flstandardbreds Chapter 1147 An Unexpected Discovery: Zhang Baoshan's Rich Woman
Chapter 1147 An Unexpected Discovery: Zhang Baoshan's Rich Woman
“In our line of work, overtime is paid by the hour. He has a paralyzed mother at home who practically lives on the construction site, so it’s impossible for him to run out in the middle of the night.” He suddenly lowered his voice. “But this kid is a bit stubborn. Last time Coach Zhang wouldn’t let him audit a class, he argued with someone and said, ‘Why can rich people train, but poor people can’t?’”
Xiao Zhou reviewed the gym's surveillance footage from May 9th. At 3:15 PM, Liu Jianjun and Zhang Baoshan did indeed argue in the weight room. In the footage, Zhang Baoshan pointed at the membership instructions, while Liu Jianjun's face turned red, gesturing wildly with his hands. They were eventually separated by a floor instructor. "They argued about this," the floor instructor said, placing his protein powder cup on a nearby machine. "Coach Zhang said his form was incorrect and he was prone to injury, telling him he either needed to get a membership and a personal trainer, or he shouldn't linger in the weight room to avoid disturbing other members." The argument lasted less than five minutes. When Liu Jianjun slammed the door and left, the surveillance footage captured his profile, his eyes filled with resentment.
While verifying Liu Jianjun's suspicion, Xiao Zhou discovered several key inconsistencies. "He wears size 41 shoes," Xiao Wang from the technical department said, comparing shoe prints with the report. "The shoes at the scene were size 42, and the soles of his shoes had the anti-slip tread pattern unique to construction sites, completely different from the rubber-soled sneakers found at the scene." More importantly, Liu Jianjun had an old injury on his right shoulder—he had broken his collarbone at the construction site last year. After reviewing his medical records, forensic doctor Zhang Lin shook his head: "This kind of old injury makes it impossible to drag an adult's body, let alone move a 30-kilogram stone slab."
When visiting Liu Jianjun's neighbors, the elderly woman next door was sitting at her doorway picking vegetables; the green beans in her basket were vibrant green and fresh. "Jianjun is such a filial son," she said, putting the picked vegetables into her bamboo basket. "Every day after get off work, he massages his mother. On the night of May 9th, around 11 p.m., I could still hear the creaking of the massage bed coming from his room, and I could clearly hear his mother coughing." This matched the "2 p.m. off-duty" time on the construction site attendance sheet, leaving insufficient time to travel back and forth to the culvert.
In Liu Jianjun's rented room, Xiao Zhou saw a yellowed bodybuilding poster on the wall, with the words "Learn from Coach Zhang" written in pencil in the corner. Under his pillow was a worn-out fitness magazine with a signed photo of Zhang Baoshan tucked inside—Liu Jianjun had pestered him for it at an event. "I just admire him," Liu Jianjun's voice choked with emotion, "We may argue, but how could I possibly harm him? He even taught me a few back exercises..." He suddenly pointed to the markings in the magazine, "These are the key points he highlighted, saying I was too thin and needed to do more compound exercises."
As the investigation drew to a close, Xiao Zhou added Liu Jianjun's name to the exclusion list, his pen moving with a heavy weight as it scribbled across the paper. This man, who had argued with the deceased over attending a class without permission, seemed to fit the criteria of "conflict" and "being active near National Highway 339," yet he was firmly ruled out by irrefutable evidence such as shoe size, old injuries, and an alibi. "Another lead has gone cold," he thought, standing by the gym's floor-to-ceiling window, watching the bustling streets outside. The mystery of the "special student" had been solved, but it was like pulling a thread from a ball of yarn; the tangled mess inside became even clearer—the real killer was still hiding in some unknown corner.
Back at the Criminal Investigation Division, dusk had already fallen over the office building. Xiao Zhou tossed Liu Jianjun's investigation materials into a folder, piling them alongside the previous surveillance report. These documents were like jigsaw puzzle pieces; each seemed important, yet they couldn't piece together a complete picture. He suddenly remembered the "old spot" in Zhang Baoshan's training log—perhaps that open area near the culvert held overlooked clues. "Notify Xiao Wang," he grabbed the walkie-talkie, "go back to the culvert tomorrow, focusing on the grass and rubble in that open area."
Xiao Wang's tired voice came through the walkie-talkie: "Received, Captain Zhang." The static was mixed with the distant sound of traffic, like countless threads intertwining and tangling in the darkness, yet the end thread that could be pulled together could never be found.
Xiao Wang's finger traced an arc on Zhang Baoshan's bank statement. A series of glaring numbers suddenly appeared in the May deposit record—a transfer of 50,000 yuan from an unknown account on March 12th, with the note "Private coaching fee." He held up the document to the sunlight, the rough edges of the paper turning white in the light: "50,000 yuan for a private coaching session?" The young police officer Xiao Li behind him suddenly leaned over, pointing to the payer's name: "Li Lu, this name appeared 17 times in Zhang Baoshan's call records, all late at night."
When retrieving Li Lu's identity information, the photo on the screen stunned Xiao Wang—a 45-year-old woman wearing a Chanel suit, her Patek Philippe watch on her left wrist sparkling in the sunlight, her occupation listed as "Chairwoman of a real estate company." "There are 137 people named Li Lu in the whole city," Xiao Li's fingers flew across the keyboard, "but only this one fits the criteria of 'female, 45 years old, assets over 100 million.' She has a VIP black card at the Sunshine Fitness Center, with an annual fee of 200,000 yuan, and it was exactly the second month after Zhang Baoshan joined the company that she got the card."
When they arrived at Li Lu's residence, the wrought-iron gate of the detached villa was adorned with roses, and the electronic access control camera was pointed directly at the arriving vehicle. After the housekeeper announced their arrival, Xiao Wang sat down on the European-style sofa in the living room, where the light from the crystal chandelier cast dappled patterns on the marble floor. Li Lu's fingers, holding a bone china teacup, were painted with burgundy nail polish, and the lip print on the rim of the cup was as clear as a stamp: "Coach Zhang and I are just a member and coach," she said, her gaze sweeping over Xiao Wang's notebook, "The 5 yuan was for a year's worth of private lessons; there's a contract."
The contract did exist, but Xiao Wang noticed a handwritten supplement in the terms: "Every Wednesday at 8 PM, exclusive training space." He pointed to the words "exclusive space": "Is it the gym's VIP room? We checked the security footage; Coach Zhang is usually not at the gym on Wednesdays at 8 PM." Li Lu's teacup suddenly clinked softly on the coffee table, tea stains spreading on the off-white tablecloth: "Sometimes we train outdoors, like in a park or... an open space. Is that a problem?"
When visiting the cleaning lady at the Sunshine Fitness Center, she was wiping the mirrored wall of the VIP room, the cleaning agent foam creating rainbows on the glass. "That Mr. Li comes often," she said, shuffling her rag across the mirror. "Every time he comes, he carries a Hermes bag. Coach Zhang personally waits at the door, and the two of them stay inside for two hours with the door closed. When he comes out, Coach Zhang's shirt is always unbuttoned, and Mr. Li's lipstick often gets smudged on his chin." She suddenly lowered her voice, "Once I heard them arguing inside. Mr. Li yelled, 'Don't push your luck!' Coach Zhang said, 'Then call him over and confront him.'"