Chapter 464: Chapter 337 The Sour Smell of Love_2
"I think the biggest discovery is that we found the cellphone and these documents in the car. There are no signs of a collision on the vehicle, and the gas tank is full. Wang Kaitao just didn’t clean the car. I suspect he was afraid that one day the police would find the body and he wouldn’t be able to explain himself. So, this car and these items couldn’t be dealt with."
Zhou Ning said no more and gestured for Mr. Qu to continue playing the video.
The videos in between included dining, secret filming in the room, swimming, and shopping. As time went on, it was obvious from the footage that Liu Xiangrui was losing weight and Zhang Wannian’s complexion was very poor, with swollen face and hands and dark circles under his eyes.
When the last video started to play, everyone leaned in a bit closer upon seeing the size of the video file. As the video began, the scene switched to the living room of Villa Number Three.
The two were not as intimate as before but sat on the sofa, clasping each other’s hands as if to encourage one another. Then they held up three sheets of paper, even standing up to bring the pages closer to the camera for about a dozen seconds.
"My name is Zhang Wannian, and his is Liu Xiangrui. These are our IDs. We reckon that by the time you see this video, we’ll already be dead. We wanted to take this letter to be notarized, but the notary office says that the content is illegal and they cannot notarize it.
After some thought, I also consulted a lawyer. He advised us to record a video. Of course, we couldn’t reveal the lawyer’s information, since doing so would breach their professional ethics. Ah, it’s quite frustrating. It’s my own life, yet choosing to die is still so difficult."
Liu Xiangrui patted Zhang Wannian’s hand and gave a comforting smile.
"Alright, let’s get to the point. You read your part and I’ll read mine from the will. Then we’ll sign and fingerprint every page. That’s the process, right?"
Zhang Wannian glanced at the coffee table, which seemed to have another piece of paper on it. He nodded immediately.
"I’ll go first. I’ve decided to commit suicide between the end of November and the beginning of December 2012. I haven’t yet decided on the method of suicide. I am a stage IIb liver cancer patient, having undergone a partial hepatectomy and lymph node dissection, thinking that I could live for another couple of years. But just seven months later, I was found to have metastasis.
This time it’s in my lungs. The doctors don’t recommend surgery because the diagnosis is clear. I have only three to four months left. I don’t want to wait for death. I’ve lived a hard life from childhood, first struggling so that my family could eat, then later working hard for my children.
I’m tired. I don’t want to worry about all this. Besides, I’m always busy with business. I see my parents and children once a month or even every six months. The kids aren’t close to me, and my parents disapprove of me. As for my ex-wife, I let her go because we had no feelings for each other; we were just partners living together.
Phew! For once, I want to be in charge of my own life. I don’t want to wait until the last moment, letting my family watch my body decay and decide whether to pull the plug, prolonging my suffering. I’ve gone through surgery and chemotherapy; I don’t want to go through it again.
As for the company shares and fixed assets, I leave half to each of my two children. The lawyer has official documents, and someone will contact them in March. I entrust my parents to my ex-wife. It’s sorry to ask for her help at the end."
Liu Xiangrui patted Zhang Wannian’s hand and leaned forward.
"Let me talk about my part. I’ve signed a series of stock transfer documents with the lawyer, instructing the lawyer to transfer 80% of the company shares in my name, along with several properties and bonds, to Sun Nan as a gift. If, Sun Nan, you have a chance to see this video, I want to say I’m sorry. It’s all my fault. All I can give you are these things.
Furthermore, about Wang Kaitao, he’s the person we owe the most. Wannian is in poor health, and I don’t have the strength. We chose to commit suicide, it was our voluntary choice, and he only helped us with the aftermath. It might involve some legal issues, but we hope his responsibility won’t be pursued.
Also, regarding the companies owned by both Zhang Wannian and me, as long as it doesn’t affect the company’s operation, Kaitao can withdraw funds unrestrictedly. The most we can say to him is sorry. This might bring him trouble, but we’ve already instructed the lawyer to carry out the contents of the will."
The present time is November 15, 2012. We hope that those related to us, upon seeing this video, won’t blame us. To us, living is a form of cruel torture. We just want to be freed sooner and to choose our own release."
Then, in front of the camera, they signed each page of the letter; after finishing, Zhang Wannian took out two wills, and they each signed them. The wills were then sealed in envelopes, which they held up, showing the law firm’s name, contact person, phone number, and address.
After doing all this, Zhang Wannian turned off the video. From off-camera, Liu Xiangrui added a sentence.
"I didn’t miss anything just now, did I? Check if it’s okay to record like this. If not, we’ll do it again."
Seeing this, everyone fell silent. Perhaps, from Zhang Wannian’s perspective, dying was a more comfortable release. Only those who have experienced it know how intolerable surgery and chemotherapy can be. And it’s not as if surgery and chemotherapy guarantee survival or a high quality of life. Every breath could feel like torture.
After a while, Zhou Ning let out a long sigh.
"Mr. Qu, forward the video to Director Xu and back up all the content. The cellphone and other relevant evidence should be sent to the evidence room for archiving. Momo, contact Elder Hu. After we get the letter back, have it handwriting analyzed tomorrow, especially the lawyer’s contact information. Take screenshots and print them out, then submit them all. Let’s withdraw."
Mr. Zhao blinked.
"Aren’t we waiting for the test results?"
Zhou Ning shook her head.
"We’ll include the results in our autopsy report in due time. As for that letter, we don’t need to see the original. We’ve just read through it anyway."
Having said that, Zhou Ning, pulling Xia Momo along, quickly went upstairs, peeling off her police jacket as they walked.
Mr. Zhao looked bewildered, having never seen Zhou Ning like this before. He approached Liu Yongxin and tugged at Liu Yongxin’s arm, asking:
"Mr. Liu, what’s going on with Zhou Ning?"
Liu Yongxin glanced at where Zhou Ning had disappeared.
"Sigh, I’m an old-timer. According to the education I received, my values don’t accept a relationship between two men. But seeing those two, to tell you the truth, it has overturned my understanding. Don’t ask about what’s wrong with Zhou Ning—let’s just do our job. Although we understand on an emotional level, the law is the law."
