Chapter 167: Ms. Zhao’s Press Conference

When Zhang Bin walked past that pool of blood, he stopped for a moment before continuing on. He didn’t dare linger outside for long. After only a short distance, he hailed a taxi and vanished. I watched Zhang Bin’s figure fade into the morning sunlight, but I couldn’t shake the sense of loneliness clinging to his back.

Not long after, Guan Zengbin called us. Over the phone, he told us that Guo Feng didn’t make it. The force behind that knife had been too vicious, clearly meant to kill. Add to that the time wasted, and there was nothing anyone could do.

By the time they pulled out the kitchen knife, Guo Feng’s organs were so mangled you could barely recognize them.

Guan Zengbin told us Wang An cried like a child, but the truth was Wang An was only eight years old. Still just a kid.

But no matter how you look at it, what happened to Wang An, what happened to Guo Feng, it all falls on Zhang Bin. After I hung up, a wave of bitter sadness washed over me.

I thought of Ms. Zhao, who had raised Guo Feng all alone. How would she take the news if she found out? I imagined her pain would be worse than anything else in the world. And it fell to us to deliver that news.

It was almost impossible for me to believe Guo Feng—so big, so innocent—could die, especially at the hands of his best friend. When I was young and awkward, the elders always said that even foolish kids had fortune on their side and needn’t worry. But why did something like this happen to Guo Feng?

All of this just started with Hao Ren trying to do the right thing—so why did it lead here? What makes people, for the sake of pride, do things they’ll regret for the rest of their lives?

I sat with these thoughts for a long time before finally reaching for Ms. Zhao’s number. But before I could call, my phone rang. Ms. Zhao’s number flashed across the screen—a number I barely recognized, but I answered anyway.

Before I could say a word, Ms. Zhao spoke: “Hao Ren just came to my place and told me what happened this morning.”

I struggled with the words. “So you know…” The truth about Guo Feng’s death stuck in my throat.

Ms. Zhao’s voice was calm, almost as if she were telling someone else’s story. “I know. My son is gone. Wang An was the one who did it, but he was just used by Zhang Bin as a shield. This isn’t Wang An’s fault. By the way, I called to tell you that I’ll be holding a press conference at ten at the school. Hao Ren will be there too. I’m inviting you to come. That’s all.”

Before I could say anything else, before any words of comfort could leave my lips, Ms. Zhao hung up.

As the line went dead, I couldn’t even tell what I felt. From the short meal we’d shared earlier, I’d seen how deeply Ms. Zhao loved her son. Now that Guo Feng was gone, she should have been destroyed by grief. Sometimes sadness runs so deep, it doesn’t even show on the surface.

I glanced at Gu Chen. “At ten, Ms. Zhao and Hao Ren will hold a press conference.”

“A press conference?” Gu Chen echoed, confused. “Hao Ren’s been missing so long, and now he comes back just in time for Ms. Zhao to find him?”

I shook my head. “Ms. Zhao didn’t find Hao Ren—it was Hao Ren who went to her.”

As I spoke, a frown creased my brow. Hao Ren’s timing was just too perfect. Almost two months had passed with him missing. The only thing he did was take Wang An to Ms. Zhao’s house. After that, he’d just disappeared.

And now, the moment he returns, he finds Ms. Zhao. Did Hao Ren know what happened at home during those two months?

I looked at Gu Chen, my tone serious. “Let’s pick up Guan Zengbin at the hospital, then head to Ms. Zhao’s elementary school. It’s nine now; we’ve got an hour to go.”

When we arrived at the hospital, Wang An had already been taken away by his sister Zhao Xiaoli. Guan Zengbin was sitting alone on a bench, staring off into space. When he saw us, he quickly wiped the tears from his face. Maybe for a coroner, death is just part of the job. But when it’s someone you know who dies, nobody can stay unaffected.

That’s why, when a case hits too close, it’s common to recuse oneself. It’s only human. To neither rejoice nor grieve over anything—that’s the mark of a sage. The sad truth is, none of us are sages.

Softly, Guan Zengbin said, “It’s hard to believe a child who just called you ‘pretty sister’ yesterday is gone today.”

I gently brushed the last traces of tears from her cheek. “Come on. Ms. Zhao’s holding a press conference. Hao Ren will be there too.”

“Hao Ren?” Guan Zengbin’s surprise was plain—clearly, she hadn’t expected him to show up now.

Ten o’clock, press conference.

The school had cleared out a big conference room for Ms. Zhao and Hao Ren. The place was packed—mostly news reporters and TV crews. With the viral video and news of an elementary schooler wielding a knife in public, plus the story of Hao Ren’s heroic act from more than a month back, these three headlines had collided, sparking endless debate across the country.

Plenty of onlookers crowded the room and the hallways just to hear the real story.

At the very front sat Ms. Zhao, Hao Ren, Zhao Xiaoli, and even Wang An. A row of microphones lined up in front of them from every news outlet.

Ms. Zhao looked up at us and spoke: “I know that this morning, my son was killed by someone. The one who did it is this elementary schooler sitting next to me. By coincidence, he’s also my student.”

“So I know Wang An didn’t mean to do it. I also found out that Zhang Bin used my son as a shield.” Ms. Zhao’s eyes reddened. “You have to ask, what could make a little kid pick up a knife and kill? I’m Wang An’s homeroom teacher. I know the kind of child he is.

“He’s kind. He looks out for animals, for his classmates, and even my own son. None of his classmates dislike him. He’d learned martial arts from his father. His father taught him it was to protect his family.”

Ms. Zhao’s voice grew more impassioned. “And everything started with Zhang Bin, because Hao Ren brought him into this!”

As she finished, images flashed across the big screen—photo after photo, clear and orderly. The first showed Hao Ren’s house burned down, then scenes of Fang Xiaoqi dead, followed by gruesome images of Du Zigui.

None of these had come from us. Judging by the angles, we hadn’t taken them either. I frowned. Who else could’ve shot those pictures but the killer?

With every image, the press cameras snapped furiously. Shocked gasps filled the room.

Ms. Zhao said, “All these photos are real, and almost everyone can testify that Zhang Bin is the murderer. But he still walked away. Why? Because the evidence isn’t ‘strong enough’? Because there isn’t a ‘smoking gun’?”

Ms. Zhao’s tears finally broke free as she said, “What more evidence do you need? Are the witness statements not enough? Are all those ears and eyes that saw what happened not the truth? Is everyone wrong? Is Zhang Bin really innocent?”

Zhao Xiaoli spoke up, “It was Zhang Bin. Even though he had his face covered, I recognized the scar on his left arm.”

Wang An, tears streaming down his cheeks, spoke with fierce resolve: “He did it. Zhang Bin did it. He told me he’d destroy my family, and he succeeded. I hate him. But I hate myself more. I promised I’d kill him to avenge my brother and sister, but I couldn’t do it. I ended up killing my best friend instead.”

“But!” Wang An spat out every word. “As long as Zhang Bin lives, I’ll kill him.”

In front of so many onlookers, Wang An’s eyes burned with conviction. No one could doubt how much he meant those words. But hearing a little kid speak like that sent chills through the room. The shock was palpable.

“Execute Zhang Bin! Execute Zhang Bin!” Someone in the crowd screamed.