Chapter 38: Theft and Plunder

Colleagues at the factory also stated they had never heard of Chang Junchao having any romantic life; he appeared to have been single the entire time.

Ning Shuyi and her team calculated the timeline and concluded that it seemed Chang Junchao had not associated with any women since starting work at this factory. His previous history of bringing a girlfriend home to meet his parents dated back to before he took this job.

As for the old neighbors from their previous residence, they, like Wang Hongzhen, still held a deep impression of the family due to Deng Qingrong’s past behavior, which they viewed as bordering on treacherous and shameless. Their assessment of the family largely mirrored Wang Hongzhen’s, suggesting that her account was quite objective.

Previously, because Wang Hongzhen had been a victim of domestic violence—to the point where she felt an instinctive fear even when speaking to men and avoided all eye contact—Ning Shuyi and Huo Yan had not pressed her for too many details regarding Chang Junchao. This time, however, facing several old neighbors, they tried asking about Chang Junchao’s physical characteristics, such as any obvious birthmarks or scars.

This line of questioning proved fruitful. An elderly neighbor recalled clearly that Chang Junchao had a large, highly visible scar on his back. He recounted that during the summer, Chang Junchao had returned home carrying bags of groceries; he had taken off his T-shirt and draped it over his shoulder, exposing the large scar on his back. When the neighbor asked how he had gotten such a large mark, Chang Junchao explained that he had been mischievous as a child and had scalded his back, leaving the scar behind. The old man even gestured with his hands, indicating it was about the size of a bowl. This detail matched perfectly with the findings from the autopsy.

Regarding the man in his sixties who had once sought out Deng Qingrong, some other neighbors were unaware of the incident, while others knew of it but, like Wang Hongzhen, could no longer recall the details clearly. What was certain was that the man had not frequently returned to the area to look for Deng Qingrong afterward, which was the fundamental reason why the neighbors had such a faint impression of him.

By the time they finished their rounds, it was already afternoon. Exhausted and having gained nothing substantial, the two found a spot to eat some fast food. From the moment they sat down until they left, neither spoke a word, their expressions heavy. This caused other patrons in the shop to glance at them repeatedly, assuming they were a couple in the midst of a lovers' quarrel.

In reality, Ning Shuyi was simply in a foul mood. She was tired and frustrated, and with no leads on the case, a nameless anger was simmering inside her. The crime scene was located in an old district, consisting of residential buildings without property management, meaning there were few surveillance cameras in the area to yield clues. Although Deng Qingrong’s reputation among neighbors varied, she had not had any conflicts with those around her severe enough to escalate into murder. Chang Junchao’s reputation was, if anything, better than his mother’s. While his female colleagues found his "mama’s boy" personality off-putting, such a trait, no matter how annoying, merely led people to keep their distance; it was not a source of genuine hatred.

The social circle of this mother and son was impossibly narrow. It seemed difficult to find anyone in modern society who lived as "hidden in plain sight" as they did. If a case involving someone with countless enemies and grudges was like trying to catch a curled-up hedgehog—where one didn't know where to start—then this murder case was like trying to catch a loach: there was simply nothing to grasp.

Why had Deng Qingrong cancelled her bank accounts years ago? Where was the 500,000 yuan compensation she had received? Where had she gone during the time she left home after Chang Rong was brought back, terminally ill? Why did she return? Apart from signs of a break-in, no other suspicious traces were found around the crime scene, and neighbors maintained that the family had no visitors. Everything seemed to point toward a burglary gone wrong, but Ning Shuyi felt something was deeply off.

"The traces of technical lock-picking found at the scene and the fingerprint of that habitual thief prove that a burglary did occur. There were also signs of a struggle, which shows that a fight took place."

Once they were back in the car after eating, away from the noisy crowds, Ning Shuyi shared her thoughts with Huo Yan. "The two bodies have been encased in concrete for many days. The burglary could have happened before they were killed, or after. A thief, even if they saw a bathtub filled with cement in a stranger's home, wouldn't necessarily have the curiosity to investigate why, right? Didn't the local precinct say this thief is a repeat offender who learned his lesson after a previous burglary turned violent and prefers 'empty houses' now? So, is there a possibility that at the time the thief broke in and accidentally left a fingerprint, Deng Qingrong and Chang Junchao were already dead and buried in the cement?"

Huo Yan listened intently, then asked, "Are you rejecting the possibility that a burglary escalated into a robbery and then murder?"

"It’s not about what I accept or don't accept," Ning Shuyi shook her head. "If the final investigation confirms it, I will respect the facts. It’s just that while it looks plausible on the surface—that they were targeted because they accidentally revealed their wealth, resisted, and were killed, with the perpetrator using the cement Chang Junchao had set aside for his bathroom renovations to hide the bodies—it doesn't hold up in terms of criminal logic."

"Burglary and robbery are both motivated by profit, but why is there such a massive difference in sentencing? The former is based on the amount stolen, requiring a certain threshold to constitute a criminal offense, while the latter is punishable by law the moment it is committed, even if the perpetrator didn't get a single cent."

Huo Yan, surprised by her sudden question, paused for a moment before replying, "Because the degree of harm is different."