Blazing Armor

Ren Yi originally thought that being a firefighter was tough enough—barely any vacations, on call 24 hours a day. But after spending some time with Gong Yingxian, he realized that police work, especially for detectives, was no better. Most of the time, firefighters stay at the station, with actual emergency calls being relatively rare. On the other hand, police officers, especially detectives, hardly ever have a break from overtime.PAyIaTcCdLlFlofEkZFrneNUcdCBGu

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It was almost nine o’clock, but Gong Yingxian still had to rush back to the precinct for more work.MtvrJKkGPoHyyUMCuLguTOkAlzUvcO

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Ren Yi teased him, “You know, for a rich second-gen kid, you work harder than me and for a lower salary. I often think about you, it’s just too funny.”wbBhVxvssIvXjntBNESlZNsubqKHEZ

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“You think about me often?” Gong Yingxian stared at Ren Yi.PTkxIuxNfxOCtMeZsmqPsTgwtSudMD

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Ren Yi didn’t expect Gong Yingxian to latch onto that part of his sentence so uniquely. Recalling his earlier embarrassment in the bathroom, Ren Yi decided he couldn’t back down now. He blinked at Gong Yingxian playfully and said, “Yeah, I think about you a lot.”insrbjCNbKzIAguWniENvwmYcFMNst

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“What do you think about?” Gong Yingxian asked seriously.vGqYTJFwWOzLZmnpmZHLWTDvRIvSey

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“… Just random thoughts.” Ren Yi walked over to the car door, tilting his head toward Gong Yingxian. “So, do you think about me often too?”htAoIQJOoTsixhdKbsKjRLrKURILni

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Gong Yingxian nodded, “Yes.”vgZLQWSQCQofdzfpjTbyfmjsTQuMbl

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Ren Yi’s breath quickened, “And what do you think about?”MWtwJXvyKLjzfONfFNYDjUuaouTvBq

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“I think… you’re a strange person.”WSZuOEIJPltVKjoNQrYgjhbLtCMSRM

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“What’s so strange about me?”umVqAVgFVqqKMzlHcXKdVUFUeYgKKe

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Gong Yingxian hesitated for a moment, “You’re strange in a way that’s different from everyone else.”tasqLpMlVXTEecUYGUKdBgmTABUtAS

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“You mean I’m special, right?” Ren Yi grinned at Gong Yingxian.SgcxzhJxkMesxoTaSvwIPzCYpOzlUm

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For some reason, an image of Ren Yi’s bare back—what Gong Yingxian considered an attractive back—flashed in his mind. Yes, Ren Yi really was special. He gave a quiet “mm” in response.mpHebDpYfkLKRPGhpFAXsDaeQbAhfp

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Ren Yi’s heart leapt with joy. Even in this cryptic exchange, he found sweetness in every word. He knew that in Gong Yingxian’s eyes, he was becoming more and more unique, bit by bit, which was already an indescribable satisfaction for him.lxhWRXQTHmhLAMpOddYwgRpMkKKcRu

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As they reached the car, Ren Yi said, “You should drive today.” He was actually exhausted, having spent the whole afternoon in strenuous physical activity and only eaten a single boxed meal. But he didn’t want Gong Yingxian to notice; he just wanted to uncover the truth behind the arson case in Wanyuan District as soon as possible.YAGdQsvzSTeQQWIlQNyYktuaocDfpF

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However, Gong Yingxian noticed anyway. “What’s wrong? Are you tired?”WSDVuyLTbpQklTsPBMMunIwHjyEmQU

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“No, it’s just the injury on my neck. It hurts a little when I raise my arm.”yVQsdkXWZthPoDfgGTWTKWeNLqXqzq

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Gong Yingxian frowned. “I don’t know what you went through this afternoon, but if you’re too tired, don’t come along.”otSWqUOsipZRKevayQVJFZCeQlCqmb

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Ren Yi smiled, “Really, I’m fine. Let’s go.”uJfolTjHAPrrjsTNaAocZhxgbelcac

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On the way, Gong Yingxian started talking about the case, “You wouldn’t believe how unexpectedly this case is developing.”iCtxkEOQgllgKzKCuWZZPNQwQckttv

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“What’s going on?” Ren Yi’s curiosity was immediately piqued.HwQLWHHMacCGgjPDOJUvVSTrulXtYs

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“We suspect Peng Fei, but we don’t have any solid evidence. So I asked my colleagues in forensics to analyze all the trash I collected from the scene.”LcdluXEtrRdUDzzbAjNiUpqOJEHjaz

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“That sounds like a huge task.”wiIVyJwEbmgUaSaqxqjyLHsWQrgyPk

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“It’s not as much as you’d think. Most of it was too badly damaged by the fire to be of any use. But you remember the electric toothbrush head and the coffee grounds I mentioned to you, right?”CmEuFEjzMFctdwsJwmnSYqkNcakAnE

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“I remember.”YJDYHLIThjEJABPosyDRuFjPifuvnb

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“First of all, your fire investigation method helped us narrow down the suspects to five households on the west side. Secondly, those two items played a big role.” Gong Yingxian’s face showed a hint of pride. “We extracted DNA from the toothbrush, and we identified the type and brand of the coffee grounds. Out of the five households, only two have coffee machines.”VzlbXAIdYnzUetqpfBLGbjLONRFBJK

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“So, who owns the toothbrush and the coffee?”gOhYfoMMRbvFoMWyItpTDMziLFVrkx

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“We couldn’t conduct a DNA comparison without consent, so one of my colleagues staked out the building for two days. He collected trash from all the households on that floor’s west side and found the owner of the toothbrush—2208, the apartment next to 2209.”SRbsxbJMaqFtTjZbxXiQCHKkvMABLy

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Ren Yi suddenly made the connection. “Are you saying the trash in front of 2209 might not belong to them, but could have been from one of the other five?”MrSicykqHffIfxtMzCsJKciwdnenhc

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“We can currently prove it came from two households. We also discovered that Peng Fei’s family owns a coffee machine. We checked his online shopping records and found that he indeed bought the same brand of coffee.”vFKufrJsYZPrinnfzrMsnANnTJMhag

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Ren Yi said excitedly, “There’s no way he can deny it now!”XMeZzdwYRmKnkltVjGqEzcWkuarpCq

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Gong Yingxian sneered. “When we presented this evidence, both suspects admitted it. But they both claimed they were just retaliating—dumping trash at 2209’s door out of spite. They deny any involvement in the arson. We haven’t questioned the other households yet.”bQLBQHHmIwetfcLhEVaoCrAAPpXWvb

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Ren Yi gasped. The deeper the investigation went, the more unsettling the truth became. “So what’s your plan?”bxRDUOhdBbGPyvYipZtJUqeOhXMDkw

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Gong Yingxian said, “Do you remember which of the six households on the west side, besides 2209, had a fatality?”JgHlfmZNTIctlHQyiiJfSaTKehQqTC

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“The second-to-last one, I think,” Ren Yi recalled. “The last one is Peng Fei’s, 2212, and in 2211, an elderly person died.”CGpAmGSgDGmOsTHccUciIHxdrwWTud

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“Exactly. We’re planning to start with her household. You’ll meet the owner of 2211 soon,” Gong Yingxian said. “Also, the more we investigate, the more suspicious I am of Peng Fei. I’ve decided to have him take a polygraph test.”FPVMLvUEmSBzsUfxnpDEQBNlEWMxdJ

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“Is a polygraph even reliable?” Ren Yi frowned. “It can only be used as a supplementary tool, and it’s not admissible in court.”VoWNUksKIKUBELzlJRqHjtcnwKGFuX

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“I know. The polygraph is just a method. I’ve brought in a criminal psychology expert to help us re-evaluate Peng Fei.”FuDTVONbXoONVloNpibhwkMzqKcqzv

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“Didn’t you say there wasn’t enough evidence and that he didn’t react at all when faced with Zhou Chuan?”xjtVuFGNDWRntvZlGISmvKJgSKviMn

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“It wasn’t just Zhou Chuan—he didn’t react to Chen Pei either. That only deepens my suspicion. More importantly, right now, we don’t have any better suspects for the arson. Have you heard Sherlock Holmes’ famous quote?”BLNMmUdBjPugmnawGcWCPFwyazSYcB

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“‘Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.'”tTgMqIoJcoqDUvYXmtYhdmHNmigyLR

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“Exactly. Since we haven’t found any new suspects, I’m going to re-examine Peng Fei as a suspect and review all the evidence we have. If he’s guilty, no matter how well he hides, something will slip.”McDTWWCmZQDEURwIxrJcCxAAkOUJmR

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“And… what about Chen Pei?” Ren Yi asked, sneaking a glance at Gong Yingxian’s expression when he mentioned the name.PYdVcQrHZbRXsTBeurazjtcVexFROi

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“I want to clear up the Wanyuan District case first. Besides, he’s not going anywhere.”FreWONUvmHgObsRdfsXJmgATKOrTTx

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As they spoke, the two arrived at the precinct.UblBYfzaEUgsoRdTOXFOvagdvMoito

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Cai Qiang was interrogating Zhou Chuan. Ren Yi stood outside the observation room, watching Zhou Chuan, who had gained some weight after just a month in the hospital. The thought of this bastard eating well and being comfortable while the victims’ families likely couldn’t even manage a meal filled Ren Yi with indescribable anger.wBmZOJewZHbHNZyBiUYTspUDuhrAXe

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“He’s still not talking?” Ren Yi asked.bJvEWIeYwWNUqxryBtHqhniMFhmcvn

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“He loosened up a bit in the hospital after learning we’d caught Chen Pei. Let’s see if Cai Qiang can get anything out of him today.”MoYWFtGIjoxBsYkLLtZcGIaDnNTvHg

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“Did he recognize Chen Pei?”kFEHOkuXwTHrJucvVhLydKecxYEDIs

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Gong Yingxian shook his head. “They might have known each other online, but they didn’t seem familiar with each other’s appearance.”fjTZgFHqpQIwBCxpCNVqtusZgCQBkr

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Ren Yi could hear Cai Qiang inside, slamming the table, trying to coax and pressure Zhou Chuan.QZlAHYrVpzeyxnBrFiYswUqkmBIlil

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“Let’s go. I’ll take you to meet the owner of 2211.”wgAWXumpEMAleoPaVkWQTVxJpTzFEg

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The two of them arrived outside another interrogation room. Gong Yingxian gestured with his eyes for Ren Yi to take a look through the window on the door.YXSHZKpAYulMBQOoNcSPKxRRPYbBCK

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Ren Yi leaned in and peered inside. The owner of 2211 was a woman in her fifties, her head lowered. Even from the slight rise and fall of her shoulders, Ren Yi could sense her unease.XatWSxyJeGJGNQMnXEeNMkeAgDwTDl

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“She hasn’t been detained. We just asked her to cooperate with the investigation. She’s been waiting here for at least three or four hours. If she were just an ordinary victim or an unrelated party, she’d have been angry by now, but look at her—she’s only anxious,” Gong Yingxian said in a low voice.YHnJLhkcwLybeipzVuAaPIKqpvkcCc

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“Guilty conscience?”VTYMAgaqwNmtCQEFYudZMEvlCeeegc

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“Most likely.” Gong Yingxian pushed open the door and walked in.FXeTrlDcpNunLlAkxozdVaYAgSLAiy

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The person inside suddenly lifted their head, staring at the two without blinking.EVgKlwojBByvEuxFfmOAAewydSdtlS

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“Ms. Bai,” Gong Yingxian flipped through the documents, “Hello, sorry to keep you waiting.”fKbUlLylNIzFPFxRJXUvIkkutlcXIL

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Ms. Bai leaned her overweight body back, pressing her back against the chair’s backrest, trying to keep as much distance as possible from Gong Yingxian, who was already seated across the table.OLsVsekCcEVEiMLeZryVMgaxYRMHgx

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Ren Yi sat beside him.ULKVlTvkJCgwOWXHgDXWbSniOzLJTn

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In a mechanical tone, Gong Yingxian said, “Ms. Bai, my surname is Gong. Thank you for cooperating with our investigation. We have a few questions we hope you can answer truthfully.”DTmTDaIhgjyGDSCyfRAUyngGhijSPZ

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Ms. Bai took a deep breath. “What do you want to ask? I’ve already told the police everything several times.”XFLbTsOrljxGqGxugXXAfpxnveFctH

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Gong Yingxian nodded. “But before, you were speaking from the position of a victim’s family member. Now, things are different.”qlCwqgjeTLslcbSiNWmBkqNEAjiGwa

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Ms. Bai glared at Gong Yingxian. “Wh-what do you mean?”oNZOejWWgtAVmXrBcodQgZkxGRlXBo

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“We have reason and evidence to believe that you, along with four other households on the west side of the 22nd floor, had all thrown trash in front of the door of apartment 2209 before the fire started.”HmFIrSkKvKhUECoJNkHKmHChsPERhd

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Ms. Bai tried to maintain her composure. “Anyway, he liked to pile trash at his door. I threw something out of spite, so what?”UTmYoteuWeDhxMCRFhlMClSETaoPFv

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“Had you done this before?”pHAvLbfBpbNwCObLMWpJSHHXJXKVih

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Ms. Bai hesitated, unsure how to answer.RnhnhRiPjhjctKgUvGNsoggwNtKSmd

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“The woman from apartment 2209 said that you had never done anything like this before, just argued and posted angry notices. So how is it that on the day of the fire, all five of your households simultaneously threw garbage at the door of 2209?”WiNSWtZYhugScNsitLIVLYdMAabhPy

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“… I saw others throwing, so I did too.”NeqQwCQGOuhPlajmWLPanEfLwkYgYB

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“Who did you see throw it?”beHGgfKQGvAwPTgxpAELJeTCySLKBh

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“I forget.” Ms. Bai turned her head. “Throwing trash doesn’t mean we set the fire.”HnvisjfOTTbhXVXQEfxJPrMjngtOCd

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“Mm, but the trash you threw fueled the fire, so you bear some responsibility. As for what that responsibility is, it depends on whether you knew about the arson.”SCrlggwhwkkBfiplpifzcfmErFrzIZ

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“I didn’t know!” Ms. Bai said, agitated. “I had no idea there would be a fire. If I had known, how could I have let my mother get smoked to death!”WHNnczXrGQOkDmiKkrxhjDzdNYoYHw

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In a cold voice, Gong Yingxian said, “Precisely because your mother died from inhaling smoke during the fire, I can’t understand why you would cover for the person who killed her.”tKzBdFtzvwZeREowGGvXdcQrxQyXqx

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Ms. Bai’s body trembled, and her eyes began to dart around.UtfVUkweGVpcFwOFzUFqWggfREJWaz

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“You know who did it, don’t you? In fact, maybe all of you know. This was a premeditated act of revenge. Perhaps the consequences were more severe than any of you anticipated, and now you’re scared, scared of being implicated, so you don’t dare to tell the truth, am I right?”zDPPmQicCppREZxAAYQREKqPmiWHeR

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Ren Yi’s heart skipped a beat. He had already guessed what Gong Yingxian was hinting at while they were in the car, but hearing it said aloud still shocked him. Could this really be a case of collective arson? In all his years on the job, he had never encountered anything like it. No wonder Gong Yingxian had mentioned that the case would take an unexpected turn.nNUnzeGDBvwVSkZmxOkZhCLUOWcBbM

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Ms. Bai shook her head vigorously. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Yes, I threw some trash. We neighbors had already discussed it out of spite—he dumped trash, so we dumped it at his door. We were just angry. His whole family was shameless, so we… we threw a few bags of garbage, so what? It wasn’t us who started the fire.”WSFuhTlsTaWdCWdYzznkGxpSqJEPCQ

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“You know very well who caused your mother’s death, but because you’re afraid of being held accountable, you won’t say it. If your mother’s spirit is watching from above, she’s seeing everything.”HZBLXMykqyrpxFbUZWEelxKkxFfomK

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Beads of sweat appeared on Ms. Bai’s forehead.glAxwHqBBTKJuqHfuSMhhOzAMxmDKz

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“Ms. Bai, I understand your concerns. You’re afraid that if you tell the truth, you’ll be seen as an accomplice, unable to answer to the law or your family. Maybe you’ve even been threatened, right?”jNQsoIYMWCVXjYjLVlBMtRepllQsVr

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Ms. Bai remained silent.KQzZilPJnpccblVOFgncXtdgyBMFpN

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“I sympathize with you.” Gong Yingxian leaned forward. “Of the six households on the west side, besides the man from 2209, you’re the only one who lost a loved one. It’s not fair, is it? That man disgusted you for years. Why should your mother pay the price for his death? Why did nothing happen to the other families? Have you slept well this past month? I bet you’ve been living in constant fear, worried that we’d uncover a lead. And look, here we are, at your door.”kvxpSxTwSfgTukjVDjVTJfAcIHuHAW

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Ms. Bai’s voice grew shrill. “Stop it! I don’t know anything!”KVYdwAYTKwlJRRmTUQYjIsUjWBKfgl

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“You can claim ignorance, but I can still question the others. With so many families involved, if just one of them implicates you all…”nnPVloTORgPeMpzrYPJuJhvRgvEBKa

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Ms. Bai stared down at the table, her body stiff with tension.SPbfnZmAuBGgbXOVkwYfrhoWeEFIbI

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“I told you, I feel sorry for you and your mother. That’s why I came to you first, to give you a chance to atone for your mistakes. If you don’t take this chance, can you be sure others won’t? You’re older and have no criminal record. If you cooperate, the law will go easy on you. But if you keep shouldering the blame for someone else—the person who killed your mother—then you’re not just foolish but also unfilial. You’ve already made one grave mistake. Do you really want to make a second?”PwllNEdiyMCdoFgzgrKMwbmZGvwlmL

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Ms. Bai trembled, and tears began to fall from her reddened eyes.QXKoEeOwGApwkMsXRmBnkJNrhYhTnI

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