Sweeping Mouse Ridge – Chapter Three : 3

Sun Kang, who was in charge of interrogating the staff at Tongyou Nursery, was also at his wits’ end.

Although his blood vessels were pounding with anger at the orphanage’s garbage food and utensils, he was well aware that these things alone did not even constitute the crime of “abuse of a person under guardianship or care” under Article 260 1 of the Criminal Law. Worse still, the general manager, Cui Yucui, was also well aware of this. So no matter how much Sun Kang slammed his fist on the table and glared at her, she simply crossed her arms and legs, feigning ignorance. When she couldn’t avoid certain questions, she would offer evasive answers, but even these were laced with barbs, such as “I never pry into my colleagues’ private lives after getting off work!”, “How could a general manager like me possibly concern myself with the director’s affairs?”, “The children…”, and “Registration is handled by Wang Jing in the office, daily living and meals are handled by the caregivers, and physical examinations and treatments are handled by Director Xing. These are beyond my responsibilities!”

“You ask what I’m responsible for? I’m only responsible for external affairs, not internal ones. The rent, utilities, and three meals a day for this orphanage cost money, don’t they? Where does the money come from? It doesn’t fall from the sky; it doesn’t grow in the ground. I have to beg it back penny by penny, shamelessly!” She slapped her left hand repeatedly with the back of her right hand at this point!

“Looking after children is physically demanding, especially since these children are all sick. If my staff isn’t well fed, how can they have the energy to look after the children?”

“Don’t try to scare me; I know the law! When God strikes, it only strikes those who deserve to die, not me!”

Sun Kang couldn’t ask more than a few questions before rushing out of the interrogation room, taking a few deep breaths in the hallway before going back in, saying, “Otherwise, I’ll beat that old shrew to a pulp!”

The Wang Jing mentioned by Cui Yucui was the finance and HR person who sat in the office and played King of Glory. This woman had a long face; her face was ashen and expressionless, with only a hint of sarcasm always lingering at the corner of her mouth. Ask her any question, and her answer would never exceed three words: “I don’t know,” “I’m not sure,” “Didn’t see it,” “Didn’t save it”… Even when Sun Kang lost his temper, glared, and roared, “Three children were suddenly missing; they had not gone back to the nursery last night. Was it not you who went to take care of them?!” she still had the same air of seeing through life and death, the only difference being that her answer included two more words: “That is the director’s responsibility.”

The three burly nursery workers were seasoned veterans, better actors than anyone from a TV drama. If you spoke to them nicely, they’d keep saying, “How could I know?” and “How could I possibly care about this?” If the police scolded them, they’d throw a tantrum, roll around on the ground, and actually sit there slapping their thighs and cry, wailing without a single tear. But they possessed a unique skill: they could pinpoint the exact “critical moment” when the police were about to lose their temper, and at that very instant, they’d suddenly fall silent, wipe their faces, and act as if nothing had happened. If the police pressed further, they’d reenact the entire drama, from initial bewilderment to shouting, leaving Sun Kang both amused and exasperated.

As for the hotheaded driver, after being thoroughly beaten by Ma Xiaozhong, he became much more obedient but still showed obvious resistance to police interrogation. He wouldn’t stand up for himself but pretended to be weak, his eyelids drooping, listless, answering every question but giving irrelevant replies, only showing particular concern for one thing: “I was beaten by you, quite badly. Who should pay for the medical expenses?”

None of them cared about the whereabouts of the three missing children—the police did not mention Tongyou Nursery in their media reports on the Sweeping Mouse Ridge case, and for interrogation purposes, they did not reveal the identities of the victims on the Sweeping Mouse Ridge to the orphanage staff—and even after identifying the Vacheron Constantin watch and the black Zippo windproof lighter, they remained indifferent to what had happened to Director Xing Qisheng…

The interrogation of these people left Sun Kang feeling hopeless. He was a veteran police officer, having seen all sorts of people—thieves, hooligans, and scoundrels. But these people before him seemed like a pile of emotionless stones—cold, indifferent, and impervious to any persuasion. In the past, he would have certainly dared to slap that hotheaded driver, but not now. Forget torture; even the slightest suspicion of violence would attract an investigation from higher judicial authorities. Only someone like Ma Xiaozhong would do something like that; Sun Kang wouldn’t dare. His child’s tutoring fees, his mother’s blood sugar test strips, and his wife’s monthly medication for lymphoma—all depended on his meager salary and rank allowance.

However, his efforts weren’t entirely fruitless.

At least from the security guard, Old Xu, the cleaning lady, Aunt Zhang, and the director’s secretary, Chi Fengli, Sun Kang managed to extract some valuable information.

Old Xu, the security guard, had almost lost all his teeth, and his speech was severely slurred. He was relatively cooperative in answering the police’s questions, but each sentence had to be repeated three or four times before it could be understood. He said that yesterday, the Director left in a black Spyder sedan around 2 p.m. The car belonged to Mingyi Public Relations Company, which, in addition to handling public relations for Love Charity Foundation, also had close working relationships with Love Hospital and Tongyou Nursery. So, they would sometimes lend the car to them. Of course, when Mingyi Company needed the car, they would send Zhou Liping to take it away. The Director returned around 9 p.m. and parked the car in the yard. Later, he had an upset stomach and went to the restroom, spending a rather long time there, so he didn’t know when the car left… However, he said something that shocked the police: “Did the Director leave the hospital? Around 10:30, I think?”—Considering that Xing Qisheng was found dead within three minutes of Sweeping Mouse Ridge, this testimony was chilling. Sun Kang repeatedly asked Old Xu if he could confirm that the person leaving the hospital at 10:30 was indeed Xing Qisheng. Old Xu, craning his neck, said, “Of course it is! The Director just passed by the gatehouse; how could I not recognize his clothes?!”

Sun Kang noticed that he always squinted when he spoke, suspecting he had presbyopia. Upon closer questioning, it turned out he was indeed nearsighted. Therefore, his assertion that it was “the Director” was highly questionable, since passing by the gatehouse was just a fleeting moment.

However, the testimony of cleaning lady Aunt Zhang indirectly corroborated the credibility of Old Xu’s words. Aunt Zhang was a kind-faced, plump woman, much more simple and kind than the three childcare workers. She looked to be in her fifties but was actually only in her early thirties. She said that around 10 PM last night, when she got up from her dormitory to use the restroom, she saw a light on inside the Director’s office on the same floor and heard footsteps inside.

“Didn’t you go in to see who it was?” Sun Kang asked.

“It’s the middle of the night, and there’s nothing wrong with it. Why would I barge into the Director’s office?” Aunt Zhang said, frowning. “The Director often stays in the office very late; sometimes he even sleeps in there.”

“Is his office usually locked?” Sun Kang asked again.

“Sometimes locked, sometimes unlocked…” Aunt Zhang said, “but apart from cleaning at 8 a.m., 12 p.m., and 6 p.m., no one dares to go in casually.”

The word “dare” carried a profound meaning. Sitting opposite Aunt Zhang, Sun Kang leaned forward slightly and asked, “Are you afraid of the Director? What kind of person is he?”

Aunt Zhang seemed to realize she had said something inappropriate; her face flushed red, and after a long pause, she finally said, “He’s a leader, you know; leaders have to be a bit fierce, but that’s about it… he’s fine.”

Sun Kang knew Aunt Zhang definitely had something to say, but he couldn’t push her too hard. One of the interrogation techniques was: if you gave up on asking a question that made the other person highly nervous, you had to throw out a question that would make them feel relaxed and willing to answer. So he asked, “Aunt Zhang, we can talk about Director Xing later, but I just don’t understand. Your orphanage’s three children didn’t come back late at night, and the caregivers aren’t worried at all. Is that reasonable?”

Aunt Zhang blinked a few times and said, “That Xiao Wu is always the ringleader who runs off first; we’re used to it.”

“The ringleader ran away?” Sun Kang was taken aback. “What do you mean?”

“It’s that kid Zhao Wu. He complains about this and that at the orphanage, and he often takes a few kids and sneaks out. They come back in a few days, and it happens every year.”

“Every year?” Sun Kang asked. “Does Zhao Wu come to this city for checkups and treatment every year? I heard the provincial welfare home sends a new batch of children every year.”

“I don’t know about that. It’s true they send a new batch of children every year, but Xiao Wu, Dong Xinlan, Li Ying, and the others, they all come every year.”

“Since they escaped, why do they come back?”

“They’re all sick kids. How far can they run? No medicine, no food. In the end, they either come back on their own or are sent back…” Aunt Zhang said.

“Will they be punished when they come back?”

“I remember they were indeed beaten by the Director and the caregivers at first, especially Xiao Wu, the ringleader. He was beaten very badly, with sticks and belts. He had to stay in bed for days afterward. After he ran away a few times, they didn’t beat him anymore; they just assumed he’d been out playing for a few days. Xiao Wu became quite mischievous later. Whenever they said they were going to beat him, he’d pull down his pants and expose his penis, all erect. He’s a big kid, but he’s not ashamed at all…” Aunt Zhang said, a rare smile appearing on her face. “Officer, did he do something wrong outside? That child isn’t a bad kid! You can criticize and educate him, but he has an illness. Even an adult can’t get better if they’re always sick, don’t you think?”

Sun Kang stared at Aunt Zhang for a long time before finally nodding slightly.

Chi Fengli had a completely different opinion of Xiao Wu: “He’s a scoundrel, utterly wicked! He lifted my skirt, stole my stockings, and burned holes in my mask with cigarette butts—he’s a little pervert, a little scoundrel!”

As she said this, her almond-shaped eyes widened, her eyebrows furrowed, and her normally pretty face contorted into a meme-worthy expression.

“Now you don’t need to worry anymore,” Sun Kang said coldly. “He’s dead.”

Not revealing to the staff of Tongyou Nursery that their detention was related to the Sweeping Mouse Ridge case was a strategy devised by the special investigation team. The only exception was Chi Fengli, because through external investigations and internal observations, the team unanimously concluded that Chi Fengli was the weakest link in the orphanage. She was a typical pretty girl—simple-minded and materialistic but timid and cowardly, though not inherently bad. Therefore, dropping a bombshell at the right time might instantly break down her psychological defenses.

As expected, upon hearing that Zhao Wu was dead, Chi Fengli froze instantly, her mouth agape, unable to utter a word for a long time.

“Zhao Wu is dead, along with two other children and Xing Qisheng. Their bodies were found last night on the Sweeping Mouse Ridge.” Sun Kang’s tone became more stern, but he stopped speaking, observing Chi Fengli’s reaction.

Chi Fengli lowered her head, her shoulders trembling slightly, and she sobbed. After a long while, she finally raised her head, tears glistening in her eyes, and murmured, “Once, when my period came, I had a stomachache and was thirsty. I took a bottle of mineral water to drink, but Xiao Wu snatched it away, saying that girls shouldn’t drink cold water when they’re on their period. Then he went and got me a cup of hot water. I asked him how he knew I was on my period, and he said he knew everything… That little rascal…”

Her answer regarding the three children’s staying out all night was similar to Aunt Zhang’s, also because similar things had happened before, but the runaway children always managed to return on their own. On the night of the incident, she had been dancing at the Paradise nightclub in the city and was completely unaware of Xing Qisheng’s whereabouts.

“Let me be blunt,” Sun Kang said after a pause, “Is your relationship with Xing Qisheng purely professional?”

Chi Fengli took out a tissue and blew her nose: “A few times… but he had some issues; it always ended quickly, it wasn’t very interesting, and he didn’t seem very interested in me.”

“What kind of person is Xing Qisheng?” Sun Kang asked. “If you had to describe him in three words, what would you choose?”

Chi Fengli thought for a moment and said, “Sleazy, greedy, lecherous.”

“Lecherous?” Sun Kang looked at her and said, “But you said he wasn’t interested in you… to put it bluntly: I don’t think you’re the kind of woman a man wouldn’t be interested in.”

Chi Fengli said, “I can’t say for sure. Although I’m his secretary, I’m only taken out for formal occasions. I’ve never entered his most private circle. You’d be better off asking Zhang Chunyang about this; whenever they’re together, their breath reeks of filth.”

“Who’s Zhang Chunyang?” Sun Kang asked, hearing the name for the first time.

“An ordinary employee of the Love Charity Foundation,” Chi Fengli said.

Sun Kang noticed that she emphasized the word “ordinary,” and a meaningful, cold smile played on her lips.

It seemed there was more to the story, but now wasn’t the time for questioning. There were more important things to verify. Sun Kang took out his phone, opened “Voice Memos,” and an audio message echoed in the interrogation room—a simple sentence:

“The Sweeping Mouse Ridge subway is on fire! Send people over quickly!”

After playing it three times, Sun Kang asked, “Can you tell who’s speaking?”

Chi Fengli nodded: “It’s Xing Qisheng’s voice.”

After analyzing the audio, the technical department extracted a clicking sound from the background. An on-site comparison confirmed that the sound originated from an old windmill entangled in the branches of a locust tree near Exit C of the subway station within the nursery. This irrefutable evidence, coupled with Chi Fengli’s testimony, was sufficient to prove that the person who called 110 from the Sweeping Mouse Ridge that night was none other than Xing Qisheng, whose body was later found in the tunnel ventilation shaft!

So, who was the person wearing Xing Qisheng’s clothes who lingered in his office until 10:30 p.m. before leaving the orphanage? This remained an unsolved mystery. Since the Director’s office drawer wasn’t pried open and no valuables were stolen, this person was definitely not a thief. Furthermore, it was likely this person was the one who answered the second call Xing Qisheng made from the Sweeping Mouse Ridge.

Just as Sun Kang indicated that the interrogation was temporarily over and Chi Fengli could go home to rest, she stood up, walked to the door, and suddenly turned back, saying, “Officer Sun, I think someone is highly suspicious. He’s very likely the one who killed Old Xing and the three children.”

“Who?”

“Zhou Liping, the driver of Mingyi Public Relations Company.”

“Why do you suspect him?”

“He used to be a serial killer. Not only Mingyi Company, but also Love Charity Foundation and our orphanage know this. Everyone avoids him, except for the children who are too young to understand and like to play with him. A few times, when the people at our orphanage were busy and didn’t have time to take the children to Love Hospital, we asked him to drive them. That’s how the children at the orphanage became friends with him, especially Xiao Wu…” Chi Fengli said. “Old Xing once argued with Zhou Liping about this, a very heated argument that we all heard. At first, Zhou Liping was aggressive, but then Old Xing said he would call the police if he dared to touch the children again, and Zhou Liping was scared away. Old Xing also reminded Old Xu to keep an eye on the door and not let Zhou Liping in again and to forbid him from contacting the children.”

Sun Kang nodded. “The information you provided is very valuable!”

After Sun Kang handed the thick stack of interrogation transcripts to Du Jianping, Du Jianping carefully reviewed them, then called Lin Fengchong over and said gravely, “The time has come to confront Zhou Liping!”