Chapter 198: Beyond Conjecture

2022-05-20

Old Wang’s factory sat on the outskirts, tucked away in a remote corner. In a place like Dongxing City, where space was at a premium, there was no way a workshop this big would be in the city proper. The guide in the car told us they’d already looked into it—Old Wang had been working at this mobile phone manufacturer for over twenty years.

Twenty years ago, Old Wang was assembling Nokia phones. Back then, owning a phone was rare. Now, Nokia has almost faded into memory, and everyone uses some kind of smartphone. But the assembly process? That hasn’t changed a bit.

Old Wang bought an apartment in the old part of town early on, and people envied him for it. Two decades later, that apartment complex had become just another corner of the city, losing its former glory. Someone once claimed the buildings would be demolished and the residents would get a huge payout, but twenty years have passed and no one even remembers who said it in the first place.

The people here were born in Dongxing City, but its later prosperity never really belonged to them. Just like Old Wang, who seemed to have lost his sense of purpose. Even his work had become half-hearted. Still, at least the factory director respected employees from the very beginning, even if Old Wang never got promoted after more than twenty years.

Every day Old Wang could clock out at five, then ride his bicycle back home.

When we arrived, production was still in full swing. The gigantic workshop stood right in the middle of the factory grounds. You couldn’t hear a thing from outside—gotta admit, their sound insulation was top-notch.

Xiao Liu told us to wait at the main gate. He said he’d already contacted the factory director and someone would be out to meet us soon. The people on Team Leader Li’s crew always handled these details so thoroughly. Unlike us—we usually rely on hunches and reasoning to crack cases, rarely digging into such minute details. It’s exhausting and time-consuming work.

Sure enough, not long after, a heavyset man in his fifties came out of the factory. He’d shaved his head bald, his scalp gleaming in the sun. Spotting us, he hurried over and greeted us in a thick Dongxing City accent. “Yes? Who are you folks?”

Xiao Liu shook hands with the factory director. “I’m the one who just called you. These are my colleagues…”

After some quick introductions, we learned the director’s surname—Liao. Turns out, the place was a family-run operation. Liao’s father left him the factory, and Director Liao transformed it into a mobile phone production shop, seizing the moment and now was worth millions. When we brought up Old Wang, Director Liao couldn’t help but get a little sentimental.

Director Liao said that when he decided to switch to making mobile phones, Old Wang was among the first group of workers hired. At the time, the mobile phone market was nothing like it is now; many people thought they didn’t need a cell phone. Liao was ahead of his time, and in five years nearly everyone in the city had one.

Ten years on, you’d find a mobile phone in almost every hand. Like Dongxing City two decades ago, the mobile industry rocketed forward at breakneck speed. Back then, Liao awarded bonuses to the first group of workers, helping them all buy homes.

But things changed later. Some used the money to start businesses, some invested. Even those who knew nothing eventually became shop floor supervisors. But Old Wang? He never left the assembly line.

Director Liao explained, “Old Wang isn’t talkative, a bit introverted. He’s a good man, honest. We even set him up with someone—things went well for a few years. Who could’ve guessed, five years ago, his wife left him. Ever since, Old Wang’s become even quieter, like nothing matters anymore.”

We all nodded. That really was Old Wang’s personality.

Xiao Liu said, “Let’s set Old Wang’s story aside, that’s not why we’re here today.”

“Not because of Old Wang?” Director Liao looked puzzled. “I heard you all say there’d be some danger here? That’s impossible. Everything runs strictly by the book around here—after every three hours of work, the employees get a half hour break. That keeps accidents from overwork in check. Never once has someone been pulled into a machine. Everyone’s an adult and trained in safety.”

“Let us take a look around,” Xiao Liu said.

Director Liao nodded, but even then he kept bringing up Old Wang. “Old Wang didn’t show up for his shift this morning, didn’t call in sick either. We tried reaching him—and only then found out what happened.”

Xiao Liu replied, “I can only tell you it was homicide. The rest is still under investigation. Someone’s dead, Director Liao, so we really need your assistance.”

“Of course I’ll cooperate!” Director Liao declared. “These days, a work accident can bankrupt a company. I’ve seen factories where workers intentionally put their fingers in machines just to claim compensation. They play the victim online and end up walking away with hundreds of thousands—even buying a home and getting married in a small city.”

“There’s nothing you can do,” Xiao Liu let out a heavy sigh, sounding like he’d seen it all before.

Director Liao went on, “Old Wang’s been with me for over twenty years. Just now, I asked the driver to pick him up so we can share a proper lunch. He only broke his arm, you know. With some rest, he’ll recover.”

We walked into the workshop as we talked. Only then did we realize how enormous it was—at least a hundred workers manned the assembly line. The machines, some of them truly daunting, performed tasks I couldn’t begin to guess.

Director Liao gazed at the working employees, a mix of pride and satisfaction showing on his face. “Relax, there’s nothing dangerous here. If you want to talk about hazards, see that cutting machine? It’s sharp, sure—used for making phone cases. But honestly, what normal person would fall into one?”

He chuckled. “Or better yet, if the killer had the guts, let him try! There are at least thirty strong workers here. No way anyone could commit murder out in the open.”

We all walked over to the cutter and peered inside. The blades spun at high speed, turning out phone cases from slabs of metal. The humming came from those blades slicing through the air. Director Liao’s confidence made sense.

Unless someone purposely threw themselves in, with this many people around, there’s no way a killer could force someone into the machine.

I spoke up, “Do you run night shifts here?”

“No,” Director Liao shook his head. “It’s way too risky with all the strict checks these days.”

Xiao Liu nodded, then said, “Keep a close eye on this area.”

Just then, a woman called out from a distance. “Director Liao?”

We all turned in the direction of the voice. There, a woman in her forties—not well kept and very much a regular middle-aged woman—stood waiting.

When he saw her, Director Liao looked surprised. “Yan Zhenyan? What brings you here?”

Director Liao started walking outside, calling back, “Let’s not disturb the workers—let’s talk outside. But Yan Zhenyan, I never asked my secretary to call you. Are you sure you’re not mistaken?”

“Who’s this?” Xiao Liu glanced at Director Liao.

Director Liao introduced her, “This is Old Wang’s ex-wife, Yan Zhenyan. But I’m puzzled—I genuinely didn’t ask you here.”

Yan Zhenyan had come in all smiles, but now she looked grim. Her tone turned serious. “Director Liao, we’ve known each other for twenty years. If what happened back then is over, it’s over. There’s no need to joke about it now, is there?”

Director Liao frowned. “I’ve been with these officers the whole time. When would I have called you? Why are you really here?”

Seeing Liao didn’t seem to be lying, Yan Zhenyan hesitated. “But a woman who said she was your secretary called me. She told me Old Wang had died on the job, that the insurance listed me as a beneficiary, and that I’d get a three hundred thousand yuan payout. She said to come confirm everything, so here I am.”

Everyone frowned at that.

Never mind that Yan Zhenyan’s instinct, after hearing about her ex-husband’s supposed death, was to come claim insurance money instead of grieving—or even what that says about their relationship. The real question was, who made that call, and why announce Old Wang’s death when he was actually alive and still in the hospital?

Xiao Liu caught on fast. He flashed his badge and said, “Someone called you? Hand me your phone, right now!”

Yan Zhenyan was startled by Xiao Liu’s authority but quickly passed him her phone. “It’s the first number in my call log.”

We crowded in to look—the number was local to Dongxing City. Xiao Liu called it back immediately, but it was already disconnected.

Just as Xiao Liu was about to say something, panicked screams suddenly erupted around us. People started stumbling back in shock and fear. I jumped at the sound and whipped around to look for the source—and what I saw stopped me cold.

I stood frozen in place, my mind buzzing and numb.