I let out a cold laugh and started the pre-prepared recording. First, I played the recording of Yu Han Hai, and as he confessed to how they murdered Xiang Yi Tong five years ago, Niu Da Sheng's face grew even more ashen. Even without him speaking, I could tell his heart was being gnawed by countless ants, an excruciating pain that could shatter his innards, burst his heart, and block all his blood vessels.
Yet, he clung to a sliver of hope, for Lawyer Lei was by his side.
After the recording, I presented them with a confession, followed by testimonies from several of Xiang Yi Tong's neighbors. This was evidence we obtained during our later review of the case. They all said that on the night Xiang Yi Tong passed away, they heard an argument. One aunt even saw the situation inside the house from her window. However, this aunt did not report it, which caused the case to drag on until now. After reviewing everything one by one, Lawyer Lei remarked, "Is that all?"
"One person's testimony might not be the truth, but if many people observe the same phenomenon, unless the killer possesses heaven-defying abilities, it's impossible to overturn. You want physical evidence, right? Take a look at this."
I placed an interesting watch in front of Niu Da Sheng. Upon seeing the watch, he slumped onto the seat, completely devoid of any will to resist. Lawyer Lei, unable to salvage the situation, could only stand nervously, as if possessed.
"Your father gave you this as an 18th birthday gift. The next day, you committed murder. Perhaps this was your best repayment to him. Heh, it sounds a bit ironic, but it's the truth. Niu Da Sheng, accept your fate! I told you long ago you couldn't escape!"
"Stop talking! I beg you, Officer He, I admit it. I killed her, we killed her! It was our fathers who handled the body!" Niu Da Sheng couldn't help but burst into tears, covering his haggard face with his hands.
"Please tell us the details."
Niu Da Sheng no longer concealed anything and recounted everything to us. However, the details were not significantly different from what Yu Han Hai had said. After I took notes, I proceeded to Niu Da Hong's interrogation room.
Playing Niu Da Sheng's recording, Niu Da Hong's case naturally fell apart. Knowing that his own son had confessed, how could a father possibly deny it?
He sighed to the heavens, "It seems there truly is retribution in this world! Retribution! Hahahaha! We finally face retribution!"
"Retribution? Do you think saying this now is useful? In the past, your lives were ordinary, yet you knew how to help others – that was good. Later, when your work improved, your scoundrel son frequently caused trouble at school – that was evil. After he committed murder, you didn't report them but instead helped them dispose of the body, pushing them into the abyss. And now, you've been caught by us and are facing legal sanctions – this is the way of heaven!"
"What you said to my son is correct. This is the way of heaven. We are all being punished by heaven. If it weren't for our momentary lapse in judgment back then, so many mistakes wouldn't have been made. But I've become wealthy these past few years and have lived a good life, so I have no regrets!"
"Is that so? Does having nightmares every day and constantly being tormented by past events mean you've forgotten? You might think that forgetting is enough, that you can pretend it never happened. But when you close your eyes in the dead of night, in an empty space, and reflect carefully, can you truly be at peace with yourself?"
Upon hearing this, Niu Da Hong felt as if the entire world had collapsed. He withered away powerlessly, like a corpse.
"Niu Da Hong, this matter is not over yet. We've also investigated your involvement in drug cases. What exactly was the flow of funds? Since the person is dead and the death penalty is certain, are you still trying to conceal it?!"
"I..." Niu Da Hong didn't confess immediately, seeming to want to hide something. But after a moment's thought, he sighed and said, "I'll tell you."
It turned out that ten years ago, he had already started selling drugs like cathinone and pethidine. He was also in contact with an organization, though he had no idea what kind of organization it was at the time. He was solely driven by profit and was being manipulated. He had started saving money back then, though others thought he was still very poor. It was only in recent years that he began to establish companies, and his business grew.
Ten years ago was the early stage of the development of ichthyosis, around the time my parents were murdered. I approached Niu Da Hong, "Do you remember a police officer named He Guanghui?"
"He Guanghui? So that person..."
"Exactly. Was there also a Officer Yue and a Officer Du at the time?"
"Yes, they were Yue Xiu Ping and Du Zhi Wei, I believe. Those in charge warned me to be wary of these two. We had already discovered they were undercover agents. There was also a female police officer named He something Yu."
"He Xiao Yu!"
"Ah, yes! That's her. Anyway, we all played along, pretending we hadn't discovered they were undercover. Later, when the incident was exposed and a boss was arrested, these undercover agents disappeared. Otherwise, ichthyosis would have been released long ago. It was only later that Kelly accidentally recovered those old research materials. But that's all in the past."
It was because of this that my sister only found me now, perhaps. Everything was connected.
Fortunately, we were finally reunited.
Subsequently, Niu Da Hong confessed to several kidnapping and murder cases, as well as arms trafficking. This included the tax evasion we had previously discussed. With that, his company was completely sealed off by us. Finally, he told me, "We separated the body of that old woman and had several people dispose of it. The body parts were then thrown down Song Feng Mountain separately."
"We will find them." In response, I no longer wished to see Niu Da Hong. This was the last time I would meet him.
The company went bankrupt, and He Xin's boyfriend, Chang Xing, met with me alone after leaving the company.
"Actually, I was the one who told He Xin about that matter. Earlier on, I was Zhang Ting's mole within Pin Hong International Trade." We ate dinner at a restaurant near the company building and began our discussion.
"Oh? No wonder. I was curious at the time how He Xin was able to provide such useful clues so easily, and how she mentioned Niu Da Hong's sudden family relocation five years ago. So it was you!"
At this moment, Chang Xing produced a police ID for me. The cover read "Guang Ming City Public Security Provincial Department," and the position section stated "Section Chief, Anti-Drug Detachment." His police rank was Third Class Superintendent. This official position... it made me, without realizing it, look at him with a hint of surprise.