I have known Chang Dachun for many years, yet I don't truly know him at all. All I know is that Chang Dachun had been to prison, and his wife had run off with someone else. He was also a bit superstitious.
For instance, when exchanging gifts between brothers, he never gave books or watches. Books symbolized losing, and a watch symbolized the end.
However, as he continued to associate with these people, Chang Dachun finally understood a principle. Lin Zhijun didn't just look at someone and see their future. It was a matter of social experience; by interacting with many people, one naturally knew who was useful and who wasn't. This wasn't a skill that could be learned, but rather something to be gleaned through accumulation and reflection over time.
After Lin Zhijun returned to Xi'an, Chang Dachun continued to forge friendships everywhere. However, his experience was insufficient, and he stumbled around like a headless fly. Yet, Chang Dachun was diligent and deeply moved.
He finally grasped the meaning of a famous saying: "Not knowing how to read is more stifling than being blind."
This meant that if a person was illiterate, the feeling was worse than that of a blind person. Soon after, Chang Dachun paid the price for his reckless friendships.
He took his wife's place in prison, and his wife abandoned their child and fled.
While in prison, no one was willing to help him. All the friends he had made vanished without a trace. It wasn't until Lin Zhijun appeared that things changed. Lin Zhijun helped Chang Dachun navigate the system, allowing him to serve several years less in prison.
...
After being released from prison, Chang Dachun changed a great deal. He no longer made friends as frequently, but the ones he did make were mostly useful people. Later, he, Da Huang, and Fatty struggled to survive.
Following that, Lin Zhijun finally sought Chang Dachun's help.
Lin Zhijun asked Chang Dachun to look after the rebellious Lin Han, who had run away. Lin Han was saved at a nightclub and then joined their struggling trio of brothers. It was then that I appeared.
We became a team, often apart and rarely together.
However, due to The Schemer's influence, the lives of Chang Dachun, Da Huang, and Fatty were completely altered. Having experienced failure, Chang Dachun made significant progress in his approach to making friends.
His connections now spanned almost every field.
Currently, Chang Dachun is suspected of murder, yet his lawyer, the police force, and even the prosecution have people willing to help him. They believe that Chang Dachun's character would not allow him to kill.
...
When one is in trouble, help comes from all sides!
The current Chang Dachun is different from his past self. Before, when Chang Dachun was imprisoned, only Lin Zhijun was willing to help him. Now, people from all walks of society are eager to produce evidence proving Chang Dachun's innocence.
...
For this reason, I met with Teacher Wang Ren for tea.
"Do you think Chang Dachun is the murderer?"
I poured Teacher Wang Ren some tea and asked directly.
"If everyone says he's not the murderer, then he is even more likely to be one."
Teacher Wang Ren said with a faint smile.
"I can't compliment your statement. In fact, it makes me feel like you're trying to renege on a deal."
Back then, Teacher Wang Ren and I had a bet. It was a wager about future criminals. At that time, Teacher Wang Ren picked three people, the first being Li Feng.
Li Feng was the primary suspect in the murder of Deputy Prosecutor Li Qiang.
The second person was Chang Dachun.
And in the case of Professor Du's death, Chang Dachun was also the primary suspect.
It was originally a best-of-three match, but later Teacher Wang Ren said that if I won even one round, I would win the entire bet.
So, when I uttered the word "renege," Teacher Wang Ren paused for a moment before saying, "At the time, when it was decided that Chang Dachun was the murderer, it was thought that he would commit a crime of passion."
"Since it was a crime of passion, it's unpredictable. It's a matter of probability."
"No, what is called passion is actually emotional burden. When the emotional burden becomes too heavy, it can also lead a person to make mistakes. Chang Dachun is like this. You've helped him too much, so he would help you at any cost. Think about it, the situation back then. If Professor Du had escaped, what would happen to Luo Luo?"
"As long as he's caught, that's enough."
"Caught him, but on what grounds!"
"That medicine is effective for treating Dextrose Syndrome. If he took that medicine abroad, would the regulatory authorities let him off?"
Teacher Wang Ren smiled slightly. "He only brought the medicine back. Where is your evidence that he would take it abroad? Moreover, Professor Du was the project leader. He could take the medicine to another hospital and ask for an expert appraisal from his peers. That reason is plausible."
After Wang Ren's explanation, I truly hesitated. At the time, the idea of Professor Du taking the medicine abroad was just my assertion. Recently, I've been helping Chang Dachun with his case and have reviewed some of his documents. Professor Du might have intended to leave the country on a private jet, which is why he didn't book a commercial flight.
To be precise, we had no concrete evidence that Professor Du intended to take the medicine out of the country. My assumptions were purely personal speculation.
Seeing my troubled expression, Teacher Wang Ren knew I was accepting his line of reasoning. He then pressed his advantage, saying, "You weren't calm at the time, but Chang Dachun was extremely clear-headed. Furthermore, he knew that even if Professor Du was caught, there would be no grounds to force him to hand over the medicine. Therefore, for an extraordinary situation, extraordinary measures had to be taken."
"That doesn't mean he had to kill him!"
"Murder? The old Chang Dachun wouldn't even think of killing someone, let alone say something defiant to a police officer. But the longer he followed you, the more his understanding of the world deviated. After witnessing so many of your miraculous performances, he believed that you could definitely prove his innocence."
Hearing Teacher Wang Ren say this, Chang Dachun's calm demeanor as he handed me the medication flickered through my mind. "Tang Nan, I believe you can prove my innocence."
Perhaps Chang Dachun believed that, as The Schemer, I could prove his innocence.
But, was he truly innocent?
Teacher Wang Ren was a formidable figure. Any slight change in my expression was noticed by her. She smiled and delivered a final blow: "I've also reviewed Professor Du's case file. He was attacked from behind with a fatal stab wound that severed his trachea, watching him die in agony. Tell me, why would someone kill Professor Du?"
"To steal the medicine, of course."
I blurted out almost instinctively, but then I felt foolish for my own statement. If the killer's motive was to steal the medicine, why didn't they take it after killing Professor Du?
"Exactly. You're right. The assailant killed Professor Du but didn't take the medicine, which indicates they weren't after the medicine. The problem is, Professor Du has been dead for several days, and the police have been diligently investigating, but so far, we haven't found anyone with a motive to kill Professor Du."
"Chang Dachun didn't have one either!"
"No, he did. You secretly took it away. And he also hinted at it to Luo Bo. Luo Bo was originally a righteous detective who did his job by the book. But this time was different; it involved his biological daughter and his wife, who was on the verge of a breakdown. Therefore, with Luo Bo's tacit approval, no, with Luo Bo's support, you together concealed Chang Dachun's motive for murder."
I shook my head. "Uncle Master, your analysis is correct and logical. However, in this event, there is a significant variable you have overlooked, and perhaps everything is not as it seems."
Even with my words, Wang Ren remained confident. She said calmly, "The variable you're referring to is Cao Qian, isn't it?"
"Yes!"
"I know that Cao Qian gave you the music box containing the medication. From the moment she stepped into Beijing, my eyes have never left her. Believe me, she didn't have time to scheme."
Teacher Wang Ren was indeed the most formidable schemer of our time, calculating every detail. I had always thought my senior sister was a variable. However, after she appeared in Beijing, her every move was under Teacher Wang Ren's observation.
If that were truly the case, did Chang Dachun really kill someone?