A Secret (GL) - Chapter 16

The three professionals couldn’t help but nod in unison, appearing completely won over by Shen Juan’s reasoning.

Captain Li asked, “So, between those two types of people, which one are you leaning toward?”

Shen Juan fell into deep thought for a moment but offered no answer.

Captain Li felt a twinge of disappointment. He found her deduction highly plausible. In truth, solving a case was always about gathering fragments of evidence and using logical reasoning to string them together into possible theories, which were then verified or eliminated to reconstruct the truth.

“Ms. Shen’s train of thought will serve as an important reference,” Captain Li concluded.

They attempted to build a deeper psychological profile based on her perspective, but progress was slow; the information gathered so far was simply too sparse.

Liu Guohua tried to deduce the culprit’s gender and age, but both attempts ended in failure.

Around 8:00 AM, Lin Mo arrived with breakfast for all the investigators, even thoughtfully providing a cup of steaming hot coffee for every officer. Although working overtime was part of their duty as civil servants, there was always some latent resentment—after all, who wouldn’t prefer a warm bed and sweet sleep over a cold office? Most of that resentment vanished the moment they bit into the warm food.

A young-looking detective finished first. Wiping his mouth, he called out to Captain Li, “Cap, Ma Wu and Zhao Qi are still interrogating the driver and haven’t eaten yet. I’ll take some over to them.”

Captain Li nodded. “Go ahead.” He then explained to Shen Juan, “The driver, Zhang Meng, was transferred to us yesterday. He was put in the interrogation room the moment he arrived. He’s been under questioning for nearly fourteen hours now.”

“No progress,” Liu Guohua added.

Captain Li was planning to head over anyway. He hesitated, then asked, “Would Ms. Shen like to come and take a look?”

Shen Juan agreed.

The interrogation room was tucked away in a corner on the second floor. Through the one-way glass, three people were visible: two detectives—one questioning and one recording—and the breakfast that had been brought in, sitting untouched on the table.

Zhang Meng sat opposite them. After fourteen hours of continuous interrogation, he was clearly on the verge of collapse. Yet, no matter what the detectives asked, his only response was to shake his head, his mouth clamped shut.

Gu Shuge stood beside Shen Juan. She saw a detective suddenly slam the table, firing a rapid succession of questions at Zhang Meng. Deprived of sleep and exhausted by the high-pressure questioning, Zhang Meng’s brain couldn’t keep up. He flinched, his pupils dilating sluggishly, before he let out a slow, mechanical shake of his head.

Through the audio equipment, the voices from inside the room were audible. Gu Shuge passed through the glass to observe closely. She saw Zhang Meng’s lips move slightly, his voice a ghost of a whisper: “I really don’t know.”

Everyone was certain Zhang Meng had been hired—that this was no accident. But Zhang Meng clearly feared that the more he said, the more mistakes he’d make, so he chose the laziest defense: total silence.

Gu Shuge recalled how, right after the accident, this driver had knelt on the ground, repeating in terror, “I killed someone.” He seemed cowardly, which meant the reason compelling him to do this must be incredibly powerful.

The detectives, exhausted, stepped out and told Captain Li, “We’ve tried everything. He won’t talk.”

This type of suspect was the hardest to crack. Captain Li flipped through the notes, looking troubled. Gu Shuge stepped through the wall to return to Shen Juan’s side; Shen Juan was staring at the driver, a deep, burning hatred in her eyes.

Captain Li was about to call in some interrogation specialists when Shen Juan suddenly spoke: “I want to say a few words to him.”

She said “say a few words,” not “interrogate.”

Captain Li hesitated. “One of our officers must accompany you.”

Shen Juan agreed.

Inside the room, Zhang Meng felt his nerves were about to snap. Compared to the crushing pressure, his sleepiness was trivial. Fortunately, the police had stopped, giving him a moment to breathe.

He heard the door open but didn’t look up, remaining in a state of passive dejection. He assumed the previous detective had returned, until the person sat down opposite him. Only then did he realize it was a woman.

Zhang Meng’s mouth fell open in shock. His sluggish brain recognized who she was. Out of guilt, his instinct was to flee, but his body was too exhausted to move.

The woman spoke. Her voice was cool, her tone calm.

“My name is Shen Juan. I am a member of the victim’s family,” she introduced herself.

Zhang Meng gave a tiny nod. He opened his mouth—”You…”—but immediately remembered his resolve and clamped his lips shut again.

Shen Juan acted as if she didn’t care. “I am the adopted daughter of the Gu family, not a blood relation. Because of that, I faced immense obstacles in everything I tried to do at the Gu Group. But things are different now. Gu Shuge’s inheritance is mine. I truly own the company now, and no one can oppose me.”

Gu Shuge stood right there, listening.

Zhang Meng didn’t seem to understand why she was telling him this, but he suppressed his curiosity and kept his head down in silence.

“Gu Shuge wasn’t an easy child. After Mr. and Mrs. Gu passed away, I essentially raised her. But she wasn’t close to me. The moment she turned eighteen, she left for abroad. She stayed away for four years, only returning once when her brother died. In the last two years, we haven’t even spoken once over the phone.”

Gu Shuge lowered her head, guilt spreading through her heart.

“So you see, even with a stray kitten, if you live together for over a decade and care for it personally for ten years, it should grow attached. But she didn’t want to be close to me at all; she fled as far as she could. She’s a little ‘white-eyed wolf’—disobedient and cold-blooded. I don’t like her at all.”

Shen Juan’s tone remained steady. This calm narrative was incredibly effective at manipulating emotions. Zhang Meng raised his head, his eyes showing a mix of confusion and surprise.

Gu Shuge’s head hung lower and lower until she could barely lift it. She knew Shen Juan was likely saying this to pry open Zhang Meng’s mouth, but… not a single word was a lie.

They had lived under the same roof for over a decade; they were the closest family. Shen Juan had cared for her meticulously for ten years, yet she had insisted on leaving without a reason. After leaving, she distanced herself—no contact, no greetings. In Shen Juan’s eyes, she probably was a “white-eyed wolf.”

Gu Shuge took a step back, increasing the distance between herself and Shen Juan.

Shen Juan continued, “So, personally, I have no grudge against you. But I must give my shareholders and the public an explanation. The heir to the Gu Group is suddenly gone; that is no small matter.”

Zhang Meng looked like he was watching a real-life version of a high-society drama and couldn’t quite process it.

“If you tell the truth, I will find the best lawyer to protect you. I can guarantee a shorter sentence than the one for ‘death caused by fatigued driving.’ After all, you aren’t the mastermind. I want the person behind you.” It seemed Shen Juan had finally finished laying the groundwork and reached her true objective.

Zhang Meng seemed moved. The way he shook his head slowed down.

Shen Juan pressed further: “Your daughter is young and in poor health. Don’t you want to get out early to be with her?”

Zhang Meng’s eyes went wide, his mouth hanging open. Everyone looked at him; Gu Shuge looked at him. Outside the glass, the detectives held their breath, eyes glued to the scene.

Zhang Meng’s back slowly slumped. He whispered, “I don’t know anything. I was driving while fatigued. I am willing to accept legal punishment.”

Hearing this, the officers outside sighed. Another failure. A young officer remarked, “Cap, she’s using ‘induced confession’ tactics. That’s prohibited; even if he talks, it won’t be admissible.”

Inside the room, Shen Juan’s calm face suddenly broke into a smile—a condescending, light laugh, as if looking at an ant.

Zhang Meng cowered, not daring to meet her gaze.

There was a hint of amusement in Shen Juan’s voice: “A matching heart for your daughter has been found.”

Light instantly flooded Zhang Meng’s eyes.

“But it won’t go to her. Because there are many people on the list ahead of her.” Shen Juan’s tone was casual, as if discussing something trivial.

Zhang Meng stood up abruptly, shouting, “Impossible! It was agreed to be a ‘designated donation’! Only my daughter can—” He froze. He realized too late: it was a trap.

He had been made nervous by her long speech. When she offered a shorter sentence, he subconsciously thought that was her final card and lowered his guard. He hadn’t expected her to have a follow-up.

He had spoken that crucial sentence; his defense was cracked. Shen Juan gave it one final push: “The donor did indeed designate your daughter as the recipient. But you participated in such a precise murder—you should understand how easy it is to stop a heart from traveling from one operating room to another. I guarantee that if you don’t speak, that surgery will never happen.”

Zhang Meng’s face turned ashen.

This threat was the final straw. Zhang Meng’s day-long psychological defense collapsed completely. He covered his face and began to wail, his voice breaking with sobs.

Captain Li and the others let out a sigh of relief. The young officer from before muttered, “This Chairman Shen is terrifying. Induced confession, fraudulent claims, coercion… she plays these better than our specialists. Her heart is cold, too, threatening a child’s life. If Zhang Meng hadn’t talked, would she have really killed her?”

Shen Juan happened to push the door open and walk out. Captain Li glared at the young officer, who immediately shut up. Shen Juan’s expression remained unchanged, as if she hadn’t heard a thing. The officer secretly felt relieved.

Now that the suspect’s defense was broken, the rest was up to the police.

Shen Juan took her leave and chose to go home.

On the way back, Gu Shuge felt that Shen Juan was exceptionally silent. Although she was usually quiet and didn’t talk much, now, even the corners of her eyes and her brow were steeped in a profound stillness.

Outside, the snow was still falling. When they reached the house, the servants were still there and greeted her. Shen Juan nodded, walked to the stairs, paused, and turned toward the study instead.

Gu Shuge followed her anxiously.

The study looked just as it had when they left that morning. Shen Juan closed the door and leaned her back against it. Gu Shuge looked at her with concern, wanting to offer comfort but knowing Shen Juan couldn’t hear a word.

“Do you also think I was terrifying in that room?” Shen Juan asked softly. Her eyes were lonely and fragile, a total departure from the composed woman in the interrogation room.

Gu Shuge’s heart ached. She shook her head quickly. “Not terrifying. You were just threatening him. He was so stubborn, you had to use some means.”

Shen Juan stared at the air in front of her as if waiting for a reply. She waited a long time, realizing that no reply was coming. She sighed softly and said, “I was lying to him just now.”

Gu Shuge didn’t quite follow, asking instinctively, “Lying about what?”

“You really are a little white-eyed wolf. You were cold-hearted enough not to contact me or send word. But… it’s not true that I don’t like you.”