Chapter 291: The Death of Teacher Xu

The teacher continued, “But there’s a saying, ‘Pitiable people must have something detestable about them.’ This kid really wasn’t worth sympathizing with. Once in chemistry class, he ‘accidentally’ knocked over a bottle of sulfuric acid, burning another student’s leg. That student was a top performer, with a bright future. They had no interaction. Why would he hurt him? It was plain jealousy—jealousy that the other kid had a good family and was favored by teachers. Another time, something happened to me that I don’t even like to recall. I have asthma and always carry an inhaler, and I keep one in the office. One day, I ran out and hurried to the office for the backup, but when I used it, my lungs felt like they were on fire. I almost died. Luckily, I was saved in time. The doctor said my inhaler had been tampered with—someone put chalk dust in it. I wondered who would do this to me. An investigation was launched, but nothing came of it. However, some say… just some say, they saw that kid near my desk that day. Why would he harm me?”

“Did you report it?” Chen Shi asked.

“No, the school didn’t want to make a big deal out of it, so they downplayed the incident. I actually benefited from it in a way. I was competing for the dean’s position and had to give a public lecture. I didn’t want to miss it, so I returned to work early. The school praised my dedication and gave me the job. Some people said I was using the incident to gain sympathy… but that’s beside the point.”

Chen Shi continued, “Besides the teachers’ cold treatment, was Wang Sunxu bullied by his classmates?”

“Well… yes! Once, after school, I saw some boys beating him on the playground. They were his classmates, the ones with poor grades. I yelled at them to stop!”

“Really?”

The teacher looked embarrassed, “I did yell, ‘What are you doing?’ but they said they were just playing around, so I didn’t push further and walked away.”

“What were the names of the students who bullied him?”

“Lai Wei.”

“Do you have student records?”

The teacher found Lai Wei’s file and handed it to Chen Shi, who took a photo of it with his phone. The teacher said, “Looking back, that kid had a hard life, but not everyone treated him badly. There was a teacher, Xu Nianqiang, who cared for him a lot. I remember he even bought him a birthday cake. Xu was kind-hearted and always looked out for neglected students.”

Lin Dongxue said, “Then this Teacher Xu probably knows a lot about him.”

Chen Shi asked, “Which class is Xu teaching now?”

The teacher coughed and said, “He resigned a long time ago.”

“Why?”

“Well, it’s a bit sensitive. Someone accused him of sexual misconduct, and the school, to protect its reputation, didn’t renew his contract. But I know Xu was a good man. He’d never do something like that.”

“Sounds like Xu was a bit of an outcast, right?” Lin Dongxue asked.

“Not at all! We’re not bad people; why would we ostracize him? I can honestly say I’ve never done anything wrong by my conscience.”

“Alright, alright,” Chen Shi interrupted, “Thank you for your help. If we need anything else, we’ll contact you.”

“No problem. Will the school be okay?”

“Just be careful for the next few days, especially with the entrance security. Make sure the cameras are working. If you notice anything unusual, contact me immediately. Here’s my number.” Chen Shi wasn’t being alarmist; he suspected the school could be Wang Sunxu’s next target.

The teacher nodded repeatedly in fear.

Leaving the school, Chen Shi and Lin Dongxue drove to Lai Wei’s address. His student file only had his parents’ address. From his parents, they got his current address and workplace, and had to listen to some bragging about their son.

As they were leaving, Chen Shi tried calling Lai Wei, but the call didn’t go through. He said, “Could he already be in trouble?”

“Can you stop being such a jinx and say something positive?” Lin Dongxue scolded.

“I’m not being a jinx. I really think this campus bully is likely the next target.”

“Then let’s go to his place!”

“Let’s go!”

On the way, Lin Dongxue called Lai Wei’s workplace. They said he hadn’t shown up today and wasn’t answering his phone. Her sense of foreboding deepened.

Skipping lunch, they arrived at Lai Wei’s place at 1 PM. They knocked, but there was no answer. As they were about to leave, a neighbor complained, “Who’s been pouring chicken blood down the drain? It’s disgusting! The blood’s coagulated and might block the pipes.”

Chen Shi approached and smelled blood from the drain, realizing it was coming from the building.

He urgently said, “Back to Lai Wei’s place, something’s wrong.”

They rushed upstairs. Chen Shi kicked the door several times before it opened. The strong smell of blood hit them immediately. Lin Dongxue covered her mouth in shock.

There was a trail of blood leading to the bathroom, where a man lay with a half-empty drink in his hand, the shower running, washing his blood down the drain.

Chen Shi turned off the shower, checked the man’s eyes, and said, “We’re too late. He was killed last night.”

“I’ll contact the station,” Lin Dongxue said.

Without gloves, Chen Shi didn’t examine the body closely. He looked around the apartment, finding leftover instant noodles, cookie wrappers, and drink bottles. The bed was messy, indicating Wang Sunxu had stayed the night.

Given Wang Sunxu’s rapid killing spree, there could already be another victim.

Chen Shi called the teacher, asking, “Besides Lai Wei, who else bullied Wang Sunxu?”

“Uh, I don’t know. Ask Teacher Xu. He would know. Xu Nianqiang now runs a CD shop on Erlong Road. He should be there at this time.”

Chen Shi hung up and told Lin Dongxue, “You stay here. I’ll go to Erlong Road to find Teacher Xu… You okay alone with the body?”

“I’ll be fine. Be careful,” Lin Dongxue said.

Chen Shi rushed to Erlong Road. It was already evening. The street had several CD stores. Asking one of the owners, he found Xu Nianqiang’s shop, but it was closed. The owner said, “Call for him. He lives upstairs alone.”

“Alone?”

“Yeah, an old bachelor.”

“Do you have his number?”

“I have a phone but no numbers.” The owner joked.

The side of the shop had stairs leading to the living quarters. Chen Shi climbed up and knocked on the door. He noticed a bloody handprint on the doorknob, feeling a surge of dread.

Why was the teacher who cared most about Wang Sunxu now a target?