yet reduced to groveling at your feet. Twenty-something years of beliefs, values, and understanding, all shattered by a few words from you. Reduced to nothing, destroyed. Shen Wenzheng, deep down, doesn’t that make you proud?"
Each word hit like a hammer, slow and deliberate.
Shen Wenzheng tipped his head back, pulling at his shirt collar to let in more air, even though he was wearing a low-neck T-shirt.
"Zhu Shujun wasn’t going to let you mock her. She retaliated, she bit you hard. You shoved her to the ground. She ran to the kitchen, grabbed a knife, and came at you with the intent to kill. But you overpowered her, took the knife, and plunged it straight into her chest."
He Chaun Zhou clenched a fist, mimicking the stabbing motion, her eyes boring into him. "You killed her, Shen Wenzheng. You crossed the line."
Shen Wenzheng didn’t respond immediately. His answer was deliberate, calculated. He wasn’t afraid of He Chaun Zhou catching on to his thoughts, he knew his words had to be flawless.
With a composed demeanor, he replied, "Your story is well-crafted but illogical. Why me? I wasn’t the one who scammed them, was I? Investments carry risks, I had no obligation to compensate for their losses."
He Chaun Zhou nodded subtly toward Brother Huang, who had been observing quietly until now. He finally moved, stretching his stiff back with an exaggerated groan, then picked up a laptop and walked over to Shen Wenzheng, playing a video recorded on a phone.
The shaky footage showed a fire burning about four or five meters away on a patch of ground. The flames obscured the shape of the object, crackling loudly as thick black smoke spiraled upward.
The night was dark, shadows of trees looming ominously in the desolate outdoors. The distorted imagery on the ground exuded an eerie chill.
Sun Yiyao’s voice, high-pitched and frantic, pierced through the night. "I started the fire! I burned it!"
A cautious male voice responded, "Get closer with the camera. I can’t see clearly!"
Sun Yiyao screamed hysterically, refusing as the camera jerked toward the sky, spun across the ground, and stabilized again, this time farther from the fire.
"I won’t!" she repeated over and over. "I won’t go closer!"
Shen Wenzheng’s voice rang out sharply, "Enough! Stop yelling!"
The command made Sun Yiyao run further away, hiding behind a tree. She aimed the camera at the fire from a safe distance.
"When the fire’s out," Shen Wenzheng ordered coldly, "clean everything up and dump it somewhere no one will find it."
As Sun Yiyao panicked, almost delirious, Shen Wenzheng hissed, "Did you hear me, Sun Yiyao? Get a grip, or we’re both dead!"
Through chattering teeth, Sun Yiyao shrieked, "You’re the one who killed her! You killed Zhu Shujun! I just set the fire!"
"Shut up!" Shen Wenzheng barked.
The video ended, the software looping it to replay the brief, one-minute recording.
The room filled with Sun Yiyao’s gasping breaths, her raw panic seeping into the atmosphere. Even Shen Wenzheng’s breathing subtly quickened as if unconsciously drawn into the suffocating tension.
Shen Wenzheng's lips tightened briefly, a flash of malice crossing his eyes. Then he raised his head and countered, "So? There's no evidence that the person in the video is me, right? Even the voice doesn’t match. Didn’t you notice?"
"Are you blinded by overconfidence?" He Chaun Zhou mocked, tapping on the screen with a finger. "The evidence I mentioned isn’t this video. You’ve deceived so many people, how could you not consider that someone might deceive you?"
With a sly smirk, she added, "You’re so sure you covered your tracks? Are you absolutely confident that what burned here was Zhu Shujun’s body?"
Shen Wenzheng’s expression stiffened, his confidence faltering. Unsure whether He Chaun Zhou was baiting him, he forced a smile, feigning surprise. "Really?"
He Chaun Zhou's gaze darkened. She returned to her seat, pulled out a DNA report from a file folder, and placed it in front of Shen Wenzheng.
"Sun Yiyao didn’t burn the body. She buried it in Yanmu Village. The bloodstains on the clothes, the wound on the back of her head, and Zhu Shujun's bite, leaving traces of your flesh in her teeth, all remain intact. The technicians extracted the DNA. Take a look for yourself."
Brother Huang, who had been silent for a while, chimed in, "Even a dog will bite back when cornered, let alone a person. Shen Wenzheng, your arrogance had blinded you!"
Shen Wenzheng’s face turned ghostly pale. His panic finally broke through his façade. He stared at the replaying video, then at the paper report, his throat dry as he swallowed hard. Desperation glinted in his eyes as he shook his head violently. "Impossible!"
He declared firmly, "You’re trying to bluff me! This kind of coercion is illegal, isn’t it? He Chaun Zhou, I’ll sue you!"
He Chaun Zhou responded with a look of almost pity, clicking her tongue twice. She pushed photos of the crime scene toward him, images of the body, recognizable clothing, and blood-soaked fabric. She leaned in, her words sharp as daggers. "Shen Wenzheng, face it. There’s no escaping this."
The sight of the familiar clothes and the bloodstains made Shen Wenzheng crumble. His mind roared as if it had short-circuited, his facial muscles twitching uncontrollably. His veneer of composure shattered completely.
His breathing halted momentarily, his flushed face contorted in anger. He slammed his fist on the table, sending the water cup flying. As the cup rolled away, its contents splashed under the glaring fluorescent light.
Trying to rise, Shen Wenzheng was restrained by the table, slumping back down in frustration. He pounded the surface, his rage spilling out in expletives. "That bitch! That bitch! She dared to deceive me!"
"Serves you right, doesn’t it?" Brother Huang relished watching him lose control. "Forgot you’ve killed someone, didn’t you?"
"I refuse to admit it!" Shen Wenzheng roared, his reddened eyes bulging. "That blood was planted by that slut, Sun Yiyao! She stole my blood, yes, she framed me!"
Brother Huang, fearing damage to the computer, pulled it away, scoffing. "Keep screaming, keep pretending. Your reckoning was overdue. You should be grateful for the years you roamed free."
Shen Wenzheng switched tactics. "I’ll wait for my lawyer. It was self-defense! I’ll hire the best lawyer in the country! Do you know how many people will lose their jobs if my company collapses?"
He Chaun Zhou watched his desperate flailing with detached amusement. Turning to Brother Huang, she remarked, "Death penalty. Seems likely, doesn’t it?"
Huang nodded. "I agree. With public opinion as bad as it is, helped along by Shen Wenzheng’s own manipulations, it seems fitting. Congratulations, Shen, you crowdfunded your own bullet."
"Shut up!" Shen Wenzheng exploded, slamming the table again. "You’re talking nonsense!"
Brother Huang, unfazed, gathered the documents and placed a printed statement in front of Shen for his signature. Shen grabbed the pen and flung it to the floor.
Brother Huang chuckled, stooping to retrieve the pen. Ignoring Shen Wenzheng’s fury, he high-fived He Chaun Zhou with exaggerated enthusiasm and announced cheerfully, "Case closed! Time to celebrate with a meal!"