My Ex Who Dumped Me Comes to Hook Me Up Every Day - Chapter 35

“I’ve been commissioned to inquire about the latest developments in the case.”

“Understood.”

He Yi’an’s complexion looked unwell, with bloodshot eyes and faint dark circles beneath them, as if he hadn’t slept all night.

They entered a room off the corridor, where a familiar face stood waiting: Zheng Yi, whom Jin Zhou had met before.

“This is Zheng Yi, the deputy leader of our Task Force. He’s thoroughly familiar with the case’s current progress. Lawyer Jin, feel free to direct any questions to him. I have some urgent matters to attend to; please excuse me.”

Jin Zhou nodded slightly. “Very well.”

He Yi’an turned to say, “Thank you for your hard work,” before leaving.

Jin Zhou stepped into the room and politely said, “Thank you for your time.”

Zheng Yi gave her a perfunctory glance. “Please sit.”

Jin Zhou’s memory was sharp, allowing her to clearly recall Zheng Yi’s demeanor from their previous meeting.

Back then, Zheng Yi’s brow had been relaxed, his voice confident and assertive. As a seasoned veteran of the bureau, this was his usual state when operating within his comfort zone.

Now, his lips were pressed tightly together, a layer of gloom seeming to darken his eyes.

Compared to their last meeting, his demeanor had undergone a noticeable shift.

Jin Zhou understood the reason: the public outcry over Chong Sheng’s case had likely drawn the attention of higher authorities.

Zheng Yi, who had initially dismissed the incident as a domestic dispute, would inevitably face accountability.

However, according to He Yi’an, Zheng Yi remained the deputy leader of the Task Force, suggesting he hadn’t suffered any serious consequences.

Zheng Yi, with his slippery, worldly ways and tendency to skirt the edges of regulations, was hardly a likable figure.

Jin Zhou could only hope his continued presence wouldn’t compromise the investigation.

She lowered her gaze.

During the silent pause, Zheng Yi had already turned to pull up the surveillance footage.

The footage was from nighttime, showing a somewhat remote location: half dimly lit by yellow streetlights, half pitch-black fields, resembling a rural-urban fringe area.

There was no traffic at the intersection, only a middle-aged man in black standing suspiciously by the roadside.

He zoomed in on the image, gradually bringing the middle-aged man’s face into sharp focus.

It was Feng Zhinan, the criminal suspect.

“This is the last surveillance footage of Feng Zhinan within C City limits,” Zheng Yi explained.

“The location is an intersection in Chusheng Street, Shanliu District, bordering M City.”

“Based on this footage, we’ve preliminarily determined that his hideout is in Jiashi Town, which falls under M City’s jurisdiction.”

Jin Zhou was familiar with Jiashi Town.

It wasn’t a typical large town; its population was predominantly ethnic minorities with mutually unintelligible languages, and its infrastructure was relatively underdeveloped.

And now they had to conduct an investigation there at night…

Jin Zhou frowned.

Zheng Yi continued, “There are gaps in surveillance coverage along the national highway, which complicates the pursuit. Fortunately, by retrieving footage from dashcams of parked vehicles along the road, we’ve pinpointed Feng Zhinan’s hiding place.”

He manipulated the rear screen to display a new image.

The picture showed an unremarkable cornfield with a small collapsed area in the middle.

“Finally, at one in the morning, we apprehended Feng Zhinan, who was sleeping in the cornfield.”

After apprehending a criminal suspect, the police typically conduct a preliminary interrogation within twenty-four hours and then transfer them to a detention center.

Jin Zhou asked, “Has the interrogation process been completed?”

“The preliminary interrogation is complete. We’ve established a strong suspicion that Feng Zhinan committed the crimes.”

The screen behind Zheng Yi changed.

An image of a bloodstained knife appeared. The blade was approximately ten centimeters long.

Jin Zhou’s eyes narrowed slightly.

This was the murder weapon Feng Zhinan used to kill Wen Yan and Qu Xinran.

Zheng Yi explained, “When we found Feng Zhinan, he hadn’t had time to hide the murder weapon. The forensics team has already analyzed the fingerprints recovered from the knife and confirmed they belong to the suspect.”

Jin Zhou clenched her fists, her voice barely containing her suppressed rage.

“When is the next interrogation scheduled? When do you plan to transfer him to the prosecutor’s office?”

As a lawyer, the most crucial professional quality is maintaining composure and objectivity.

The woman before him, however, was clearly letting her personal biases color her work, a sign of incompetence.

Zheng Yi’s tone carried a hint of disdain as he said, “Lawyer Jin, there’s a rather unusual situation I need to inform you about. Feng Zhinan has developed some health issues, so the medical examination and interrogation will be temporarily suspended.”

Jin Zhou ignored his tone, her gaze sharpening. “What kind of issues?”

Zheng Yi replied with official detachment.

“During interrogation, Feng Zhinan exhibited a marked deficiency in logical coherence. His statements were disjointed and contradictory, and he showed signs of paranoia.”

“Even after reviewing the surveillance footage, he stubbornly insisted he had never left Hechi Township and had never killed anyone.”

“Furthermore, he claimed to have a younger brother and sister.”

“However, according to population records, he has no sister, only an older brother who drowned forty years ago.”

“Therefore, we conducted a psychiatric evaluation. The diagnosis is paranoid schizophrenia.”

A flicker of shock crossed Jin Zhou’s eyes. “…Schizophrenia?”

Zheng Yi handed her an evaluation report stamped with the Fourth Hospital’s seal, confirming the diagnosis.

“Yes, schizophrenia.”

Clinical Evaluation Report for Schizophrenia

Jin Zhou’s heart sank as she glanced at the report’s title.

Patient Information

Name: Feng Zhinan

Gender: Male

Age: 49

Occupation: Unemployed

Information Provider: Patient himself

Reduced speech volume, loose logic, and scattered thinking.

Experiencing auditory hallucinations and delusions of being monitored.

Insists on having a younger brother and sister.

Final Diagnosis: F20.0 Paranoid Schizophrenia

Severity: Moderate to Severe

Under the current legal system, intentional homicide is a capital crime.

Those convicted of intentional homicide with aggravating circumstances may face the death penalty, life imprisonment, or a minimum of ten years’ imprisonment.

Given the severity of Feng Zhinan’s case, he likely faces the death penalty.

Yet he has now been diagnosed with schizophrenia.

What does this mean?

Does it merely mean that the forensic examination and interrogation must be temporarily suspended?

The answer is no.

The law clearly states that when a mentally ill person causes harm while unable to recognize or control their actions, and this is confirmed through a legally mandated assessment, the mentally ill person will not be held criminally responsible.

Jin Zhou’s hand tightened slightly, nearly crumpling the A4 paper into a ball.

This wasn’t just an evaluation report; it was Feng Zhinan’s ‘get-out-of-death-free card’.

She took a deep breath, lifted her head, and looked at Zheng Yi. “I request access to the interrogation records.”

The interrogation video confirmed Zheng Yi’s description of Feng Zhinan’s behavior. His statements were disjointed, his gaze evasive, and his movements sluggish—classic symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia.

The evidence was undeniable, leaving Jin Zhou no choice but to accept it.

When this news reached them, the hospital was still busy handling the aftermath. Father Qu, who suffered from high bl00d pressure, collapsed on the spot from the shock. Father Wen, usually gentle and refined, was too furious to speak.

“What does this mean? Is a mentally ill person’s life worth more than our daughter’s? Did two young lives just end for nothing? It’s absurd… utterly absurd!”

Jin Zhou remained silent until Mother Wen grabbed her hand.

“I don’t believe he’s mentally ill. He specifically targeted women who were naturally weaker, each stab aimed at vital points. What kind of mentally ill person does that?”

“Lawyer Jin, you’re a lawyer. Aunt Wen knows you’re very capable. There must be something we can do, right?”

Strands of white hair mingled with the dark, tears streaming uncontrollably down Mother Wen’s face, her eyes swollen beyond recognition.

A white-haired parent burying a black-haired child—shattering half a lifetime of composure, leaving only wretchedness behind.

Jin Zhou couldn’t utter a single word of refusal.

After leaving the hospital, Jin Zhou went straight back to the law firm.

“Lawyer Jin, good afternoon…”

The receptionist’s greeting hung unanswered in the air.

Sensing the oppressive atmosphere surrounding Jin Zhou, Li Xiaoxi and the others wisely refrained from speaking.

Back in her office, Jin Zhou did nothing.

She reopened the gruesome video.

On the screen, the demon struck Qu Xinran with the first knife without warning.

Bl00d slowly stained the ground crimson.

Wen Yan struggled repeatedly, pouring all her strength into trying to save her beloved, but to no avail.

Qu Xinran, stabbed multiple times, could only watch helplessly as Wen Yan’s throat was slit.

As the video looped endlessly, time slipped away unnoticed.

The sky gradually darkened, and the noisy streets outside lit up.

Inside the office, the phone screen flickered intermittently.

Knock, knock, knock—

A knock echoed at the door.

Jin Zhou remained silent.

Su Yun gently pushed the door open and stood in the office for a long time.

During that time, Jin Zhou’s gaze never left her phone screen.

Unable to bear it any longer, Su Yun called out to her.

“Zhou’er, don’t do this to yourself.”

The person in front of her seemed to only just realize Su Yun was there.

She looked up, her eyes red as if she were ill.

Jin Zhou didn’t explain what had happened.

But C City’s legal circles were small, and such a sensational event had already spread like wildfire within half a day.

Wen Yan, the woman involved, was a friend of Jin Zhou’s. Su Yun had even dined with her a few years ago.

She was a lively and interesting person.

It was just… fate was fickle.

Su Yun’s heart ached. She opened her mouth, then hesitated, “What do you plan to do about this?”

Jin Zhou replied almost without hesitation, “Keep investigating.”

“But…”

Anyone familiar with legal procedures knew there was little room for maneuver in this case.

Clinging too tightly now might only lead to an ugly outcome later.

Su Yun didn’t want to see her dear friend walk into a fire pit.

But at that moment, Jin Zhou sat in the darkness, her gaze frighteningly calm.

Su Yun couldn’t bring herself to offer any words of warning.

Jin Zhou, understanding, remained silent as well.

Just then, a phone call came in.

It was for Su Yun.

“What is it?… Bring her in.”

Su Yun lowered her voice to reply, then hung up.

After a moment of silence, Jin Zhou asked, “What’s wrong?”

Su Yun’s expression was complex, a mix of surprise and relief.

“Dr. Jiang is here to pick you up,” she said.

At that moment, the office door opened from the outside.

Jin Zhou instinctively turned her head.

She saw Jiang Yuhuai standing in the warm white light, his gaze gentle and serene.