Chapter 139: Suspicions

2022-05-20

Li Danan suddenly appeared right behind me, nearly scaring me out of my skin. When those two stumps of his knocked against the shelf, it didn’t sound like flesh and bone at all—it was more like two pieces of metal clanging together.

As he spoke, Li Danan suddenly swung his arm at me. Instinctively, I raised mine to block. The moment his stump hit my arm, I realized there was no bone inside, just something solid and metallic beneath the skin.

The pain was so intense I went numb, completely floored. While I reeled from the shock, Li Danan grabbed a rope from the top shelf and tied me tightly to the racks. Then, surprisingly, he started lighting the stove. As he worked, he said in a calm, almost casual tone, “It’s kind of chilly today, isn’t it?”

Watching him move so skillfully, I couldn’t believe someone with no hands could manage all this. I’d never expected his arms to be anything but bone either. I had no idea what he’d put inside them.

Sometimes, judging a person just by their appearance is completely unreliable. I was paying the price for that right now.

I turned to look at Li Zhinan and asked, “Did you kill her?”

Li Zhinan didn’t even look at me, like he knew I wasn’t going anywhere. “Yeah, I’m the one who did it.”

Still, I couldn’t accept that Li Danan was really the killer. There were too many things that didn’t add up. But when I stared at his calm, detached face, I couldn’t be sure of anything. After all, anyone ruthless enough to murder and dismember a body would either have nerves of steel—or be utterly unhinged.

Li Danan was the first type.

He tended the fire with total composure, making it clear he didn’t plan to kill me—at least, not right now. It was a snowy night, the place was right off the highway, and no one was coming. That meant Li Danan had at least three hours before sunrise to do whatever he wanted to me.

I asked, “So here I am, tied up and at your mercy, but I still can’t believe you’re a killer.”

Li Danan smiled, but this time the usual shyness was gone—his grin was cold and biting. He said quietly, “There’s something you need to understand about this world. What you see isn’t always the truth. Don’t rely on your guesses.”

The words rang familiar in my ears. That’s when I remembered—the old Village Chief once told me the same thing.

Li Danan went on, “Don’t go thinking just because I’m disabled, I can’t kill. What bothers me most is people like you, always looking down on me. Why can’t someone like me kill? Look at you, tied up like a helpless chick. Can you even fight back?”

I couldn’t argue with his mockery, so I pushed on, “Since you admit it, help me understand. Why did you kill Luo Sumei? And why did you do it in such a brutal way?”

By now, Li Danan had the coals glowing red and the room was filling with warmth. He held his arms over the fire before turning to face me. “Because Luo Sumei always looked at me like I was some kind of stray animal—just like you do.”

Li Danan’s tone sharpened, and he slammed one of his stumps down on the counter, leaving a dent in the wood. Through gritted teeth he said, “Luo Sumei’s sympathy for me was fake. She tried to use her pity to make me fall in love with her.”

He spat on the ground, then continued, “As if I’d ever love her. She was just my plaything. I offered her half a million, and that idiot actually agreed.”

He stared at me while launching into a bitter tirade against Luo Sumei, but hearing it all just made me want to laugh.

Li Danan wasn’t done. “And that Captain Zhou is even worse! Always coming to Tougouzi Village to ‘help us’ just because we’re disabled. Who asked for his so-called help? I killed Luo Sumei partly because of that! Captain Zhou acts friendly, but you can tell he’s rotten inside.”

I replied softly, “Alright, Li Danan. Since you’re the killer, let me ask you a few things.”

Li Danan frowned and shrugged. “Any last wishes before dying?”

The shelf was making my back itch, so I wriggled and said, “Plenty—I’ve got questions for my last moments. Since you say you killed Luo Sumei, tell me, how did you do it?”

Li Danan answered quickly, “She bled out, of course. I didn’t need any fancy tricks—you saw the newspaper, didn’t you? Sometimes I think this is just fate. You went to the bathroom, found the paper, and that settled it. By then, I’d already decided to make my move.”

“And the others?” I asked with a smile.

“You’d better start worrying about yourself.” Li Danan didn’t answer.

I nodded seriously. “Alright then, since you say you killed Luo Sumei, when was the last time you saw her?”

Li Danan replied, “I was the first to find the body—doesn’t that tell you anything? I killed her, disposed of the body, and made the emergency call. No one knows better than I do when Luo Sumei died. I’m telling you, it was four days ago at exactly 2:24 in the afternoon. Detailed enough for you?”

I fell silent, thinking it over. The way Li Danan answered, everything sounded airtight. He had motive, opportunity, and his story lined up with the physical evidence. But something still didn’t sit right. I just couldn’t see him as the killer.

“Fine, one last question for you.” I fixed my gaze on Li Danan.

He stopped warming his arms, walked over, and said calmly, “Ask.”

“Do you have a car?” I smirked.

“A car?” Li Danan’s brow furrowed. “Why ask that?”

That told me everything I needed to know. I said, “Li Danan, you’re not the killer—so why pretend to be one? Don’t think I can’t check on Luo Sumei’s movements just because I’m stuck in this village. Nearly everyone in Tougouzi Village is disabled—there isn’t a single car here.”

“Tell me this,” I taunted, “with both hands gone, how’d you get a license? How’d you drive? Where’d you park the car? What did Luo Sumei do before she met you?”

With every question, the crease in Li Danan’s brow deepened. And it was clear as day from his expression—he had no answers. More than anything else, this was why I was sure he couldn’t be the killer.

That had to sting, but honestly it just left me with even more doubts.

Li Danan absolutely wasn’t the one who lured Luo Sumei out or killed her—so why take the blame? Judging by his shy, withdrawn nature, he likely didn’t have many friends. But that just deepened the mystery—if not him, then who?

Li Danan was silent. All he said was, “Why do you always see me through colored lenses? Why assume disabled people can’t drive? Why do you insist on treating me this way? I hope you think about this in the afterlife. Don’t blame me for any of this.”

With that, Li Danan used his two stumps to pick up a red-hot poker from the stove and pointed it at me.

“Look at this, burning bright,” he said as he aimed the glowing end at me. “Once I shove this down your throat, you’ll leave this world for good. Then, everything will be over.”

“You’re going to kill me?” I knew he didn’t have it in him, so I goaded him on.

A flash of viciousness and frustration crossed Li Danan’s eyes. He snapped, “Why wouldn’t I kill you? If I wasn’t set on it, I would’ve run already. Everyone else is out on the highway by now, thanks to me. If you hadn’t seen that newspaper, I never would’ve been exposed.”

I shrugged, keeping my eyes on the glowing poker inching closer. “Alright, get it over with. I’m not good with pain.”

Just then, the door of Erxiao Supermarket flew open.

A voice boomed like thunder: “Freeze!”

It was Old Xia—his signature shout.

Li Danan jumped in fright, dropping the poker. It nearly landed on my foot, which scared me all over again.

Erxiao charged in and sized up the scene. “So this is where you’ve been hiding, Li Danan? I wondered why you kept falling behind. Turns out you’re sneaky enough to pull a disappearing act! Lucky for you we doubled back, otherwise you’d have given us the slip entirely.”

Caught, Li Danan bent down to grab the fallen poker.

But Old Xia rushed over, stomping down on it before Li Danan could pick it up with his stumps. Old Xia’s left hand shot out, landing a fierce slap on Li Danan’s face, sending him crashing to the floor—he even took out a whole row of shelves in the process.

Erxiao hurried over and untied me while Old Xia grabbed Li Danan with one strong hand and lifted him clean off the ground.

As Erxiao worked at the ropes, he looked at Li Danan and said, “Man, I always thought you were the quiet type, but you’re the best at hiding things! Who’d have thought—a pig in the pen turns out to be the Dark General himself!”