This matter begins with Gao Qiang being defrauded of over a hundred thousand yuan.
Zhang Ying established a VIP-based real estate investment company. Relying on her abilities, she amassed tens of millions in funds, involving two to three hundred people. She was swindled, and despite everyone's hatred, this fact had to be accepted. Moreover, Zhang Ying gained no benefits; to repay her debts, she sold her house and car. These proceeds didn't even cover a tenth of what she owed. She continued to repay her debts with her meager salary, with no hope of recovery in sight.
Everyone thought this way, except for one person: Gao Qiang. He inquired about Zhang Ying daily, knowing everything about her affairs, and secretly recorded these events in a notebook in diary form.
At the beginning, Gao Qiang wrote: A beautiful, capable, talented, and strategic person is easily trusted. But when you realize that person's heart is truly ugly, then everything they say will be a lie.
The real estate merchant named Zhu defrauded Zhang Ying of everything? No, no man defrauded Zhang Ying of everything. How could someone who never believed in emotions be deceived by emotions?
…
From that day on, Gao Qiang began to secretly investigate Zhang Ying. He understood neither criminal investigation nor possessed talent. His final action was to mindlessly record Zhang Ying's actions one by one. His approach was pitiable and pathetic.
Last year, Zhang Ying's teacher-student relationship with Jiang He once again became a major scandal at the school.
"Good heavens, she's a full fifteen years older than him."
During that period, in the office, some sneered, while others sighed. People, no matter how much talent or opportunity they possessed, were not as important as a good appearance. She owed tens of millions, and a young man was infatuated, helping her bear the burden. In this society, there was truly nowhere to turn for justice.
Everyone believed Jiang He was captivated by Zhang Ying's looks. Only Gao Qiang didn't think so. He believed Zhang Ying's contact with Jiang He must have been to find a way to escape. But what specific method? Gao Qiang didn't know. He checked Jiang He's file; Jiang He was a child from the countryside and showed no particular traits.
During Zhang Ying's teacher-student affair, she frequently sent paintings to Zhang Ying's office. These were all replicas of world-famous paintings, including "The Scream," "1984," and Monet's "Water Lilies." Every day, Gao Qiang recorded the names of these paintings.
…
At Interpol, their investigation focused on Jiang He's continuous gifting of replica famous paintings to Zhang Ying, while hiding the genuine "Woman 3" among the fakes at Zhang Ying's residence.
However, Gao Qiang's diary rendered this lie untenable.
Upon receiving the evidence from Gao Qiang, the Criminal Investigation Bureau launched an overnight investigation into the paintings at Zhang Ying's home. The names of every replica were recorded in Gao Qiang's notebook, with the sole exception of "Woman 3," which was not listed as a gifted item.
Furthermore, Gao Qiang deciphered Zhang Ying's manufactured primacy effect. He described Jiang He's appearance. Gao Qiang had indeed seen Jiang He; he was a very simple person, his face radiant, but his demeanor did not appear youthful. He wore clothes unique to the 1980s and always carried a worn-out drawing board.
…
This is not my breakthrough; it can only be described as a peculiar karma. Ultimately, when I was at my wit's end, luck sided with me.
…
I paid for Gao Qiang's son's surgery, which was merely a spontaneous act. At the time, my demeanor was even somewhat overbearing, forcing Gao Qiang to agree to the transaction. During that period, Gao Qiang told me about Zhang Ying's past. However, he did not mention his private investigation into Zhang Ying. Finally, he mentioned whether Zhang Ying's girlfriend was Jiang He, and he confirmed it was. After that, Gao Qiang said nothing more. He probably thought that if I understood Zhang Ying, I wouldn't get entangled with her.
However, Zhang Ying harmed me, and only then did Gao Qiang reluctantly step forward. This was not a good thing for Gao Qiang. Regardless of Zhang Ying's fault, Gao Qiang was infringing on her privacy. In a sense, people like Gao Qiang are even more detestable.
But Gao Qiang didn't care; he was a father. Seeing his son suffering from illness and being powerless, Gao Qiang had long been crushed. I, like a savior, rescued his son, and he wished to repay the kindness. In my view, this was karma. The issue of karma is peculiar, and I should use this karma to escape the trap meticulously set by the long-tongued ghost.
…
Zhang Ying disappeared. Coincidentally, she had bought a train ticket to leave Hushi that day. The police went to the train station but did not find Zhang Ying on that train. She might have caught wind of the news and found another way to leave Hushi. After orchestrating such a charade, deceiving even Interpol, the Public Security Department would not let her escape Hushi so easily. A city-wide search was launched. After a day and a night, Luo Bo called me to the special investigation team and informed me that Zhang Ying was dead. They found her in a hotel, dressed exquisitely and elegantly, having departed this world like a sleeping beauty.
Beside Zhang Ying's body was an account of the "beauty trap" that defined her life.
In her childhood, Zhang Ying lacked the advantage of beauty. Her father was an alcoholic, and she lived most of her life in dire straits. In her teachers' impressions, Zhang Ying was a timid and weak child.
In high school, her school uniform could barely conceal Zhang Ying's exquisite bone structure. Wherever she went, she seemed to possess the radiance of the moon, making other girls dim in comparison. At that time, Zhang Ying's father was gravely ill. Without anyone to rely on, she agreed to become Gao Qiang's girlfriend. She didn't care about Gao Qiang's plain appearance; she simply wanted someone who would keep his promises.
After her father passed away, with Gao Qiang's help, Zhang Ying successfully completed her university education.
During university, Zhang Ying's horizons broadened considerably. She felt that Gao Qiang, who was subservient to her, would not steer her life in the direction she desired. Thus, Zhang Ying broke up with Gao Qiang and resolutely intervened in the life of a university professor. She used all her means to bewitch the professor, who divorced his wife and married her, a blooming young woman.
The affluent material life and the intellectually elevated professor's household did provide her with enjoyment for a period. Gradually, she changed. The professor, an old man, could no longer satisfy a woman of her age. She felt her beauty was being dulled by the onset of aging. Eventually, she leveraged her connections to become involved with real estate developers, believing that was the life she truly desired: late-night revelries and extravagance.
For a time, Zhang Ying had affairs with multiple men. Others coveted her beauty, and she enjoyed those wolfish men and their wealth. Slowly, she began to despise the old professor, viewing his scholarly discourse not as romance but as a peculiar habit. She preferred others to speak explicit endearments to her, finding the professor's talk of "autumn waters for posture, poetry for heart, and no fault in me" grating and hurtful.
Consequently, Zhang Ying requested a divorce from the old professor. When he refused, she secretly swapped his blood pressure medication. The professor's blood pressure rose, causing a burst blood vessel, and he collapsed in his classroom. After returning home from the hospital, Zhang Ying tormented the immobilized professor relentlessly, even bringing men home to spend the night. The old professor finally gave up half his wealth to avert disaster and severed ties with Zhang Ying.
…
After leaving the old professor, Zhang Ying became involved with those real estate developers. However, these developers soon lost interest. Her beauty, once admired, was now seen as ordinary compared to younger women, and more people chose the latter.
Continuing this way, Zhang Ying realized her luxurious lifestyle would inevitably become an illusion. Thus, she used her remaining influence to establish the VIP investment company. This company had a private equity nature, and she actively recruited more members, not even sparing her old lover, Gao Qiang, with whom she had long lost contact. Her funds began to grow, but she had to give dividends to others and work hard. Seeing the wrinkles appearing at the corners of her eyes due to exhaustion, Zhang Ying grew weary and wanted to claim all the assets for herself with gusto.
Thus, Zhang Ying devised a plan. She bought a property in Hushi under the name of a distant relative, then rented this property to herself. Afterward, she found a gold-digging fitness coach at a gym. She brought the coach into her life, introducing him everywhere, claiming he was a renowned rich second-generation heir in the real estate industry.
When everyone believed Zhang Ying was preparing to marry this rich second-generation heir, the coach absconded with all the company's assets, revealing his identity as a con artist. The police searched everywhere for the fraudster but found nothing. Those around him knew nothing specific, only that his surname was Zhu. With just this surname, what could the police find? In this scam, Zhang Ying bore all the responsibility. She sold her house, luxury cars, and designer bags. She then offered herself to a certain school administrator to keep her teaching position and began laboriously repaying her debts with her salary.
During this period, Zhang Ying was gradually transferring the money she had prepared abroad. She was on the verge of success when her identity was exposed. Feeling there was no escape, she decided to end her life after confessing her sins.
…
After hearing Luo Bo's account, I frowned and asked him, "Brother Luo, do you think this is real?"
"It shouldn't be fake. We discovered an additional layer of plaster ceiling in Zhang Ying's bathroom, and inside the plaster ceiling was a male corpse."
"Hiding a murdered person in the bathroom. While using the toilet, aren't you afraid a hand will reach out from behind?"
Yu Xiaoluo was also present. Hearing my description, she rubbed her arms, likely getting goosebumps, and glared at me. I quickly offered an apologetic look: "I'm not trying to scare anyone, but a woman who dares to hide a corpse in her own home and live with it day and night, would she commit suicide?"
"The suicide note was indeed in Zhang Ying's handwriting."
"Someone who can imitate a famous painting should find imitating Zhang Ying's handwriting quite easy."
Hearing my words, Luo Bo's eyes lit up: "You mean Zhang Ying was murdered?"
I dropped a bombshell: "I believe Zhang Ying was killed by Jiang He."