The address Zhong Weishan gave me leads to a rundown apartment building on the east side of Jiangnan City. The paint peels from weathered brick walls, and broken streetlights cast uneven shadows across cracked pavement. This isn't where I expected to find a man connected to my family's murder.
I climb three flights of narrow stairs, each step echoing in the empty hallway. The building smells of cigarettes and desperation. When I reach apartment 3B, I can hear muffled voices inside. A television playing some old drama. The sound of clinking bottles.
I knock twice. Firm, but not aggressive.
The voices stop immediately. Footsteps approach the door cautiously.
"Who is it?" The voice is tired, suspicious.
"Someone who wants to talk about your son."
