All the relatives and friends exchanged surprised glances when the two of them stepped up to the microphone, whispering amongst themselves and then turning their attention to the deceased's father.
The officiant slowly pulled out the slips of paper everyone had written on earlier, slapping them onto the table with a resounding thud.
"Today, in front of all of you, I am going to announce some important news. Perhaps it will sound surprising, even unbelievable, but what I have to say is that once a person's eyes are blinded by money, they are no different from beasts."
The officiant scanned everyone's faces, finally settling his gaze on the deceased's father.
"The young lady you all knew – Yang Lan – did not die from a suicidal drowning, but from a meticulously planned murder!"
The announcement caused a wave of gasps. An elderly woman asked, "Comrade, you say my granddaughter didn't drown, but what proof do you have?"
"Proof, of course, there is."
The officiant glanced at the forensic doctor, who immediately understood and spoke to the crowd in a grave tone. "As everyone knows, drowning is a form of asphyxiation. Water enters the lungs through the mouth and nose, causing the lungs to swell considerably. However, if the deceased had already died before drowning, their lungs would not show corresponding swelling. After a slight dissection, it has been determined that the deceased, Yang Lan, did not die from asphyxiation due to drowning!"
The relatives and friends erupted in an uproar. The old woman's tears flowed like a river, and she wailed mournfully, crying out in grief, "Who is the scoundrel that harmed my granddaughter!"
Yang Hua's face turned ashen. He dared not meet the officiant's piercing gaze. Upon hearing that his daughter had died unjustly, he too began to cry uncontrollably, just like his elderly mother.
"Yang Hua, your ability to put on a show is truly remarkable!"
The officiant slammed his fist onto the table, reminiscent of ancient court proceedings.
"Comrade, I… I don't understand what you're saying?" Yang Hua looked at everyone with a face full of feigned innocence, tears streaming down his cheeks.
"Hmph, still acting so pitifully. Listen up, everyone. The one who killed Yang Lan is none other than her own father! Yang Hua!"
The officiant's words struck like lightning, and the relatives and friends exchanged bewildered glances, turning their gazes directly onto Yang Hua!
"How can you say that? How could I possibly kill my own precious daughter? I was counting on her to take care of me in my old age!"
Yang Hua immediately stood up, appearing completely clueless, shouting his innocence and weeping bitterly.
"This guy, it's a shame he's not acting in Hollywood!" Ren Yuanhao said, a cigarette dangling from his lips, but Mu Rongyan snatched it away.
"You shouldn't smoke anymore. Have you seen how terrible tar-filled lungs are?"
Mu Rongyan, with her fair and clean hands, placed them behind her back, as if this gesture would prevent Ren Yuanhao from snatching the cigarette back.
"I'm not smoking, I'm just holding it in my mouth for fun. I know one can't smoke in public," Ren Yuanhao said, looking at the woman who was a full head shorter than him, a strong sense of protectiveness swelling in his heart.
Bang!
As they were whispering, the officiant slammed the table again, glaring at Yang Hua like an enraged deity, unyielding, and said word by word, "Fine, I see you won't give up until you're faced with the truth! Tell me, do you recognize this water-green skirt?"
"Of course, I recognize it. This is what I gave to the young mortician, asking her to dress my dear daughter in it so she could depart without regrets, looking beautiful." Yang Hua then put on a show of being heartbroken.
"Hmph, honeyed words. Let me ask you again, you said that when you went out to sea fishing this morning, you accidentally cast your net and retrieved your daughter. Is that correct!"
"Yes, I never expected to retrieve my daughter's body. If only I could~" Yang Hua wrung his hands, slapped himself hard twice, and burst into loud sobs.
His mother helped him up, and the other relatives and friends became increasingly confused by the officiant's words. At this point, the officiant asked again, "Did you go out to sea fishing with your father since you were young? For how many years?"
"I've been going out to sea with my father since I was ten years old, at least thirty years."
Yang Hua didn't know why the officiant was bringing this up, but he didn't dare to question it and answered truthfully.
"Very good, an old fisherman. Let me ask you, do you check the weather before you go out fishing?"
"That's right, we usually check the weather forecast the night before going fishing."
The officiant became furious, immediately took out his phone, and opened last night's local weather forecast, roaring, "Everyone, look! What did the weather forecast say last night!"
"Tropical storm approaching, expecting winds of force 7 to 9 in the open sea, with waves five to six meters high. Not suitable for offshore operations!" The forensic doctor read each word clearly and with great emphasis!
Upon hearing this, Yang Hua's legs suddenly went weak, and a flash of realization hit him. He said, "It's true we check the weather forecast, but I also observe the conditions in the morning. My observations proved more accurate than the forecast; the sea was calm. It's just that no one expected something like this to happen~"
"Still trying to deny it? It seems you won't confess unless I lay out the real evidence!"
The officiant pulled out one of the papers and read word by word, "I heard you bought a suicide insurance policy for your daughter, and I found it amusing. But I never expected you to actually go this way. Yang Hua, you're very familiar with this kind of tactic, aren't you!"
Hearing this, Yang Hua's soul nearly flew out of his body, and he broke out in a cold sweat. Yet, he managed to maintain his composure, feigning ignorance. "What does that mean? I don't understand."
"Hmph, still trying to quibble? Then tell us, how did your wife die!"
The officiant's gaze made Yang Hua's skin crawl. Since his mother and many relatives knew about it, he had no choice but to tell the truth. "She also died by suicide."
"Are you sure you've stated everything completely? Tell us, how much insurance money did you receive from your wife's death!"
This statement stirred up a huge wave. The relatives and friends whispered amongst themselves, their eyes turning sharp. It seemed they were starting to believe.
"I didn't. If you don't believe me, you can investigate. I, Yang Hua, am upright and honest, and I am not afraid of slander!" Yang Hua was making his last desperate attempt.
At this moment, the officiant took out the last piece of paper, which was a portrait. It was a lifelike drawing of a man being held down by two men, and then his right shoulder was being struck hard with a wooden stick. Below it was a line of small text: "Your father is addicted to gambling; your death might also be connected to it."
"What does this prove? Officiant, I think all of this is fabricated by you. Where is your real evidence? Show me!" Yang Hua laughed instead of getting angry, an act that chilled all the relatives and friends.