Chapter 144

"Your family really does have means, Director Zhang. What's the cost per square meter in that estate you live in? I've heard that you can't even get in to see the houses if you don't have assets of a hundred million."

"The house belongs to my older brother. My job transferred this year, and the place I go to work at is a little further away. My older brother is getting on in years and was planning to move to a more peaceful place, so he's temporarily letting me use his residence in the city for two years. I'll be retiring soon, anyway."

"Your older brother? There's so much affection between the two of you?"

"My older brother is ten years older than me. He practically raised me. If you said he was like my father, it wouldn't be overstating it. I'm really on rather familiar terms with him. He went out to work young, to do business and save up some resources… To my shame, I haven't given this business very careful thought. I only looked to what was convenient. Perhaps I've made a somewhat bad impression—but I can guarantee that my brother's business hasn't come into the slightest contact with my professional duties, and I've never used my position to do him any favors. If the organization thinks that my private life is too extravagant and violates discipline, I'll accept that and reflect on returning to my home as soon as possible…but apart from that, my conscience is clear in others respects."

The investigator smiled. "All right, we'll verify that.—I suppose you know why you've been asked here?"

"I'm aware."

"So, what would you like to say?"

Zhang Chunjiu sat upright in his chair. As before, he was lean; the leanness of middle age had its own sense of severity. The outlines of his forehead were rather deep. Over time, a long wrinkle had been pressed into it. In all ways, this severe face was hard to connect to the generous, open, good-tempered old big brother in the memories of Director Lu and the others. Looking at him, you couldn't resist having misgivings—how much could a person change over twenty years?

What had changed him?

"I haven't been able to get Lao Lu on the phone these last few days, and I thought it wasn't right, so I tried calling a few other old friends and found that none of them could pick up. Even Lao Pan, who's gone to school, is the same. So I've been thinking that it would be my turn soon." Zhang Chunjiu picked up a teacup and drank a mouthful. His expression didn't change. "I don't know what I should tell you. Why don't you go ahead and ask?"

"Then we won't stand on ceremony." The investigator's smile was a needle in silk floss. "It sounds like since you transferred away, you've remained in regular contact with your former colleagues?"

"Not regular, but this period of time has been rather special. For one thing, there's Gu Zhao's case being investigated anew, and for another, Lao Yang's wife—widow—is sick and staying in the hospital, so we old men have been calling each other rather industriously."

"Oh, yes, Gu Zhao's case." The investigator pushed at his glasses, overlooking the other part. "Do you still remember the details clearly? It was fourteen years ago."

Zhang Chunjiu was silent for a while. "Gu Zhao… Gu Zhao's case was a thorn in all our hearts. No one believed it then, but the evidence was conclusive. It wasn't up to us to believe it or not. To tell you the truth, I didn't believe that Gu Zhao could do that sort of thing and went to talk to my superiors many times, without daring to disclose it—my brothers were demoralized, and the leaders were pressed on all sides. I was caught between them."

At this point, an expression between weariness and indignation showed on his face. "It was hard… I never expected that after so many years, it would be investigated anew one day. If Lao Yang knew…"

The investigator seamlessly interrupted him. "Director Zhang, if Gu Zhao didn't solicit bribes and commit a violent act back then, then who do you think is responsible for him being wronged all those years ago?"

"I can't judge my elders' actions behind their backs, but Gu Zhao's informers collectively perjured themselves, so the other side must have known what he was doing inside and out… That shows it's likely someone was disclosing secrets here, setting him up…" The fold between Zhang Chunjiu's brows deepened. He was silent for a long time, then said, "I don't know who it was, and I'm not willing to suspect anyone. You can go ahead and suspect me—but if you want me to say that any of my brothers from back then could have been a traitor, it's the same as wanting me to believe it's true that Gu Zhao killed someone and solicited bribes. I can't do it."

The investigator wasn't at all moved by this "deep affection between brothers." He unfeelingly pulled out the main subject. "Director Zhang, do you remember an informer from back then whose codename was Old Cinder, real name Yin Chao?"

Zhang Chunjiu nodded. "Yes, wasn't he the one who took Gu Zhao into The Louvre? I remember it clearly. Not long after it happened, he disappeared. I always thought something was off about him. Some years ago I had a young colleague who was transferred to South Bend for work. I knew that Yin Chao still had relatives there and asked this colleague to keep an eye on him for me, and in case Yin Chao returned home to visit his relatives, to arrest him at once."

The investigator at up a little straighter and followed up, "What's the name of your young colleague?"

"Kong Weichen."

"When this Kong Weichen took a few criminal policemen from the City Bureau to investigate Yin Ping, he called you. What did he say?"

"He told me about Yin Ping forging Yin Chao's signature to get the money from their house being torn down, and that they were just going to investigate. He also said that if they got news about Yin Chao, he would definitely notify me. But afterwards I've been unable to contact him." Zhang Chunjiu seemed to realize something was wrong. "What is it? What's happened to Kong Weichen?"

"We have reason to believe that the 'Old Cinder' who went into The Louvre with Gu Zhao was in fact Yin Ping, and also that he held evidence about Gu Zhao's case. But when they went to find him, Yin Ping fled to avoid punishment. In the course of the pursuit, the Criminal Investigation Team's whereabouts were revealed, and two pickups loaded with explosive materials suddenly charged out, wanting to silence—"

Zhang Chunjiu said, "What!"

The investigator revealed the dagger inside the map, suddenly restraining the genial smile on his face. "The other side acted faster than the police force. We have reason to suspect that they received their information before Criminal Police Officer Tao Ran reported to his superior. And among the people present at the time who knew the circumstances, only Kong Weichen had made contact with the outside, and the person he contacted was you. Director Zhang, would you like to explain?"

"You suspect that I…" At this point, Zhang Chunjiu suddenly bit his tongue, forcing down the startled fury on his face. As calmly and evenly as possible, he said, "When Kong Weichen called me, he only said that they were going to Yin Ping's house. He didn't mention that Yin Ping was…that Yin Ping…"

Repeating this name twice, Zhang Chunjiu in the end couldn't restrain himself. His expression showed a trace of disbelief. "How could Yin Ping have become Old Cinder? When did he begin impersonating him? Didn't anyone notice at the time? Who told you this? Is there a basis?"

The investigator met his eyes expressionlessly for a moment, trying to read something in his face. "Director Zhang, did you really not know? Are you acquainted with this person?"

Saying so, he pulled out a photograph and placed it in front of Zhang Chunjiu.

Zhang Chunjiu seemed to still be immersed in the bizarre information he had just heard. He quickly looked down and glanced at the photograph. "No."

"No? Take a closer look." The investigator leaned forward. "Yin Ping suffered a stroke because of a collision. He was taken to the hospital for life-saving measures and still isn't out of danger. Yesterday afternoon, this person infiltrated Yin Ping's hospital room disguised as a nurse's aide and attempted once again to kill him in order to silence him. He failed, and we arrested him—the killer identified you as the one who incited him to do this."

Zhang Chunjiu was stupefied. After a moment, seeming caught between laughter and tears, he pointed to himself. "Me?"

"We found five million in cash in this killer's residence. It was the money that paid for Yin Ping's life."

Zhang Chunjiu's gaze suddenly sharpened. "How much?"

"Five million."

An indescribable expression suddenly flashed over Zhang Chunjiu's face. After a moment, he gave a bitter laugh and let out a long breath, his upright posture crumbling. He leaned heavily back in his chair. "The evidence we found under Gu Zhao's bed back then was five million in cash… It's been fourteen years. What, is it still the same number?"

The investigator carefully weighed his expression. "Where were you on the eleventh?"

"I'm not sure." Zhang Chunjiu rubbed the center of his brow, rubbing a third fold into his eyelids. The weariness in his face deepened. "Could I have a hint?"

"Around two o'clock in the afternoon on the eleventh, you were seen riding in a private car near the Among the Poplars Estate. Is that right?"

"Among the Poplars Estate? I don't know it." Zhang Chunjiu's face was suspicious. "The eleventh…last Monday? My car was under the restriction that day, I borrowed a car from home. I passed by Lu'an Bridge. I think there were some residential communities around, but I didn't notice what they were called."

"Where were you going?"

"First I was going to the Second Hospital to see Lao Yang's family. On the way I remembered that I hadn't bought anything, and that wasn't suitable, so I had the driver get off the highway at Lu'an Bridge. There's a rather big shopping center there," Zhang Chunjiu said. "I threw the receipt somewhere, but you should be able to investigate the security cameras near the checkout at the mall. When I'd bought what I needed, I went to the hospital. Lao Yang's widow Fu Jiahui and his daughter Yang Xin can confirm it. You can go ask them."

The corner of the investigator's eye twitched slightly—the estate the hospital killer lived in was called Among the Poplars, and it really was near the Lu'an Bridge, but it was very small, and the house were old-fashioned. The signs on the buildings were mottled and unclear, and there weren't even any walls around the estate.

The investigator had asked the question this way on purpose, because ordinarily if a person had just been passing by, it would have been hard for him to notice what a common six-story building was called. If Zhang Chunjiu had directly answered, "I was just passing by," then that would have been very suspicious, but…

Was Zhang Chunjiu pretending? Then he was too cautious, and his deliberations too comprehensive; it was frightful.

Having come to Director Zhang, the investigation wouldn't be left to the Criminal Investigation Team. This questioning was being carried on in secret. Only Luo Wenzhou had been specially approved to come listen in. The investigator asked all the questions four or five times, full of countless pitfalls; it took over three hours in all. Both the questioner and the one being questioned were unbearably exhausted, and even Luo Wenzhou, listening from the sidelines, couldn't resist lighting a cigarette when he walked out the door.

Heavily weighed down, he focused and pondered amidst a cloud of smoke. Then he crossed the street—waiting there was an SUV so tall it had no friends.

As soon as Luo Wenzhou pulled open the door, before he could get into the passenger's seat, Xiao Haiyang leaned forward impatiently from the back seat. "Captain Luo, I now think that this matter is questionable. Director Zhang may have been framed!"

Luo Wenzhou glanced at him, brought his frozen hands close to the car air-conditioning's warm breeze, and slowly said, "Earlier, you were the one wishing you could push Director Zhang up onto the guillotine, and now you're the one saying he's been unjustly accused… Little Glasses, it's fortunate you're a commoner in the modern era. If you transmigrated into a prince in a feudal society, how many wrongfully murdered spirits would there be on your hands?"

Xiao Haiyang took no notice of what Luo Wenzhou was saying to him. He lowered his head and pulled a folder out of his bag. Pointing to two photographs inside it, he said, "Look, this is the cash found in that killer's house, and the other photograph is the five million found in Uncle Gu's house. I found it in the sealed old case file.—Large sums of money are usually piled up in stacks of ten thousand to make it easier to check. Banks tie them in paper strips. But the cash found in the killer's house is all stacked together, exactly the same as the material evidence from fourteen years ago!"

Lang Qiao, next to him, said, "Yeah, I asked the hospital killer about it, and he said the money was like that when it came, and he spent ages counting it to be sure."

Luo Wenzhou took the photographs, frowning deeply.

Out of nowhere, Xiao Haiyang suddenly said, "Captain Luo, I'm sorry, I was wrong."

When he spoke, even Fei Du turned around from the driver's seat. The six eyes of the three people in the car all fell on Xiao Haiyang, as though marveling at the once-in-a-thousand-years spectacle of an iron tree blossoming.

Xiao Haiyang nervily pushed at his glasses, lips pursing into a line. Whether nervous or uneasy, he seemed to be shaking slightly all over. He opened his mouth and let loose a barrage. "I was wrong. I shouldn't have acted subjectively and rashly, reaching a conclusion after only getting a bit of surface-level evidence, casually accusing a hero. And I shouldn't have…"

Luo Wenzhou interrupted him. "Did you write that just now?"

Xiao Haiyang blurted out an answer: "Last night."

When he'd said it, he realized at once that he'd done something stupid and immediately shut his mouth. Lang Qiao snickered next to him. Xiao Haiyang, ill at ease, picked at the seam of his pants, seeming ready to evaporate off the face of the earth.

"Our team doesn't have a custom of reciting entire personal reflections from memory. When this is over, just remember to invite some people to a meal." Luo Wenzhou thought about it, then added, "You have to cook it yourself. We'll see based on what you've cooked whether you're sincere or not."

Xiao Haiyang's face was a blank. He seemed to want to season himself and jump right into the steamer.

"I listened to Director Zhang's statement. Though the evidence is very unfavorable to him, all his explanations basically make sense." Luo Wenzhou became stern. "Either he's in a very high class, or he's been set up.—Anyway, if he really is so powerful, he shouldn't have left behind so many gaps in two unsuccessful attempts to kill Yin Ping."

Lang Qiao asked, "So you're saying someone set him up, and it's the same method that was used to set up Gu Zhao? Why? Who has he offended?"

Luo Wenzhou shook his head, indicating for Fei Du to drive home.

The file for Gu Zhao's case had only recently been declassified when the investigation had been reopened. Who would know the detail about the arrangement of the cash? And after Director Zhang was investigated, the last person involved in the case would have been brought in. The investigation team wouldn't publicize how they were dealing with this, and it would be hard for them to interfere…

This increasingly bewildering old case had reached an impasse.

Just then, Fei Du suddenly spoke. "The first Picture Album Project started about a year after Gu Zhao's case. The people in the Picture Album group had the right to request case files—did those include Gu Zhao's case?"

Luo Wenzhou said, "You're saying…"

"The mysterious head of the project," Fei Du said. "Did he really die?"

Luo Wenzhou looked at him deeply. Hindered by Lang Qiao and Xiao Haiyang's presence, he only perfunctorily said, "It's been too long. We'll have to ask when Director Lu and the others get back."

But faint misgivings rose in his mind.—On the surface, the Picture Album Project seemed to be entirely separate from Gu Zhao's case. Why did Fei Du keep mentioning it? Why was he unable to let it go? Why had he even set aside his enormous family business to take part in the second Picture Album Project?