PWE – Chapter 69 Zhan Songbai was arrested

The villagers outside the courtyard all looked shocked.

Zhan Songbai… committed murder?
And it happened more than 20 years ago?
Although they always knew he was ruthless and despicable, they never imagined he was actually capable of killing someone!

Zhan Songbai gritted his teeth tightly.

He stared at the Public Security captain in front of him, forcing down his panic and unease as he said, “Comrade officer, you must have investigated wrong. More than twenty years ago, I was basically always in the village. And as far as I know, there wasn’t any murder case here. So, Comrade officer, you…”

“More than twenty years ago, your wife gave birth to your second child, and you all went to the county hospital. And the man you murdered—
that happened in an alley behind the county hospital!”

The Public Security captain’s expression was stern, his tone even harsher.

An Fulan suddenly stepped forward. Her eyes blazed with fury and hatred as she glared at Zhan Songbai. “Zhan Songbai, more than twenty years ago, my husband was carrying our baby to the county hospital to fetch medicine. After picking up the medicine, he took a shortcut so he could return home sooner. He walked into a small alley that people rarely used. And he never expected to encounter you there!

You saw that my husband was dressed well, assumed he was a wealthy man—so you brutally murdered him! And as if killing him wasn’t enough, you even stole our child! My poor baby was just one month old when you took him away!

Zhan Songbai, did you really think no one saw what you did? Did you think you covered your tracks flawlessly?!

Too bad—someone happened to walk into that alley at that exact moment and saw you! He was too terrified to speak out back then. He only gathered the courage to report it to the Public Security a few days ago!”

After multiple investigations, the officers were finally able to gather all the evidence of Zhan Songbai’s crime.

They even visited Xu Meifeng in prison. Perhaps her conscience finally awakened—she confessed everything.

Thus, Zhan Songbai’s murder was an ironclad fact. No amount of denial could change it!

Zhan Songbai’s heart clenched violently, his heartbeat suddenly skipping.

He swallowed hard, his throat feeling dry and uncomfortable.

He tried to open his mouth to defend himself, but An Fulan shouted angrily again:

“Zhan Songbai, you truly are inhuman! After stealing my child, if you had at least treated him well, I might have stomached the hatred. But you and Xu Meifeng abused him like that! For more than twenty years, he lived a life no better than a stray!

He could have been the young master of the An family, living a carefree life. But you—YOU forced him to suffer hardship for decades!

Zhan Songbai, do you know how much I hate you? Even if you died a thousand times, ten thousand times—it wouldn’t be enough to atone for your sins!”

An Fulan’s eyes were red, filled with unrestrained hatred. If murder weren’t a crime, she truly would have killed this bastard on the spot.

The villagers listening felt a wave of sorrow.

If what that woman said was true—
then Zhan Songbai was truly a monster.

They had seen clearly how the Zhan family had mistreated and tormented Hongteng for years. They always thought Hongteng was their biological child, merely neglected and disliked.

Never did they imagine the truth was like this.

If they were that woman, they would likely want to kill Zhan Songbai on the spot too. Who could stand to see their child tormented like that?

Zhan Songbai was in utter panic.

He furrowed his brows tightly, thinking of more excuses to defend himself—
when suddenly the village chief and the party secretary walked in.

Both men genuinely hated the Zhan family.

All they ever did was cause trouble—and it was always big trouble! If possible, they wished they could expel the entire Zhan family from Danshui Village so they wouldn’t ruin the peace with their rotten behavior.

The village chief approached the Public Security captain respectfully. “Comrade officer, I’m You Kangshun, the village chief. I want to ask—has Zhan Songbai really committed murder? And is Hongteng truly a stolen child?”

The captain looked at him and nodded solemnly. “Yes. A witness saw him kill the man back then—saw him steal his money and take the child. We have repeatedly verified the witness’s testimony. It is true. And his wife, Xu Meifeng, has also confessed.”

Hearing that Xu Meifeng had confessed, Zhan Songbai’s pupils shrank. His eyes filled with disbelief.

That woman actually confessed?!
How could she?!
How DARE she?!

Did she not understand she was ruining him?
Did she not know her confession meant he would go to prison?

What was wrong with that woman? Had she gone mad in prison?!

“But if Hongteng was the child he stole, then what about his own child? That year, his wife was pregnant—she also had a big belly when they went to the county hospital. Since the baby they brought back wasn’t theirs… then their own child… where did it go?”

The party secretary voiced the question everyone had.

The villagers at the gate were also eager to know.

The captain didn’t hide anything. He immediately explained:

“The child he and Xu Meifeng gave birth to was stolen by human traffickers. I assume that because his own child was taken, he decided to steal Comrade An’s child in return.”

So the child was stolen by traffickers!

Everyone understood then.

But still—
Your child was stolen, so you steal someone else’s child?
And murder the baby’s father on top of that?

Such behavior wasn’t just wrong—it was heinous.

If the police were here to arrest him today, it was truly what he deserved.

“Let’s go. You’re coming back to the bureau with us.”
The captain grabbed Zhan Songbai’s hand and snapped the handcuffs around his wrists.

Zhan Songbai lowered his head, staring at the silver handcuffs. His heartbeat raced wildly.

Suddenly, he shoved the captain aside and sprinted toward the back door.

He couldn’t be arrested!
He couldn’t go to prison!
He was already old—how could he endure prison life?

He didn’t want to waste the rest of his years behind bars.

The crowd saw him run and started shouting.

Someone yelled, “Catch him! Catch that murderer!”

Hearing the word murderer made Zhan Songbai feel both enraged and terrified.

He wasn’t a murderer, he wasn’t!
If the man hadn’t resisted back then, he wouldn’t have killed him.
So really, it was the victim’s fault!

Zhan Hongda and Zhan Hongjun watched their father flee, frozen in shock.

His attempt to escape confirmed only one thing—
He had murdered someone twenty years ago. Otherwise, why run?

Still, they hoped he might get away. Their family had so few left—they didn’t want their father taken away too.

But…

Their hopes were doomed from the start.

The captain and two officers dashed after him like leopards, tackling Zhan Songbai in moments.

The captain pinned him by the shoulders and said coldly, “You’re already handcuffed and still trying to run? Do you think you can survive out there like this?!”

Even if he escaped, he couldn’t live in society with handcuffs on. Anyone who saw him would assume he was a criminal and report him. He would be caught regardless.

Panic consumed Zhan Songbai completely.

He struggled violently, trying to break free.

“I didn’t kill anyone! I didn’t! You’re framing me! You must have the wrong person! Officers, let me go—let me go!”

A villager at the gate sneered:

“If you didn’t kill anyone, then why did you run? That was clearly fleeing from punishment! It’s obvious you killed someone and were terrified of being caught!

Zhan Songbai, just admit it. You’re already old—can you not face your mistakes? Can you not repent?”

Zhan Songbai ground his teeth furiously.

He glared at the villager, hatred burning in his eyes—as if he wanted to tear the man apart.

But the villager wasn’t afraid at all.
At this point, Zhan Songbai was nothing but a paper tiger—old, restrained, powerless.

The officers escorted him out of the courtyard.

Zhan Hongda and Zhan Hongjun finally reacted.

They wanted to stop the officers—wanted them to release their father.

But facing the stern, uniformed Public Security officers, they didn’t have the courage.

The villagers at the gate stepped aside to let the officers pass.

The police vehicles were parked at the entrance of the village, so they walked him there.

Many villagers who hadn’t gone to watch earlier now stared in astonishment. After hearing what he had done, they could only sigh heavily.

So Zhan Songbai had killed someone more than twenty years ago.
And Zhan Hongteng was a stolen child.

Zhan Songbai truly was vicious. More than twenty years ago, he had still been a young man—yet he dared to kill and kidnap someone’s child!

Several older villagers approached the officers and asked:

“Comrade officers, for such a serious crime, will he be executed? We really hope he gets executed! Murder and child theft—neither can be forgiven!”

These elderly folks liked Hongteng. They had long pitied him for being tormented by the Zhan family. Seeing Zhan Songbai finally arrested made them genuinely relieved. They hoped the law would punish him severely—make him pay the price he deserved.

The captain looked at them. His stern expression softened slightly.

“According to the law, he will likely receive the death penalty. Murder and child theft—both are major crimes.”