Unable to make sense of things, Xiao Tang added, “But there’s still a difference between him and Ding Jing.”
Zou Shuyang, uninterested, asked, “What is it?”
Xiao Tang explained, “Ding Jing was good friends with Mengjie, but this Lin Shaohuai—he doesn’t have any friends. His relationships with all his classmates were distant. I asked a few people, and they all said that initially, they thought Lin Shaohuai was nice, smart, and someone who could be a good friend. But after getting to know him, they felt something was… off about him.”
Xiao Wang’s eyes lit up. “What do you mean by ‘off’? What was wrong with him?”
Xiao Tang, relishing the suspense, said, “That’s the thing—kids are the best at seeing through people. No matter how well someone hides their true nature, long-term interactions will eventually reveal it.”
Xiao Wang was getting anxious. “Come on, don’t keep me in suspense!”
With a newfound appreciation for his role as the storyteller, Xiao Tang glanced at Zou Shuyang, who remained calm, and then at the impatient Xiao Wang. Feeling content with the balance, he finally shared, “Those who once tried to befriend Lin Shaohuai eventually realized that despite his calm and gentle appearance, there was always something subtly off about him.”
Accepting a cup of water from Xiao Wang, Xiao Tang took a sip before continuing, “One of the people who got closest to him said that once, after school, they went out for barbecue together. The owner accidentally knocked over Lin Shaohuai’s water cup while serving them. Lin Shaohuai said it was fine, but he kept glaring at the owner with this murderous look.”
“At the time, this person thought Lin Shaohuai just didn’t like people touching his things. But later, during an exam where Lin Shaohuai didn’t get the top score, he secretly retaliated against the person who did.”
Spreading his hands, Xiao Tang asked, “Guess who got the top score?”
Before the eager Xiao Wang could respond, Zou Shuyang, unimpressed with Xiao Tang’s theatrics, flatly said, “It’s related to the case. Ding Jing.”
Xiao Tang pouted, reluctantly confirming, “Yeah, it was her. According to the witness, Lin Shaohuai started targeting Ding Jing after her family went bankrupt.”
Xiao Wang clicked his tongue in disapproval. “What a bully—he only picks on the weak.”
Zou Shuyang suddenly caught on to Xiao Tang’s implication and asked, “Are you suggesting that Lin Shaohuai was the one who assaulted Ding Jing back then?”
Xiao Tang nodded, giving Zou Shuyang a thumbs up and showering him with praise, “As expected of Team Leader Zou—right on the mark.”
But before he could continue, a sharp look from Zou Shuyang made Xiao Tang swallow his flattery, switching to a serious tone. “By the way, Team Leader, Mengjie’s retrograde amnesia—it was caused by Zhong Langming.”
“Why?” Zou Shuyang asked, “What did Mengmeng see that made them want her to lose her memory?”
Xiao Tang shook his head. “We don’t know that part yet.”
Zou Shuyang instinctively reached for his phone to call Jian Mengyan but hesitated just before dialing.
Jian Mengyan doesn’t know yet either.
Her memory hasn’t fully returned. If it had, given her close relationships with Shen Tinglan and Ding Jing, she would definitely want revenge for them.
But…
A vague thought crossed Zou Shuyang’s mind, only for him to shake his head, dismissing it.
He couldn’t think like that.
That kind of thing… it couldn’t be possible.
“Let’s go. We’ll split up. Xiao Wang, you go find Captain He and head to Jiangyuan Group to track down Lin Shaohuai. Xiao Tang and I will go stake out his house.”
After assigning tasks, Zou Shuyang patted Xiao Wang on the shoulder with a serious expression. “No matter what happens, make sure to keep yourself safe. Understood?”
Moved by his superior’s concern, Xiao Wang’s eyes glistened with tears as he nodded firmly. With the determination of someone about to disarm a bomb, he declared, “I understand! I’ll complete the mission!”
As Xiao Wang left, Xiao Tang crossed his arms and asked, “Team Leader, why did you tell him to protect himself?”
Zou Shuyang tossed the car keys to Xiao Tang while pulling up the GPS on his phone. “If Captain He finds out I gave him that assignment, what do you think will happen?”
Recalling Captain He’s strict nature, Xiao Tang shuddered.
With lingering fear, he muttered, “I hope Xiao Wang makes it back alive.”
The two locked up the office and quickly made their way to the first floor, where they happened to pass by Zhong Langming being escorted up from the basement detention area.
Just the day before, Zhong Langming had been an imposing figure—a proud and successful vice president. Now, he looked terrified and haggard, as if he’d aged ten years overnight.
Zou Shuyang barely glanced at Zhong Langming as he walked past, but Zhong Langming suddenly called out, “Zou Shuyang.”
When Zou Shuyang didn’t stop, Zhong Langming added, “Do you think this will all be over once you catch Lin Shaohuai?”
Zou Shuyang turned, leaning against the doorframe. “What else do you know?”
Zhong Langming took a deep breath. “I don’t know much, but I do know that Lin Shaohuai isn’t the mastermind. There’s someone far more dangerous behind him. You’ve crossed their path, so be prepared for their retaliation.”
The officers escorting Zhong Langming hurried him along, pulling him away from Zou Shuyang.
As he was dragged off, Zhong Langming yelled, “Zou Shuyang, you’d better keep your girlfriend hidden! You’ve ruined me, and I’ll be watching to see what happens to you!”
Even as they arrived at Yunshang Villa, Zou Shuyang’s mood remained dark, the tension weighing heavily on Xiao Tang, who could hardly breathe under the pressure.
Desperate to lighten the atmosphere, Xiao Tang tried to reason with him. “Team Leader, that Zhong Langming was just a dead man walking, trying to get the last word in. Don’t take it to heart.”
Zou Shuyang stayed silent.
Xiao Tang continued, “Look, if they were really going to do something to Mengjie, they would have done it ten years ago. Back then, she was lying in the hospital with no one protecting her, and the most they could do was make her lose that part of her memory. They wouldn’t dare do anything now.”
As they reached the entrance to Yunshang Villa, the security guard stopped their car. Xiao Tang rolled down the window, showed his police badge, and they were let through. “So, Team Leader, why even bother taking him seriously?”
Zou Shuyang shook his head. “That’s not what I’m worried about. You’re right—they didn’t dare touch Mengmeng ten years ago, and they won’t now.”
“Then what are you worried about?”
Xiao Tang peered around, looking for the corresponding house number for Lin Shaohuai’s villa.
Zou Shuyang tilted his head, the afternoon sunlight casting shadows on his face. “There are two groups.”
“Two groups?”
“One group is Zhong Langming’s people, the culprits behind those two cases ten years ago. The other group…”
Xiao Tang’s mind clicked. “The other group is the one that’s been killing people related to Ding Jing and Shen Tinglan over the past decade?”
Zou Shuyang nodded.
If it were just Zhong Langming and his group, Zou Shuyang wouldn’t be so worried about Jian Mengyan.
But there was another group involved.
“The problem is this second group—they only care about revenge, and nothing else matters to them.”
Xiao Tang stopped the car and suddenly asked, “Team Leader, you keep mentioning two groups. Do you think the person who killed Shen Jun and the others isn’t just one person?”
Zou Shuyang shook his head. “I don’t know.”
Xiao Tang: …
Alright, he regretted asking.
After twisting and turning through the residential area for another five minutes, Xiao Tang finally parked the car. “Team Leader, we’re here.”
——
Naive Xiao Wang, believing Zou Shuyang’s words, went straight to Captain He and bluntly relayed Zou Shuyang’s instructions.
Captain He remained silent for a while after hearing this, then asked with a friendly smile, “Where’s Zou Shuyang?”
Xiao Wang, oblivious to any danger, cheerfully replied, “He went to Lin Shaohuai’s house.”
Captain He: … His fists clenched.
In the end, seeing Xiao Wang’s innocent face, Captain He swallowed his anger, glaring as he followed Xiao Wang to Jiangyuan Group.
At Jiangyuan Group’s entrance, both of them had to show their police badges before the security guard let them in, but they were quickly stopped at the front desk.
“We’re here to investigate a case.” Xiao Wang said, trying to remain patient. “Please call Lin Shaohuai and have him come out to cooperate with our investigation.”
The receptionist maintained a perfectly polite smile. “Sorry, but we don’t have the authority to disclose Mr. Lin’s schedule.”
Xiao Wang’s expression darkened. “Every organization and individual has the obligation to cooperate with police investigations.”
The receptionist kept smiling as she repeated her previous line.
Xiao Wang’s patience ran out. He was about to snap back when Captain He raised a hand to stop him.
Still fuming, Xiao Wang turned to Captain He in confusion. “Captain?”
Captain He motioned with his chin toward someone who had just stepped out of the elevator.
The man was tall and slim, dressed in a sharp suit, so thin that it seemed like a strong breeze could knock him over.
The receptionist immediately approached him. “President Hao.”
Hao Yiming glanced at the two police officers before returning his attention to the receptionist. “Who are these people?”
The receptionist bit her lip, stood on her tiptoes, leaned closer to Hao Yiming, and whispered in his ear, “It’s the police. They said they need Mr. Lin to cooperate with an investigation.”
Initially, the receptionist had already planned how she would report this to gain some credit, but unexpectedly, after she said those words, the air around Hao Yiming seemed to drop a few degrees in temperature.
The receptionist was stunned and called out, “Mr. Hao?”
Hao Yiming pushed her gently aside, maintaining a good-natured demeanor as he walked over to Captain He and Officer Xiao Wang. “Are you both here to have Lin Shaohuai cooperate with an investigation?”
Xiao Wang looked displeased but didn’t express it openly. “And you are…?”
Hao Yiming smiled kindly, “I’m Lin Shaohuai’s boss. Here’s my business card.”
He then took out a card from his briefcase and handed it over.
After they accepted the card, Hao Yiming regrettably said, “Unfortunately, Lin Shaohuai has already gone home for the day. To be honest, he didn’t seem quite right today.”
“What do you mean by ‘not quite right’?” Captain He frowned and asked.
Hao Yiming pretended to consider his words carefully, “Around noon, Lin Shaohuai said he was going out to meet a friend. But after lunch, when he returned, he seemed dazed and out of sorts. Normally, he’s a very meticulous person, but this afternoon, he made several low-level mistakes. Seeing that his work condition wasn’t good, I sent him home to rest.”
Hao Yiming spoke hesitantly, putting on the airs of a good boss.
“Alright, we understand. Thank you.”
With that, Captain He was about to leave, but as they reached the door, Hao Yiming stopped them again. “Officer, do you mind telling me what Lin Shaohuai is involved in that requires his cooperation in an investigation?”
Captain He politely responded, “I’m afraid we can’t disclose that at the moment. Sorry.”
Hao Yiming watched coldly as Captain He and Xiao Wang left. When Xiao Wang glanced back after getting in the car, Hao Yiming even nodded at him with a smile.
Not until the car drove off did he turn away.
The receptionist came over, “Mr. Hao?”
Hao Yiming shot a cold glance at her and said in a stern voice, “Cooperating with the police in an investigation is a duty every citizen must fulfill. Got it?”
The receptionist quickly nodded, replying repeatedly, “I understand, I understand.”
Hao Yiming then strode out, where his driver was already waiting with the car at the entrance.
Before getting into the car, he made a phone call. Once it connected, he directly asked, “How’s it going?”
The voice on the other end was calm and reassuring, “Don’t worry, boss.”
——
Zou Shuyang and Xiao Tang stood in front of the villa. Xiao Tang looked envious, “Captain Zou, when do you think I can live in a villa like this?”
Zou Shuyang walked toward the villa’s front door but didn’t forget to answer Xiao Tang’s question, “With your current salary, bonuses, and housing fund, if you save every penny and don’t spend a thing, you might be able to afford it in fifteen, sixteen, or seventeen years.”
“That long?”
Xiao Tang complained while pressing the doorbell.
Zou Shuyang snickered, “If you don’t want to wait, you could always try going into business.”
Xiao Tang quickly rejected the idea, continuing to press the bell, “I’d rather not. I think my current situation is pretty good. Sure, my neighborhood might be old and rundown, but it’s full of life.”
Just as Xiao Tang finished speaking, he saw Zou Shuyang reach out, jam his fingers in the door crack, and push the door open.
“Wasn’t it closed properly?” Xiao Tang froze for a moment, then wrinkled his nose, “Is that the smell of blood?”
The two exchanged a glance and quickly entered Lin Shaohuai’s house.
Inside the villa, they were greeted by a shocking scene of red all over the floor.
Lin Shaohuai, pale as a sheet, sat on the sofa with his eyes closed. A large gash marred his right wrist, and in his left hand, he was holding a fruit knife in reverse. A piece of paper was lying on the table.
Zou Shuyang quickly rushed over. After confirming that Lin Shaohuai still had a faint breath, he tore off a corner of the sofa cover and used it to wrap Lin’s still-bleeding wrist while telling Xiao Tang to dial 120.
With his sharp eyesight, Zou Shuyang could clearly see the word “Will” written on the paper on the table.
What followed was a chaotic rush. After Xiao Tang left with the ambulance, Zou Shuyang finally collapsed onto the sofa, exhausted.
“Deputy Captain Zou, what luck you have, stumbling onto such a big scene.” Captain He said mockingly, clearly still displeased with the workload Zou Shuyang had assigned him.
Zou Shuyang picked up the will, “It was a necessary decision in the heat of the moment. If we hadn’t split up, who knows, by the time we found Lin Shaohuai, he might already be dead.”
“By the way, did you check the surveillance cameras in the neighborhood?” Zou Shuyang asked.
Captain He, cigarette in mouth, leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed, “We did, but it’s useless.”
Zou Shuyang looked up from the will, “Useless? Nothing was captured?”
“That’s right.” Captain He said. “The surveillance near Lin Shaohuai’s house only captured him returning home at 3:10 p.m., and after that, it was you and Xiao Tang showing up at 4:00 p.m.”
Zou Shuyang, finding this boring, put the will down, “So, if Lin Shaohuai didn’t commit suicide, the killer would have acted within this one-hour window.”
Captain He wagged his finger, “The time frame for the killer to act should be under fifty minutes.”
With that slight reminder, Zou Shuyang immediately understood, “That’s true. After all, even an elephant would bleed to death if left for fifty minutes.”
Xiao Wang, who rarely had the chance to go on fieldwork with the two seniors, took advantage of the situation, hurriedly jotting down every word they said in his notebook.
“What’s written in the will?” Captain He asked.
Zou Shuyang rubbed his temples, “It says how he assaulted Ding Jing ten years ago, how he bribed Shen Jun to kill Shen Tinglan, and some of his inner thoughts.”
When Captain He heard Shen Tinglan’s name, he immediately walked over, picked up the will, and read it thoroughly. After a while, he put it down heavily.
“So, what do you think?” Zou Shuyang asked. “Do you believe what’s written?”
Captain He furrowed his brow, “Nine parts true, one part false.”
Zou Shuyang snapped his fingers, “Exactly. I feel the same.”
“The will says that Lin Shaohuai had feelings for Ding Jing for a long time, but because Ding Jing’s family was wealthy back then, he didn’t dare make a move. Later, Ding Jing’s family went bankrupt, and her parents went to jail, so he finally had the guts to do something.” At first glance, that part seemed true.
Zou Shuyang chimed in, “But in practice, it wouldn’t be easy. Lin Shaohuai is thin and small, not good at sports, while Ding Jing is tall and often participated in shot-put events at school.”
Captain He nodded and slowly read through the latter half of the will again, “As for Old Shen’s case, fearing that Old Shen would expose his assault on Ding Jing, Lin Shaohuai bribed Shen Jun and others to kill Old Shen. That part does make sense.”
Zou Shuyang continued to poke holes, “But again, it’s not feasible in practice.”
After saying that, the two of them exchanged a look and spoke in unison, “He had no money.”
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