northernbook Chapter 1051 Judgment Completed
Chapter 1051 Judgment Completed
Gui'er could hardly believe her eyes, and looked at them two or three more times.
It's confirmed that the inscription reads "Lin Zhengfu," and it is indeed a ship belonging to Mitsui & Co., but how did a smuggler end up in the picture? Could it be that Longxing couldn't find the murderer and, without a body, just grabbed a random smuggler to take the blame? That's not like him at all.
When Wu Mingqiang returned, Gui'er quickly called him to the study, closed the door, and asked him, "What's going on in the newspaper? Did Detective Long find a scapegoat? Isn't he always known for his integrity and impartiality?"
Wu Mingqiang calmly found a chair, sat down, crossed his legs, and said, "Miss, isn't everything alright now? He caught the man and can now explain to the Japanese. We've also escaped."
Gui'er's expression changed: "This is the person you found to take the blame."
Wu Mingqiang smiled.
Gui'er felt terrified and said, "How can this be? The other party is innocent!"
“He’s not innocent, Miss. I’ve investigated. This Wang Afu is a very ruthless man. He does similar things to Lin Zhengfu. He takes advantage of any girl who comes on his boat. There was also an incident where a Japanese patrol boat discovered that he had thrown all the refugees he was with overboard to escape. I originally went to investigate as Longxing’s assistant, but someone framed him, so I just went along with it. The person who framed him was also one of their colleagues, and they fabricated a lot of evidence against him, which I was happy to accept.”
Gui'er stared in disbelief. She said, "What if he was wronged? Wouldn't that be considered a disregard for human life?"
Wu Mingqiang flicked his cigarette ash, a cold smile curving his lips: "Injustice? In this chaotic world, who is truly clean? If he hadn't stained his hands with blood, how could he have survived in this world for so long?"
He leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice, but with an undeniable certainty: "Miss, it's good that you're soft-hearted, but soft-heartedness won't save anyone. The place we're on now isn't the Marshal's mansion's backyard; there's no room for womanly compassion. A man like Wang Afu, even if he doesn't fall for this, will eventually die in some other ditch—either being double-crossed by his colleagues or becoming a scapegoat for the Japanese. If his life can be exchanged for our safety and for Detective Long to report to the Japanese, then he's gotten off easy."
“But…” Gui’er wanted to say something, but he interrupted her.
“Miss, you don’t need to say anymore.” Wu Mingqiang raised an eyebrow. “Do you want us to tell the truth and feed Lin Zhengfu and the others to the fish? Or do you want Longxing to hand us over to the Japanese to vent their anger?” He stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the darkening twilight outside. “Miss, you have to understand that if the living want to move forward, they always have to step on something. Some people’s lives are only worth so much in this world.”
Gui'er watched his retreating figure, feeling a chill creep up from the soles of her feet. She knew Wu Mingqiang was telling the truth, but she still couldn't be as composed as him. The printed words on that newspaper were like needles, glaringly obvious; beneath Wang Afu's name, it seemed, lay another unspeakable injustice.
Wu Mingqiang probably realized that his tone had been too harsh, so he turned around and softened his expression: "Once you've seen enough corpses strewn across the land, you won't think that way anymore. What we can do now is protect ourselves so that we can send more supplies back to the mainland and make more villains like Wang Afu fall into the right path one day."
He paused, softening his tone: "If you really feel bad, Miss, just consider it... collecting interest on behalf of the refugees he threw into the sea."
Gui'er fell silent for a moment before saying, "Won't his family be implicated? The Japanese love to punish those who share the burden; his family is innocent after all."
"I don't know. Don't even think about saving his family. That would easily expose us. We'd finally found a scapegoat, and then we'd get ourselves into trouble. What would that be like?"
Gui'er was speechless for a moment.
When Lin Peishan arrived at school that day, she handed a hat to Gui'er, pointed to a spot, and said to her, "Look here."
Seeing her unusual expression, Gui'er quickly picked it up and read it; it was an article about the size of a tofu block.
[Pirate King Ah Fu executed at Stanley execution ground; hanged and brought to justice, he finally paid for his blood debt]
On the morning of the 15th of this month, the pirate king Ah Fu was executed by hanging at Stanley Prison. Earlier this month, he was sentenced to death by the High Court for piracy after hijacking and killing a Mitsui & Co. cargo ship and murdering seven people. His appeal was rejected, and he was executed this morning.
Before dawn, the execution ground was heavily guarded. Armed Indian prison guards stood watch on the perimeter, while representatives from the Hong Kong Department of Justice and the Commissioner of Prison oversaw the execution. At 6:00 AM, Wang Afu and several of his men were escorted to the gallows by two prison guards. Most of them were ashen-faced and staggered, their former ruthlessness in the Pearl River Estuary completely gone. As the priest prayed for them, they murmured incoherently, seemingly muttering something, but ultimately did not confess.
After verifying his identity, the executioner signaled for the execution. The jailer placed the noose around his neck and tightened the knot. At the executioner's command, the trapdoor suddenly opened, Wang Afu's body plummeted, the rope taut, and he died instantly. The forensic doctor examined him and pronounced him dead; the entire process took less than three minutes.
This case is reportedly the most serious pirate-murder case handled by the Hong Kong government in recent years, attracting widespread attention due to its involvement of a foreign trading company. Although the representative of Mitsui & Co. in Hong Kong was not present, he sent a letter to the Hong Kong government in advance, demanding that the "laws be upheld." Prison authorities stated that after Wang Afu's execution, his body will be handed over to a mortuary for disposal, as is customary; if no relatives claim it, it will be buried in the mass grave behind the prison.
Upon hearing the news, many Hong Kong residents said that "he deserved it." One boatman said, "These black sheep should have been eliminated long ago to ensure peace at sea."
Lin Peishan whispered in Gui'er's ear, "Could this person be Wu Mingqiang's scapegoat?"
Gui'er glanced around warily and said, "Not entirely. He said this person was reported by his colleagues. And this person just happened to be a notorious criminal. It's said that he murdered many refugees on his boat, so Brother Wu just went along with it and used him as a scapegoat."
"You believe this nonsense? I've heard some things, though. It's true that this guy isn't a good person, but handing him over to the Japanese just because of that seems a bit too cruel. Anyway, I still have doubts about your character. You'd better watch yourself."
Gui'er didn't know what else to say, so she nodded and said, "Mm."
She was also feeling down. She glanced at the newspaper listlessly, but suddenly realized that it was the Xingmin Daily. She suddenly realized that she hadn't written about the experiences of those refugees for a while. Why hadn't Zhou Hong asked her to write about it?
Gui'er quickly flipped to the story section and found a refugee interview written in her own style. She guessed that Zhou Hong was trying to skim some money from it and had found a writer who paid her less.
Gui'er could only shake her head with a wry smile.