51st oil painting

Chapter 14

Section 31: After Midnight

Zhao Sanwen didn't not want to leave through the door; he was afraid to, because something that frightened him was lurking outside...

This "outside the door" includes the door outside room 905, the corridor on the ninth floor, and even the door outside the electronic surveillance system of the entire apartment building.

Could he have enemies? That night, they came to his door in a menacing manner, and Zhao Sanwen was frightened, so he used a rappelling device to escape.

An enemy? ...

Pu Hongming carefully studied the videotapes from the garage, using slow motion to play each frame, and discovered a previously overlooked detail.

When Zhao Sanwen drove his motorcycle out of the parking space, he didn't give the impression of frantically fleeing for his life. Instead, he moved slowly and steadily, with coordinated movements, and with great care, as if afraid of scratching the Grand Cherokee parked in position B-12. At this moment, Sanwen made a move; he tilted his head slightly to the left and glanced at the Grand Cherokee's window.

Then, his whole body jolted, and the motorcycle suddenly shot forward.

This "vibration" can be described as "trembling".

Zhao Sanwen seemed to have seen something and panicked, which caused the motorcycle to go out of control.

What could be inside the car that could cause such terror to someone standing outside?

Pu Hongming asked Mr. Hu, the owner of the Grand Cherokee, who was negotiating vehicle insurance claims. When asked, "Is there anything in your car?" Mr. Hu angrily replied:

"Yes, I keep a ghost in my car!"

Mr. Hu was indeed very angry. His brand-new car, which he had only driven for a few months, had become such a terrible state.

If you were hit on the street, that would be fine, but it happened in a parking garage, which should be the safest place.

"I've said it before, don't park motorcycles and cars together, they should be in separate areas. If you had listened to me earlier, this wouldn't have happened!"

Mr. Hu negotiated with the property management company of the community, but the company couldn't do anything about it, as the parking spaces were purchased by the owners themselves. Simply put, if you buy parking space B-13, you can park a motorcycle or a Cadillac; the owner of the parking space has the right to decide. Moreover, the price of the parking spaces is the same, so they should be treated equally. Just because there's a motorcycle parked there doesn't mean it should obediently be relegated to a corner.

In fact, each parking space is large enough, and motorcycles, which are significantly smaller than cars, should not be involved in such collisions.

Pu Hongming's assistant, Xiao Song, had just graduated from the Criminal Investigation Department of the Public Security University. He was an enthusiastic and eager-to-learn young man. After seeing the photos of the Grand Cherokee that had been hit and studying the videotape, he said, "Professor Pu..."

Using such a respectful title makes everyone feel comfortable.

"The Grand Cherokee's windows were covered with reflective film, so unless the lights were on inside the car, Zhao Sanwen couldn't see the situation inside the car clearly in the parking garage's lighting conditions."

Therefore, I think he saw something in the reflection of the car window, which is why…

Xiao Song meant that this "thing" wasn't inside the car, but outside, in the garage, right around Zhao Sanwen. However, judging from the video, there was nothing at the scene that could have frightened Zhao Sanwen.

"Hehe, it must be a ghost, right?"

Xiao Song's joke made his colleagues in the criminal investigation team laugh, including Pu Hongming.

Besides several inexplicable points of doubt, Pu Hongming also learned an even more perplexing situation from the paramedics. When the ambulance arrived at the scene to prepare to treat the injured, Zhao Sanwen was sitting on the ground with his back against the right door of the Grand Cherokee, his body slumped over, already unconscious and in shock. When the paramedics lifted him onto the stretcher, they were surprised to find that his body was unusually limp, like a boneless fish.

The doctor wrote in the death certificate that all the bones in the deceased's body, including the joints, were shattered, caused by the impact, which led to the failure of all organs and death.

To this end, Pu Hongming specifically consulted a senior forensic doctor in the bureau: What kind of impact could cause all the bones in the body to shatter so thoroughly? The forensic doctor scratched his head for a long time and gave two possible scenarios:

Throwing the dead from the 30th floor, or running them over with a 10-ton road roller.

The collision between the motorcycle and the van was the first impact, while the collision between the deceased and the Grand Cherokee was the second impact. The second impact was actually a rebound after the first impact. From a mechanical point of view, the force of the rebound was far less than the force of the previous impact, but the fact remains that the Grand Cherokee was severely damaged, and Zhao Sanwen died on the spot.

Detective Pu Hongming felt that, in addition to the car crash, there was a special and powerful force at play.

This force may be related to the "thing" Zhao Sanwen saw on the window of the Grand Cherokee.

The claim of being "enemies" has been confirmed.

The community security guards provided Xiao Song with a crucial clue: the day before Zhao Sanwen's death, he had gotten into a fight with a fat man in the garden fountain. It took three security guards a great deal of effort, getting completely soaked, to separate the two. Judging from the situation, the fat man was clearly no match for Zhao Sanwen, and his face was covered in blood.

When two men fight, it's either for money or for a woman.

According to the security guards, it must be the latter, because they heard Zhao Sanwen cursing.

"...You want me to give up Nuonuo? You're dreaming! Why don't you take a good look in the mirror and see what kind of person you are? A toad trying to eat swan meat, ptooey!"

Before leaving, he spat on the ground, then took out two 100-yuan bills from his pocket and handed them to a security guard, presumably for medical expenses.

Zhao Sanwen walked away, and the security guard hailed a taxi to take the bruised and battered "toad" to a nearby local hospital, where an X-ray was taken and a urine test was performed. During the trip, the security guard asked the injured man if he wanted to call the police, but he firmly shook his head.

Aside from some minor cuts and a mild concussion, the injured man was otherwise unharmed. He gave the remaining hundred-odd yuan to the security guard as a tip and limped away.

That's roughly how things went.

The police quickly located the person involved, Ah Hu, and questioned him about the relevant matters. Pu Hongming asked the questions, and Xiao Song took the statement.

Q: What is your relationship with Zhao Sanwen?

A: We don't know each other, but we both like the same girl.

Q: How did you know his home address?

Oil painting No. 51: 773 Horror Series 13

Section 32: Can be described as "trembling".

Q: What was your motive for going to find Zhao Sanwen?

A: Talk to him and let him know that I also like Nuonuo and that I want to compete with him. Prepare him mentally. A gentleman should be polite before resorting to force.

Q: Who made the first move?

A: Yes, it was him.

Q: Is the injury serious?

A: It's okay, I was a little dizzy and even vomited when I got home, I guess it was a concussion.

Q: Where were you the night Zhao Sanwen had his car accident?

A: In my studio, I work on my inventions.

Q: What time does it take from what time to what time?

A: I enter the studio after 8 pm and work until 2 am the next day. I have a habit of working at night.

Q: Are there any eyewitnesses?

A: I've ordered takeout from "Yonghe Soy Milk" before. It included a savory glutinous rice, a cup of iced soy milk, and a pork chop set meal.

Q: What time did the food arrive?

A: Around 11:30.

...

Xiao Song believes that Ah Hu had both the time and the motive to commit the crime.

"You mean, Zhao Sanwen saw Ah Hu, who came to seek revenge, through the peephole or on the screen of the electronic security door, so he was afraid to open the door or go downstairs, and instead used a rappelling device to escape onto the balcony?"

Pu Hongming, smoking a Seven Stars cigarette, asked Xiao Song, who nodded.

"But..." Pu Hongming exhaled a string of smoke rings, then continued, "The two had fought once, and Ahu was utterly defeated by Zhao Sanwen. Shouldn't Ahu be afraid of Zhao Sanwen? How could Zhao Sanwen have fled in panic upon seeing Ahu?"

"Well..." Xiao Song scratched his head and thought for a long time before blurting out, "Maybe Ah Hu didn't come empty-handed; he brought a gasoline can and a lighter!"

Xiao Song recently learned this phrase while watching the TV series "Taiwan Thunderbolt".

Pu Hongming laughed heartily.

"You've seen the garage videotape too. Ah Hu didn't even enter the garage at the time. Zhao Sanwen glanced at the Grand Cherokee's window before the motorcycle went out of control. He couldn't have seen the fire truck and the gas can, could he?"

Pu Hongming also learned to say this phrase.

Sanwen's funeral was held on a chilly afternoon.

Due to the arrival of a cold front from the north, the temperature dropped sharply by five degrees. People put on coats over their T-shirts, and fashion-conscious girls had to put away their sandals because it was too cold to leave their toes exposed.

A light drizzle was falling from the sky. People took turns placing a single white lily in front of Sanwen's tombstone, bowing their heads to express their condolences. It was that simple.

This cemetery, named "Wan'an Fushou," is located in Dongshan Town, Suzhou. It offers a panoramic view of the vast Taihu Lake, making it a perfect resting place nestled against the mountains and beside the water.

Many ashes of Shanghainese are buried in the neighboring Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, a vast and resource-rich area with beautiful mountains and clear waters, often referred to as Shanghai's backyard. A considerable number of ashes are buried in this backyard.

Every year during the Qingming Festival, a massive army of tomb sweepers stretches for dozens of kilometers, making every road leading to the cemetery completely congested, thus creating a unique tomb sweeping scene.

Throughout the entire ordeal, Zhao Sande didn't shed a single tear. His right hand gripped his left wrist, his lips pressed tightly together, as if he were restricting his breathing. In contrast, among the funeral attendees, some who had loan business with Zhao Sande's bank, A Bank, looked so grief-stricken that it was impossible to tell whose relative the deceased was.

Nuonuo stood silently at the back of the crowd, with Ahu beside her.

When Nono told him the date of Sanwen's funeral, Ahu only said, "I'll go with you."

Nono did not refuse.

Throughout the journey, Nuonuo remained silent. Ahu, worried that she might misunderstand him, felt it necessary to clarify the facts, so he said, "Sanwen's death has nothing to do with me, really, I swear to God."

Nono looked up at Ahu with a bewildered expression, nodded slightly, and said, "After the funeral, I'd like to talk to you about this."

"This problem" probably refers to Sanwen's death, right?

Judging from Nuonuo's tone, it seemed like she knew something.

As long as she doesn't suspect anything about me, that's fine...

As Ah Hu thought this, the spot where Sanwen had slapped him still throbbed faintly.

The funeral attendees began to disperse; some smoked, some made phone calls, and they walked in twos and threes toward a large bus parked outside. Nono walked slowly at the back, the early autumn wind blowing against her, carrying a slight chill. She felt her eyes welling up with tears, but they didn't fall.

She thought to herself that she must have fallen in love with Sanwen.

Nono was stopped by Zhao Sande.

Previously, Zhao Sande had only seen Nuonuo's photo, which was tucked into Sanwen's wallet. Zhao Sande knew that if his philandering son could carry a girl's photo with him, he must really like her.

Nono had also seen Zhao Sande's photo; it was a family photo of the three of them, which was the wallpaper on the DELL computer that Sanwen used.

"I'll be going to Sanwen's place tomorrow to pack up his things. If you'd like to take anything as a souvenir, come over."

Zhao Sande tried to keep it as simple as possible.

"Thank you, Uncle. I was just about to pick up a few things," Nono replied.

Zhao Sande nodded, turned and left.

Amidst this endless expanse of tombstones, 54-year-old Zhao Sande has already ordered a burial plot for himself, right next to his son.

On the way back to Shanghai, Ah Hu's mouth remained open in an "O" shape, never closing, because Nuonuo had told him the whole story about the painting.

Do you think Sanwen's death is related to a painting?

Nono shook her head: "I can't say for sure. Both of these things happened so suddenly, so incredibly, almost on the same day."