Chapter 617: The Motive Was Money
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The parents of the victim, standing at the forefront of the aggrieved family members, visibly paled upon hearing Captain He’s words, their expressions shifting as they struggled to find words.
They showed no intention of willingly entering the police station, and the faces of the other relatives also bore expressions of defeat. The request for a written statement implied further investigation was to be conducted, a fact that was not lost on them.
Among the relatives, whispers of discontent began to circulate. One voiced their impatience, “I told you, involving the police only complicates matters. It will lead to a long, drawn-out process with no end in sight. I don’t understand why you decided to report this. It was a foolish move!”
Another chimed in, “Exactly, and look at the person in charge. She doesn’t seem fazed by our protest at all. She doesn’t want to compensate us directly. Do you think this situation might change?”
“Given the long history of collusion between officials and businessmen, it’s hard to say. I heard that the person in charge is married to a wealthy man. The parents of Li Da promised us benefits once the matter was resolved. I hope we won’t end up working for nothing.”
“You don’t understand. Reporting to the police was a last resort. When Li Er took Li Da to the hospital, the doctor asked for details about his condition. Li Er slipped up, and the doctor suggested reporting it to the police.”
“Coincidentally, Captain He was at the hospital taking statements. The doctor, being helpful, called Captain He over to Li Er. We had no choice but to report it. We initially thought we could just go through the motions, but Captain He turned out to be meticulous and serious, leading to the current situation.”
These voices were numerous and chaotic, but Gu Zi, with her keen hearing, was able to discern quite a bit of the conversation, picking up on some key information.
From the relatives’ words, Gu Zi could infer that the victim, Li Da, his relative Li Er, and the protesting family members, none of them wanted to involve the police. They had only reported the incident because they had run into Captain He and had no other choice.
Under normal circumstances, if someone suffered food poisoning after eating at a restaurant, they would report it to the police to protect their rights, allowing the police to investigate the matter before seeking compensation.
However, it was clear that Li Da had initially wanted to settle the matter privately with the restaurant, avoiding any complications and directly obtaining compensation.
Their protest outside the police station was likely an attempt to escalate the situation, to appear intimidating, hoping to frighten the person in charge into offering direct compensation, thereby resolving the case.
They would then achieve their goal of direct compensation. Regardless of the circumstances, it was clear that Li Da was very eager for this compensation. His motive was money.
Just as Gu Zi was about to share her findings with Captain He, the family members started to cause a commotion, waving banners and expressing their unwillingness to go in and give statements. The scene was quite chaotic.
Gu Zi decided to keep her thoughts to herself for the moment. She wasn’t in a hurry. Captain He was in charge of the case, and his hearing was likely as good as hers.
He had probably heard most of the conversation and had a good grasp of the situation. She decided to wait and see what kind of drama these people were going to stage. She stood next to Gong Xin, watching the crowd with a calm gaze, as if observing a troupe of clowns.
“Captain He,” one of the relatives began, “Li Da fell ill after eating breakfast at their restaurant. It’s clear that there’s something wrong with their food. Why do we need to give a statement? It’s a waste of time! As for the details of the case, you can conduct your investigation. I think we can start discussing compensation with the person in charge.”
“Exactly,” another added, “My eldest son is still in the hospital. Regardless of what anyone says, he fell ill after eating at Sister Hua’s Gourmet Shop. You say we have to wait for the investigation to conclude. We have our daily lives to maintain. Who doesn’t need to work?”
“We’re being asked to give statements, which feels like a delay tactic. Who knows what problems might arise in the process?”
“Right, we have demands too. If you insist on us cooperating with the investigation and giving statements, we can do so. But we need someone of status to step forward and guarantee that the person in charge of Sister Hua’s Gourmet Shop will compensate us. Only then will we believe you and give our statements.”
Captain He’s subordinates watched the unruly crowd, their patience wearing thin. However, as police officers, they couldn’t lose their temper or resort to physical force. Despite the lack of cooperation, the crowd’s behavior hadn’t escalated to a point where police intervention was necessary.