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CHAPTER 9
PART 4
Su Xiaotong's home had never seen so many people before. The members of the "Big Family" formed a circle, sitting solemnly, each wearing a gloomy expression.
Given the recent events, their emotions were easily imaginable. Shen Fengxia had red, swollen eyes, clearly a result of shedding many tears. Yuan Dong's body had already been sent to the funeral home, and Shen Fengxia had informed Yuan Dong's parents and relatives, who were on their way to Lishi to handle his funeral.
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"There's something I need to tell all of you," Tan Yong said as he took a lawyer's letter from his pocket and displayed it for everyone to see. "I've renounced my inheritance rights to Gong Yamei's estate."
Surprise washed over the faces of everyone present, and Fan Lin asked, "Why?"
"That day at the hospital, you all heard what our deputy team leader said. Because I'm one of the beneficiaries of the estate, I couldn't continue the investigation and needed to recuse myself. But I didn't want that, so I voluntarily gave up my inheritance rights. This way, I can still investigate this case," Tan Yong said without going into much detail.
"You gave up over 27 million in inheritance just to continue the investigation?" Han Lei exclaimed in disbelief. "Old Tan, what were you thinking?"
"I was thinking that I must personally catch the perpetrator who committed these crimes right under my nose," Tan Yong scanned everyone with his gaze. "After this 'poisoning incident,' I'm sure you've all realized that the person responsible is among you."
Everyone exchanged uneasy glances, their eyes betraying fear and anxiety. Shen Fengxia buried her head, muttering four words through clenched teeth, "The murderer among us!"
"Fengxia, who do you think the murderer is?" Tan Yong inquired.
Shen Fengxia lifted her head, her gaze filled with icy resentment as she scanned each person one by one, saying with loathing, "I don't know who it is, but this person is sitting right in front of me. Just thinking about it makes me..."
Her expression seemed as if she were ready to devour someone. No one had expected that the usually gentle Shen Fengxia, after losing her husband, would undergo such a profound transformation, becoming a vengeful spirit.
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Tan Yong tried to comfort her emotions. "Fengxia, I understand how you feel, but the police take this case very seriously. I've even given up my inheritance rights to ensure I can focus on catching this terrible murderer. So, please, don't let your emotions get the best of you. Leave this to me."
"Fengxia, you better find out who the murderer is," Shen Fengxia said darkly. "Otherwise, I won't let him go."
"Shen Fengxia, what do you mean by that? You don't even know who the murderer is. How can you punish them? You can't just treat everyone in the 'Big Family' as a suspect because of this incident. You need to remember that most of them are innocent and victims too," Fan Lin said.
"That's right," Tan Yong added. "You must control your emotions."
Shen Fengxia scoffed, "After losing Mr. Yuan, I don't need to pretend anymore."
Everyone was puzzled, and Tan Yong asked, "What do you mean?"
"Remember when I told you all before? I used to be a student in the township middle school, and there was a girl who willingly became a fallen woman. After graduating, she went to work as a hostess in a nightclub in the county. Mr. Yuan, our class teacher back then, went to the nightclub and persuaded her to leave, teaching and guiding her until she finally turned her life around. That girl, well, it was me."
Everyone wore expressions of astonishment, and Shen Fengxia continued, "Yes, it's true. I wasn't a good girl back then. I thought my parents were planning to marry me off to some wealthy older man when I was just a teenager. I even considered becoming a hostess, thinking that the rich guy wouldn't want to marry a 'hostess.' My parents didn't object when they found out because they thought I could make money that way. Only Mr. Yuan didn't give up on me. He pulled me out of that nightclub, went to my house, and persuaded my parents to let me continue my education. At that time, Mr. Yuan was in his twenties, young, handsome, passionate, and full of energy. From that moment, I fell in love with him and believed that there could be no man in this world who would be as good to me as he was. If I ever had the chance, I swore to repay him."
"So, later on, when Mr. Yuan was diagnosed with ALS, I devoted myself to taking care of him, attending to his every need. Over these years, I knew exactly what type of woman Mr. Yuan liked. For him, I could abandon my true self and become a gentle, virtuous woman. Even though it wasn't my nature, as long as Mr. Yuan liked me this way, it was enough. Actually, it's not just my nature; I was willing to give up everything for Mr. Yuan. 'I'll do whatever you do,' wasn't just empty talk, it was my true attitude."
At this point, Shen Fengxia paused, scanning the room once more. "But now, Mr. Yuan is gone, killed by someone among you. It's like I've lost the lighthouse of my life and am drifting in a vast ocean. I don't understand why someone would do this. Mr. Yuan intended to use the inheritance for charitable purposes. Such a good person, murdered by someone. If I ever find out who the killer is, I truly want to cut their heart out and see how black it is!"
Shen Fengxia's words sent shivers down everyone's spines. After a moment, Tan Yong said, "The killer targeted not only Yuan Dong but also many others."
"Yes, all of us were poisoned," Wang Xingxing said.
"But there's definitely someone pretending, maybe the one with the mildest symptoms," Fan Lin said.
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"We've thought of that," Li Bin said. "Yesterday, I asked the doctor in charge of the rescue who had relatively mild symptoms."
Tan Yong wasn't aware of this, so he asked, "What did the doctor say?"
"Not just one person. The doctor mentioned that three people had relatively mild symptoms."
"Which three?"
"Do you want me to say it now?"
Tan Yong thought for a moment. "Go ahead."
"Xia Qi, Su Xiaotong, and Shen Fengxia, these three."
All eyes turned to these three individuals. Xia Qi spoke up, "Having milder symptoms doesn't necessarily make someone the killer, right? I just didn't drink as much of that chicken soup, that's all. Besides, the killer might have intentionally drunk a bit more to make the act more convincing without risking death. That's also a possibility."
Tan Yong paused briefly and then asked, "Now, let me ask the questions. Whoever knows should answer truthfully. The first question: Who bought the groceries on the day of the incident?"
"Tan Yong, do we really need to ask this? I already told you at the hospital," Li Xueli said. "I was the one responsible for buying groceries every day."
"Li Bin, take notes," Tan Yong instructed.
"Sure," Li Bin took out a notebook and pen.
Tan Yong continued his questioning, "Where did you buy the groceries that day?"
"The closest market to Yue Bay Community. I went there every day."
"All the wild mushrooms, were bought at that market, and nowhere else?"
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"Yes," Li Xueli affirmed confidently. "Tan Yong, if you don't believe me, you can check the surveillance footage of that street and the market for that day. I only went to the market, nowhere else."
"Among the wild mushrooms you bought, was there a red-colored mushroom?"
"Absolutely not. Brightly colored mushrooms are usually poisonous; it's basic common knowledge. I've been cooking for over a decade; there's no way I wouldn't know this."
"Captain Jiang had the dinner samples tested, and the report showed that the chicken soup contained components of the highly toxic mushroom 'Flame Morel.'” Tan Yong looked at everyone. "Recall carefully, that evening, did anyone notice any suspicious-looking mushrooms?"
"Flame Morel... I've heard of this poisonous mushroom, it looks like red fingers, right?" Gu Lei said. "If there was something so strange on the dinner table, everyone should have noticed."
"The exterior of Flame Morel is red, and the interior is white," Li Bin said. "If the killer intended to poison the food, they wouldn't have put something with such a distinctive appearance on the table. Instead, they'd remove the red part and cut the finger-shaped mushroom into conventional shapes. Reflect on this; did you see any unfamiliar mushrooms?"
Everyone shook their heads. Xia Qi said, "The mushrooms we ate that evening were all familiar to me. If I recall correctly, there were four types: porcini, black fungus, dry morel, and matsutake. I recognize all of them."
"Yes, I bought those four types of wild mushrooms," Li Xueli said.
"I've eaten those four types countless times, and I'm familiar with them all. There's no way there could have been poisonous mushrooms among them," Fan Lin said.
Tan Yong nodded. "It seems that, as I suspected, the poisonous mushroom was added during the meal, not present in the soup from the beginning. Otherwise, the two children wouldn't have been fine. Did both kids leave the table first that evening?"
"Yes. Since we were drinking, the children definitely wouldn't have stayed at the table for so long. Wenjing and Xiaoliang both went to their rooms; one was doing homework, and the other was playing with toys," Fan Lin explained.
"It appears that the killer had a trace of conscience, not wanting to harm the two children. So they deliberately waited until the kids left the table to introduce the poison," Tan Yong concluded.
"Isn't there another possibility?" Shen Fengxia said.
"What is it?" Tan Yong asked.
"The one who poisoned the food might have spared their own child."
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The implication was clear. Fan Lin immediately responded, "Fengxia, are you suggesting that if the killer isn't me, it must be Su Xiaotong or Gu Lei?"
"That's up to you to figure out."
"Enough," Tan Yong interrupted them. "As police, we'll consider all circumstances. I haven't finished my questions."
Both of them fell silent. Tan Yong continued, "Since we can confirm that the poisonous mushrooms were added midway, think back carefully after both kids left the table. Did anyone exhibit suspicious behavior?"
Everyone exchanged glances, looking puzzled. Xia Qi said, "At that time, we were discussing our plans for an outing. Except for Wenjing and Xiaoliang, all the adults were at the table. It would be extremely difficult for anyone to poison the chicken soup under everyone's watchful eyes."
"Yes, openly adding it wouldn't work. So, this person must have secretly added the poisonous mushrooms when nobody was paying attention," Wang Xingxing said.
"They couldn't have added it so obviously. This person had to seize the moment when nobody was looking to surreptitiously put the poison in the chicken soup," Su Xiaotong added.
"We found powdered form of Flame Morel in the soup, not slices or chunks," Li Bin mentioned. "This means the killer ground the Flame Morel into powder beforehand and then discreetly added it to the soup. Powdered poison can contaminate the entire pot of soup, making it easier to be absorbed by the body. The killer meticulously planned every detail."
"In powdered form, it's easier to poison," Tan Yong noted. "The killer could have concealed the poison in their sleeve and, during the process of serving or taking dishes, secretly sprinkled the powder into the soup. Their wrist would provide cover, making it less noticeable, even in front of everyone."
"Tan Yong, if that's the case, it's impossible to identify who did it. We were all engrossed in our conversation; no one could have been watching anyone else's wrists or sleeves," Fan Lin remarked, with several people nodding in agreement.
"Let's put that aside for now. Answer my next question: on that evening, how did the poisoning happen in terms of timing?" Tan Yong asked.
"There wasn't a specific sequence; we all got poisoned almost simultaneously," Han Lei said.
"There must have been a first person to feel unwell, though," Tan Yong persisted.
"It was Mr. Yuan, because... I saw that he loved chicken soup, so I served him several bowls," Shen Fengxia said regretfully.
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"And then?" Tan Yong inquired.
"Then it should be me," Li Xueli replied. "When Yuan Dong said his stomach hurt, I also started feeling unwell."
"In fact, I felt a bit dizzy even before Yuan Dong mentioned it, but I didn't think of poisoning. It was when everyone began to complain about feeling unwell that I became suspicious, but by then, I couldn't move anymore," Gu Lei explained.
"I felt the same," Wang Xingxing chimed in.
"It probably happened within a short span of ten seconds. Everyone displayed symptoms almost simultaneously, so it's hard to determine who was first," Su Xiaotong added. "I only know that when I lost consciousness and collapsed, I saw that more than half of the people had already fallen."
"I understand. So, who made the emergency call?" Tan Yong asked. This was the most critical question, but he tried to ask it casually, so as not to alert the killer.
Everyone exchanged glances, but after a long while, no one admitted to making the call. Tan Yong pressed, "What's going on? Why isn't anyone admitting it?"
"Yeah, the person who made the emergency call essentially saved most of us. Why wouldn't they confess?" Xia Qi wondered.
After over a minute of silence, still no one spoke up. Tan Yong said, "Alright, we'll stop here for today. If anyone recalls anything, please contact me immediately. Also, until the case is solved, none of you should leave Lishi. During this time, it's probably best if you don't dine together and just stay at your respective homes."
"Tan Yong, after such an incident, they wouldn't have come to my house for dinner anyway," Li Xueli sighed with a hint of bitterness.
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"Then, we'll..." Tan Yong began to wrap up, but Fan Lin interrupted him, saying, "Wait, Tan Yong."
"What's the matter?"
"You just said that if we remember anything, we should contact you. Well, I've just remembered something important."
Tan Yong looked at Fan Lin. "What is it?"
Fan Lin hesitated for a moment. "Originally, I was planning to call you privately or send you a message about this. But after thinking it over, I believe it's better to share it with everyone because this requires collective witness."
"Go on, what is it?"
"In fact, among us, one person has a more significant suspicion," Fan Lin said.
Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked. Tan Yong asked, "Who?"
Fan Lin remained silent for a few seconds and then said, "Xia Qi."
"What?" Xia Qi was taken aback, immediately asking, "Why would you say that?"
"I have my reasons."
"What reasons?"
"Xia Qi, among all of us, you are the only one who went to see Sister Yamei alone, right? She told me about it."
"So what? I just went to chat with Sister Yamei. Is there something wrong with that?"
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Fan Lin addressed everyone in the room, saying, "Is there anyone else here who went to Sister Yamei's house alone, or who knows that someone went to see her alone?"
The living room fell into silence. After a moment, Fan Lin said to Xia Qi, "See, I was right. Among us, only you had individual contact with Sister Yamei."
"Even if that's true, what's your point?"
Fan Lin looked at Tan Yong and said, "Tan Yong, I'm not a police officer, so I can't make judgments for you. I can only tell you about things I find suspicious. In our 'big family,' Xia Qi had the closest relationship with Sister Yamei, and they often referred to each other as mother and daughter. It seems Sister Yamei treated Xia Qi like a daughter too. Plus, among us, Xia Qi was the only one who went to see Sister Yamei alone. So, is it possible that Sister Yamei mentioned her two hundred million inheritance plans to Xia Qi? Meaning, among us, only Xia Qi might have known about this in advance. Does that make her more suspicious than the others?"
Tan Yong looked at Xia Qi, he couldn't deny that Fan Lin made a compelling argument. He wanted to hear Xia Qi's explanation now, and what he saw was a face streaming with tears.
"I didn't just meet with Sister Yamei alone; I also met with Xueli, Han Lei, Wang Xingxing, and others separately for conversations. It's because I consider you all as family or friends. I never thought any of this could be seen as 'suspicion.' Sister Yamei never told me anything about her inheritance. Even if she did, I would only feel gratitude and never entertain any sinister thoughts... But even if I say this, you probably won't believe me. I'm just really hurt by this; I never expected to be seen this way by you."
Watching Xia Qi's tearful state, Wang Xingxing couldn't help but speak up. "Xia Qi's personality has always been outgoing. Going to Sister Yamei's place to chat was quite normal for her. Accusing her like this is a bit... unreasonable."
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"I didn't say she's the culprit; I just mentioned that her suspicion is relatively higher. This is just my personality; I say what I think. You all have known this about me for a while. To reiterate, I'm not singling anyone out; I'm just presenting the facts to Tan Yong, and it's up to him to make judgments," Fan Lin explained.
After some contemplation, Tan Yong stood up and said, "Alright, I understand. Li Bin and I will head back to the detective bureau. You all can go back to your respective homes."
With that, Tan Yong and Li Bin left Su Xiaotong's house.
As they walked downstairs, Li Bin asked, "Tan Yong, I think what Fan Lin said makes some sense. If Xia Qi had a closer relationship with Gong Yamei, she could indeed be aware of the inheritance and will. To get the inheritance sooner, she might have killed Gong Yamei and, in a desperate move, poisoned more people in the chicken soup. This way, she would inherit even more!"
"It's possible. But these are just speculations and suspicions without evidence," Tan Yong replied. "What concerns me more is that no one among them admitted to making the emergency call."
"Yeah, that's strange. What do you think it implies?"
"It implies that the person who made the emergency call is very likely the culprit," Tan Yong said, looking at Li Bin.
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