Chapter 31: The Na City Case (Part 24)

Wen Rou frowned deeply, her expression one of profound disgust. It was clear that she did not believe a single word coming from Jia Wenming.

"Do not attempt to mislead the police," Li Rui said calmly. "We have already gathered sufficient evidence. Your attempts to frame Liu Meixin only serve to highlight your own cowardice—you are someone who commits heinous acts but lacks the courage to own them."

Jia Wenming replied with an air of indifference, "I am speaking the truth. Given the circumstances, the fact that Liu Meixin chose to stay by the side of a murderer like me is something I couldn't fathom even if I racked my brain. At the time, I guessed that Liu Meixin’s home life was unhappy and that she was a hopeless romantic. I am handsome, so perhaps I gave her a feeling she hadn't experienced before. It might not have been love; she was simply chasing that sensation."

Li Rui did not want to get bogged down in this topic and asked, "What happened after that?"

"Later? Liu Meixin became my... let's call it a mistress, though I never officially acknowledged her, as I already had Yu Meili. An extra person meant another mouth to feed. After some thought, I returned to the 'honey trap' game. Liu Meixin and Yu Meili took turns going out to fish."

"How exactly did you 'fish'?" Li Rui pressed.

"We seduced johns. Whenever one took the bait, we brought them to the rental unit, and I would either drug them unconscious or kill them outright. We split the stolen money fifty-fifty."

"The father and son who sold soybeans—did you kill them together, too?"

Li Rui noticed Jia Wenming swallowing hard, as if he were trying to force back some more incriminating testimony. The ventilation fan in the corner hummed, shredding the memory of the bloody past into fragments.

Jia Wenming’s eyes darted around. "Heh, you mean those two curs? No, I killed them both by myself."

"Is that so?" Li Rui looked directly into his eyes. "But Liu Meixin claimed she killed them with you. Why are you trying to cover for her now?"

Jia Wenming took a deep breath. "At this point, is there any reason for me to hide it from you? It was indeed me who killed them alone."

Li Rui did not waste further words and continued, "When did you leave Na City?"

"Oh, that was after 2018," Jia Wenming said after a moment of thought.

"Which places did you go to?"

"Jinling, Su City, and Hang City."

"You..."

"Enough, Officer!" Jia Wenming suddenly raised his voice, his attitude arrogant. "I have said everything I should say. You already know what happened afterward. I am tired; I don't want to talk anymore."

Li Rui looked at Jia Wenming and felt a deep sense of sorrow.

"If that is the case, then let's end it here." Li Rui stood up, his gaze firm as he stared at him. "Justice may be delayed, but it will never be absent. Your actions will surely face a fair trial!"

When Li Rui left the interrogation room, the heavy burden in his heart finally lifted. Outside, the night rain poured down, as if washing away the blood and tears that lingered upon the earth.

Li Rui gazed into the curtain of rain and lit his last cigarette.

"Since when did your nicotine habit get so bad?" Wen Rou's voice came from behind him.

Li Rui stubbed out the cigarette he had just lit. "It wasn't this bad before, but I don't know what got into me today."

"Regardless, the case is finally over," Wen Rou comforted him. "You’ve worked hard. I hope you didn't take what I said earlier to heart; I know you have always been a good police officer."

Li Rui shook his head. "Don't worry, I'm not that petty. I was just pondering something. Through this case, I have witnessed the complexity and distortion of human nature under extreme conditions."

Wen Rou’s expression turned solemn as well. "Human nature—isn't that exactly what we, as police officers, truly face? Every crime is a betrayal of human nature, merely differing in degree."

"Director Wen, Forensic Doctor Li, you're both here." Lei Chen and Qi Wei walked over.

"Based on Jia Wenming's confession, we interrogated Liu Meixin again. When we asked if she participated in the murder of that father and son, she was nervous, stuttering and contradicting herself. It seems she is still holding something back," Lei Chen reported.

Li Rui pondered for a moment and said, "I have a story. Would you like to hear it?"

"What story?" the others asked curiously.

"A murderer has two mistresses, Mistress A and Mistress B. The murderer loves Mistress A and never let her kill anyone. But one day, Mistress A kills someone by accident. To help her escape punishment, he instigates Mistress B, who already has blood on her hands, to take the blame. Mistress B, feeling betrayed by the murderer, turns herself in but hides her own crimes. Mistress A, long tortured by guilt, finally finds the courage in the face of justice to confess her true crimes. After the murderer is caught, he believes his plan was seamless, unaware that his two mistresses have already sold him out completely. Yet, for the sake of Mistress A, he still takes the fall for all the crimes."

"Uh... Forensic Doctor Li, why am I getting more confused as you talk?" Qi Wei scratched the back of her head, her face full of bewilderment.

"Forensic Doctor Li, do you mean that the Mistress A whom Jia Wenming loved was actually Liu Meixin? That he originally intended for Yu Meili to take the fall for Liu Meixin, and because of this, Yu Meili grew resentful and confessed his crimes to us?" Lei Chen asked in disbelief.

"I didn't say anything of the sort; that is all your own conjecture," Li Rui said coolly.

"Although this hypothesis is explosive... it is not impossible," Lei Chen nodded vigorously.

The night rain tapped against the windowpane, the dripping sound telling an endless story, stirring ripples in their hearts.

...

Six months later, at the Intermediate People's Court of Ha City.

"Jia Wenming, Liu Meixin, Li Fuping, and Sun Dali are found guilty of intentional homicide, robbery, and illegal detention. They are sentenced to death and deprived of political rights for life. Yu Meili, Li Junyan, and Hao Jianping are found guilty of robbery, illegal detention, and harboring criminals, and are sentenced to fifteen years in prison with three years of deprivation of political rights."

As the gavel fell, the Na City case was declared closed.

In this seemingly peaceful era, the hidden evil was shocking. Li Rui sat in the gallery, quietly watching the group of criminals face the law. Jia Wenming’s cruelty was heinous, while Liu Meixin’s tragic experience evoked deep sympathy and endless regret.

Although she took the initiative to confess her crimes to the police, she was implicated in too many murders, and her sins were too heavy; only death could provide solace to those lost souls.

Seven days later, at the Western Suburbs Prison.

Jia Wenming, Liu Meixin, Li Fuping, and Sun Dali, bound in handcuffs and leg irons, prepared to be escorted to the execution ground. Li Fuping and Sun Dali, who had killed without mercy, were now tear-streaked and too terrified to walk. Jia Wenming, however, sat quietly in the vehicle. Even knowing that the end of the road was his final destination, his expression remained unruffled.

No one knew what he was thinking—was it regret, guilt, a facade of composure, or was he truly so cold that he didn't even care about his own life?

As the vehicle reached its destination, his life reached its end. This was the path he had chosen, and he had paid the price for it.

...

The small border town was ordinary and quiet. The streets were empty and the cold wind bitingly sharp, as if it wished to freeze all things.

Today happened to be the day the special task force was to be honored for their service. Li Rui had been awarded a First-Class Merit for his outstanding performance, yet he chose to personally see Jia Wenming off on his final journey.

After leaving the execution ground, he went back to that rental unit. More than half a year had passed; the courtyard was overgrown with weeds, yet it still radiated an eerie, chilling atmosphere. Looking at the cellar that had been sealed with concrete, he knew deep down that there was still far too much darkness of human nature hidden behind this case.

*Beep-beep.* His phone rang.

"Hello," Li Rui answered.

"Forensic Doctor Li, where are you?" Qi Wei’s anxious voice came from the other end.

"Xiao Qi, I’ve already asked for leave from Director Han. I won't be attending today's commendation ceremony," Li Rui said.

"That's not what I mean," Qi Wei sounded nervous. "Do you know where Sister Wen Rou is?"

"Wen Rou? Isn't she at the scene?" Li Rui asked, puzzled.

"No, we've been looking for her for a long time, and she isn't answering her phone," Qi Wei said. "I thought you might know her whereab—"

"Xiao Qi, Director Wen has collapsed! She's at the hospital now!"

At that moment, the sound of Wen Rou’s collapse could be heard vaguely through the phone. Li Rui’s heart sank, and he asked anxiously, "Which hospital is she at? I'm coming right now!"