Zhang Lei just randomly picked out some medicine from his grandfather's old medicine. The old man was always reluctant to throw things away, regardless of whether they were useful or not. Otherwise, Zhang Lei wouldn't have found it so easily.
Judging from the thick layer of residue on the surface of the pill, it was probably expired. Zhang Lei also excitedly discovered two boxes of penicillin. He knew that penicillin could be fatally allergenic, which was why allergy tests were always done beforehand. In comparison, Zhang Lei actually hoped the medicine hadn't expired; people are so fickle.
Zhang Lei wasn't sure if the penicillin had expired or how long it would remain effective once opened in the air. He figured he'd just use it anyway, since there weren't any potent poisons.
"I've heard that penicillin allergies are hereditary. I hope it's hereditary in their family!" Zhang Lei tiptoed and applied the mixed solution to Xiao Wuzi's faucet.
The truth should have been that the guilty party was held accountable, but in Zhang Lei's eyes, his family were all bad people and deserved to die.
Besides, we had argued earlier, and this little Wu went to his grandmother to vent his anger. Why didn't he say anything about grievances having a source and debts having a debtor? Since he doesn't say that, wouldn't it be incredibly stupid for Zhang Lei to bring it up again?
In reality, with such a small area as a faucet, how much could be applied? Unless it's a potent poison like potassium cyanide, it's unlikely to kill anyone.
Moreover, the first thing they do when they wake up in the morning is wash their face and brush their teeth. With this kind of dilution, and who knows, they might even smell or taste an odor... Anyway, there are too many variables.
When Zhang Lei made the plan, he thought it was great and that he was a genius. But when he calmed down and thought about it, he realized that there were variables everywhere. At most, doing this was just self-comfort. In terms of actual effect, it was probably not as good as putting some nails under the doormats at their door.
Zhang Lei went to bed very late that night, feeling restless the whole time. When he finally fell asleep, he kept hearing his grandmother calling him from outside the door, "Leilei, open the door, let me in!"
"Oh!" Zhang Lei sat up abruptly. It seemed like dawn was breaking. Zhang Lei, who hadn't slept well all night, still felt a bit dizzy, but he couldn't sleep any longer, or he would oversleep.
Just as Zhang Lei had sat up and was still groggy, his second aunt arrived. She had originally intended to wake Zhang Lei through the window, but seeing that he was already sitting up, she decided not to bother.
"Leilei, Grandma has passed away!" Auntie said in a hoarse voice, her tone as calm as possible.
"Oh!" Zhang Lei replied with just one word, as if it were a trivial matter.
"I just came to tell you that I'm going back now!" A hint of anger flashed across Auntie's face. This child didn't even show a trace of sadness. Even if he was naturally cold-hearted, he shouldn't be like this.
"Oh, by the way, Auntie went to the hospital in the middle of the night. You can buy your own breakfast!" Auntie turned around and said, then left without waiting for Zhang Lei's reply.
Zhang Lei sat there blankly for a long while before tears welled up in his eyes. Although his grandmother was not talkative and a little stingy, she was truly good to him. Every day, the nanny would prepare dishes that Zhang Lei liked to eat, but Zhang Lei had no idea what his grandmother liked to eat besides sunflower seeds. If his grandmother went to the market with the nanny, the dishes on the table that day would invariably be Zhang Lei's favorites, without exception.
Although my aunt said that my uncle would take Xiao Wuzi to court, she knew that at most it would be a civil case. Even if he won, he would only get a small amount of money. And for an old lady like her who doesn't have social security, it would probably only be a few cents.
"Human lives must be repaid with human lives!" A fierce glint flashed in Zhang Lei's eyes.
The first time you kill someone is a threshold. Many people may be highly skilled in martial arts, but they have never killed anyone before, so most of the time they will value human life very much.
However, once you cross that threshold, it's easy to get the thought that killing one person is the same as killing two, especially if you've just killed someone recently. This thought is like a temptation from hell.
Zhang Lei basically understood that even if he committed murder, even if the case had a great social impact, even if he was investigated, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange would basically arrange a way to escape unscathed. People only cared about whether the criminal had been brought to justice, and who would investigate whether the criminal was still in prison?
It can be said that the only thing that can restrain Zhang Lei after he crossed this threshold is the constraint of the law, and only the massive state apparatus can make him have the will to restrain himself.
Zhang Lei waited quietly at Xiao Wuzi's door. After all, he had been their neighbor for half a year and knew that it was time for the old lady to get up. The old lady had a bad respiratory system and would cough every morning, which was usually annoying. But today, Zhang Lei hoped that she would get up early.
Zhang Lei was wearing a light red pair of shorts, which he had found in a trunk. They were the ones his grandfather had worn during his birth year, and he had an old-fashioned Zhongshan suit over them. He figured if there was any bloodstains on them, he could just burn them. Zhang Lei wasn't sure if he had any footprints or anything like that on his feet, so he just wore the shoes his grandfather had left him. They were a bit big, but better than nothing.
As mentioned before, my grandmother is a bit stingy, especially in this respect. In fact, most elderly people are like this; they can't bear to throw away anything even if it's completely useless.
If it weren't for this, Zhang Lei wouldn't have been able to find his grandfather's clothes now, as his grandfather has been gone for almost three years. But this is for the best, because apart from his grandmother, no one can say for sure what clothes his grandfather left behind, and now that his grandmother is gone, the loss of one or two items won't arouse suspicion.
Zhang Lei kept his clothes and shoes in a shoulder bag next to the back door, intending to change them when he came out.
It was still early, and not many people were up yet. Dead ends like his alley were practically deserted. But how to turn back—whether to go home or deliberately draw attention into the distance—Zhang Lei had no idea. He didn't have time to think about it further; his family would be up soon.
Zhang Lei knew himself well; perhaps after today, once the heat died down, he might not have the courage anymore. If he were to do it, today was the only time. Besides, if Liu Yun flew in from Beijing, he would arrive today, and his murderous intent shouldn't be hidden from him.
"I told you, why did you go and argue with that old woman? Now look what happened, you had a heart attack and have to go to the hospital. Her third son-in-law is saying he's going to sue you!" It seems the first person to get up today wasn't his old woman; this was his wife's voice.
Zhang Lei's facial muscles twitched slightly, revealing a cruel smile that had a certain handsome charm. Zhang Lei now understood why they had described the previous suspect as a middle-aged man. After changing his expression this morning, he looked in the mirror and his skin was indeed loose, making him look older. This was easy for Zhang Lei to adjust, but of course, Zhang Lei had no intention of embellishing it. Let the handsome middle-aged man contribute again.
"Sue me? Don't tell me it was just her illness that started after I scolded that old woman. Even if she had an attack on the spot when I scolded her, what could she do to me? I didn't lay a hand on her. I've encountered this kind of thing many times!" This was Xiao Wuzi's voice. He had also gotten up and looked like he was about to open the door.
It would have been more convenient to go upstairs, since his house also had a door upstairs, unlike the iron gate downstairs. However, going upstairs would easily attract suspicious attention, and Zhang Lei certainly hoped that no one would suspect him of doing it.
If it weren't for this iron gate, Zhang Lei would have already broken through and stormed in. With his internal energy, Zhang Lei was quite confident that he could handle an ordinary wooden door.
The moment the door opened, Zhang Lei started a self-examination. Regardless of who opened the door, he grabbed his hair, pressed it against his head, slammed it against the door, and flung himself inside. Before the force of his inward movement reached its maximum, he was pulled back by his hair.
Zhang Lei's mind was in turmoil last night, so he didn't do his usual strengthening exercises. Of course, he still had to practice his internal energy, otherwise the Bitter Yuan Technique would still give him trouble. Even if it was just a few minutes of practice, he still had to do it.
Therefore, although he didn't sleep well last night and didn't accumulate much new internal energy, the total amount of internal energy in his body was still quite abundant. Zhang Lei was prepared to fight against many opponents, and his internal energy had already filled his body.
Zhang Lei's attack was quite forceful, but he wasn't lucky enough to get hit on the edge of the iron gate. It was Xiao Wuzi's wife who bumped her head on the edge of the gate, not Xiao Wuzi, who was the strongest fighter. However, for Zhang Lei, who had no intention of holding back, this impact was negligible.
"Little Wu!" Zhang Lei muttered, "I wonder if his surname is Wu, or if he's the fifth in his family!"
As he spoke, he didn't stop walking. He grabbed Xiao Wuzi's wife's hair and dragged it in. Xiao Wuzi's wife had a wound more than an inch long on her forehead, from which blood was flowing out. There were also many spots of blood seeping from her scalp.
Perhaps she was already knocked unconscious, because Xiao Wuzi's wife didn't struggle or scream; her hands and feet just twitched slightly.
"Who are you and what do you want?" Xiao Wuzi backed away. He didn't need to fight Zhang Lei; just looking at Zhang Lei's current aura, he knew he was no match for him.
"Hehe, some of my friends in the cell praised you for being a good friend. I just got out and I'm a bit short on cash. How about you lend me a hand?" Zhang Lei deliberately applied some chili oil to his throat, making his voice sound much hoarse and more mature. He hooked his foot back, and the metal door slammed shut, as if cutting off their escape route.
Xiao Wuzi was stunned for a moment. "Okay, okay, you should have said so earlier, why did you have to do this!" As he spoke, he deliberately glanced at his wife, who seemed to be waking up a bit.
"You don't need to look. If I didn't show you my skills first, would you be so polite to me? That's what the brothers inside advised me. Okay, stop arguing. She won't die. If she dies, I'll be in trouble. Now hurry up and get the money out!" Zhang Lei casually tossed Xiao Wuzi's wife out, sending her crashing into a cabinet in the corner. Blood dripped from her forehead, forming an artistic curve.
Zhang Lei stopped Xiao Wuzi, who was trying to help her up, and said, "Don't move. Give me the money, and I'll be leaving. I won't bother you again, but if you try anything funny, don't blame me for being sorry!"
Zhang Lei casually picked up a sharp knife from the cutting board in the outer room and pretended to trim his nails. Of course, it was just a pretense; Zhang Lei wasn't foolish enough to leave any personal belongings behind. His purpose was to have a weapon in his hand, making him appear more intimidating. Although Zhang Lei was just as capable unarmed, Xiao Wuzi and the others didn't know that, did they? The other person was also deliberately putting on a relaxed demeanor to prevent him from having any impure thoughts.
Although Zhang Lei's request for him to get the money was impromptu, it wasn't entirely unnecessary. Every murder has a motive; it's either a crime of passion, a revenge killing, or a robbery-murder. Zhang Lei naturally hoped the police would treat this place as the scene of a robbery-murder.
Police officers are not as incompetent as one might imagine; after all, they are specially trained and know at least more than the average person.