Chapter 64: Conclusive Evidence

Lin Dongxue and Xu Xiaodong quickly arrived at the neighborhood. They found a plumbing service through the ads on the door and then knocked on the downstairs neighbor’s door of Wang Jinsong’s home.

After briefly explaining their purpose, the residents agreed to cooperate with the police. The plumber began working, opening the main sewage pipe in the bathroom and using tools to clear it out.

“Would you officers like some tea?” the homeowner asked hospitably.

“No, thank you. By the way, do you know anything about the family upstairs?” Lin Dongxue inquired.

“The Wang family? We live in the same building, but we don’t interact much. However, I often hear them hitting their child.”

“Hitting their child?”

“Yes, it’s pretty severe. The father hits, the mother tries to stop him, then they console the child and buy things for him. As a parent, I don’t think that’s a good way to educate.”

“Did you hear anything recently?”

“Yes, just the day before yesterday afternoon. I heard a loud thud, maybe the child knocked something over. Then the father started hitting, and the child cried terribly.”

Lin Dongxue and Xu Xiaodong exchanged glances. That sound could have been the victim collapsing.

“Officers!” the plumber called out to them.

They immediately went to the bathroom and saw various items laid out on a plastic sheet on the floor, which had been retrieved from the pipe. Lin Dongxue immediately noticed blood clots and hair among the items, and she was thrilled.

Lin Dongxue quickly called the station. When Lin Qiupu heard they had found evidence, he praised them, “Good job, we’ll be there soon!”

Around 6 PM, several police cars arrived outside the neighborhood. The homeowner was surprised and asked, “What’s going on?”

Lin Dongxue replied, “We might need to make an arrest.”

“An arrest? From upstairs?”

“Please keep this quiet. We apologize for the inconvenience.”

“No problem at all. By the way, what did they do?”

A knock on the door, and Lin Qiupu, Peng Siyue, and other officers entered. They went to the bathroom where Peng Siyue used a reagent kit to test and confirmed, “It’s definitely human blood.”

“Move in!” Lin Qiupu commanded.

The police called the property management to knock on Wang Jinsong’s door, claiming to check the gas. As soon as the door opened, the police rushed in and pinned the couple to the table.

From the living room, there was a loud crash. Wang Jinsong, seeing his father being arrested, dropped his mug in shock.

Lin Dongxue approached him and said, “Don’t be afraid. We just have some questions.”

Wang Jinsong, pale with fear, glanced into his room, where a new gaming console was being set up.

“What have we done?” Wang Jinsong’s father shouted.

“Stop pretending! You’re pretty good at covering up!” Lin Qiupu said.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Search!”

Technicians entered the bathroom. Despite it being thoroughly cleaned, Luminol tests revealed bloodstains all over the ceramic tiles and bathtub. They also found a lot of hair and flesh in the drain.

Faced with undeniable evidence, the couple could no longer act. Their faces turned ashen. Amidst the tension, liquid trickled from Wang Jinsong’s mother’s shaking legs, spreading a strong smell of urine.

“Tell us how you killed and dismembered the child,” Lin Qiupu demanded, sitting at the table.

“I killed him! It wasn’t my parents!” Wang Jinsong shouted.

“Fine, then you tell us.”

Wang Jinsong’s father shouted, “Jinsong, don’t say anything! If you talk, we’re all finished!”

Lin Qiupu slammed the table, “Do you think it’s your turn to speak?” Then he turned to Wang Jinsong, “Kid, you’re in middle school. You should understand the consequences. Being honest will be more lenient than resisting. If you don’t tell the truth, no one can help you.”

Peng Siyue added, “Even if you don’t say anything, we can still find out the truth. That will only make it worse for you.”

Wang Jinsong suddenly started crying, biting his lips. “Officer, I’ll confess. I’ll tell you everything…”

Wang Jinsong and Du Lei had been friends since childhood, but their academic performances were worlds apart. Wang Jinsong’s parents often said things like, “Why don’t you learn from Du Lei?” or “You just play together, why don’t you learn from his good traits?”

Every time he heard this, Wang Jinsong was furious. It wasn’t his fault he couldn’t understand the lessons. His brain just wasn’t as good as Du Lei’s. It was his genes to blame; his parents were dumb too.

A few weeks ago, Wang Jinsong had been begging for a PS4. It was expensive, and his family said they’d buy it if he ranked in the top 30 in the exams. He failed again in the midterms, so the PS4 was out of the question. But he wanted it badly, begging his mother until his father found out and said, “I’d rather buy one for Du Lei than for you!”

This sentence became the spark that destroyed two families.

That day, Du Lei came over to play, excited to show something. It was a PS4. Wang Jinsong asked where he got it. Du Lei’s grandmother was poor, how could she afford it?

Du Lei refused to say.

Wang Jinsong grew suspicious. Could his father have bought it for Du Lei? The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. They had a small argument, and in a fit of rage, Wang Jinsong smashed a vase over Du Lei’s head.

He hadn’t meant to kill him. People on TV got hit with vases all the time and were fine. But Du Lei lay on the floor, barely breathing.

Terrified, Wang Jinsong called his father. The parents were shocked but calmed down. Wang Jinsong’s father asked if anyone knew Du Lei was there. Wang Jinsong said no, his grandmother was out shopping.

They devised a plan to frame someone else. Hearing that their teacher, Mr. Li, had a bad reputation and was rumored to have molested children, they decided to frame him.

The couple spent nearly two hours dismembering Du Lei in the bathtub, packing the pieces into bags. Under cover of darkness, they sneaked into the school and dumped the body parts in front of Mr. Li’s door.

The police fell for it, quickly targeting Mr. Li. The news was full of reports about the “monster teacher,” and the family finally felt secure. But they hadn’t expected…

“How did you find us?” Wang Jinsong asked.

“Did you really think the police were that dumb?” Lin Qiupu stood up, “Take them away!”

Wang Jinsong shouted, “You said you wouldn’t arrest us! You’re liars! Big liars!” He tried to run to his room but was quickly stopped by Xu Xiaodong. Wang Jinsong struggled fiercely, scratching Xu Xiaodong’s hand until it bled.

The officers watched, thinking what a brat he was. Such heinous actions were closely tied to his parents’ lack of principles and indulgent upbringing.