CHAPTER 574: CHAPTER 472: INTERROGATING MRS. CHUNSHAN, BLOODBATH AT THE AKAHONE FAMILY

When Chunshan Kong’s corpse and his wife and children were brought to Sapporo, it was already the twilight hours, the sun was about to set.

Mrs. Chunshan, nearing thirty, was very average in both stature and appearance. As a housewife who had barely worked since getting married, she wasn’t accustomed to grand scenes and lacked worldly experience. She was terrified when she saw the riot police forcefully dispersing the gathered crowd in Asahikawa.

So, when she got out of the car, her legs were so weak that she nearly fell, but thankfully, a quick-acting officer caught her just in time.

Her two children, both under ten, clung tightly to the hem of her skirt, their eyes red and timorous, surveying their surroundings, afraid to even breathe heavily.

"Take her to Interrogation Room 7, Chief Aoyama wants to speak with her personally," Oda Take commanded.

"Yes, sir!" an officer replied, and then roughly pushed Mrs. Chunshan, "You, come with me."

Mrs. Chunshan’s face turned pale. Having wrongfully slandered the renowned Heisei’s No.1 Detective for money, she was already feeling guilty. She had just been scared out of her wits and now, about to face the person in question, she was even more at a loss.

Shoved from behind, she stumbled forward instinctively.

Her two kids followed suit, wanting to keep up with her.

But they were held back by two officers, respectively.

"Mommy! Mommy! Let me go!"

The two little ones cried and struggled incessantly.

"My children! My children!" A bewildered Mrs. Chunshan finally realized what was happening and quickly turned to run to her children but was blocked by two officers, "I want to be with my children!"

"We will take care of your children," Oda Take said brusquely with a furrowed brow, then waved his hand dismissively.

The two officers understanding the gesture, nodded slightly and, each taking an arm, dragged her towards the office building. She even lost a shoe in the process.

"Let me go! My children! My children!"

Concerned for her children, the simple and unworldly mother, Mrs. Chunshan, had lost all reason, desperately afraid something bad might happen to them, and she was clawing and screaming at the top of her lungs.

"Mommy! Waaa! Let go of my mommy!"

The two children in the arms of the policemen kicked and called out to their mother, their cries equally piercing.

"Damn, why does it feel like we are the bad guys?" Oda Take muttered to himself.

The officers nearby just looked skyward or downward, touched their noses—what does ’like’ mean, aren’t we exactly that?

When she was brought into the interrogation room, Aoyama Xiu Xin was already waiting for her, casually crossing his legs, fiddling with a pen, with a young police officer standing behind him with a folder ready to take notes.

"Chief Aoyama, please, I beg you, give me back my children, please. They’re too young to understand anything, they’ll be scared without me."

As soon as she entered, Mrs. Chunshan dropped to her knees with a thud, clutching Aoyama Xiu Xin’s legs and pleading.

"Look at you, so frightened," Aoyama Xiu Xin handed the pen to the officer behind him, and with a pleasant demeanor, helped Mrs. Chunshan to her feet, his tone slightly amused, "We’re police, not murderers or arsonists. You should feel reassured that your children are with us. Once you help us complete your statement, naturally you will be reunited with your children."

Mrs. Chunshan was ashen-faced, shivering as she nervously pursed her lips, wanting to say something but swallowing her words instead.

"Come, have a seat," Aoyama Xiu Xin let go of her and pointed to the chair opposite him, then instructed the officer behind him, "Go get her a glass of water."

"Yes, sir!" the officer left to fulfill the order, and by the time Mrs. Chunshan hesitantly and nervously took a seat, he had already returned with a glass of water and set it down in front of her.

Mrs. Chunshan nervously rubbed her trouser legs with both hands and bowed slightly, saying, "Thank you."

"Don’t mention it. Every brick and piece of furniture here were bought with the taxes you pay; even the water you drink comes from your own pocket," Aoyama Xiu Xin said with a smile.

Mrs. Chunshan forced a smile, took a sip of water, then set the cup down, her body trembling.

If Aoyama Xiu Xin had burst into a rage or glared fiercely, although she would have been afraid, it would not have been with the unfathomable, fear of the unknown she was experiencing now.

Aoyama Xiu Xin maintained a pleasant expression, speaking in a measured tone, "Do you think I’m a good person?"

"Yes," Mrs. Chunshan answered timidly, "Chief Aoyama has solved so many cases and captured so many criminals, of course, you are a good person."

"Do you consider yourself a bad person?" Aoyama Xiu Xin looked at her with a semblance of a smile as he posed another question.

Mrs. Chunshan went white in the face and remained silent, looking guiltily down under Aoyama Xiu Xin’s gaze.

"Thump, thump," went Aoyama Xiu Xin, tapping the desk and stating calmly, "Mrs. Chunshan, those ferocious criminals can’t withstand me. Do you think you’re tougher than them? So don’t force me to take measures. Confess everything honestly."

"If you confess voluntarily, I might be able to show you some clemency, but if I have to uncover the truth myself, you will face the full brunt of the law! Think about your two children. Your husband is already dead. If you go to prison, who will look after them?"

"Who will cook for them? Do their laundry? Will they be bullied? Will they go hungry? Will they have a school to attend? Will anyone love them?"

"Stop... stop talking," Mrs. Chunshan interrupted Aoyama Xiu Xin, her head lowered and her face pale as she spoke, "I... I’ll tell you everything."