The Stepmother's Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era-Chapter 870 - 869: Parting Words

Shen Mingzhu did not answer Huang Chunyu’s question but counter-asked, "Do you still remember Shen Baolan? She was swindled out of all her money by you and Gao Hualiang, and her whereabouts are still unknown, her life and death uncertain."

Although she had braced herself for it, Huang Chunyu’s face still uncontrollably showed signs of panic upon hearing the three words "Shen Baolan."

"What were you to her?"

"Is Shen Baolan still alive? Where is she?"

Huang Chunyu obviously did not want to answer and scoffed before turning and walking away with the police.

Gao Hualiang was arrested less than half an hour after Huang Chunyu’s arrest.

It’s worth mentioning that Gao Hualiang had "surrendered" himself.

When the police brought Huang Chunyu back to the station, Gao Hualiang was there, quietly sitting in the lobby with his son.

He didn’t say anything, but his actions told Huang Chunyu:

He would not abandon her.

And upon seeing Gao Hualiang, Huang Chunyu broke down and began to sob uncontrollably.

"A couple is like birds sharing the same forest, but they fly separately when disaster strikes. It’s rare to find a criminal suspect as affectionate, righteous, and responsible as Gao Hualiang."

Afterward, She Zheming couldn’t help expressing his sentiments to Shen Mingzhu over the phone.

...

China and Thailand had an extradition treaty several years ago, and Huang Chunyu and Gao Hualiang were extradited back to their country half a month after their arrest.

Although the couple had smuggled themselves into Thailand, their son Junjun was born in Thailand and had acquired Thai nationality, making him a Thai citizen.

After the parents were arrested, Junjun was sent to a local child welfare institution.

Although they had successfully arrested the couple, the trial of the case did not proceed smoothly.

In response to police interrogations, Huang Chunyu consistently evaded by saying "I don’t know" and "It has nothing to do with me."

Gao Hualiang’s statements were equally watertight, completely disassociating himself from Shen Baolan’s disappearance and denying any fraud involving Shen Baolan’s money.

"Gao admitted that he arranged for Huang Chunyu to work as a nanny for Shen Baolan to gain benefits, but Shen Baolan became aware of it and called Gao out of town to confront him. Failing to reach an agreement, Shen Baolan abandoned Gao and drove away by herself."

"As for Huang Chunyu, knowing that their scheme had been exposed, she intended to sell the valuable items in the villa, make some money and flee. However, Liu Cuihua stayed on, and after waiting several days without an opportunity, Huang could only steal some jewelry and cash before leaving."

"As for where Shen Baolan went or where she is now, both claim they have no idea."

Everyone knowledgeable about the case, including the police, believed that Shen Baolan’s disappearance was inextricably linked to Gao Hualiang and Huang Chunyu.

However, handling a case requires evidence.

With Shen Baolan still missing, no victim found, and no physical evidence or testimony, the police were unable to charge and prosecute the two.

"Gao Hualiang got a lawyer for himself and Huang Chunyu, and my superiors have also given me a strict order. If no new leads are found within three days, we will have to release them on bail."

While dining with Shen Mingzhu, She Zheming picked non-disclosure-violating details to briefly share the case’s progress with Shen Mingzhu.

"No wonder Gao Hualiang dared to surrender; it turns out he and Huang Chunyu had already planned their tactics together. Without finding Shen Baolan, we are helpless against them."

Shen Mingzhu swallowed the food in her mouth and asked, "Can’t we use hypnosis on them?"

"The procedure law stipulates that forced or induced confessions are not allowed during interrogations, and evidence obtained through hypnosis would be considered illegal."

Shen Mingzhu said, "Then don’t use it during the interrogation. Find a hypnosis expert to find a way to approach Gao Hualiang, and while he’s off guard, find out Shen Baolan’s whereabouts. If we find Shen Baolan, won’t the case be solved smoothly?"

She Zheming gave a bitter smile, "It’s a good plan, but do you know how difficult it is to implement? Hypnotists who can be called experts charge by the second; who’s going to pay for that? Certainly not the bureau."

Shen Mingzhu pondered for a moment before promising to bear the costs herself.

This decision was not driven by a saintly nature, but rather by a desire not to see criminals escape justice.

Additionally, she harbored another worry, fearing that Gao Hualiang and Huang Chunyu would hold a grudge and seize an opportunity for revenge.

These two, it felt much safer to have them remain in prison.

Once the matter of money was settled, She Zheming immediately set out to contact hypnotism experts he knew.

The next day, Shen Mingzhu received a call from She Zheming, "Sister Shen, this matter isn’t easy to handle."

"If it’s a matter of price, just make the decision."

"It’s not about the money, the hypnotists are all indisposed, at the earliest, they won’t be able to come until three days later. You know, with tight surveillance from above, if we don’t have any leads by tomorrow, we will have to release the suspects."

Shen Mingzhu also didn’t wish for Gao Hualiang and Huang Chunyu to walk free, worrying about unexpected problems, so she immediately agreed to help.

After some thought, she called Zhong Qing.

Hypnosis was a branch of psychology, and Yan Yi was an authority in the field of psychology, likely acquainted with many individuals in that sphere.

That evening at nine o’clock, She Zheming and Shen Mingzhu, at the entrance of the CID unit, met the hypnotist arriving with Yan Yi.

The hypnotist looked around fifty, dressed neatly, with a calm demeanor and an air of scholarly grace.

"This is Xi Shiming, a professor and department head of psychology at Capital Normal University, one of the few international hypnotists certified by GPST-IH."

Hearing these titles, one could tell he was not to be underestimated. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

After some pleasantries, She Zheming led Xi Shiming to the interrogation room, while Shen Mingzhu and Yan Yi waited in the lounge.

"Dr. Yan, thank you very much for your help. Once this matter is settled, I’ll find some time to treat you and Qingqing to a meal."

"It’s a small matter, no need to be so formal. It’s probably been over a year since we last met, right?"

Yan Yi studied her closely, his eyes carrying an unfathomable depth.

Shen Mingzhu smiled, "You’ve been busy with important matters."

Yan Yi laughed, "I could never be as busy as you, an outstanding female entrepreneur."

"I’ll take that as a compliment, thank you."

"You haven’t changed at all, just like before."

Shen Mingzhu couldn’t tell if Yan Yi was referring to her appearance or something else, so she just smiled without remarking.

"When I first met you, you said that you weren’t ambitious, but that didn’t mean you lacked a career drive. You said ’to do one’s duty and leave the rest to fate, never failing the people in one’s care, never failing in one’s life journey.’"

Shen Mingzhu tapped her forehead and chuckled bitterly, "It seems I am really getting old. I don’t remember saying those words."

Yan Yi said with a smile, "That’s normal, you might have just mentioned it casually."

And yet he had accidentally remembered it for fifteen years.

Rather, the memories related to her were so scarce that during each lonely, quiet night, he couldn’t help but revisit and savor them.

As time went on, her face, her laughter, and every word she spoke were deeply etched into his mind.

Yan Yi continued, "Even though you might not care much, I feel very happy for you. You’ve met the expectations you set for yourself initially, and set a great example for many women."

"I’m not paying, so you don’t need to lay it on so thick."

Yan Yi chuckled at her response, "Then consider it a parting message."