SFTD -Chapter 352 Rooftop Human Skin (Part 11)

Seeing Xiao Zeng in such a state, Zhou Hai looked somewhat helpless and followed him into the interrogation room.

He took out the sheet of notes he had written, slapped it directly in front of Peng Chunlei, and stared straight into his eyes.

“Don’t tell me you don’t know the Peng Guodong family on the 28th floor, or that he’s not your uncle. And don’t tell me that although you and Peng Chunyang are classmates, you aren’t close. Anyone with a functioning brain can see the hidden information in these household records.

You need to understand—what you say now is helping yourself, and also helping that person.
If you keep hiding things, we’ll still find out eventually, but you’ll have lost your chance to clear yourself. You’re already sixteen—you can bear criminal responsibility. I guarantee you’ll regret staying silent.

I’m giving you two minutes. After two minutes, we’re heading to the Lijiahe Community crime scene.”

Zhou Hai turned on the stopwatch on his phone. The ticking numbers made it feel like even one’s heartbeat was speeding up.

Peng Chunlei lifted his eyes and looked at Zhou Hai, only to see him staring at the timer as if hoping it would run faster—like he wanted to get Peng Chunlei locked up sooner.

That feeling scared Peng Chunlei. Intimidation, threats, persuasion—he had already seen them all.

But this man gave off an extreme sense of fear. He absolutely looked like someone who would do exactly what he said.

While Peng Chunlei was still distracted, the two minutes were up. Zhou Hai picked up his phone and turned to leave.

Panicking, Peng Chunlei grabbed his belt.

“Don’t go! I’ll talk! Peng Chunyang wanted to find a woman to ‘try’!”

Hearing this, Zhou Hai stopped and turned back.

“Then?”

Peng Chunlei bit his lip. Confessions during interrogation were always hard at first—but once you started, it became easier.

So after only a brief hesitation, he continued without needing Zhou Hai to ask again.

“He said Peng Chunling was stupid, and she was the most suitable. On the way home the week before last, Peng Chunyang brought it up again. He even gave me two packs of Yuxi cigarettes. I didn’t know how to refuse, so we went back together.

When I got home, I saw Peng Chunling was still locked on the balcony. I opened the door and let her out, took her to the bathroom, and filled a large basin of water for her. She’d been exposed to the sun all day and liked soaking in water.

After she finished washing, I gave her a handful of milk candies and sent her to Peng Chunyang’s place. I don’t know what happened after that. My dad came back and asked where Peng Chunling was. I said she was just here a moment ago—I didn’t know where she went.”

Zhou Hai held back Xiao Zeng, who was already visibly angry.

“After that? You didn’t go look for her?”

Peng Chunlei glanced at Zhou Hai and quickly avoided his gaze. That stare was too sharp—it made his whole body tremble.

He shivered and continued:

“I did look. Around five o’clock she still hadn’t come back, so I got worried. I went upstairs. Peng Chunyang was surprised to see me and asked what I was doing.

I said Peng Chunling still hadn’t returned. He looked shocked, opened the door wide, and told me to search inside myself. He said she hadn’t stayed in the room long before running off.

Because she was screaming loudly and he was afraid the neighbors would call the police, he didn’t dare do anything. So he just let Peng Chunling run away.”

“Did you go to your uncle’s house to look for her?”

Peng Chunlei shook his head, lowering his gaze. Zhou Hai knocked on the table.

“Your current expression is meaningless. Your sister is already dead. Tell me—why don’t you call Peng Chunling your sister? Is it just because she was sometimes mentally impaired? Or because you feel ashamed to have such a sister?”

Peng Chunlei bit his lip and said:

“I don’t want others to know I have a mentally ill sister.”

Zhou Hai narrowed his eyes and let out a cold laugh, stepping closer—so close that Peng Chunlei’s pores and acne were clearly visible.

Peng Chunlei tried to look away, but Zhou Hai grabbed his shoulder.

“Afraid? But you still did it. If you’re so afraid people will know you have a mentally ill sister, why were you acting as a pimp for Peng Chunyang upstairs? Do you know what that is?

Organizing prostitution!

And your sister has a history of mental illness—this makes the sentence even heavier. In serious cases, it’s more than ten years or even life imprisonment!

Still think it doesn’t matter?

You’re about to enter high school, and you don’t even understand basic law?

Or is it that you never treated her as a person—or as family at all?”

Suddenly, Peng Chunlei lowered his head, covered his face with both hands, and began crying. He shook his head repeatedly.

“I didn’t know!
I really didn’t know!
I didn’t want to hurt her. I grew up alone.

Since I can remember, my sister and my mother were locked on the balcony by my father.

The balcony always smelled foul. No one ever came to our house.

My father worked day and night to support us. My mother was sometimes lucid, sometimes confused. Peng Chunling stayed like that all the time—smiling foolishly, not liking to wear clothes…”

Zhou Hai glanced at him and tugged at his clothing.

“Try standing outside in nearly forty-degree heat in the shade and see if you can even bear wearing clothes. No need for direct sunlight—just under a tree.”

Peng Chunlei said nothing.

Zhou Hai stood up and gestured to Xiao Zeng. The two of them left the interrogation room.

Before Zhou Hai could speak, Xiao Zeng quickly said: “Dr. Zhou, I’ll take people to arrest Peng Chunyang right now. Detain Peng Chunlei for now.”

Zhou Hai nodded.

“Call Wang Man. Ask if we can enter the 28th-floor east unit. We need to see evidence—Peng Chunlei’s confession alone isn’t enough to establish the case. We still need Peng Chunyang to verify it.”

Xiao Zeng immediately went to make arrangements.

Zhou Hai thought for a moment, then drove straight to Lijiahe Community. He arrived in under ten minutes. Old Wang went to park because the entrance was already full of police vehicles.

On the 28th floor, the elevator doors opened with a ding.

Xu Biao and Wang Man were there. In this sweltering weather, the sealed corridor felt sticky and suffocating. Even Zhou Hai began to sweat.

“Have you contacted Peng Guodong?”

Xu Biao sighed. Wang Man replied: “They’ve gone back to their hometown and are rushing back now.”

“Did you ask him who we were?”

Wang Man nodded.

“At first he didn’t believe I was police. I told him it was a population census and asked him to bring his household registration and ID to fill in forms and return quickly. If he can’t make it back, he should go to the police station on Monday. There will be fewer people then.”

Zhou Hai was slightly surprised. He didn’t expect Wang Man, usually so honest, to lie so smoothly.

That census excuse was good—it was indeed a real ongoing administrative task in the city.

At that moment, the elevator light above began to jump. From the first floor upward, it was coming up.

Wang Man’s walkie-talkie suddenly rang.

“Team leader, team leader, attention! Peng Guodong is in the elevator—he’s coming up!”

Wang Man waved to the officers crouching nearby. Everyone immediately moved, silently slipping into the fire stairwell.

Just as they hid, the elevator doors opened.

A man stepped out quickly. Seeing Wang Man holding a clipboard and checking his watch impatiently, even Zhou Hai almost believed he was really conducting a census.

Wang Man looked up at Peng Guodong and asked: “Are you Peng Guodong?”