Silent Testimony - Chapter 103

After the meal, considering Li Hewei’s state, Tao Ling used every bit of soft persuasion she had to make her agree to take a taxi. Su Lu’s grandmother lived in the suburbs of Puchen; the driver floored the accelerator, refusing to slow down even for the potholed streets. Sitting in the back, the two of them felt their stomachs churning from the turbulence.

Li Hewei rolled down the window, breathing in the fresh air to relieve the stifling pressure in her chest.

Observing her closely, Tao Ling cautioned the driver, “Master, please slow down.”

The driver was impatient. “Good grief, I’m supposed to be changing shifts. I didn’t even want to pick anyone up.”

Tao Ling, rarely unyielding, countered, “But we are already in the car, so you should prioritize safety.” She pulled out her phone and feigned recording the license plate number. The driver watched her through the rearview mirror and finally, begrudgingly, decelerated.

Maintaining a speed of about 30 km/h, the driver took a shortcut, arriving at the suburban “Zuanhe City” complex in about twenty minutes.

Zuanhe City was a high-end residential area; the residents were either rich or influential. Even after a detailed conversation with the security guards and showing their IDs, the two were told they needed to contact the homeowner first.

“Even though you have police IDs, you don’t have the official paperwork required for an investigation. I can’t let you through,” the guard gestured. “You can call the owner; if she says yes, you can go in.”

Frustrated, Li Hewei dialed Su Lu’s number in front of him, but it was declined twice in a row.

“See? You don’t have a search warrant and didn’t notify the owner beforehand. It’s not the rules,” the guard muttered. Then, catching a glimpse of the exit monitor from the side gate, he added, “Oh, she just left the parking lot. You can wait for her by the roadside.”

The moment the words left his mouth, Li Hewei memorized the plate number and car color, offered a quick thanks, and turned to leave the security office.

Shu-A 23U89, a white Audi. Li Hewei’s steps were fast, urgent, and anxious. A thousand emotions—like a dense midsummer rainstorm—came crashing down one after another. Tao Ling followed close behind, only to see Li Hewei rush recklessly into the middle of the road because the other car wouldn’t stop.

“Sister Wei!” Tao Ling’s heart instantly twisted into a knot.

In the nick of time, the white sedan braked hard, stopping barely half a meter away from Li Hewei.

“Are you crazy?!”

Li Hewei looked up, staring at the terrified Su Lu in the driver’s seat. A bitter smile touched her lips. “Crazy?” She approached the car door step by step, her voice sharp and questioning. “Su Lu, do you still remember Chu Xiaoyi?”

Su Lu avoided her gaze, biting her lip. “No… I don’t remember.”

“She was your mentor.” Li Hewei produced the photo she carried with her. “Su Lu, you were only 23 when you graduated. Logically, you didn’t even meet the requirements to be an assistant to a Chief Reporter, but she chose you. She took you to every important interview and every major exchange meeting, didn’t she?”

Su Lu stared at the photo of herself with Chu Xiaoyi. Her teeth were clenched, and her weak voice was clearly choked with emotion. “But I hadn’t even been with her for a year before she died in that car accident.”

“Was it really just a car accident?” Li Hewei pressed. “In those ten or so days before her death, what were you two investigating undercover?”

Su Lu’s right hand gripped her trousers tightly. “I…”

Li Hewei spoke earnestly, “I am a friend of Chu Xiaoyi’s daughter, and I am also a police officer. You can tell me. You can trust me.”

At the word “police,” Su Lu shuddered. Her shoulders trembled as she spoke words that went against her heart: “I… I don’t know. My mentor said it was dangerous and wouldn’t let me follow.”

In her ears echoed the threats from years ago: “They can buy off the police and the forensic doctors to flip black and white. Killing you would be as easy as stepping on an ant.” “If you want to live, shut up. Or your end will be just like hers.”

“You…” Li Hewei flared up with anger and was about to speak when Tao Ling stopped her. “Sister Wei, let me.”

Li Hewei turned her head, looking at Tao Ling, whose eyes were shimmering with tears—clearly distressed by Li Hewei’s reckless move just now. She took a deep breath and agreed. “Alright.”

Reason alone wouldn’t work; Li Hewei was sleep-deprived and her mind was taut with stress, making her irritable. During their conversation, Tao Ling had been listening and observing closely, sensing Su Lu’s deep guilt toward Chu Xiaoyi. She appealed to her emotions: “Su Lu, Chu Xiaoyi had a daughter, you know that, right?”

Su Lu didn’t answer. Tao Ling continued softly, “I am a forensic doctor. Her daughter, Shen Ning, was also trained in forensics. Because of that, she personally examined the body and found that Chu Xiaoyi’s death was suspicious.”

“Perhaps you can’t imagine the pain of performing an autopsy on your own mother.” Tao Ling, with her strong empathy, stepped into Shen Ning’s perspective; her eyes reddened instantly. “Let me describe it for you: every time the scalpel cut through her mother’s body, it was like a knife stabbing into her own heart.”

“You don’t know the specifics of the incisions, but I do, and so does Shen Ning.” Her voice was no longer clear, sounding as if it were weighed down by fine sand. “In the years since Chu Xiaoyi died, Shen Ning reported the case and applied for a reinvestigation multiple times, but she faced obstruction at every turn because there was no ‘hard evidence’.”

“And then? Shen Ning chose the most unwise method imaginable—framing someone for murder to attract the attention of the police and society. Now, the noise online is dying down, and the police are struggling without new evidence. They can only handle it as a driver’s murder and police bribery. As a legal reporter, I’m sure you know the progress of the case.”

“But is it really that simple? Where is Chu Xiaoyi’s missing camera? Could it be that she was investigating an illegal company and brought this disaster upon herself?”

Su Lu’s face was full of sorrow. Her breathing and expression shifted visibly at that final deduction.

Tao Ling knitted her brows and exchanged a silent look with Li Hewei, deciding to wait a moment.

The air fell into a heavy silence, broken only by Su Lu’s frantic breathing. After a long time, she shook her head helplessly and stammered, “I… I’ve failed my mentor. I didn’t want it to be like this. Please don’t force me…”

Li Hewei struck while the iron was hot: “You only need to provide a single clue. We will keep it strictly confidential.”

Tao Ling, sensing her worries, added, “If the evidence meets the criteria for a formal reinvestigation, we can apply for witness protection. Your safety will be guaranteed.”

Su Lu looked up, her expression flickering through a dozen emotions before finally landing on the photo in her lap. She gritted her teeth and said, “I truly don’t know exactly what my mentor was investigating, but she once handed me a video.”

Li Hewei pressed, “Where is the video?”

“I gave it to Station Chief Ma.”

“Ma Peng?” Li Hewei knew all the key figures in the case.

Su Lu nodded. “Yes.”

“Does he know who Chu Xiaoyi was investigating?”

“He should.” Su Lu reached over to the passenger seat for her handbag, shook out its contents, and carefully unzipped a hidden compartment at the bottom. She pulled out a silver-white USB drive and handed it to Li Hewei. “Officer, I’ve watched the video. The camera angle was bad and the light was poor, so the resolution is very low. Only two screenshots managed to capture a person’s silhouette.”

“I put the two screenshots I took before giving the video to Station Chief Ma inside here.”

“Thank you.” Li Hewei took the USB, placed it in an evidence bag, and handed it to Tao Ling for safekeeping. She added, “On behalf of Shen Ning and the late Chu Xiaoyi, I thank you.”

“I’m sorry. I had forgotten why I chose to be a legal reporter in the first place. It was you two and my mentor who woke me up.” Su Lu had fled out of fear for her own safety; now, she was consumed by remorse.

Tao Ling comforted her: “It’s understandable. It’s human nature—who would voluntarily go looking for trouble?”

As legal reporters—guardians of justice—they were simply glad Su Lu had found her way back.

Li Hewei decided to keep this quiet for now. Upon returning home, she locked herself in the study. The two screenshots showed only a blurred figure—one from the front and one from the side. She needed to attempt a composite sketch.

Male, approximately 175cm tall, medium build, well-dressed, short hair styled back—clearly a social elite. However, the side-profile screenshot was blurred to the point of being a mosaic. Li Hewei struggled with how to restore the facial features.

The brow ridge was somewhat clear, and the frontal bone was full. Li Hewei sketched the general face shape, which had characteristics often found in northern ethnic minorities. But many details remained impossible to fill in. She sketched five quick drafts in succession, but unsatisfied, she crumpled them up and threw them away.

Li Hewei closed her bloodshot eyes, trying to calm her chaotic thoughts. Then, a knock came at the door.

“Sister Wei.”

Li Hewei took a deep breath, stood up, and turned the lock to open the door. Tao Ling stood there quietly, watching her. For a second, then two, time seemed to stand still, their breaths falling into sync. Li Hewei’s tightly pressed lips softened. She was about to speak, but the girl stepped closer and wrapped her arms around her. In a raspy voice, she said word for word:

“In the future, no matter what you do, consider your own safety first, okay?”

“Because… I will worry. I will be afraid…”