Chapter 238: Visiting the School

The bottle containing suspicious substances and the syringe packaging suggested that when Jiang Hui disappeared, she had a syringe filled with some drug.

At this moment, Xiao Wang from the information department arrived. Lin Dongxue asked him to unlock Jiang Ming’s computer password. It took about ten minutes to crack. Jiang Ming’s desktop was cluttered with game icons and some anime pictures.

It seemed that Jiang Ming’s life revolved around entertainment.

Jiang Ming’s QQ account was logged in automatically. Among his recent contacts, there was someone labeled “Sis.” Their last conversation was the night before he disappeared:

Sis: Stop playing games, you lazy bum. I can hear the noise from next door.

Jiang Ming: I know, I know. Going to bed soon, so annoying!

Sis: Don’t forget what we’re doing tomorrow.

Jiang Ming: I know, after this game, I’m going to sleep.

Lin Dongxue thought, were they planning to go somewhere together? Of course, it could also be a trap set by Jiang Hui to kill Jiang Ming.

Although she had never met Jiang Hui, it would be incredibly difficult for a high school girl to dispose of a junior high school boy’s body alone. The best way would be to lure him to the burial site before killing him.

Lin Dongxue continued to read through their chat history and was surprised to see that the siblings often chatted. Sometimes, Jiang Ming would talk about school and his teenage troubles.

Although Jiang Hui often called him a “lazy bum,” it was clear that she didn’t dislike him.

No matter how biased adults might be, relationships between children are often much simpler.

Lin Dongxue felt she didn’t know enough about Jiang Hui, so she decided to talk to her grandparents. They said a lot, but nothing specific. According to them, Jiang Hui was “well-behaved and smart,” and Jiang Ming was “bright and likable.”

Lin Dongxue thought she might learn more by talking to Jiang Hui’s classmates and teachers. So, she headed to the experimental middle school where both children studied. It was the last class of the afternoon when she arrived at Jiang Hui’s classroom. She saw a middle-aged man with transition glasses standing by the window, looking stern.

A student next to the window, oblivious to his presence, was smiling at their phone, hidden behind a book.

The middle-aged man reached out and knocked the student on the head, making them hand over the phone with a dejected look. He said in a low voice, “Come to my office after class!”

This man seemed to be the homeroom teacher. After confiscating the phone, he scanned the room with authority before leaving.

Lin Dongxue approached and said, “Hello, is Jiang Hui in your class?”

The teacher sized her up. “Are you a family member?”

“I’m a police officer.”

“Oh! Haven’t found Jiang Hui yet? Has a case been filed?”

“I’m here to gather some information.”

“Let’s talk in my office.”

In the office, the teacher sat down with his legs crossed and took a sip from his thermos. Noticing Lin Dongxue standing, he said, “Please, sit down!”

“I’m fine standing.”

“Well, I feel bad if you’re standing. Fine, I’ll stand too!”

“Alright, I’ll sit.”

The teacher chuckled, “You look young. Are you from the local police station? What’s your name?”

“Lin. Can you tell me about Jiang Hui’s usual behavior?”

“Don’t get me started on her! I’ve never seen such a rebellious student. She openly defied me several times. Once, I caught her using her phone in class, and when I tried to confiscate it, she claimed it was her private property and I had no right! Can you believe that? If all my students acted like her, how could I teach? She often hangs out with low-performing boys. We crack down on early relationships, and when I confronted her, she said the school could control her body but not her heart!”

“Who was she referring to?”

“Gao Xiang, another troublemaker!” The teacher waved dismissively. “Being a homeroom teacher is tough! She also had ideological issues, often criticizing the education system in her weekly essays. Sure, she’s well-read and has some writing talent, but she’s arrogant because she’s had a few articles published. I can’t stand girls like that! I think her upbringing is the problem.”

“Are you aware that her parents are divorced?”

“Oh… I might have heard something like that.”

“You mentioned she had published articles? Where?”

“Novels, in magazines. Let me show you…”

The teacher pulled out a stack of magazines from his drawer and tossed them on the table. “Look at these. Full of inappropriate, misleading content. The central government has banned them several times. I confiscated these from her. She never learns and keeps buying them.”

“Are any of these her works?”

“The language teacher told me she wrote stories for these magazines. I’m not sure which ones exactly.”

“Is the language teacher here?”

“She’s not here this afternoon.”

“Can I talk to Gao Xiang?”

“I’ll call him after class… Do you want some water?”

“No, thanks.”

“This Gao Xiang is no good either. Don’t believe his nonsense. They’re two peas in a pod! Honestly, I’m not surprised Jiang Hui disappeared. She’s so rebellious. If she committed murder, I wouldn’t be shocked. I don’t know what kind of family raises a child like her. When you find her, she needs a serious talking-to. Maybe she’ll listen to you.”

“Did she show any unusual behavior before disappearing?”

The teacher thought for a moment and shook his head. “I tried not to pay her too much attention… Oh, where did she disappear? This won’t reflect badly on the school or me, right?”

“That’s not important. Finding her is.”

“How is it not…”

The teacher was about to continue when the bell rang. Lin Dongxue said, “Please call Gao Xiang.”

“Sure, wait here!”

As teachers began entering the office after class, Lin Dongxue felt awkward and moved to the doorway. Soon, Gao Xiang arrived. All students at the experimental middle school wore uniforms, but Gao Xiang had his tied around his waist, looking quite rebellious.

“Gao Xiang?”

Gao Xiang hesitated, then exaggeratedly said, “Wow, police officers can be so pretty?”

Lin Dongxue was speechless. “I need to talk to you about…”

“I know, I know, Jiang Hui! Officer, can you buy me an ice cream? There’s a stand at the school gate!”

Lin Dongxue also wanted to find a quieter place. “Alright, let’s go!”

Gao Xiang cheered, “You’re awesome!”