Chapter 42: The Innocent

Facing Jin Lei’s question, Zhou Yi answered calmly, "In the details of the case from those years that you just shared with me, there was one specific thing that led me to believe Du Qingming was innocent."

"Which thing?" Jin Lei asked curiously.

Zhou Yi said, "On the day of the crime, Du Qingming had an argument with Zheng Xianglan. Afterward, he assumed she had gone back to her parents' house, so he stayed home to take care of their young son."

Jin Lei nodded, but noted that this didn't provide a solid alibi for Du Qingming.

"It is exactly this point that makes me believe him."

"Why?" Jin Lei asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Regardless of the reason for the argument, Du Qingming’s reaction suggests that Zheng Xianglan going back to her parents' house after a quarrel was not the first time it had happened."

"Otherwise, Du Qingming wouldn't have been so calm. After all, if a woman stays out all night, anyone would be worried."

"But the fact is, Zheng Xianglan didn't go to her parents' house at all; she went to have an affair."

"So, could it be that those previous arguments and the so-called trips to her parents' house were actually just excuses Zheng Xianglan used to go see her lover?"

Zhou Yi looked at Jin Lei and said, "Chief Jin, you have a wife and children yourself. Think about it: if your wife had a fight with you and said she was going to her parents', would she leave your young child behind?"

Jin Lei nodded heavily, expressing sincere agreement.

Most married men have likely experienced that when a wife leaves for her parents' house after a fight, she almost always takes the children with her; it is a mother's instinct.

"That makes sense!" Jin Lei couldn't help but say, clearly drawing on his own life experience.

"Between a woman who uses fights as an excuse to go have an affair and a man who stays home to care for his child, I have no reason not to believe the latter."

"Furthermore, as a responsible father, I don't believe he would leave his young child alone just to go and murder the child's mother."

Zhou Yi said with a firm gaze, "Therefore, I believe he is innocent."

The logic here was not complex. Although the child could not provide an effective alibi, the suspicion against Du Qingming could have been ruled out entirely by simulating the crime. Yet, the outcome was that Du Qingming was quickly convicted and executed. The implications behind this left Zhou Yi feeling a chill down his spine.

"Zhou Yi, you really can't judge a book by its cover. You've been in our station for half a year, and I never realized you had this kind of talent," Jin Lei remarked with emotion. "No wonder you were able to crack such a major case. Not bad, not bad at all."

"Chief, please, don't overpraise me. I never expected that case to turn into something so large. I really was just a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse." This was the truth; Zhou Yi had originally just wanted to solve this cold case from before his rebirth, never expecting that it would lead to such a massive investigation involving Zhu Xuejun.

Jin Lei patted him on the shoulder and said, "Regardless, given your abilities, I trust your judgment. When it comes to Du Qingming's case, I'll follow your lead. If you feel the time is ripe, just give the order, and I'll stake my life on it without hesitation."

This final remark touched Zhou Yi deeply. He hadn't expected Chief Jin, who usually loved to talk in bureaucratic platitudes, to be so deeply loyal and sentimental.

"Chief Jin, let's forget that last part. Setting such a flag is bad luck," Zhou Yi joked.

"Setting a what?" Jin Lei was stunned.

"Nothing, I'm just joking."

Afterward, the two chatted for a while longer. Seeing that the time was right, Jin Lei smiled and said to Zhou Yi, "Come back and visit when you have time, especially your mentor. And if you ever need help, just ask. This station will always be your home."

"Thank you, Chief."

After leaving Jin Lei’s office, Zhou Yi went around to greet each department in the station before finally signing his departure papers.

Standing at the entrance of the Nanhu Street Police Station and looking back, he was filled with mixed emotions. This was the starting point of his police career, and now he was heading toward a broader journey. The oath he took when he first joined seemed to echo in his mind:

"I swear that I volunteer to be a people's police officer... loyal to the motherland, loyal to the people, loyal to the law; obedient to orders, compliant with command... upholding the law impartially, remaining incorruptible; performing my duties faithfully, unafraid of sacrifice; serving the people heart and soul."

"I am willing to dedicate myself to the noble cause of the people's public security and struggle for the fulfillment of my oath!"

Zhou Yi turned, stood under the national emblem at the station gate, stood at attention, and saluted.

...

That night, under the yellow light of a desk lamp, Zhou Yi sat at a desk covered by a white lace tablecloth topped with a sheet of glass. In the inner room, Zhou Jianjun and Zhou Jianye were snoring thunderously, the sounds rising and falling in turn.

When Zhou Yi’s father learned that his son was about to be transferred to the Municipal Public Security Bureau, he was so excited he could hardly sit still. With his own narrow escape from death and his younger son having returned from the south, it was a triple celebration. He had bought several pounds of liquor and spent a small fortune on a few hearty dishes. The two brothers drank glass after glass until Zhou Jianjun ended up under the table.

Zhou Yi had only accompanied them for two drinks; he never drank much. He disliked alcohol because it slowed his mind, so he never overindulged. After helping the two men to bed, his mother busied herself washing their faces and feet. To her, Zhou Jianye was like a second son; when he was little, she was the one who cleaned him up after he used the outhouse.

After finishing her chores, Zhang Qiuxia walked over to Zhou Yi with a plate of sliced pears.

"Eat some pear; it’s good for your lungs," Zhang Qiuxia said, affectionately patting her son’s head. As parents, their greatest wish was for their child to distinguish himself, making all their hard work worthwhile.

"Thank you, Mom." Zhou Yi picked up a piece of pear with a toothpick and ate it. It was so sweet. He wasn't sure if it was psychological, but he felt he hadn't tasted a pear this sweet in a very long time.

"Don't stay up too late, get some sleep."

"Mhm." Zhou Yi nodded, but then he saw his mother picking up a quilt and heading toward the sofa.

"Mom, you sleep in my room, I'll sleep on the sofa," Zhou Yi said immediately. Although he called it "his room," it was actually just a small space partitioned off from the living room with plywood, containing a single bed. Zhou Yi’s family lived in a modest apartment of forty or fifty square meters, a one-bedroom unit, and he had slept in the living room since he was a child. It was only later, when his father decided it wasn't appropriate for a growing boy, that they partitioned off the small room.

"It's fine, it's fine. The sofa is quite comfortable. You go to sleep," Zhang Qiuxia said. She wrapped herself in the quilt, curled up on the sofa, and soon her breathing became steady and even.

Zhou Yi reached out and lowered the desk lamp, trying to keep the light away from his mother. He opened his notebook, picked up a Hero-brand fountain pen, and wrote a few lines on the blank paper:

—May 6, 1997, Nanming District, east section of Nansha River.
—Discovered a large quantity of human remains.
—Dismemberment, unsolved.
—Cold case!
—Major case!