HH Chapter 68

“Did he really faint?” Fang Yuan asked the neighbor, still skeptical.

The neighbor nodded slightly. “Why would I lie about this? He fainted right in front of me, and I was the one who took him to the hospital.”

At this point, Jiang Fei interjected, “How did he treat his son? Do you know?”

The neighbor thought for a moment. “I don’t really know, but he seemed to care a lot for him. Beyond that, I can’t say much.”

Fang Yuan nodded. “Thank you.”

The neighbor replied, “No problem. If you need anything else, feel free to ask.”

After the neighbor left, Jiang Fei expressed his doubts. “I still find it hard to believe.”

Fang Yuan knocked on another door and turned to Jiang Fei. “If he went to the hospital, there must be records. We rely on evidence, not guesses.”

Jiang Fei paused, then saw Fang Yuan’s smiling face. “How do I look? Am I acting like Team Leader Cheng?”

Before Jiang Fei could respond with a joke, the door opened, and someone asked, “What’s the matter?”

Fang Yuan showed his ID. “We’re from the criminal investigation team. We’d like to ask you some questions about Guo Jiayi.”

The person yawned. “He’s a good guy, but a bit eccentric. I don’t know him well otherwise.”

“And how does he treat his son?” Fang Yuan continued.

The person opened their eyes a bit wider. “His son used to be in the same class as mine. At parent-teacher meetings, he seemed very concerned. But it’s their private matter, so I don’t know much.”

“Thank you,” Fang Yuan said.

As they were about to leave, the person called out, “Oh, officer, about a year ago, a fervent female fan of his showed up. They had a pretty intense argument that lasted about half an hour before it quieted down.”

Fang Yuan’s eyes lit up. “Thank you.”

The two returned around noon, ate a quick cup of instant noodles, and went to the meeting room. This time, Zhang Deli was present, and both of them sat quietly without their usual banter.

Once everyone was present, Zhang Deli began. “This case has a significant impact. The higher-ups are paying attention. In today’s digital age, any spread can get out of hand quickly. We need to speed up our investigation!”

“Yes!” everyone responded.

Zhang Yibao opened his laptop and began, “Guo Jiayi, male, 30 years old, divorced, with a simple social life, mostly staying at home. He has a ten-year-old son, Guo Xiaofei, who has dropped out of school.”

“His last phone call was a month ago to his ex-wife, Li Ru. It lasted only a minute, and the content, confirmed with Li Ru and recorded, was about Guo Xiaofei’s custody.”

He paused before continuing, “His phone contacts include only parents, teachers, and Li Ru. He has minimal social interactions. I also checked for hidden apps; there were none. Apart from us bringing him to the police station, he hasn’t left home recently.”

Fang Yuan, flipping through his notebook, glanced at the screen showing Guo Jiayi. “Jiang Fei and I canvassed the neighborhood. The consensus is that he’s a good person but has a lot of problems.”

He added, “The problems seem to stem purely from his fear of insects, even ants.”

Chen Xiaonuan, sitting opposite Fang Yuan, remarked, “From what you’re saying, he doesn’t seem like the person we saw at all.”

Fang Yuan closed his notebook. “That’s the strange part. Someone so afraid of insects should have a clean house, but his place is almost infested, and he doesn’t clean up.”

“Could he be pretending?” Chen Xiaonuan murmured.

At that moment, Jiang Fei added, “Everyone who saw Guo Jiayi with his son said he treated his son well. They didn’t know the details, though.”

Cheng Ye nodded and turned to Yan Ya. “What do you have?”

Yan Ya paused, gripping her pen. “He does have a severe allergic reaction to iodine. When he was brought in, his face was so swollen it was unrecognizable. Additionally, I found slight burns on his respiratory mucosa. Based on the time frame, he probably inhaled chlorine gas first.”

Fang Yuan lowered his eyes slightly. “It sounds like suicide. Chlorine gas has a strong, irritating smell. In a semi-enclosed space like a bathroom, it’s hard not to notice.”

“Yes,” Yan Ya agreed. “That’s also why I’m puzzled. His allergic reaction was so severe that I almost missed this detail. However, the cause of death wasn’t chlorine gas but the allergic reaction. It really seems like a planned suicide.”

The group fell silent for nearly a minute before Zhang Deli spoke again. “Any other evidence?”

No one spoke up. Fang Yuan glanced at his notebook. “A year ago, a female fan visited Guo Jiayi, and they argued. Does that count?”

Zhang Yibao sighed. “I’ll see what I can find, but it might be difficult.”

“Alright,” Zhang Deli said, standing up. “This case has many suspicious points. Everyone, let’s work harder!”

As Zhang Deli was about to say more, a phone call interrupted him. Fang Yuan slumped in his chair, staring at the ceiling. “What kind of case is this? What are these clues?”

Yan Ya, lost in thought, suddenly brightened. “I think Guo Jiayi might have had some willingness to die, but I don’t know the exact reason. It’s just a guess.”