TSMLI CHAPTER 8

A car traveling from east to west had come to a stop with great effort. The headlights clearly showed someone lying there. In those critical two seconds the person who had fallen screamed again, pushed herself up, and ran forward before she could stand up straight. But after taking two steps, she immediately fell down again.

 

Just two steps away, the tires grazed Lin Chu and finally came to a stop. All the pedestrians and drivers in the middle of the intersection broke out in a cold sweat and ran towards the zebra crossing in twos and threes.

 

Jiang Jin blocked the way, and the assailant desperately tried to dodge the motorcycle and escape forward, but Jiang Jin gave him no chance. He jumped off the motorcycle and threw a heavy punch. The assailant was not to be outdone, and with a cry of pain, he fiercely retaliated. The two immediately began to wrestle.

 

The black van was three or four cars away from the traffic light. Shen Zhongxun only heard two piercing screams and did not know what had happened. There seemed to be a traffic jam ahead, and people around him were rushing into the middle of the road. The leaders looked tired and slightly impatient after glancing at their watches.

 

Shen Zhongxun turned his head and casually glanced at the intersection on the other side. The two people fighting came into his view. Shen Zhongxun was stunned for a moment, said a few words to his leader, and then hurriedly got out of the car and ran towards them.

 

Several passersby had gathered around the motorcycle. Some were calling the police, while others wanted to help. The situation was similar in the middle of the intersection. When Shen Zhongxun ran there, he also saw the situation. The ground was littered with scattered fruit. It was unclear who had been in a car accident. Long hair could be vaguely seen hanging down.

 

Shen Zhongxun, no longer distracted, rushed to Jiang Jin’s side. The assailant was beating him desperately, his hand reaching into his pocket and suddenly pulling out a fruit knife. Jiang Jin punched him twice more. The assailant’s vision blurred, and he seemed to see blood flowing down. He screamed and swung the knife wildly, causing gasps of shock to erupt around them. Shen Zhongxun did not hesitate. He attacked from behind, grabbing the assailant’s wrist. A sharp pain, like bone cracking, shot through the assailant’s wrist. Before the assailant’s scream could even finish, Shen Zhongxun twisted his wrist, causing the assailant to scream in agony. His arm seemed to be dislocated in excruciating pain, and the fruit knife fell to the ground.

 

Shen Zhongxun twisted his arm again, ignoring his cries of pain, and pressed down hard with his knee, subduing him to the ground. The assailant was still struggling in his death throes, but mostly he was screaming in pain as if he were dying. Shen Zhongxun immediately looked at Jiang Jin. “Are you alright?”

 

Jiang Jin’s face was swollen and red, with blood seeping from the corners of his eyes. He was dizzy and lightheaded. He just waved his hand, but then suddenly remembered. “Lin Chu!”

 

Shen Zhongxun was stunned. He saw Jiang Jin stagger a few steps toward the center of the intersection. “Lin Chu had a car accident!”

 

Upon hearing this, Shen Zhongxun’s grip tightened involuntarily, and the assailant’s wrist immediately felt as if it were shattering. There was even a crackling sound in his ears as the assailant cried out, begging for mercy and help. Shen Zhongxun shouted to the two men who were watching, “Come and watch him, wait for the police!”

 

The two men immediately stepped forward and subdued the assailant from both sides. Without saying a word, Shen Zhongxun rushed towards the center of the intersection and passed Jiang Jin in the blink of an eye.

 

Lin Chu sat on the ground, still shaken. Her legs seemed to have lost all feeling, and she could not lift them no matter what she did. Tears streamed down her face, and she was on the verge of wailing. The car driver hurriedly explained, “I didn’t hit her! I really didn’t!”

 

Shen Zhongxun pushed through the crowd and squeezed in, causing people on both sides to stumble a few steps and grumble.

 

“Lin Chu!”

Lin Chu looked up through her teary eyes. In her blurred vision, she could only make out that the person who had come was wearing a suit and was tall and imposing. She cried miserably, unable to stop herself from sobbing, only muttering, “I can’t stand up, I can’t stand up…”

 

Some people asked Shen Zhongxun if he knew Lin Chu, and others said they had already called an ambulance. The driver kept emphasizing, “She ran out on her own. I really didn’t hit her. I swear!”

 

Jiang Jin finally walked into the crowd, lifted his vest to wipe the blood that had dripped into his eyes, cursed “Damn it,” and then said, “It was that man who pushed Lin Chu off the sidewalk.”

 

People around him, who had been panicking and had moved away when they saw his face covered in blood, vaguely understood what had happened after hearing what he said. They looked towards the dimly lit spot where the streetlights were weak, and more and more onlookers gathered.

 

Shen Zhongxun squatted down and carefully examined Lin Chu’s legs. Apart from some abrasions and mosquito bites, there was nothing else unusual. Lin Chu was still crying in fear when Shen Zhongxun suddenly grabbed her shoulders, startling her and causing her to stop crying abruptly.

 

Shen Zhongxun stared at her intently. “What’s there to cry about? Nothing’s wrong.” As he spoke, he reached out towards Lin Chu’s legs, seemed to pause when they were just inches away, and then pressed them against his thighs, gently kneading them.

 

Lin Chu felt a pair of warm hands pressing on her thighs and calves. The unfamiliar touch brought an unusual sensation, and as her senses gradually returned, she felt a tingling, burning sensation.

 

She suddenly hiccuped, and her blurry vision slowly cleared. When she saw Shen Zhongxun standing close by, she suddenly woke up, her body trembling in shock, her back stiffening.

 

Shen Zhongxun stared intently at her, quickly squeezed her hands a few times, then held her shoulders and said, “Try standing up!” With a little force, he lifted Lin Chu up.

 

Lin Chu swayed unsteadily, losing her balance. She immediately looked for something to support herself and wrapped her arms around Shen Zhongxun’s waist. Unexpectedly, Shen Zhongxun trembled slightly, but Lin Chu did not notice.

 

Shen Zhongxun whispered for Lin Chu to move her legs, and Lin Chu obediently moved them. The car driver breathed a sigh of relief, and the onlookers exclaimed with relief.

 

Only a dozen minutes had passed since the incident, and the ambulance and police cars had not yet arrived. The traffic congestion gradually cleared, and Shen Zhongxun helped Lin Chu to the side of the road. He then tried to check on Jiang Jin’s injuries, but as soon as he let go, Lin Chu’s legs went weak, and she almost fell. Shen Zhongxun quickly caught her. Lin Chu, still shaken, clutched Shen Zhongxun’s suit pocket tightly, refusing to let go. Helpless, Shen Zhongxun could only shout to Jiang Jin, “Don’t run! Go to the hospital!”

 

Jiang Jin helped up the motorcycle that had fallen in the chaos. He was too exhausted to run away, so he waved to Shen Zhongxun. Several people wanted to take the culprit directly to the police station, but Jiang Jin stepped forward and kicked one of them, replying, “Go ahead and take him. Who knows how long we’ll have to wait for the police to arrive!”

 

The kind-hearted person stuffed the attacker into a private car and immediately drove towards the nearest police station. Jiang Jin glanced at the sidewalk and saw Shen Zhongxun with his arm around Lin Chu, his head down, talking about something. Lin Chu shook her head and nodded, but her hands were tightly gripping the pocket of his suit jacket. Jiang Jin couldn’t help but feel embarrassed and suddenly felt inexplicably lost.

 

Police cars and ambulances finally arrived with sirens blaring, but the scene was still somewhat chaotic.

 

Jiang Jin got into the ambulance and pointed at the motorcycle on the side of the road, shouting, “My motorcycle, my motorcycle!”

 

Shen Zhongxun slapped his head in annoyance and instructed Lin Chu, who was still a little scared, “You take the ambulance to the hospital, and I’ll follow behind you on his motorcycle.”

 

Lin Chu’s fingers tightened, forcefully rubbing his suit pocket into messy creases. Jiang Jin suddenly spoke coolly, “No need to be so reluctant to part!”

 

Shen Zhongxun glanced at him, then patted Lin Chu’s hand reassuringly. “Don’t be afraid.”

 

Lin Chu also felt that her behavior was too abnormal, but she couldn’t control her actions. After a long while, she nodded, gritted her teeth, and let go. Shen Zhongxun then jumped out of the ambulance.

 

Lin Chu gripped the seat, her gaze fixed on the rear window. Shen Zhongxun followed behind on the motorcycle, the wind howling fiercely. Dressed in a suit and helmet, he seemed completely out of place in the scene, with police cars following behind.

 

Jiang Jin slumped into a chair, stretched out his leg, and kicked at Lin Chu. “Hey, I’m asking you!”

 

Lin Chu looked away and heard Jiang Jin ask, “Who have you offended?”

 

Lin Chu shook her head and frowned as she replied, “How could I possibly offend anyone?” She was always smiling and amiable, except when she spoke to Jiang Jin with a hint of anger. After thinking it over, the most likely culprit was the person in front of her, but Lin Chu didn’t say it aloud.

 

Jiang Jin looked up in thought. He had deliberately waited at the platform today and followed her all the way here, just to find out where Lin Chu lived. It wasn’t that he wanted to ask about Liu Hongmei’s situation, but he just couldn’t hold back his anger.

 

After Lin Chu got off the bus at the station near the intersection, he seemed to see a man following her suspiciously in the distance. He was certain that the man had not gotten off the bus, but had been waiting there all along. He acted without hesitation, was quite burly, and even carried a fruit knife. He was not robbing her of money or sex, but directly taking her life.

 

The scene became lively again upon arrival at the hospital, as the police entering immediately attracted a crowd of onlookers.

 

Lin Chu had abrasions on her legs, but was otherwise fine. She explained that she had overexerted herself with the side kick earlier, and the doctor reassured her, “Don’t worry, you’re really okay. If you’re still worried, go get an X-ray. You were just startled and couldn’t stand up, but that was purely psychological and had nothing to do with your physical health.” Lin Chu breathed a sigh of relief.

 

Jiang Jin’s injuries were a bit more serious. As the doctor applied medicine to him, he gasped for breath and then boasted, “I crippled that man. He probably won’t recover anytime soon.”

 

Shen Zhongxun was worried about Lin Chu’s condition. Seeing that Jiang Jin was still chatting with energy, he walked towards another room. When he reached the door, he heard Lin Chu laugh and say, “Actually, I wasn’t too scared. When the car was about to hit me, I ran forward two steps. Luckily, I ran fast, otherwise something really bad would have happened!”

 

Shen Zhongxun smiled and leaned against the door without going in, listening quietly to the doctor and Lin Chu’s questions and answers.

 

After the inspection, the three of them went to the police station. Jiang Jin recounted what he had seen in detail. Shen Zhongxun was unaware of the previous situation, and after listening to his description, it was truly a close call. He couldn’t help but turn his head to look at Lin Chu at another table.

 

After recalling for a while, Lin Chu reiterated to the police, “I definitely haven’t offended anyone.”

 

The police officer nodded. “Okay, we will investigate as soon as possible and notify you immediately.”

 

It was late at night when the three left the police station. There were few cars on the street. Jiang Jin patted the motorcycle and said, “Hey, get on, I’ll give you a ride!”

 

Lin Chu chuckled, “I’m leaving now!” She then nodded to Shen Zhongxun beside her, “Manager Shen, thank you for today, I’ll head back now!”

 

Shen Zhongxun frowned slightly, perhaps unaccustomed to her sudden unfamiliarity. After a long while, he said, “It’s late, let me take you home.”

 

The night was deep, and there were only a few cars on the road, not a single pedestrian in sight. Lin Chu was still shaken by what had happened earlier, and after a slight hesitation, she agreed.

 

Jiang Jin shrugged and eagerly hopped on the motorcycle.

 

The two were lucky; a taxi arrived after waiting for seven or eight minutes. Once inside, Lin Chu sat upright, maintaining a certain distance from Shen Zhongxun. Shen Zhongxun asked a few questions with concern, which Lin Chu answered one by one. Before getting out of the car, Lin Chu thanked him again. Shen Zhongxun smiled and said, “It’s nothing. Go back and get some rest. Don’t think too much about it.”

 

Lin Chu nodded and watched the taxi drive away.

 

With only three or four hours left before she had to catch the bus to work, Lin Chu quickly washed up and rested, and before she knew it, she was back at work in a daze.

 

With a lot of work to do, Lin Chu was in low spirits and kept yawning. At noon, she bought two packets of instant coffee and drank them all in one go before finally opening her eyes.

 

In the afternoon, Lin Chu received a call from the police, who said there had been progress in the case. Her heart tightened, and she hurriedly asked what was going on. The police only told her to come to the police station again in a little while, as she hadn’t had time to ask about many details last night.

 

After getting off work, Lin Chu rushed to the police station, only to find Jiang Jin already waiting at the door. Upon seeing Lin Chu, he waved and said, “You’re here pretty fast!”

Lin Chu smiled and went inside with him.

 

The police seemed more serious than the night before. After a brief explanation, they said, “He won’t answer any of our questions. We found out he’s an employee of the Environmental Group. See if you recognize him.” As they spoke, they pushed a photo in front of Lin Chu.

 

Lin Chu was somewhat surprised when she heard the man’s workplace, and when she saw the photo, she was immediately stunned. “I remember him. I’ve seen him several times. He knows Sister Liu.”

 

Lin Chu had to suppress her shock and recount what she had seen and heard more than a month ago. The case seemed to be related to the long-unsolved murder case, which immediately excited the police.

 

Lin Chu said, “I first saw that man at the entrance of the city hospital. He was with Sister Liu and seemed a bit suspicious. At first, I didn’t think much of it. Later, they had an argument and I heard that it involved infidelity. That’s when I started to pay attention. But I also saw that man chatting and laughing with Sister Liu’s husband.”

 

Lin Chu said a few words, then suddenly added, “By the way, they all seemed to be carrying medicine. I’ve seen them twice, and both times they were carrying medicine.”

 

The police took notes one by one and asked a few other questions. Lin Chu explained everything in detail and left the police station as it was getting dark. Jiang Jin called out to her, “If you had said something earlier, none of this would have happened.”

 

Lin Chu frowned. She had thought of this when Jiang Jin questioned her earlier, but she hadn’t paid attention to it. Or rather, she had to admit that she didn’t care much when the trouble didn’t affect her personally.

 

The case was then handed over to the police, but Lin Chu was unable to provide many clues.

 

She didn’t tell anyone about the attack, only mentioning it to Ye Jing. Ye Jing rushed to see her immediately and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that she was safe and sound.

 

She had no way of knowing about the police investigation, but the progress of the murder case was revealed by Sang Feiyan.

 

Five days after the incident, Sang Feiyan came home from work and exclaimed, “There really is a problem, a very serious problem!”

 

Shi Tingting told her to speak slowly, and Sang Feiyan took a sip of water. “The insurance policy was purchased three months ago. The police should have started their investigation from that time period. But guess what? Buying insurance requires a medical examination and disclosure of medical history, right? The deceased was from Guizhou. Three months ago, her husband took her to a private clinic, where she was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer. After returning to Nanjiang, she regularly went to get her medication, and the medical record she used happened to belong to the murderer. That murderer also had liver cancer. This is blatant insurance fraud! But the story is too complicated; it’s far from simple.” Sang Feiyan pulled out a copy of the Nanjiang Evening News, letting them read it themselves.

 

Lin Chu read it slowly, word by word, and was speechless with shock.

 

Ms. Liu and her husband were from Guizhou. They came to Nanjiang City to work five years ago. Because Ms. Liu gave birth to two daughters in a row, she was always disliked by her husband’s family, and her relationship with Mr. Wu gradually became distant until Mr. Wu took her to see a doctor.

 

Ms. Liu did not take proper care of herself after giving birth and had been weak and sickly ever since. After the diagnosis came out, she did not suspect anything. Mr. Wu suggested that she commit insurance fraud.

 

Life in Nanjiang City was tough, with high prices for both goods and housing. Soon her two daughters would be starting kindergarten, putting a strain on the family’s finances. Ms. Liu felt she would die sooner or later, so she made up her mind and listened to Lao Wu’s advice.

 

They found a poor, middle-aged man in the hospital who had been ill for a long time. Even if the murder was discovered, the middle-aged man was not afraid of death. As long as the insurance fraud was successful, he could leave 40% of the huge sum of money to his family. That’s why he took the gamble.

 

Unexpectedly, Lin Chu caught him and Lao Wu together. The middle-aged man had a good memory and remembered seeing Lin Chu at the hospital entrance. He also heard from his coworker last Friday that Lin Chu had been intercepted by a reporter investigating the case. Fearing that the matter would be exposed and Lin Chu would implicate him, he decided to go all out. He asked Lao Wu for Lin Chu’s address and staked out her house for two nights before finally making his move on Sunday night.

 

Sang Feiyan continued, “I think the best part is the one above. Before the police went to Guizhou to look for clues, someone actually impersonated an insurance company agent and told the deceased’s husband that his wife was sick and was committing insurance fraud. He even mentioned Guizhou. As a result, the husband confessed without being asked and said that his wife was not sick and that the clinic had misdiagnosed her. Isn’t that perfect? The person impersonating the agent immediately provided clues to the police.”

 

Shi Tingting exclaimed, “They’re so smart! Who’s this amazing person?”

 

Sang Feiyan shrugged, and no one knew.

 

The newspaper articles all used pseudonyms, except for the reporter’s signature where the real name was used. Lin Chu looked thoughtfully at the name “Jiang Jin,” and was extremely impressed by his exclusive report. As for who the person impersonating the insurance broker was, it probably wasn’t hard to guess.

 

The case had finally come to an end, but there were still many things to deal with in the aftermath.

 

She didn’t go back to Chuqian over the weekend, but stayed in her rented room for two days to rest. When the heat became unbearable, she finally went out.

 

The original rental contract stated that water and electricity would be shared equally, and each room did not have its own electricity meter. Therefore, installing air conditioning was a troublesome matter. Sang Feiyan’s room was a partitioned room with no windows and no ventilation, so she had already installed air conditioning and paid an extra share of the electricity bill.

 

Lin Chu originally thought she could endure it, but who knew she really couldn’t bear this kind of hardship. On Sunday afternoon, she went to the mall alone to buy an air conditioner. She finally found a cheap and good air conditioner before the mall closed. The money in her savings account was reduced again, and Lin Chu felt very distressed.

 

The next day, Monday, the first day of July, began under the scorching sun. The temperature soared to thirty-eight degrees Celsius. Lin Chu sat in her office, enjoying the air conditioning. The latest issue of the internal publication arrived, and she immediately flipped to the page with the interviews. A photo of someone sitting upright in front of the camera was prominently displayed. Unexpectedly, another page featured a photo of Shen Zhongxun. The two were in the exact same pose: a slight smile, hands folded on their laps, and a detached gaze. The accompanying text introduced the group’s new company, and Shen Zhongxun was to be transferred to Chuqian.

 

Meanwhile, Shen Zhongxun was organizing the materials he needed to take to Chuqian in his office. When he touched the internal publication, he paused, his fingertips hovering over the page with the interview, slowly reading the words over and over again.

 

When his assistant knocked on the door to remind him of the time, Shen Zhongxun immediately snapped out of his reverie, stuffed the internal publication into the documents he was taking with him to Chuqian, and walked out unhurriedly.