Eyes that are the same as those of evil

Chapter 242 Confess to Me 15
“Zhou Wen’an has already started committing crimes. Judging from this incident, he will definitely commit crimes again, and it is very likely that he will target pregnant women or infants again.”

Because crimes are driven by emotions and desires, the target group and methods of the first crime will likely be the same group, and the methods used in subsequent crimes will be similar, similar to the habits of serial killers.

and so……

Zheng Yan reacted quickly, ordering people to investigate whether similar cases had occurred at Zhou Wen'an and Yuan Hanyue's middle school.

The targeted investigation yielded results quickly. By evening, both Xiao Chen and Tan Ming returned to the police station, bringing back the information they had gathered.

"A pregnant woman was indeed murdered at Lian Middle School, but it happened fourteen years ago, not twelve. The victim was Liao Xuefang, the wife of a math teacher at Lian Middle School. She was four months pregnant at the time and was hit in the stomach and repeatedly stabbed in the genital area with a stick by the assailant..."

The victim's horrific condition was described on half a page, but Tan Ming only read a portion of it, emphasizing the final result: "It resulted in the deaths of both mother and unborn child, and the deaths were extremely painful."

Zheng Yan: "Zhou Wen'an did it? He wasn't sentenced?"

Tan Ming shook his head: "It wasn't Zhou Wen'an who did it."

Everyone raised their eyebrows.

"If it wasn't him, who else could it be? He has a history of similar crimes."

"You forgot, the file was sealed. Normally, no one knows about his past. Moreover, when Liao Xuefang was killed, someone who fit the characteristics of the murderer appeared."

"Who?"

"Another teacher, named Zhang Qin, was 26 years old at the time and had only been working at Lian Middle School for half a year. It is said that she had an improper relationship with the deceased's husband. The case description says that she went to confront the deceased, and then had an argument with her, which led to the crime."

"Investigators found Zhang Qin's fingerprints and hair on the deceased. Although she claimed that she left them when she wanted to help the deceased, the deceased's husband admitted to having an improper relationship with her. With the testimony of eyewitness Yuan Hanyue, she was eventually sentenced to fourteen years. At the end of last year, she was released a few months early due to good behavior."

After the story was told, the office fell into an unusual silence.

After a moment, Tan Jia said softly, "Fourteen years. She's forty now."

How many fourteen-year periods does one have in a lifetime? Especially at such an important stage of life.

She should have had unlimited potential, but because of saving lives, because of the false accusations of a few social scumbags, because of the false testimony of her own students, and because of the guilty conscience of the deceased's husband, she was branded a criminal and a demon.

Knowing full well that he was innocent, he pleaded his case many times, but no one believed him. All he got in return was more hasty and conclusive accusations from those people.

It’s ridiculous.

Zheng Yan wiped his face and asked in a deep voice, "Do you have any photos of her? See where she has appeared."

Two photos of Zhang Qin were posted online: one of her in her early twenties, with long flowing hair and beautiful bright yellow earrings, and the other of her calm and gloomy face before her release from prison, with short hair and many wrinkles etched on her face by aging.

Xiao Chen shook his head: "I haven't seen this face in the surveillance footage of those three key locations."

"She may have disguised herself, or she may have found accomplices. Fourteen years is enough time for her to hate everyone involved in this matter even more while she's in prison, and to plan how to take revenge after she gets out. From the end of last year to now, more than half a year, she must have made a very detailed plan to make Zhou Wen'an and his group kill each other."

After Zheng Yan finished speaking, he asked, "Can you find her address? She needs a place to live after she gets out of prison. What about her parents' house? Was she married before she went to prison? Did she have any children?" Tan Ming replied, "No, she was unmarried before she went to prison. Her parents... passed away five or six years ago."

"So she's all alone now?"

When they're in lone wolf mode, they kill with even more ruthlessness; someone might be killed while they're talking.

Zheng Yan thought for a few seconds and then instructed: "Tan Ming, investigate her whereabouts and social relationships after her release from prison. Her parents are dead, and she must be making money and finding a place to live on her own. In order to get close to Yuan Hanyue and the others, she must keep an eye on the area where that group of people often goes. She may have even found accomplices. These are all paths she can take to get revenge before we arrest her. We must cut off these possibilities first."

"Xiao Chen, go investigate Liao Xuefang's family, especially her husband, and find out the truth about what happened back then. I guess Zhang Qin will have a very formal plan to settle things. The grievances she suffered will not end just because Zhou Wen'an and the others died quietly."

After assigning the task, he took Tan Jia to investigate Zhang Qin's residence.

On the way there, Zheng Yan explained, "Zhou Qi's group isn't all dead yet. Zhang Qin definitely has a next plan, especially for Yuan Hanyue. Her mother was likely taken away by Zhang Qin. If she's still alive, she needs somewhere to be placed."

Tan Jia strode forward, but didn't respond to his words. After getting into the car, she said while fastening her seatbelt in the passenger seat, "I really want to investigate slowly, so she can get her revenge first."

This wasn't the first time she'd had this thought; many times she felt a burning anger inside, a sense that her moral compass and psychological inclinations were fighting against the law.

Why do they protect those scumbags and trash? Why are the people they judge the most pitiful victims?
Zheng Yan glanced at her as he drove and turned the corner.

"People who are new to this industry will think like this for the first few years. But once you've handled enough cases, you'll realize that if you, as a law enforcement officer, can't uphold the principles and only want to judge right and wrong based on your subjective will, then the law will become a game for idealists."

“I was wronged, so it’s understandable that I killed someone. Shouldn’t you side with me? I killed someone in retaliation because I was bullied. Shouldn’t you turn a blind eye? I killed someone because I had my reasons. Shouldn’t you forgive me?”

"You've forgiven me, so shouldn't you also forgive him and them? Who gets to judge the degree of forgiveness? Who can prove my pitifulness? Why can you sympathize with him for murder, but not with me for murder? Is it because you subjectively dislike me and can't empathize with my situation?"

"Since you turn a blind eye and allow the bullied to retaliate and kill at will, why can't I kill? You allow him to kill four or five people, so why can't I kill four or five?"

"And how can you be so sure that you, as a kind person, won't become the one targeted for retaliation?"

The car drove to the intersection and stopped to wait for the red light.

Zheng Yan turned to look at her, and finally said earnestly, "For those who truly need justice, our insistence on justice for all is the most just approach. Because we cannot guarantee absolute justice, we are merely maintaining order to promote justice for the majority."

Tan Jia remained silent.

She didn't know what to say in rebuttal. Did she expect the investigators to be perfect in every aspect and maintain absolute justice? They might as well go cultivate immortality.

But she was still at an age where she was stubborn and couldn't swallow her anger.

Zheng Yan looked at her and sighed: "I mentioned this issue when you first started working with us. Many investigators can't process these emotions, which turn into a psychological burden, leading to depression, affecting their work ability, and eventually forcing them to leave the front line. If you're upset, after this case is over, go talk to the doctor at the bureau with your brother."

She hummed in agreement, watched the green light turn on ahead, and exhaled out the car window.

Regardless, the investigation had to continue. Not long after, they found Zhang Qin's address.