Gao Jinrui took a sip of water to moisten his throat.
He seemed to be looking for a way to start.
After a moment's thought, he said, "I went to a good university. After graduation, my family pulled some strings to get me into the district's Bureau of Education."
Zhao Tianxing's fingers tapped on the keyboard as he took notes.
"I was a good writer and my major was a perfect fit, so I did very well at my job. By my early thirties, I'd already been promoted to section chief."
"By that time, I was already married, and my son was four or five years old. He was a sturdy, bright-eyed little boy, and he was especially attached to me."
A smile touched his lips.
"Back then, I truly felt that my life was perfect, that I was incredibly happy. But... because of one text message, everything changed."
His tone grew heavy, and his eyes filled with pain.
Chen Chao and Zhao Tianxing exchanged a glance, then looked up in surprise toward the monitoring room.
