Chapter 2160 - 1179: Testimony (3)

After climbing into the front passenger seat, Yang Xiao was overwhelmed by the strong smell of gasoline, which gave him a headache. The limited space forced him to squeeze together with Chief Zhou.

The driver, whom everyone called Master Sun, was approximately in his early fifties. Wearing a dog-skin hat with the front brim turned up, he had a scruffy beard and spoke with a thick Outer Border accent, giving him a very hearty appearance.

On the road, Chief Zhou took out some materials for Yang Xiao to examine, among which was a photograph.

The photo was very small, about one inch in size, a very old black-and-white picture with a yellowing surface.

The photograph depicted a man who appeared to be about 25 years old.

Yang Xiao wasn’t someone who judged by appearances, but this man’s looks were somewhat lacking. He appeared lethargic, with a ferret-like face and a seedy demeanor, particularly with his small eyes that gave an uncomfortable feeling even through the photo.

Yang Xiao suppressed his discomfort and flipped the photo over, finding a name written on the back: Zhou Wenqing.

Beneath it was a line of small characters, the date was blurred and indistinct, but it seemed to say it was taken at the Second Mechanical Factory.

It was an ID photo, or perhaps an archive photo, which was very common in that era when every employee entering the factory had to be photographed for record.

"Are there larger, clearer photos?" Yang Xiao inquired.

"No, two or three-inch photos are prepared for leaders and model workers; Zhou Wenqing didn’t have that privilege," Chief Zhou said bluntly.

Throughout the journey, the roads were either dirt or gravel, making bumps unavoidable, which was manageable for Chief Zhou and his companions who were long accustomed, but caused trouble for Yang Xiao.

Combined with the intense gasoline smell inside the car, Yang Xiao unexpectedly experienced motion sickness. Upon alighting from the vehicle, he staggered and ended up clutching a tree, vomiting right in front of the factory’s gate.

After a short while, catching his breath, Yang Xiao was in a small room where he saw a woman dressed in a dark blue work uniform with white arm sleeves.

The woman was roughly 35 years old, with skin fairly pale for this era, big eyes, and subtle makeup on her face.

She was Cui Hongying, the target of Yang Xiao and his team today, who had now changed her name to Cui Xiulian.

Initially, Yang Xiao thought a period of negotiation would be needed to get her, but surprisingly, Chief Zhou and his team’s methods were straightforward and crude, taking less than half an hour to get Cui Hongying to open up.

According to Cui Hongying’s confession, she was also deceived by Qian Shouyi, the defense team leader, who coerced her into firmly accusing Zhou Wenqing as the murderer.

"Did you actually see who the murderer was?" Chief Zhou slapped the table, startling Cui Hongying.

"No, really no..." Cui Hongying cried with red eyes, "At that time... I only said I suspected it was Zhou Wenqing, then Qian Shouyi forced me to insist it was him."

"I was scared and didn’t want to do that; Qian Shouyi threatened me, saying he would use his power to expel me from the mechanical factory."

"I got this job with difficulty; it was through my father’s connections that I came in. If... if my father knew I lost this job, he would kill me." Cui Hongying sobbed uncontrollably.

"You mentioned having suspected Zhou Wenqing, but you’re not the only one. Why is that?" Chief Zhou continued probing.

"Because Zhou Wenqing is a strange person; his gaze is terrifying, the kind that stares directly. At night in the Cultural Palace, he often stared at us, making people feel uneasy," as if recalling the scene, Cui Hongying instinctively wrapped her clothing tighter.

"Why are you afraid of his gaze?" Yang Xiao unexpectedly asked, "Did you do something improper at that time?"

At this, Cui Hongying abruptly raised her head to look at Yang Xiao, eyes filled with a trace of undisguisable panic.

Upon noticing, Chief Zhou immediately seized the moment, adopting a fierce demeanor to berate:

"Cui Hongying, at this point, you still refuse to confess? Do you want us to arrest you and send you to prison, shaming your whole family in the village?"

"Think about it, if your parents knew the things you’ve done, the innocent lives you’ve wronged, how would they feel? Would they still acknowledge you as their daughter?"

Clearly, Chief Zhou had conducted background checks beforehand to know where Cui Hongying’s vulnerabilities lay.

"I’m sorry, I’m sorry..." Cui Hongying’s emotions collapsed, apologizing repeatedly: "It’s our mistake, people were spreading false rumors, saying Zhou Wenqing was like a weasel, that his eyes could see clearly in the dark."

"And saying... saying he knew all the female workers’ secrets, knew who we were secretly involved with, and could inform our husbands or partners, so... everyone disliked him, or rather feared him, loathed him."

Upon hearing this, Yang Xiao slowly exhaled a breath alongside Chief Zhou querying further: "Do you know who the real culprit who attacked you is?"

"No, I really don’t know that." Cui Hongying shook her head repeatedly, her expression seeming genuine and not faked.

"The records indicate Zhou Wenqing eventually accepted the blame, is that true?" Chief Zhou flipped through the files, pulling out a page with Cui Hongying’s signature on it.

"It’s true." Cui Hongying lowered her head, her voice faint.

"Bang!"

Chief Zhou slapped the table angrily, loudly demanding, "Lift your head, look at me! Tell me again, is it true?"

"It’s true, it’s true, I don’t know why he acknowledged it, maybe... maybe because..."

Cui Hongying stammered, eventually crying out: "Chief Zhou, does this count as contributing, does it mean I don’t have to go to prison? I have a daughter to raise who is only five years old; I... I can’t go to prison, I can’t..."