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墨書 Inktalez
Analyzing from this line of reasoning, the possibility of Passion Killing is quite high. The simultaneous disappearance of two individuals, combined with the surveillance footage showing Xing Jie, essentially confirms that this case is linked to Xing Jie. Our immediate priority is to locate Liu Fangqing and ascertain her current situation—whether she is alive or dead must be clarified.
Mary accessed the recent death records from the internal network of the Public Security Bureau. Upon comparison, there was no record of anyone named Liu Fangqing being deceased or missing. It seemed that the chances of Liu Fangqing being alive were significant; perhaps Xing Jie couldn't bring himself to harm her. However, if Liu Fangqing was currently trapped somewhere by Xing Jie, then she would be in grave danger. With Xing Jie already deceased, if no one else knew about Liu Fangqing's whereabouts, her death would only be a matter of time. Mary found the phone number of Liu Fangqing's family, and we called them.
We certainly did not disclose the situation directly; instead, we hinted that we were colleagues of Liu Fangqing, inquiring if they knew where she was since she hadn’t come to work today. However, Liu Fangqing’s family was unaware that she was missing because she was not a local and had been living in a rented apartment in Jing City.
“Do you know where Liu Fangqing’s apartment is?” Mary continued after listening to her family. “We can go check her place.”
Since her family had previously sent her items, they knew the address of the apartment she rented. We were overjoyed and quickly made our way to Liu Fangqing’s residence. Indeed, no one was home. Interestingly, it turned out that Liu Fangqing did not rent the apartment alone; she shared it with someone else.
The roommate was a girl around twenty years old named Huihui. She had been renting with Liu Fangqing for over a year. We found it puzzling; renting an entire apartment would cost around one to two thousand yuan per month, while Liu Fangqing earned twelve thousand yuan a month—why did she need to share?
Huihui welcomed us into the apartment, offered us tea, and asked, “Are you colleagues of Xiaoqing? Since late September, Sister Xiaoqing hasn’t returned. With rent due soon, we don’t know where she has gone. Do you have any idea?”
I shook my head and decided to reveal our identities. “We came here to inquire about Liu Fangqing. It seems you don’t know where she is either. However, we would like to ask what kind of person she is—her character or personality? Do you get along well as roommates?”
Thinking back to what I had heard from a woman in the sales department at work, who described Liu Fangqing as a perfect Bitch, I was surprised by what this girl said next. After some thought, Huihui replied, “Well, Sister Xiaoqing is a good person.”
“Sister Xiaoqing is a few years older than me and takes good care of me,” said Huihui, her eyes sparkling when mentioning Liu Fangqing. “Since I’m still in my internship with a meager salary that barely covers rent, I can hardly afford anything else. Knowing my situation, every time rent is due, Sister Xiaoqing would pay a few hundred more and smile, saying I should treat myself to something nice.”
“I don’t know what exactly Sister Xiaoqing does for work,” continued Huihui, “but I do know she earns quite a bit—over ten thousand yuan each month. You might wonder why she only contributes a few hundred extra if she makes so much money; if you think that way, you’re underestimating her!”
With a smile directed at us, Huihui added, “You probably don’t know that Xiaoqing comes from a rural area—a particularly dilapidated village. She has two younger brothers in high school and a sister starting high school this year. She also has an ill father who needs treatment for liver issues costing thousands each month. Her mother has to stay home to care for him while paying for her siblings’ education leaves only about one thousand yuan for herself each month.”
Listening to Huihui, I couldn’t help but frown. Before I could ponder further, she continued: “Even so, she willingly contributes more towards rent every month. That money comes from her own meager budget! Besides her work clothes, she has only a few outfits and has worn the same pair of shoes for years—she even mends them herself when they tear. I can’t imagine how she’s managed all these years as a young woman carrying such burdens.”
At this point, Huihui sighed heavily and said, “Despite all these responsibilities weighing on her alone, I’ve never seen her complain about hardship. I only have to take care of myself and often feel exhausted. But Sister Xiaoqing never grumbles; she says once her siblings are in college and can earn their own money, things will get better for her. She regrets not finishing college herself.”
Hearing this, my heart couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.
Huihui looked at me and continued, "If everything had gone according to plan, if her father hadn't fallen ill, she could have finished college. But there was no choice. With so many people to support at home, she had to give up her studies. She said her father’s condition became so serious because he kept delaying going to the doctor. He knew that if he went to the hospital once, it would mean years of work wasted, so he endured it until he collapsed."
Sister Xiaoqing often told me that once her younger siblings found jobs, she would be able to continue her education. Huihui said with a hint of guilt, "You know, I used to not want to go to school at all. Sister Xiaoqing said that in this era, the only way to truly escape one's fate is through knowledge. But I think Sister Xiaoqing is already amazing; someone who didn't even finish college is earning over ten thousand a month in her twenties."
After hearing this, Mary Noodles and I exchanged glances. I finally understood why that woman viewed Xiaoqing in such a way. If Huihui knew that the Sister Xiaoqing she admired and respected earned her monthly salary through her body, I wondered what she would think.
Many people use their bodies to gain wealth, and Liu Fangqing was no exception. Yet everyone has different reasons for acquiring money. I couldn't speculate whether Liu Fangqing would have been recognized as a good girl and a diligent student if not for her family circumstances.
What I do know is that if a person can be kind to those around them, they must be a good person. The way we see someone can differ greatly from how others perceive them. Who truly sees the real person? Perhaps we are all like blind men touching an elephant, only grasping a tiny part of the whole.
I sighed slowly and then asked, "Do you know if Liu Fangqing has a boyfriend or any relatives?"
"Yes!" Huihui replied firmly. "I know Sister Xiaoqing has a boyfriend, and he's a good person too. We visited Sister Xiaoqing's hometown before, and her boyfriend said he would take care of the family from then on. When he returned, he would send Sister Xiaoqing a lot of money every month. I was really envious; if someone could find such a boyfriend, what more could they ask for?"
I frowned and asked carefully, "Are you saying Xing Jie knows about Liu Fangqing's situation?"
"Yeah," Huihui said with some confusion. "What's wrong with that?"
Previously, I had assumed that Xing Jie was unaware of Liu Fangqing's circumstances, which is why he had been deceived out of so much money. But if Xing Jie knew about Liu Fangqing's situation, perhaps he could understand why she acted the way she did. Even if he couldn't agree with it, at least he wouldn't go as far as wanting to kill someone.
So it wasn't just about Passion Killing! But if Xing Jie could understand Liu Fangqing, then why did he still want to kill? Where had Liu Fangqing gone? If Killer wasn't Xing Jie, was there another suspect? There must be some detail I overlooked. I racked my brain for memories when suddenly a point I had forgotten appeared in my mind.
"Besides her boyfriend Xing Jie, has anyone else come looking for her?" I pondered aloud while asking her: "Or perhaps any relatives?"
Suddenly, Huihui snapped her fingers and said, "Her sister came to visit before; it was summer vacation, and she came to Jing City to see her. But when summer vacation was about to end, her sister went missing. The family was worried for a long time before they found out that her sister was hiding in a hotel working as a waitress."
"It turns out her sister saw how hard her older sister was working." At this point, Huihui sighed again. "After summer vacation, she didn't want to go back to school at all; she just wanted to work and earn money. When they found her, Sister Xiaoqing had a big argument with her, but eventually, they sent her back. I heard that the little girl is studying alone in their county and it's tough for her; she only gets to go home once at the end of the month. Both sisters are very strong-willed and stubborn."
I nodded and quickly asked, "Do you know what Liu Fangqing's sister's name is?"
Huihui nodded and said, "I don't know her exact name because I only heard Sister Xiaoqing call her Yue'er, so I just call her that too."
I slapped my thigh and hurriedly asked, "Do you remember which hotel Yue'er was working at when she ran away? Do you have any impression of it?"
Huihui nodded seriously and said, "I remember that because it was only about a month ago, and it was the first time I saw Sister Xiaoqing get so angry, so I remember clearly. Let me write down the address for you."
After receiving the address, I thanked Huihui repeatedly. This made both Huihui and Mary feel a bit awkward. Once we left Huihui's house, Mary finally asked me, "Team Leader, is this clue useful? You seem really excited; did you discover something significant?"
"That's right!" I said joyfully.
On my first trip out to sea, I encountered a well-known Bengal Aid Worker. Young and impulsive, but too poor to really make a move until the First Mate told me that a bag of instant noodles could get me through the night with a group of women...
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