NOVPUB
Chapter 513: 503
In the evening, Ma Liguo and Mu Huazhen, the couple, came together, and then Mu Huazhen briefed on the specifics of the case.
After their police station received the report in the afternoon, they immediately organized a team to respond. When they arrived at the address Shen Yunfang had given, they indeed found the suspect lying in a pool of blood.
The blood on his body had stopped flowing, but he was so cold that he couldn’t speak. Seeing this, the police officers had no choice but to send him to the hospital for treatment and then stationed two officers there to guard him. 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘱𝘶𝑏.𝑐𝘰𝑚
By evening, the hospital had sent word that the man had come around, and when the police officers questioned him, he claimed that his injuries were the result of a robbery. According to his description, it was precisely Shen Yunfang and the others who had reported the case.
Shen Yunfang laughed, "This really is a case of a thief crying ’Stop, thief!’"
"You don’t need to worry. This isn’t a matter of his word being taken as gospel. With the posture of his injuries and the weapon in his hand, he can’t explain himself clearly. Besides, our bureau has already asked the forensic department upstairs for help with the identification. Right from wrong will soon be clear," Mu Huazhen reassured Yunfang, afraid she’d get upset.
Indeed, from the trace evidence at the scene and the man’s injuries, any experienced officer could tell what happened at first glance. However, everything that the judicial authorities do must be based on evidence. Since the man claimed to be a victim, they could only let the facts speak for themselves.
"I’m not worried. After all, it’s not me who’s ended up in the hospital," Shen Yunfang said with a smile.
"It’s good that you can think like that," Ma Liguo nodded in approval of her attitude.
"But I want to ask, this situation can’t possibly be one of insufficient evidence, can it? I hope he doesn’t just get released without any consequence. That guy seemed pretty brutal; I’m worried he might come out seeking revenge on me," Shen Yunfang said after taking a sip of porridge to soothe her throat. With so many worries day after day, it was a lot to handle.
If that man had been just a roadside robber, she wouldn’t have been so ruthless as to impale him. She only reacted so violently because she saw that man with a knife, truly intent on stabbing her, not just to scare her. If such a person were to be released, she really might have to worry about him causing her trouble.
"No, that won’t happen. The forensic experts aren’t blind. How could such an obvious case lead to that kind of conclusion?" Mu Huazhen dismissed Shen Yunfang’s speculation outright.
"That’s a relief," Shen Yunfang nodded, reassured.
"One more thing, you need to come to the police station again tomorrow. There are some questions that we still need to ask you," Mu Huazhen said, making it seem quite convenient.
"Why do they still want Yunfang to go? Wasn’t it that man’s fault?" Li Xianglian became anxious upon hearing that Yunfang needed to visit the police station again. After all, it wasn’t a good place to be; not getting it settled in one visit, why require another visit?
"Big sister, no matter whose fault it is, Yunfang has to go through the formalities. It’s the national regulation," Mu Huazhen explained to the legally uninformed Li Xianglian.
"Such a hassle," muttered Li Xianglian.
"Would it be okay if I go in the afternoon tomorrow? I still want to go to the market in the morning," Shen Yunfang was not afraid of going to the police station, but with the New Year just a few days away, the local teams were organizing big markets nearly every day, and everything was scheduled. If she were to go to the police station tomorrow morning, she might end up spending the whole day there, wasting a day’s chance to earn money.
"That’s not a problem. I’ll just let Liu, who’s in charge of the case, know when I get to work tomorrow. Since that suspect is staying at the hospital, he won’t be going anywhere any time soon. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a bit earlier or later," Mu Huazhen agreed immediately.
This was also a family business, and even without Shen Yunfang’s connection, she had to accommodate her out of concern for the money.
"Yunfang, the countryside is not like the city; there are many of these second-rate hooligans who act lawlessly. How about I go with you tomorrow?" Ma Liguo considered for a long time before speaking, as he could not let his brother’s wife take such a risk.
"Ma Brother, are you guys on holiday yet?" asked Dashuan’s wife.
"Not yet, but it’s a special situation now. I can take a few days off if needed."
"No need, you better just keep working. If others find out you took time off to do small-time business, I bet your Community Director position will be taken over quickly," said Shen Yunfang, shaking her head to indicate that Ma Liguo needn’t take time off.
"Exactly, Ma Brother, you don’t need to take time off. I’ll accompany Yunfang tomorrow," Dashuan chimed in at the right moment. Although he wasn’t much of a fighter, as a big, burly man, his presence alone could be intimidating enough to deter most people.
Ma Liguo looked Dashuan up and down, nodding in agreement, "Alright, having you with Yunfang gives me some peace of mind."
Ma Liguo was not a person who coveted his official position. After partnering with Yunfang in business last year, he had entertained the idea of resigning to focus on small-time trading. But then he reconsidered; without the conveniences of his position as the Head of the Street Committee, Yunfang’s business dealings would not go as smoothly.
Take this year for instance—there were many locals starting small businesses. But last year was just the beginning, when everything was still in a nebulous state of legality. It was because both he and his wife held important positions that their business could continue smoothly and they ended up making money. Without that, the business likely would have failed early on, and breaking even would have been an achievement in itself. So after thinking it over, he realized he needed to hold onto his position.
"Don’t worry about me, I can protect myself," Yunfang reassured them.
"Speaking of which, I wanted to ask you about today. How did you manage to knock that guy down and even make him stab himself with his knife?" Mu Huazhen curiously asked, mentioning that many of her police colleagues had been speculating about it after work.
"It wasn’t much. I just saw him rushing at me, so I kicked his knee to throw him off balance and make him fall forward. Then I punched his wrist, and when he felt the pain, his natural reaction was to pull back, and that’s what happened," Shen Yunfang stated plainly to the trusted group present, not hiding her methods.
"Ah, but that doesn’t make sense. The suspect from this year also mentioned someone kicked his knee, but the doctor didn’t find any damage or signs of impact. They were completely unharmed," Mu Huazhen raised her doubts.
"That comes down to the skill of the kick. I used a trick move, so of course, it didn’t leave any marks," Yunfang explained.
"Is this something Li Hongjun taught you? Now I remember, he used this move slyly in the army," Ma Liguo immediately recalled an incident from their military days.
Shen Yunfang smiled. It was indeed that rascal Li Hongjun who had taught her, otherwise how could a future successor of the country, a true red seedling, know such underhanded tactics?
"You don’t know, back in the army, when Li Hongjun got into a fight, he used this move..." Ma Liguo enthusiastically shared the glorious deeds of Li Hongjun with everyone.
Shen Yunfang sighed inwardly. Once people are gone, they really are out of reach. She had not heard from him for such a long time, and she began to worry.
