Chapter 16 Chapter 15 Complicity

Wei Jiong threw the last piece of butter biscuit into his mouth, and while chewing, he carelessly brushed off the crumbs on his chest.He has been lying like this all morning, comfortably enjoying the aftertaste of the Spring Festival with a small sense of guilt. A thick collection of practice questions for the judicial examination lay beside him.That was something he had deliberately memorized back from school and planned to finish it during the holidays.However, according to past experience, after the winter vacation, the book will be memorized back intact. Wei Jiong turned over comfortably, looked at the phone, and comforted himself: tomorrow, I must study hard tomorrow.

The door was pushed open suddenly, and my mother broke in, and saw the biscuit crumbs on the bed sheet at a glance. "You are a pig!" Mom angrily opened the closet, pulled out a sheet and threw it over, "Hurry up and change it!" Wei Jiong hurriedly got up and changed the sheets with a smile on his face. Just after removing the old one, he saw the screen of his mobile phone light up. He picked it up casually, and while shaking out the new sheets, he checked a WeChat message he had just received. It was from Lao Ji.Wei Jiong smiled.After a carnival on New Year's Eve, both he and Yue Xiaohui were severely criticized by the nursing home, and the attendant even threatened to call the police.Fortunately, Lao Ji tried his best to mediate, but finally nothing happened.But the old people spent a very unforgettable Spring Festival.When Wei Jiong and Yue Xiaohui were "pushed out" of the dean's office, an old lady secretly stuffed a large handful of milk candy into Yue Xiaohui's pocket.

Since that day, Lao Ji has become much quieter.Counting the days, this is the first time Lao Ji has sent him a WeChat message in a few days. However, after Wei Jiong opened the message, he grabbed a corner of the bed sheet and froze in place. That's a video.It lasted more than 20 seconds, and the scene was a corridor, which looked very familiar.After a little identification, Wei Jiong realized that it was the third floor of the nursing home. There are two men in the picture, one of them looks about sixty years old and is bald.Wei Jiong remembered seeing this person in the nursing home, but he didn't know which room he was in.

The other person is Zhang Haisheng. Judging from the content of the video, the two people are talking, and what they are talking about is quite secretive.Because they are all constantly looking around.Zhang Haisheng was always holding a cigarette, tilting his head, looking lazy.The bald man seemed to want something from him, with a flattering expression on his face. At the end of the video, the bald man pressed Zhang Haisheng's shoulder and stuffed something into his pocket.Zhang Haisheng shied away a few times, but it was obvious that he was just putting on a show, and finally he pretended to be helpless and nodded in agreement.The bald man looked happy, talked to him for a few more words, and left in a hurry.Zhang Haisheng also turned around and walked to the other side of the corridor, taking out the things just now from his pocket as he walked. Judging from the counting action, it should be a few banknotes.

That's all for the video. Wei Jiong felt very strange, he didn't know the significance of this video at all, could it be that the bald man also asked Zhang Haisheng to buy "contraband" for nursing homes from outside? Just as he was thinking, Lao Ji sent another WeChat message: "Have you received it?" Wei Jiong replied: "Received." After thinking about it, he asked again: "What is this?" However, before he finished typing these few words, Lao Ji's next message appeared on the screen again: "Come to the nursing home and help me hurry up."

Five minutes later, Wei Jiong was already in a taxi bound for the nursing home.He made a call to Lao Ji, but was hung up by the other party as soon as he got through.Tried again, still the same result. What happened to him? Wei Jiong was a little anxious, Lao Ji obviously encountered some kind of emergency, otherwise he wouldn't let himself go to the nursing home immediately.However, only relying on that video, Wei Jiong couldn't figure out what happened. He could only urge the taxi driver to speed up over and over again.After half the journey, Lao Ji sent him another video. This time the video is shorter, only ten seconds.Zhang Haisheng is the only one left in the picture.He was still in that corridor, first looked around, and then stretched out his hand to push open a certain door. The moment he entered the door, his other hand took out a small paper package from his pocket.A few seconds later, he exited the room again, closed the door, and wiped his fingers on his clothes.

After reading it several times, Wei Jiong calmed down instead.Through these two videos, he has figured out a little bit. Lao Ji was clearly recording something.Besides, he is safe now, at least he can send the video to himself via WeChat. Moreover, this matter is related to Zhang Haisheng. Half an hour later, the taxi finally arrived at the destination.Wei Jiong paid the fare, got out of the car and ran to the nursing home.As soon as he walked to the door, he saw that the usually closed iron gate had been opened, and two police cars with lights still shining were parked in the yard.An old man, sandwiched between two uniformed police officers, was stepping into the car with his head bowed.

Wei Jiong looked at the gray face and recognized him as the bald man who appeared in the video. The yard was full of old people watching the fun.Wei Jiong saw Lao Ji at a glance. He was sitting in a wheelchair, leaning against the door quietly, watching the chaos in front of him. Wei Jiong waved his hand, Lao Ji looked at him, did not speak, but turned around and shook the wheelchair, and walked into the small building. Wei Jiong didn't know what to do, so he could only lift his heels up.As soon as I entered the small building, I saw two policemen coming down the stairs carrying a stretcher.The person on the stretcher was covered with a white quilt, with only his weakly shaking head exposed, as if he was still in a coma.Looking at the gray hair, Wei Jiong suddenly remembered that this was the old woman surnamed Qin.

The policeman rudely ordered him to get out of the way.Wei Jiong did so obediently, and when he passed the stretcher, he smelled the strange smell mixed with sesame oil again. Wei Jiong didn't have time to think too much, and quickly chased after Lao Ji who had gone far. Lao Ji went straight back to the room.Wei Jiong also followed him in, and as soon as he entered, he found that there was another person in the room——Zhang Haisheng. Seeing them coming in, Zhang Haisheng stood up quite nervously. "Old Ji, you..." Lao Ji ignored him, rolled the wheelchair under the window, picked up a cigarette, and lit one.Immediately, he looked Zhang Haisheng up and down, and asked blankly, "What's the matter?"

"Oh, it's nothing." Zhang Haisheng sat back on the bed, thought for a while, and stood up again, "The dean asked me to ask... Did you call the police?" "Yes." Lao Ji turned his head and faced Wei Jiong, "Don't just sit there, find a place to sit." Wei Jiong responded, pulled up his chair, and sat at the small wooden table. Standing among them, Zhang Haisheng looked at Lao Ji and then at Wei Jiong, with anxious and embarrassing expressions on his face. "What do you mean... why are you meddling in that business?" Zhang Haisheng half-bowed, paying attention to Lao Ji's expression, "The police are here."

"Business?" Lao Ji flicked the cigarette ash, staring into Zhang Haisheng's eyes, "Old Zhang, that's a crime, rape." Zhang Haisheng trembled, and his face became even paler: "Then... did Lao Tian say anything?" "I don't know." Lao Ji extinguished the cigarette butt in the tin can, "He doesn't need to say anything." "Huh?" Zhang Haisheng raised his eyebrows, "What do you mean?" "I took pictures of him entering Lao Qin's room with my mobile phone." Lao Ji looked at Zhang Haisheng with great interest, "and he also left semen - the evidence is solid, it doesn't make sense whether he says it or not." "Did you take all the photos?" The room was not hot, but Zhang Haisheng started to sweat. After muttering for a long time, he forced a smiley face to Lao Ji, "Let me see." "The phone was handed over to the police." Lao Ji lowered his eyelids, "It's not with me." "Oh." Zhang Haisheng wiped his forehead with his hand, took out a cigarette from his pocket tremblingly, and failed to light it even after lighting it several times.Lao Ji looked at him meaningfully, neither speaking nor helping. "Could it be that you are overthinking?" Zhang Haisheng finally lit a cigarette and took a deep puff. "Maybe Lao Tian and Lao Qin did it voluntarily?" "Old Qin has been drugged." "Sleeping pills?" Zhang Haisheng immediately retorted, "She takes it every day." "She took an overdose of sleeping pills." Lao Ji smiled, "And I know who did it." The cigarette fell from Zhang Haisheng's mouth to the ground with a thud.He stared at Lao Ji dumbfounded, his face turned from white to green, and his lips trembled. "Old Ji...don't be kidding, this...you also took pictures?" "Wei Jiong," Lao Ji kept staring at Zhang Haisheng with a faint smile on his face, "show him." "Huh?" Wei Jiong was stunned for a moment, and then realized that Lao Ji was referring to the two videos he sent him.He hurriedly took out his phone, found the WeChat dialog with Lao Ji, and opened the video. The moment he saw the picture, Zhang Haisheng made a movement, as if he was going to rush over and snatch the phone.Sensing his intention, Lao Ji stopped immediately: "Stand where you are and watch!" Zhang Haisheng didn't dare to move any more, he bowed his back, stood and watched the two videos, his face was already dripping with sweat.When Wei Jiong put away his phone, he felt as if he had just been hit by a sap, and couldn't stand anymore. Zhang Haisheng slumped down on the bed, covered his face with his hands, and trembled violently all over his body. Wei Jiong looked at Lao Ji awkwardly, not knowing what to do.Lao Ji still looked calm, lit another cigarette, and smoked slowly. After a long time, Zhang Haisheng slowly raised his head and stared at Lao Ji with despair and resentment in his eyes. "Ji Qiankun!" He stood up and shouted hoarsely at Old Ji, "Fuck you!" Lao Ji took a puff of smoke and looked at him calmly. "Why the hell are you trying to punish me?" Zhang Haisheng has completely lost his mind, groping around frantically, "If you don't let me live, don't even think about it!" He picked up an ink bottle on the table and rushed towards Lao Ji. Wei Jiong was shocked and instinctively got up to stop him.However, Lao Ji's subsequent words made both of them froze in place. "I did not hand over these two videos to the police." After a long time, Zhang Haisheng woke up first. "You..." He still held the ink bottle in his hand, but his whole body relaxed, "What are you going to do?" Lao Ji put his ten fingers together, propped them in front of his eyes, leaned his elbows on the armrest of the wheelchair, and stared at Zhang Haisheng. "I'll tell you, but now is not the time." Lao Ji pouted towards the door, "Someone is here." Before the words were finished, the dean opened the door and rushed in angrily. Seeing three people in the room, the dean was taken aback for a moment, and then asked bluntly, "What are you doing?" Before they could answer, the dean said directly to Lao Ji: "Lao Ji, let's talk." After finishing speaking, he waved to Zhang Haisheng: "You go out first." Zhang Haisheng put the ink bottle back to its original place, glanced at Lao Ji with complicated eyes, then opened the door and walked out without saying a word. The dean stood with his hips akimbo angrily, looked at Wei Jiong, and asked, "Who are you?" "My friend." Lao Ji replied calmly. "You go out too!" The dean waved to Wei Jiong impatiently.Wei Jiong stood up and was about to leave when Lao Ji stopped him with gestures. "He's here." Lao Ji's voice was not high, but with undeniable determination, "Say what you have to say." The dean's face turned blue, he held back for a long time, and spit out a few words through his teeth: "Old Ji, you are quite capable." Lao Ji smiled: "Thank you." "Can't you fucking say hello to me first?" The dean was completely irritated by Lao Ji's smile, and rushed straight in front of him, almost touching his forehead, "Do you have to call the police directly? Now the courtyard It's a mess! Both sides are fucking looking for me!" "Principal," Old Ji slightly raised his head and looked straight into the other's eyes, "The children of the family sent the old man here to support his life, not to be spoiled by bastards." The dean was speechless for a moment, looked at Lao Ji in a daze, and finally nodded fiercely. "Yeah, we don't manage well here, and we can't tolerate a great god like you." He moved away and pointed to the door, "You go." "I'm not going anywhere." Lao Ji shrank back into the wheelchair and changed into a more comfortable position, "I'll just live here." "I am the dean." The dean took another step forward, "I have the final say here!" "You can try it." Lao Ji slowly brushed the dust off the blanket, "There is a shady scene in the nursing home, and the whistleblower is being retaliated against - this will be the headline of the major media tomorrow morning." The dean's expression froze instantly, and after a long time, he straightened up and pointed at Lao Ji's nose with his finger. "Okay." His whole face was pulled together, revealing a mouthful of crooked teeth, "You're really good." After finishing speaking, the dean turned around and walked out of the room, slamming the door hard. Lao Ji exhaled slowly, turned to face Wei Jiong, but saw the latter standing one meter away from him, frowning, looking at him thoughtfully. "Old Ji," Wei Jiong stared at him and asked in a low voice, "What exactly do you want?" Lao Ji smiled and asked back: "Scared you?" He picked up the cigarette case, moved the wheelchair to a sunny place, stared at the corner of the room, and lit another cigarette. "The man you saw at the door just now, his surname is Tian, ​​and his name is Tian Youguang." Half of Lao Ji's face was covered by the smoke, and he looked preoccupied. "He is a widower and was sent here about two years ago. Lao Sao With a stick, if you have nothing to do, surround the old lady in the yard, do your hands and feet, and take advantage of it." Lao Ji snorted through his nose, with a contemptuous smile on the corner of his mouth. "About three months ago, I found out that he and Zhang Haisheng suddenly had a hot fight." Lao Ji turned around and faced Wei Jiong with a solemn expression, "Lao Tian is a penny-pinching rooster, and Zhang Haisheng is a good-for-nothing master. How did the two of them get together? I found it strange, so I paid attention to it. As a result, I discovered their secret." "They are partners, go..." "Yes." Lao Ji curled his lips, "Old Qin used to be a dance teacher. He had a good temperament and good looks. He got Alzheimer's disease—that is, dementia, and was sent here by his family after that." He held out a hand, fingers spread. "Fifty yuan a time." Lao Ji shook his hand at Wei Jiong, "After Zhang Haisheng took the money, he doubled the amount of sleeping pills given to Lao Qin, so that Lao Tian could bully her. This bastard brings sesame oil every time for comfort. .” Wei Jiong finally understood where the strange smell on the old woman surnamed Qin came from, and when he thought of the purpose of the sesame oil, he couldn't help but feel his stomach churning. "Lao Qin is very pitiful. He was drugged and ruined without knowing it." Lao Ji sighed, "However, I think she understands it in her heart, but she can't explain it clearly." He put out the cigarette butt: "Before the Spring Festival, Lao Qin's family took her home. The old lady was very happy, like a child. But she was sent back on the sixth day of the lunar new year. When her son left, the old lady's eyes... Ugh." You can imagine.After experiencing a short period of family happiness, I have to face the lonely time alone. What's more, he had to endure endless insults and rapes. However, the doubts in Wei Jiong's heart are getting bigger and bigger. "Old Ji," Wei Jiong was silent for a while, and finally asked, "You know the law, right?" Lao Ji didn't seem to be surprised by Wei Jiong's question, and nodded: "Yes." "Then you know very well that Zhang Haisheng and Lao Tian are accomplices, right?" "right." "Then why didn't you hand over those two videos to the police?" Wei Jiong stared into Lao Ji's eyes, "Bullying an unconscious old man for money——Zhang Haisheng is even more hateful than Lao Tian!" "The reason why I sent those two videos to you is that I don't want the police to see it." Lao Ji took a deep look at Wei Jiong, "I have no one I can trust, except you." "You didn't answer my question." "It's a long story." Lao Ji suddenly sighed.He bent down and buried his face in his hands.For a moment, he raised his head, his eyes full of sadness and sorrow. "Son, are you patient enough to listen?" "Tell me." Wei Jiong pulled up his chair and sat down, looking at Lao Ji quietly. "I told you about my wife's death before, right?" Lao Ji curled up in the wheelchair, keeping his eyes on the blanket on his lap. "Ok." "Speaking of which, it was the 20th century." Lao Ji smiled, "1990 to 1991... How old are you?" "I haven't been born yet." Wei Jiong thought for a while, "I was born in 1992." "Hehe, then you definitely won't know." Lao Ji's eyes were dull, "At that time, four consecutive rape and murder cases occurred in City C." "Ah?" Wei Jiong opened his eyes wide, "What do you mean?" "Yes." Lao Ji lowered his head, "My wife is the fourth victim." Wei Jiong was so surprised that he couldn't speak for a long time. Finally, he said slowly: "Old Ji...I'm sorry." "Hey, it's nothing." Lao Ji shook his head, "It's been more than twenty years." He stretched out his hand and patted Wei Jiong's knee, with a strange expression that seemed to be a smile but not a smile, as if he was comforting him, but tears welled up in his eyes. Wei Jiong couldn't bear to look at him again and lowered his head. "On August 5, 1991, she went to a colleague's wedding appreciation banquet." Lao Ji raised his eyes and looked out the window, as if talking to himself, "I went out after five in the afternoon, wearing a blue and white floral dress, newly bought The high-heeled shoes and the perfume - Madame Butterfly, I asked a friend to bring it back from Japan. As a result, she didn't come back all night." "and after?" "I called the police. Her friend said that after ten o'clock in the evening, she left. However, I searched all the places I could think of, but I still couldn't find her. Until the 7th This morning, I got a call from the police." Wei Jiong was speechless and stared at him blankly. "After she was raped, she was strangled to death. The body was cut into ten pieces and thrown in every corner of the city." Lao Ji's eyes gradually diverged, and his voice became mechanical and emotionless, as if he was describing an event. Things that have nothing to do with me, "When I saw her, I hadn't found her entire right leg." Wei Jiong couldn't help himself no matter how difficult he was, he jumped up, grabbed Lao Ji's shoulder, and asked hissingly, "Has the case been solved? Has the murderer been caught?" Lao Ji's body swayed back and forth following Wei Jiong's movements. He turned his head and looked into Wei Jiong's eyes with a weak expression. "Caught him. I attended the trial. He was sentenced to death and executed immediately." Wei Jiong suddenly relaxed, and he fell back on the chair, his chest heaving and falling. On Lao Ji's face, there was no joy of revenge, on the contrary, his expression was even more sad. "However, the police arrested the wrong person. He is not the murderer." There was silence in the room. Wei Jiong stared at Lao Ji dumbfounded, and after a while he managed to utter a few words: "What did you say?" "The man caught by the police is Xu Mingliang, a butcher." Lao Ji smiled miserably. "There are his fingerprints and a statement. Everything is correct, but the murderer is not him." "Why do you say that?" Wei Jiong came back to his senses and immediately asked, "Didn't he admit it?" "It's not him, it's definitely not him. I've seen his eyes. There's only despair and fear in them, no darkness, no evil, nothing!" Lao Ji's eyes became sharp, "If he kills my wife, then There must be something about him, the smell of my wife! But I can't find it, not at all!" Wei Jiong was speechless for a while, thought for a while, and asked tentatively: "Old Ji, could it be you..." "No!" Lao Ji categorically denied it before he finished speaking, "I have lived with her for twelve years, and we are already familiar with each other like one person! If he took her away, I will definitely feel it!" After all, Lao Ji paused, his voice became hoarse and difficult: "Her name is Feng Nan, she doesn't like to talk, but she loves to laugh... We have been trying to have a child... When she was killed, she was only thirty Four years old." Silence again. The two sat without saying a word. For a while, Wei Jiong looked at the bookshelf across the bed and broke the silence first. "So... all these years, you have not let go of this matter?" "I can't let it go, and it's the same for you." Lao Ji's face is sad, "I often think, when my wife was killed, was she terribly afraid and in pain? Would she beg the murderer to let her go? The moment before death, will you silently say my name in your heart, longing for me to save her..." "Stop talking..." Wei Jiong finally burst into tears. "I want to know this. I want to see what kind of person killed my wife. I want to ask him personally how he can play with other people's daughters, mothers, and wives, and then disassemble them like a toy. They cut it into pieces!" "You've been investigating the case?" "Yeah, until I got into a car accident." Wei Jiong was silent for a while, thought for a while, and asked slowly: "Old Ji, why are you telling me this?" "Because you gave me hope." Lao Ji looked at him, "Before you appeared, I thought I could only stay here for the rest of my life, isolated from the world, and die with hatred and unwillingness." "hope?" "Yes. You ignited the pile of ashes in my heart." Lao Ji straightened up, with a falcon-like look in his eyes, "You made me feel that I still have a chance to find the murderer." "But," Wei Jiong was still puzzled, "what does this have to do with Zhang Haisheng?" "I need someone who can be driven by me unconditionally." A smile appeared on the corner of Lao Ji's mouth, "This is like a prison, but I have to get out. No one can help me except Zhang Haisheng." Wei Jiong didn't speak, but still stared at him. "I know it's immoral, especially unfair to Lao Qin." Lao Ji knew Wei Jiong's thoughts, and his tone gradually became more serious, "I assure you, after this matter is investigated, I will immediately involve Zhang Haisheng. The evidence of the rape was handed over to the police. However, no matter in terms of ability or character, I cannot fully trust Zhang Haisheng." Having said that, Lao Ji stopped talking, but looked at Wei Jiong expectantly. Wei Jiong was in a state of confusion.He was very clear about Lao Ji's intentions: besides Zhang Haisheng, Lao Ji needed someone to help him investigate the murder case that year. This person is Wei Jiong. Due to emotion and reason, Wei Jiong felt that he should help Lao Ji.However, the old man in front of him made him feel strange.The old man who used to be carefree, uncontested, gentle and humorous is now like a falcon ready to go.Especially when he used Zhang Haisheng's ruthlessness, Wei Jiong almost thought that the old Ji he knew before was someone else. However…… He thought of the woman named Feng Nan, the mutilated body with one leg missing, and the night that woman died. Think of this old man who has been trapped in a cage for twenty-three years. Think of the murderer who is still at large. Wei Jiong turned around, looked at Lao Ji, and said word by word: "Ok."