Case Files 013

Tragedies were often measured by proximity. We knew of the wars and famines in Africa but they were too far away, they might as well be in a different world. However, when the body of Ma Liliang's victim appeared before him, he felt the real prick of conscience for the first time. Within seconds, the man died. Ma Liliang remembered many other victims saying about the same thing as this man did before he died, ‘Please, they are all my savings. Please return them to me. I need them to live.' There were males, females, young and old.

Life-saving money? What was that really a thing? Ma Liliang didn't know or he didn't want to know. In his mind, he convinced himself that those claims were not true. How could a mere 70000 RMB save a life? It could barely buy a 5 cubic metre home at Dong Xing City. Ma Liliang fooled himself for 3 years but he couldn't anymore. When he first saw his father jumping off the building in his dream, he was shocked awake. He called his father even though it was the middle of the night. His father assured him that everything was fine back home and told him not to worry. His father told him to work hard in the city and do not mingle with the bad crowd. Ma Liliang answered, "Yes, father."

Ma Liliang came from a poor family. Snacks were considered a luxury. One time, when Ma Liliang and his father walked past the village store, his father stopped to chat with the shop owner. While the two adults were distracted, Ma Liliang stole a bag of chips and hid it under his shirt. After they left, the plastic bag crinkled with each of Ma Liliang's steps. After finding out the truth, Ma Liliang's father gave him a good beating and then he paid the store owner twice the amount of money to pay for the chips. The owner didn't accept it. It was just a small bag of chips. Since Ma Liliang liked it that much, he would give it to the boy. After all, they were neighbours from the small village. However, Ma Liliang's father stood his ground. Later Ma Liliang's father told him that, ‘Even though we are poor, we shall not ever resort to stealing and lying. I've not been to a school in life so I can't teach you much, but I can teach you how to be a good man. Remember, no matter what you do in the future, remember today's lesson.' Ma Liliang brought the bag of chips home but he never opened it.

Ma Liliang got into a good high school and a reasonably acceptable university. It was not a famous university but his family was so happy and proud. His father told his younger siblings to take him as an example. But Ma Liliang knew that a graduate from a second-rate university wouldn't be able to earn much in a big city. However, his younger siblings needed to go to school and his father was getting old. His father had used all of his savings to send him to university so Ma Liliang had to find a job that paid well so that he could support the family. After failing multiple interviews, Ma Liliang was in despair. He didn't even know what he was doing in the city.

And then he landed the perfect job. Ma Liliang was on the surface a real estate agent but he was really a scammer.

That month of paid holiday was hell on earth for Ma Liliang. Ma Liliang had kept the bag of chips as memento even though the expiry date was more than a decade ago. Ma Liliang kept it even though the packaging had been ruined. Throughout the month, Ma Liliang spent most of his days staring at the bag of chips. The lesson his old father taught him that day echoed in his mind. To be honest, when he was young, Ma Liliang never really got the lesson. Ma Liliang only swore that when he got older, he had to earn a lot of money so that his children would be able to afford at least a bag of chips. He had to make something of himself because he didn't want to ever be like his father, counting out coins to make the repayment while the owner looked on with something akin to superiority.

Ma Liliang's fear of poverty was sown deep into his heart that day. Therefore, when he entered society, he worked hard to earn and earn.

He opened the bag of chips and ate a piece. It was moldy and disgusting but it was the most delicious food Ma Liliang had ever eaten. As he took in the expired chips one by one, he wrote down his will. Finally the lesson his father intended for him had hit home. One could be the best liar but eventually one had to face the judgment of one's conscience, the one person that one couldn't lie to.

Ma Liliang was not a heartless man, he merely told himself that he was. But the man's death cracked open Ma Liliang's silenced conscience. Ma Liliang said in his will that he was envious of his boss because his boss was truly heartless. In this human society, only the most heartless would thrive.

Ma Liliang wired his 200000 RMB of savings into his father's bank account. "Perhaps he'll only notice the money when he needs to pay for my siblings' tuition, by then I would have gone to hell with all my sins and torment. I never knew what was on his mind when he jumped from the rooftop, I guess I'll finally have the chance to find out. The last remaining 50000 RMB, I hope it can be donated to Project Hope China. I know this won't absolve me of my sins so I'm going down there to apologize to them in person."

Therefore, he put on his best suit and walked to the rooftop. Perhaps at the last moment of his life, Ma Liliang did know what that nameless man felt like. Their deaths were the same, but were they really the same?

Poverty's impact on a child's mind was unimaginable, it blocked off routes that should have been open to them, for them to live up to their full potential. Poverty shamed Ma Liliang and the person who looked down on him the most was himself. He turned himself into a money slave, all because he wanted a bag of chips.

After reading Ma Liliang's will, I didn't know what to feel. There's a Chinese saying that goes, a pitiable man has his despicable traits, perhaps the inverse is true as well, a despicable man would have his pitiable traits too. Ma Liliang finally found freedom from his 3 years of indenture to money. I wonder if he felt pitiable or despicable as he stood by the edge of the roof. But he was already dead, so what matters now?

What was right, what was wrong? Who was good, who was evil? Was there ever a clear line? We are all normal humans who are both sinners and saints.

I placed the will on the table and said softly, "The victim has a bag of chips that's precious to him. He has finished the bag but I don't see it here. The killer probably took it as his memento for this case. Are there any other clues in the room?"

Gu Chen shook his head. "The rest didn't find anything either. But Wu Meng, I need to warn you from sinking too deep into this case."

I sighed, "I was just temporarily affected by the man's will. I wonder how Captain Zhao faces these things, how did he manage to detach himself emotionlessly. Or is he someone like me, who would sometimes pity the criminals?"

Gu Chen scratched his head. "Based on what I heard, he isn't like that at all. He is a firm believer in justice, he will capture all criminals, even if that person is his teacher."

"His teacher?"

"You didn't know about this?" Gu Chen looked around and whispered, "This is what I heard anyway. There was an officer who taught Captain Zhao everything he knew. Captain Zhao followed him for 4 years but Captain Zhao personally captured that man because he committed a crime due to his daughter or something of that sort."

I shook my head. Perhaps that made a good cop, I was still far from achieving that.

"Let's go." I said.

"Where to?" Gu Chen asked.

I pulled on my hair as I walked to the door. I said, "This killer is getting better at this. Let me ask you this, what do you think is the hardest case to solve?"

"The hardest case to solve?" Gu Chen rubbed his beard. "It should be the kind where the killer had planned every detail. He created the perfect alibi, avoided all the cameras, and had a well hidden motive… But could there even be such a flawless crime?" Gu Chen asked me in return.

I shook my fingers at him. "No, that is not the hardest case to solve. The hardest case is often a crime of little planning and consideration. One night, while you are walking down the road, suddenly someone stabs you from behind. He has no motive, no goal, he just wants to kill." I told Gu Chen, "You just happen to be his target. Then he disappears into the city and does not commit another crime. He is of no connection to you, so how could the police ever catch him?"

Gu Chen frowned. "What are you trying to say?"

I looked at the confused Gu Chen and explained, "In the earlier cases, the killer would still provide the necessary tools for his victims like the cyanide and the rope, as well as teach his victim how to make the knots. But now the killer didn't bring anything to the table anymore. We don't know his motive, we don't even know if he is a ‘he'. He is becoming more and more careful."

Gu Chen's eyes brightened. "You mean he knows we're onto him?"

"What if he decides to retire starting from this case?" I stared at Gu Chen, "How do you propose we find him?"

"The cyanide?" Gu Chen offered.

I nodded. "Indeed, a rope could be sourced anywhere so the cyanide is our biggest opening. We have to dig deeper into this. We need to look over the 5 kids again." I said as I pulled out my phone to call Mary. "Mary, I need you to run a background check on our newest victim. His name is Ma Liliang, he was a real estate agent. Oh, he also worked at a clothing company, look into its account, see if you can bring the company down."

"Bring it down?" Mary repeated in confusion.

I explained, "Yes, it's just a shell company. Its existence is to launder money, it shouldn't exist."

Mary was silent for a long time before she said, "China has 14 billion people, do you know how many shell companies there are? Even if I do dig up something, they'll just continue to run under a new registered name. They grow like mushrooms after rain, how do you plan to stop them all?"

I was silent.

Indeed… It is human greed driving these companies, how does one possibly ever put a stop to that?